Gluten-Free iPhone Guide

The iPhone can be a great tool for anyone who is on a strict gluten-free diet and must be very careful when eating out or shopping for food in the grocery store. However, there are a number of iPhone apps targeted at the gluten-free audience whose price is just a little too expensive (one app charges $19.99 for access to gluten-free menus) or that charge a subscription. The apps here are relatively cheap or (better yet!) free with no monthly or yearly subscription.

Gluten-Free iPhone Guide -- Apps

Not only are there great gluten free iPhone apps to help you check what brands are gluten-free, there is also an app that puts the spotlight on food additives and even an app that translates your gluten sensitivity into different languages for those who do a lot of traveling.

Is That Gluten Free? by Midlife Crisis Apps
Price: $5.99

This app is the most expensive on this list, but if you are the type of gluten-free individual that gets through the complicated diet by doing a lot of your own shopping and cooking, it can be well worth it. Is That Gluten Free? allows you to quickly check if a brand is gluten free either through a quick search or by browsing through categories.   And the app is not reliant on an Internet connection, so you can search through the database on your iPod Touch. You can also browse through quite an extensive ingredient list to help determine if a particular item is gluten-free.

Whole Foods Market Recipes by Whole Foods Market
Price: Free

Considering that this app is offered as a free download, it's definitely on the must-have apps list for anyone with Celiac Disease. The Whole Foods Market recipe list lets you search for recipes based on what you want to eat, how much you want to spend, what ingredients you have on hand and -- the reason its on the list -- by special diets. With some rather expensive gluten-free diet books being offered on the app store and at the bookstore, the ability to browse gluten-free recipes is a great deal.

Food Additives by WebArtisan
Price: $3.99

The Food Additives app is the best overall app for checking out different ingredients and finding out not only if they contain gluten, but what the heck they are and what they are used for. It will also let you know if the additive is deemed unsafe (even if it doesn't contain gluten) and is a great buy for families with multiple food allergies.

GlutenFreed by NearBuy.it
Price: Free

This app isn't the most comprehensive guide to gluten-free restaurants in your area, but considering that it is a free download, it is well worth it for anyone who wants to remain gluten-free but also wants to go out to dinner on a regular basis. GlutenFreed will check your location and show you nearby restaurants that have gluten-free menus, but as I mentioned, it isn't terribly comprehensive, so if your favorite restaurant isn't on the list, you should check online to see if they offer a gluten-free menu.

GF Card by Pepper Stuff
Price: Free

This one is a neat app for those who do a lot of traveling. It's basically a food allergy alert card that can be translated into a number of different languages from Arabic to Italian to Canadian. (Err, okay, maybe not Canadian).

Gluten Free Search
Price: $.99

This is an app I wrote after becoming tired of the number of times I had to type 'gluten free' into Google or other search engines. It will let you quickly perform gluten free searches on Google or Amazon. It also displays the latest gluten free/celiac disease news.

Gluten-Free iPhone Guide -- Websites

There are a number of solid gluten-free apps available for the iPhone, but don't forget the Safari browser. The ability to quickly access the web and check for restaurant menus or read up on particular items is invaluable. Here are a few great resources for when you are on the go:

About Celiac Disease
http://celiacdisease.about.com/

Nancy Lapid, About.com's guide to Celiac Disease, has put together a wonderful site containing all kinds of information about living with Celiac Disease from helpful articles to those on a gluten-free diet to the daily life of dealing with the food sensitivity.

Karina's Kitchen
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

Looking for great gluten-free recipes? Karina's Kitchen is one of the best spots on the web, whether you are searching for that ever-elusive gluten-free bread that has the same taste and consistency as the regular stuff or just trying to find the perfect sauce to spread over a chicken breast.

Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program - Find a Restaurant
http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/zip_search.php

The Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program is working to bring gluten-free awareness to different eating establishments by helping them with the process of offering gluten-free options and how to properly prepare gluten-free food. Their restaurant search engine is a great way to find gluten-free alternatives around your area.

Gluten Free Travel Site - Restaurants
http://www.glutenfreetravelsite.com/restaurants/

This is a handy list of menu links to various restaurants around the U.S. A great site if you travel, it's also a good one to check out just to see what you have available near your house. It's not the most comprehensive list, but if it gives you one new idea for where to eat out, it's well worth the time spent browsing.

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