Is it me or is gluten intolerance on the rise?
What seemingly started as a diet fad a few years back, along with simply cutting simple carbs, people who didn't have Celiac disease started eliminating gluten from their food intake.
These days more and more people, at least here in the States, are cutting out gluten and most of those people, who I've encountered, do not have Celiac disease. This could be and very probably is due to the type of wheat the United States produces in mass production versus the type of mass produced wheat in Europe. The predominant wheat variety grown, produced and sold in the U.S. is hard red wheat which is naturally higher in gluten content compared to the standard softer wheats commonly consumed in Europe. Why does the United States choose hard red wheat for national consumption while there are better, healthier options for consumers?
The U.S. uses hard red wheat instead of softer wheats because it is cheaper.
Yet another harsh example of big fish cashing in while hindering the health of the American public.
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| Gluten-free Vanilla Confetti Cupcake from Frosted photo by Nikki DeMartini |
And that's just the wheat itself.
Part of the processing procedure of wheat in the United States is fortification. Fortified foods are tricky because what's not healthy about adding more nutrients to foods? Right?
Sure, to an extent. An extent that has been long over extended here in the States.
The food fortification process first strips naturally occuring nutirents from foods then adds them back. However, nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that are added to fortified foods are synthetic.
Is wheat from America making and keeping people (Americans) sick? It hasn't always been that way. If we are in fact going to be making America great again, how about we start with making the wheat that we the people eat great again.
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| Gluten-free Vanilla Confetti Cupcake from Frosted photo by Nikki DeMartini |
In turn, with gluten intolerance on the rise we've also seen a rise in gluten free foods. From breads and pastas, crackers, tortillas and even desserts: gluten free goods are available at a grocery store near you. That is if you can afford those GF foods and if there is a grocery store near you.
Frosted Cupcakery in Long Beach offers monthly GF cupcake flavor and January's flavor was confetti vanilla. I love a good flourless chocolate cake and I love bright colors, confetti and sprinkles so I had to find out about this gluten free vanilla cupcake.
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| Gluten-free Vanilla Confetti Cupcake from Frosted photo by Nikki DeMartini |
Every bite had me pondering if this cupcake tasted like "normal" cupcakes. The cake was just buttery enough, the frosting creamy enough. One thing that really stood out was the amount of confetti sprinkles inside the cake. So many!
If I hadn't known that it was a gluten free cupcake I don't think I would have detected any difference at all.
Frosted's February GF flavor is Strawberry Cream Cheese: gluten-free strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting. If the gluten-free version is anything like their gluten-filled version, all you gluten-free friends are in for a tasty treat.
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| Frosted Cupcakery photo by Nikki DeMartini |
