Little Things that Bring Joy to a Gluten-Free Lifestyle

This post was sponsored by Freschetta. Thank you for supporting the companies that encourage my creativity.

It was nearly three years ago that my middle son joined me in a gluten-free lifestyle. As you can imagine, this was a difficult thing for him since he already had a limited diet as a picky eater and imagining our Friday night without pizza was not easy. Still, I persevered and pushed through until the changes incorporated into a new and fresh lifestyle for all of us.

Of course, the beginning of any change in lifestyle can be hard, and a gluten-free lifestyle is often pegged as “missing out” -especially during social events that offer food. Living in the South means food at all occasions. We are constantly sharing recipes, talking about food, and planning out what we’ll eat at the next event.

The first time I went gluten-free for six months was after my third child was born. After that, I switched to grain-free for two years, and now I’m back to a gluten-free diet. Figuring out how to make one meal for everyone was one of the toughest things and looking back, it set the tone for many of the recipes you see on this website.

Nearly all the recipes are naturally gluten-free, or they can easily be made gluten-free with the right substitute. My son and I have eaten our share of “cardboard” tasting foods, and until recently, we struggled to find the joy in our favorite family night, pizza night!

Because pizza is an iconic family-friendly food, searching for the perfect pizza my entire family would love wasn’t easy. Until, my friends at Freschetta introduced us to their gluten-free pizza and my family loved it.

Although there are only two of us that eat gluten-free in my family, I try to keep meal planning simple, and it’s important to have foods that more than one person will eat. For a while, in the beginning, cooking gluten-free seemed like a burden because I was making two versions of everything. Now, it’s just easier to make one meal so I can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying my kids outside.

Now, I keep a frozen Freschetta Gluten Free pizza (or three) in our freezer at all times, as a convenient option for impromptu gatherings, playdates, and social activities that allow my son to feel included. In more than one occasion, I’ve packed him a few slices of pizza in a lunch container to bring to school, a friend’s house, or when we are out and about and want to make sure he has a gluten-free option available.

From time to time, we also use the gluten-free cheese pizzas as the base to create a pizza bar, where we add a variety of toppings before we pop them in the oven. Ultimately, finding foods that my family loves that are gluten-free and delicious is the simplest way to ensure that everyone is happy and nobody feels left out. Find Freschetta Gluten-Free Pizzas in your area here.