There are many helpful tips that can help you follow a gluten-free diet successfully:

▪️Read food labels: Practice reading food labels so you can easily identify gluten-free foods.

▪️Tell your friends: If your friends know that you’re on the diet, they’re more likely to choose places with gluten-free options when you eat out.

▪️Buy a gluten-free cookbook: Doing so may help you be more creative with your cooking and make meals more enjoyable.

▪️Plan ahead: If you’re traveling abroad, make sure you research places to eat and shop. Otherwise, plan your diet around plenty of whole, single-ingredient foods like lean meats, vegetables and fruit.

▪️Use separate cooking utensils: If you share a kitchen with friends or family members, make sure you use separate cooking and cleaning equipment. You don’t want to accidentally contaminate your foods with gluten from other people’s food.

▪️Bring your own food: If you’re visiting family, take foods like gluten-free bread and pasta with you. This way you won’t feel left out of family meals.

If you don’t have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, you won’t need to follow a gluten-free diet. While it has many health benefits, it also limits some otherwise healthy foods that are great for optimal health.