Transitioning to a gluten free diet is hard enough, but doing so when the rest of your family is not gluten free is even harder. I have personally experienced this and know first-hand the tips and tricks need to make it work.​

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First, we need to understand what cross-contamination is. Cross contamination is a term used to describe when a gluten free food comes in contact with gluten-full foods which makes it not gluten free anymore. Some examples of this are gluten free fries being fried in the same oil as breaded chicken nuggets, gluten free pasta cooked in the same water as regular pasta, etc. 

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Cross contamination is the main culprit for gluten exposure when trying to eat gluten free in a gluten-full home. These tips are my tried and true ways to combat cross-contamination:

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1. Separate Butter

 

When using butter (or similar foods like cream cheese, etc), the knife touches whatever someone is eating and then cuts the butter again, cross-contaminating it. Having a separate butter eliminates the risk of cross-contamination because it is only used on gluten free foods. (I like to label mine with my name on it so my family knows not to use it!)

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2. Squeezy condiments!​

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Similar to butter, condiments like mayonnaise, sour cream, and peanut butter that come in tubs are very prone to cross contamination because the utensils used with them are dipped back into them, spreading gluten crumbs in them. To eliminate this, get squeezy condiments! Sour cream, mayo, and peanut butter come in squeeze bottle options so that the containers never touch any food. This way both gluten free and gluten-full family members can use them with no risk of cross-contamination. (I recommend having a separate labeled one just for the gluten free member, however).

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3. Cook gluten free first, then use same dishes for gluten

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Cooking food in the same pan causes tiny crumbs of gluten to be cooked into the gluten free food. Combat this by cooking the gluten free food first! This allows the gluten free food to be cooked in a clean pan. The regular food is not affected by the gluten free food and can be cooked right in the same pan. (Less dishes!)

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4. Separate toaster

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Toasters and other small appliances cannot be cleaned the same way a pan or plate can be so I recommend having a dedicated gluten free toaster/toaster oven/air fryer that is only used for gluten free food. In my home, the toaster was used for regular food and the toaster oven was used for my gluten free foods.

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5. Separate area in pantry/freezer/fridge

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Being limited in what you can eat as someone who is gluten free is frustrating in itself, but having your food eaten by someone who has the option to eat anything else is even more infuriating (spoken from personal experience). Having a dedicated area in the pantry or fridge where the gluten free food lives and is off limits to other siblings or family members can give those who are gluten free peace of mind that they have things they can safely eat.

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Although it is hard and not ideal, remaining gluten free in a gluten-full home is possible. If you have any specific questions about this or want me to come to your home and show you exactly how to structure your fridge/pantry/kitchen, send me an email below!