My EOE Flare and Going Low Gluten

In June, I had an EOE flare so bad that it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. So yeah, did not enjoy and do not recommend. For those not familiar, Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE) is a chronic immune system disease where certain foods can cause your esophagus to become inflamed. It’s kind of like a food allergy’s evil cousin. I’ve known that I’ve had an intolerance to gluten for years, but it amped up out of nowhere and I went from ‘oh, I try not to eat gluten at dinner because it gives me reflux’ to being scared that I was going to have to survive on pudding and jello for the rest of my life.

My new doctor can’t see me until August, so I’ve gone full detective mode… spiraling down the EOE rabbit hole, learning about allergy testing, elimination diets and eating low gluten. Because honestly, nothing says ‘world-class healthcare’ like having to auction off your firstborn for a specialist who might see you sometime in 2027.

So thanks to doctor Google/ChatGPT I had a plan to get through the couple months leading up to my appointment. I really, really, really do not want to go on an elimination diet for a variety of reasons that I won’t go into here. However, I started keeping a food journal after my flare, eating low gluten, and tracking how I feel.

I’m not diving fully into gluten-free life unless it proves necessary long term, but I have reduced gluten since I know it can be a trigger for me. Which means, testing gluten-free options. My sister (who is gluten free) has given me some great suggestions and I’ve also done a little trial and error of what I can find at my local stores.

Here is what I’ve tried and liked so far:

• Homemade Rice Krispie treats – naturally gluten free, as they are just rice krispies, butter and marshmallows. It is helpful for me to have a grab-and-go snack that I can eat if I need something sweet.
• Bettergoods brand Gluten Free Banana Nut Muffin Mix – I made it according to the directions, but also added one smashed banana and some dark chocolate chips. It was very good and tasted like ‘normal’ muffins!
• Miss Jones brand Gluten Free Monster Cookie Mix – This cookie mix was an easy mix and bake GF option. They tasted a little like they were oatmeal cookie based when they were warm from the oven, but they were WAY better the next day after being stored in a plastic storage container. They were still chewy, rather than crispy, and delicious. I had to ban my husband from eating them all.
• Barilla Gluten Free Rotini – These noodles tasted almost exactly like the non-gluten version and made for some delicious mac and cheese!
• Snyders Gluten Free Pretzels – These taste just like regular pretzels (maybe a little crunchier) and they are great for tzatziki dips.
• G.H. Cretors Cheese & Caramel Popcorn Mix – I love a sweet/salty combo and this popcorn mix is gluten free!
• LiveGfree Gluten Free Baking Mix – They carry this baking mix at Aldi and it is a base that can be turned into pancakes, waffles and biscuits. It was fantastic as waffles. I also tried it as more of a savory pancake situation (I added cheddar cheese) to take the place of the bread on my tomato sandwich and it was… okay.

There have also been a few gluten free fails. I tried chickpea noodles topped with spaghetti sauce and they were kind of awful. I mean I ate them because I was hungry, but I was mad about it. I also tried to make my normal banana chocolate chip muffin recipe but subbed in almond flour… and it was like a mushy banana pudding situation.

I’ve heard that Trader Joes has some very good gluten free options, including everything bagels and doughnuts. So, I plan to try them soon!

I’m still in the experimenting stage here though, so I can certainly use some recommendations. If you’ve gone gluten free – either by choice or necessity – what are your favorites? I’m taking snacks, baking mixes, bread items that don’t taste like cardboard, etc.