I tried going gluten-free for a week, and I don't envy those who have to follow the diet on a daily basis

Gabbi ShawSep 13, 2021, 22:03 IST

Me and my enemies, the breadcrumbs.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Celiac Awareness Day is September 13, 2021.
Celiac disease causes an immune reaction in the body after gluten is consumed.
To try to understand what a diet may be like for someone with the disease, I went gluten-free for a week, and it wasn't easy.

One of the trendiest diets these days is going gluten-free, but people who have celiac disease don't have the luxury of cheating once in a while to eat pizza or drink a beer.

Pizza and beer. Irene Jiang/Business Insider

One of the trendiest diets these days is going gluten-free, but people who have celiac disease don't have the luxury of cheating once in a while to eat pizza or drink a beer.

Of course, my morning two slices of toast with poached eggs were out of the question, unless I opted for gluten-free bread. I skipped the bread entirely and ended up just eating the eggs.

My eggs. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Of course, my morning two slices of toast with poached eggs were out of the question, unless I opted for gluten-free bread. I skipped the bread entirely and ended up just eating the eggs.

Another breakfast option was oatmeal ... or so I thought.

My oatmeal. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

I stuck to one snack: Bamba, an Israeli peanut snack that is totally addictive. While the packaging didn't say gluten-free, the internet told me I was safe.

Bamba. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Another snack was this loaded hummus that I paired with, of course, gluten-free crackers.

My hummus. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Hamburgers - a food item I didn't think I needed to be worried about - stood out to me. These Bubba Burgers proudly stated they were gluten-free.

Bubba Burgers. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

When eating the burgers, I skipped a bun and stuck to the plain patty, along with some roasted carrots, zucchini, and peppers.

My bun-less BBQ. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

This macaroni salad was definitely taunting me.

Macaroni salad. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

I went to the movies one night to see "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," and at this point I was checking whether or not Diet Coke and M&Ms were safe.

My movie snacks. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Before going gluten-free, I had ordered a HelloFresh delivery and still wanted to make the meals. I was glad I didn't have to adjust them too much.

My HelloFresh meal. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

But most of my meals ended up being some variation of salmon, potatoes, and veggies.

A typical dinner. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

During the week, I went to the Hamptons for a day. At a café we stopped at for breakfast, there was a gluten-free pastry available: a blueberry banana muffin.

Blueberry banana muffin. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

For dinner, I ordered a shared appetizer with my meal. We chose burrata but made sure to get the breadcrumbs on the side.

My appetizer: Burrata with the breadcrumbs on the side. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

My dinner was this teriyaki salmon with rice and bok choy - it didn't occur to me until after I ate to check the teriyaki sauce.

My final meal. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Overall, I do not envy those who must eat gluten-free. It was stressful, more expensive, and at the end of the week, I didn't feel any different.

Me and my enemies, the breadcrumbs. Gabbi Shaw/Insider

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I tried going gluten-free for a week, and I don't envy those who have to follow the diet on a daily basis

One of the trendiest diets these days is going gluten-free, but people who have celiac disease don't have the luxury of cheating once in a while to eat pizza or drink a beer.

Of course, my morning two slices of toast with poached eggs were out of the question, unless I opted for gluten-free bread. I skipped the bread entirely and ended up just eating the eggs.

Another breakfast option was oatmeal ... or so I thought.

I stuck to one snack: Bamba, an Israeli peanut snack that is totally addictive. While the packaging didn't say gluten-free, the internet told me I was safe.

Another snack was this loaded hummus that I paired with, of course, gluten-free crackers.

Hamburgers - a food item I didn't think I needed to be worried about - stood out to me. These Bubba Burgers proudly stated they were gluten-free.

When eating the burgers, I skipped a bun and stuck to the plain patty, along with some roasted carrots, zucchini, and peppers.

This macaroni salad was definitely taunting me.

I went to the movies one night to see "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," and at this point I was checking whether or not Diet Coke and M&Ms were safe.

Before going gluten-free, I had ordered a HelloFresh delivery and still wanted to make the meals. I was glad I didn't have to adjust them too much.

But most of my meals ended up being some variation of salmon, potatoes, and veggies.

During the week, I went to the Hamptons for a day. At a café we stopped at for breakfast, there was a gluten-free pastry available: a blueberry banana muffin.

For dinner, I ordered a shared appetizer with my meal. We chose burrata but made sure to get the breadcrumbs on the side.

My dinner was this teriyaki salmon with rice and bok choy - it didn't occur to me until after I ate to check the teriyaki sauce.

Overall, I do not envy those who must eat gluten-free. It was stressful, more expensive, and at the end of the week, I didn't feel any different.