My 2 Favorite Gluten-Free Apps

​I’ve been gluten-free (GF) for a little over 5 years. To find out why, click here. You don’t realize how much of your life and social activities revolve around food until you have a food allergy or sensitivity.
 
Here’s a little glimpse into my life…. 

I’m constantly reading food labels. I often carry gluten-free snacks in my purse. Before going to events, I usually first eat something at home, just in case there is nothing safe for me to eat at the event. Pot luck dinners no longer excite me, but instead they are more of a danger zone. While others have their plates full of food, I’m one of those people with just salad on her plate (unless I take out that GF snack from my purse). Before I go out to eat at a restaurant, I look their menu up online and see what I’ll be able to eat.
 
This has become my new normal, but it’s worth it because I feel so much better when I don’t eat gluten. While being gluten-free can be challenging at times, here are 2 apps that have made my life easier.

Find Me Gluten Free

Before going out to eat, I often use this app to find restaurants near me that have gluten-free options available. You can search by restaurant name, category, or location. Users give reviews (1-5 stars) and specific feedback about their experience at each restaurant. You will also find directions, restaurant phone numbers & hours of operation, along with links to the restaurants’ online menus. This app has been especially helpful when I’m traveling.
 
Price: FREE   /    Available: Apple App Store & Google Play

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The Gluten Free Scanner 

 
​​Grocery shopping when you’re gluten-free can sometimes be a little overwhelming. After years of experience, it’s become much easier, as I have a pretty good idea of what is gluten-free and what is not.

I’ve learned the importance of carefully reading food labels (sometimes things are advertised as being gluten-free and they’re not), and I’m always looking for new gluten-free products to try.
 
Sometimes, though, a product isn’t labeled gluten-free, but after reading the ingredients you think it is safe to eat. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could quickly check and get a clear answer? That’s where the Gluten Free Scanner app can be helpful.
 
All you have to do is scan the barcode of an item and the app will give you one of these answers:

• Gluten-Free
•  No gluten containing ingredients (meaning the food doesn’t have gluten, but it could have been processed on equipment shared with gluten)
• May contain gluten
• Contains gluten

 
I’ve used it on several shopping trips and have been surprised at how fast and accurate it is. The app has over 500,000 products in its database and a team of dietitians, nutritionists, and researchers work to maintain the database.  
 
Price: FREE  / Full Version costs $3.99 (search by product name / unlimited scans)

Available: Apple App Store & Google Play

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