The classic heart-shaped box of chocolates as a Valentine's Day present can be a potential food landmine for someone following a celiac diet. When your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife has gluten intolerance or celiac disease, any form of gluten can cause serious health problems. Avoiding barley, wheat, rye (and sometimes oats) can be a problem when it comes to commercial chocolate, but following these ideas for valentines will help you to select gluten free Valentine's Day chocolates.
Ideas for Valentines
Finding gluten free chocolate isn't hard, but if you're going for that beautiful, heart-shaped red velvet box that is ubiquitous throughout February in stores, you may be out of luck.
No candy or confectionery company has – yet – produced a red heart-shaped box full of gluten free chocolate for the Valentine's Day season. However, plenty of companies do produce gluten free chocolate that can be decorated for the event.
Don't make the mistake of emptying out a traditional red velvet heart and inserting GF candy in your quest for ideas for valentines; if your date is highly sensitive to cross-contamination, this could make him or her sick.
Safe Gluten Free Chocolate
Look to these retailers, candy stores and confectionery companies for safe gluten free Valentine's Day chocolate ideas for valentines:
- Chocolate.com – with 72 different safe, celiac diet choices for your date, you're certain to find something safe.
- Chocolate Emporium – look for a "G" next to a candy. If you see it, don't buy it - that's how the site indicates a candy contains gluten. Plenty of wonderful gluten free chocolate choices, great for Valentine's Day.
- Cocopatamus.com – gluten-free, wheat-free chocolate truffles in a variety of flavors.
Be sure to order with plenty of time for shipping, receiving and wrapping. But what if, like most of us, you are realizing a few days before the February 14th holiday that you want to get gluten free Valentine's Day chocolate?
Gluten Free Valentine's Day Chocolate
Fortunately, you can make a quick chocolate run to your local grocery store or convenience store and pick up these GF candies:
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- M&Ms (plain and peanut)
- Peppermint Patty
- Junior Mints
- Hershey's Milk Chocolate (NOT crisp or cookie flavored)
- Hershey's Special Dark
- Mr. Goodbar
- Hershey's Kisses
- Three Musketeers
- Snickers
- Butterfinger
- Dove chocolate
Buy Valentine's Day-themed versions of these GF candies to provide your date a wonderful option that is safe for the celiac diet. Whatever your choice, as long as it is GF your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife will be touched by your forethought and consideration, which is what the holiday is all about.
For more ideas for valentines, please read how to take your date out for dinner at a restaurant with a gluten free menu for a fun, romantic night out.
Melanie Zoltan - Melanie Zoltan is a former college professor and administrator who has written for About.com, PCWorld, Brain Child, Thomson Gale, and ...
Comments