Learning to Love Food—and Life—on the Gluten-Free Diet
Did you know that interest in the gluten-free diet often surges at the start of a new year? Internet searches for phrases like “gluten-free diet” and “gluten-free recipes surge in the first weeks of the year.
Traffic to our symptoms checklist spikes as people look to make sense of the symptoms they experienced while enjoying the rich foods of the holiday season. Does this sound like you or someone you know? Head to the Getting Started Guide to feel better in 2026.
Whether you’re newly diagnosed or just looking for more ways to safely eat gluten-free, we’ve got tips and recipes for meals and treats that are delicious, nutritious, and safe. For guidance, check out our recipes below, along with hundreds more, including baking tips.
For those seeking a life beyond the gluten-free diet, we have exciting news! Last month, Beyond Celiac Investments (BCI), the venture philanthropy program of Beyond Celiac, made an investment in RheumaGen, a cell and gene therapy company focused on developing one-time, curative cell and gene therapies for common autoimmune diseases. The investment will be used to advance their celiac disease program through early development to demonstrate preclinical proof of concept in celiac disease.
This year and always, our team provides care for the everyday problems facing our community while working toward a future—a world—Beyond Celiac. We’d love to have you along for the journey.
Happy New Year!
News & Updates
Beyond Celiac Investments Announces Funding of RheumaGen
Last month, Beyond Celiac Investments (BCI), the venture philanthropy program of Beyond Celiac, made a investment in RheumaGen, a cell and gene therapy company focused on developing one-time, curative cell and gene therapies for common autoimmune diseases. The investment will be used to advance their celiac disease program through early development to demonstrate preclinical proof of concept in celiac disease.
Celiac Disease Training for School Staff (Free Resource)
This free toolkit contains everything you need to train academic staff to accommodate and include students with celiac disease. Present the PowerPoint slides to attendees, read key points from the facilitator’s guide, and provide attendees with a learning packet to take notes for future reference.
These materials were created by Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassador Dani Black,who is the mother of a child with celiac disease. Dani developed these materials, with support and review from the Beyond Celiac team, based on her experience advocating for her child in a school setting.
Have an idea that could help the celiac community? Let’s bring it to life together!
Raise Money for Beyond Celiac on Facebook!
Happy birth-month to all our January-born community members! When your big day rolls around, consider raising money for Beyond Celiac so that we can help fund new research by scientists in the celiac disease field. And a HUGE thank you to everyone who’s created fundraisers for us throughout the years! These fundraisers help make our important work possible.
Gluten-Free Recipes
Winter Vegetable Soup
Warm up with a delicious and nutritious winter soup, made with seasonal vegetables like squash and parsnips. Bonus: this recipe can easily be made vegetarian, dairy-free, or vegan!
Gluten-Free Gnocchi
Gnocchi is a type of pasta made from potatoes and flour, like a small, chewy dumpling. Given that gnocchi features potatoes as a main ingredient, it’s a good introduction to making gluten-free pasta. Try pairing this recipe with your favorite sauce!
Trivia Question of the Month
Question
The gluten-free diet is the only treatment for people with celiac disease and can also provide relief for people with eosinophilic esophagitis, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and other conditions. But is the gluten-free diet beneficial for people without underlying conditions?
Answer
Each person is unique, but generally the research says that no, the gluten-free diet doesn’t seem to provide much benefit for people without underlying conditions like celiac disease. In fact, many doctors and researchers believe the gluten-free diet can introduce nutritional deficiencies and unnecessary stress on people who don’t need to be on the diet.
Talk with your doctor before making any diet changes, and get tested for celiac disease before going gluten-free, because the test is only accurate if you’re eating gluten!
Learn more about celiac disease testing and the potential effects of a gluten-free diet on people without underlying conditions.
Caregiver’s Corner
Each month we’ll share a resource for those who care for someone with celiac disease. This month, check out our shared kitchen guide, ideal for those cooking gluten-free and gluten-containing food in the same kitchen.
Thanks to Jones Dairy Farm for making this section possible!
Research Opportunities
Survey on Dietitian Approaches to Managing Celiac Disease
The purpose of this study is to better understand how nutrition professionals around the world approach the education and communication of the gluten-free diet to newly diagnosed patients with celiac disease, with a particular focus on practices related to gluten cross-contact. Participation involves completing an anonymous online survey, which is expected to take approximately 20 minutes.
Voices of Celiac: Gayle’s Story
“I found out quite by accident. I had been a regular Red Cross blood donor, but frequently my iron levels were a bit too low to donate. So I started taking iron, waited about two months, and then went to try again.
This time the iron levels were lower and they told me, very forcefully, to make an appointment with my doctor.
A gastroenterologist said it was probably a bleeding polyp, but if not, he would then do an endoscopy, because it might be a bleeding ulcer. What a surprise to wake up and learn I had celiac disease!”
