Creating an organized kitchen with celiac disease

You or a family member have been diagnosed with celiac disease or another gluten-related disorder.  You are overwhelmed with how to organize and manage your home kitchen environment.  Do we throw away all our utensils? Can we have gluten-containing food for other family members? As a professional organizer with celiac disease, I understand how confusing this can be.

 The first several months after diagnosis can be overwhelming.  Gluten seems to be in everything (in fact, *it’s in 80% of foodstuffs) and cross contact of gluten-free and gluten-containing foods is so prevalent.  Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.

 *Source: Marilyn Geller, CEO of the Celiac Disease Foundation

What is celiac disease?

Celiac disease is a serious and complicated chronic autoimmune disease.  The immune response to gluten damages the villi in the small intestines, preventing the body from absorbing nutrients.  There are over 200 symptoms (including various gastrointestinal symptoms), and the long-term health conditions can be very serious if not treated by adhering to a completely 100% gluten-free diet.

Why is the gluten-free diet so complex?

 Part of the complexity of the gluten-free diet is that gluten containing food cannot come into contact with gluten-free food.  Many people find cross contact to be one of the most difficult parts of the gluten-free diet to manage.  Gluten can hide in a lot of places, even in your home.  An entirely gluten-free household is not always possible due to budget and the needs of other household members. 

What is cross contact?

 Cross contact can take place between gluten-free and gluten containing foods:

·       when foods are stored openly near each other, are opened in the same storage area or crumbs from gluten containing foods are exposed to gluten-free foods.

·       when foods are prepared on common surfaces.

·       when using utensils, cookware or appliances not thoroughly cleaned after preparing gluten containing foods with them.

·       where gluten containing flour may be airborne and settle on surfaces, utensils and gluten-free products.

·       when foods are served near each other, around dinnerware or with utensils that contain gluten.

·       when food preparers do not wash their hands in between making food.

How do I organize my kitchen to avoid cross contact?

Storge:

 When storing foods:

·       Gluten-free items should always be stored ABOVE gluten-containing items and in sealed containers such as the original sealed packaging, Ziploc-type bags or Tupperware.

·       Label gluten-free foods (unless clearly labeled on the original package) - MANY FOODS ARE NOT LABELED GF.

·       Use clean hands whenever touching any container of gluten-free food.

Preparation & Serving:

 When preparing and serving gluten-free foods, kitchen tools must be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water or in the dishwasher.  If an item cannot be thoroughly cleaned, there must be a separate, dedicated item to use, which could include appliances, utensils and preparation surfaces.  Some common kitchen items difficult to clean include toasters, strainers/colanders, wooden spoons, cutting boards, cast iron pans and pizza ovens.

 My hope is you are now a bit less overwhelmed after and can get started on organizing your kitchen for gluten-free enjoyment.  As a professional organizer with celiac disease, I offer kitchen clean-out, organizing and set-up addressing the specific challenges of dealing with this dietary restriction. If you’d like, I’d love to help!