Our biggest and "best" Gluten-Free Living

You won't want to miss the new Gluten-Free Living. With every magazine we publish, we get bigger and better.
This is our first "Best Of" issue and includes updates of our most popular stories. Here's a sample:
Questions Linger about McDonald's Fries
By Amy Ratner
"If you are on the gluten-free diet and ordering at McDonald's, what do you say to the automatic question, "Do you want fries with that?" The answer is not as simple as it seems. There are some facts you should take into consideration when deciding whether you can include the fries in your diet..."

The Last Word on Vinegar
By Ann Whelan
"In late 1999, I decided to take the plunge and begin an investigation of the question, "Does vinegar contain gluten?" Five minutes after I started I realized the question should not have been asked in the first place..."

Feeling Your GF Oats
By Amy Ratner
"Oats can be confusing for those who follow the gluten-free diet. On the one hand you can't just walk into the supermarket and buy well-known brands of oats for breakfast. On the other, you can find oats that are labeled gluten free. So what is the story on oats?..."

It's Easy to Love Cheese
By Ann Whelan
"The answers to questions about safety of cheese are relatively simple once you understand the differences between the two main categories of cheese: real cheese and processed cheese. There are significant differences between the two…"

And you'll find lots more, including updates on ingredient questions that never seem to go away and enriched gluten-free food. There's also a collection of favorite recipes. Plus we revisit some of our most popular On Your Plate and medical questions and answers.

For these stories and more, go to http://www.glutenfreeliving.com to subscribe. The new issue starts shipping today. It will also be available in Barnes & Noble, Borders, Whole Foods, Wegman's and other health food stores around the country. See our homepage for a full list.

Also on our website, you'll find our free Holiday Guide, with lots of tips for fast-approaching Chanukah and Christmas celebrations, including recipes.Check back here later this week for our Gluten-Free Living Gift Guide. You can also follow us on Twitter as gfliving.

Hardee's Gluten-Free Menu

It looks like Hardee's, a fast food restaurant with locations in 42 states, is making a push for gluten-free customers.
The chain got in touch with me through Twitter today to let me know it offers several gluten-free menu items. It also got in touch with the other gluten-free publications and bloggers on Twitter to spread the word.
According to the Hardee's website, you can get almost any burger wrapped in fresh, whole leaf iceberg lettuce, ala California's In -N-Out Burger chain. The fries and the breakfast bowl are also gluten free. The website warns you to stay away from the onion rings and chicken, which both contain gluten.
In fact the website has an ingredient and allergen guide that tells you what's in every menu item and conveniently marks those that contain wheat and wheat gluten with a W.
The charbroiled chicken breast has a W because it seasoned and glazed with wheat-containing soy sauce. And the country potatoes and the crispy curls contain wheat flour. But the mashed potatoes, coleslaw and most of the ice cream are among the items that appear to be gluten-free.
The one downside is that allergen guide notes that the restaurant does not have an allergen-free environment in the kitchen.
I'm not sure if that means the regular fries are made in the same oil as gluten-containing items or not. I contacted Hardee's and will let you know what the story is when they get back to me. It would be nice if they already make the fries in separate oil. But if dedicated fryers are not used, perhaps the company would be willing to show just how serious it is about meeting gluten-free needs by switching to them.
Meanwhile, it's nice to see yet another company reach out to the gluten-free community. Just remember even when it's gluten free, fast food should not be a substitute for a healthy gluten-free diet. It's nice in a pinch or as an occasional treat or convenience, but you should mainly be eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat protein.

Amy