App Time

There are many apps readily available that can help you save time and trouble in supermarkets and restaurants. Gluten and allergen-free information are available at your fingertips. You can use apps to scan items at grocery stores and see whether or not they contain gluten. You can also search for reputable gluten-free restaurants, or communicate your gluten-free requirements in other languages. I’ve created a list of gluten-free apps that should be helpful in yours or your loved one’s lives.

First, I’ll list several apps that can help with one’s shopping while gluten-free:

Allergy & Gluten Free Diet Tracker by Fooducate: ($4.99) With this app, one can use their device to scan a product’s barcode, search for specific products, or browse for foods by category. They can easily see whether or not a product contains allergens such as gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, egg, milk, lactose or soy. There is also an interesting “One Click” button option that allows someone to call the manufacturer directly for additional information on the product in question. fooducate.com

Gluten-Free Groceries by Triumph Dining: ($17.99) This app’s tagline is that it is known as the “yellow pages of gluten-free food.” It allows one to quickly and simply find gluten-free groceries. The app lists more than 30,000 gluten-free products from popular brands to smaller specialty companies. This app offers several different language translations as well. triumphdining.com/glutenfree/apps.php

Is That Gluten Free?: ($7.99) This app allows someone to safely grocery shop with a database of more than 20,000 manufacturer-verified gluten-free products from more than 660 brands. One can search by categories, brands, ingredients, or keyword without difficulty. bit.ly/15al1xk

Next I’ll introduce you to some apps that can be quite useful when eating out:

AllergyEats Mobile: (Free) This app provides peer-based feedback on how well (or poorly) restaurants in one’s area accommodate the needs of food-allergic diners. One can customize their search by selecting from the top 10 allergens (gluten, wheat, corn, dairy, eggs, fish, peanuts, shellfish, soy and tree nuts), entering a specific location, or by choosing the “Find Near Me” option. allergyeats.com

Dine Gluten Free: (Free) Much like the previous app, this app helps one find peer reviews of thousands of “gluten-free-friendly” businesses in the U.S. and around the world. The reviews are searchable by location and include restaurants, bakeries, markets, hotels, cruises and even colleges. glutenfreetravelsite.com

Find Me Gluten Free: (Free) With this app one can search for gluten-free dining options by entering a specific location or browse the “Popular Chains” option, which includes links to the chain restaurants’ websites and gluten-free menus. This app also has “User Reviews” which often contains valuable information and tips. findmeglutenfree.com

iCanEat OnTheGo Gluten Free & Allergen Free: ($2.99) This app is very helpful when one wants to eat at a fast-food place. The app includes 34 different U.S. chains. All one has to do is enter their allergen concerns into the 3,900-plus-item fast food menu database. glutenfreepassport.com

iEatOut Gluten & Allergen Free: ($2.99)This app is similar to the previous app, but with a focus on ethnic restaurants. It provides resources for seven different ethnic restaurant cuisines including Chinese, French, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Thai, and steak and seafood. This app allows one to easily browse through menu choices, ingredients, sauces, food preparation and cross-contamination considerations so as to avoid any combination of food allergens. glutenfreepassport.com

Finally, here a two apps which can be quite useful if someone with Celiac Disease is planning on traveling to another country:

Gluten Free and Allergy Free Travel Translation Cards: (Free) With this app one can learn to safely and effectively communicate their food concerns when ordering meals in foreign-speaking countries. It includes 13 different languages, which is very helpful when managing a gluten-free diet as well as other food allergies. glutenfreepassport.com/allergy-gluten-free-travel/gf-translation-cards

Gluten Free Restaurant Cards from CeliacTravel.com: (Free) This app has gluten-free restaurant cards in 54 different languages to use when you dine out at a restaurant, either in the U.S. or abroad. celiactravel.com

These apps are only a small sampling of what’s out there. I encourage you to do some research on your own to find the app that suits your needs the best. In my next blog post, I’ll be sharing information about Celiac Disease support groups, what they are, where they are, and how they can help you. I’ll see you then!