When it comes to being gluten-free, what most of us need – in order to manage our special diets – is “Street Smarts”.

Of course, street smarts aren’t always easy to come by.

In fact, for some of us it can take a very long time to get up to speed.

What do I mean, exactly, by Street Smarts?

Basically, it means knowing how to handle just about any situation that comes along – whether you find yourself tempted to stray and eat just that one little bite of gluten-filled “goodness” or you’re simply harried and frustrated by well meaning folks who don’t seem to understand or care.

(I put that in quotes because there’s nothing “good” about having celiac disease and intentionally eating gluten).

In a nutshell, it comes down to:

Knowing what foods are safe to eat

It all starts here.

Yes, it can take awhile to get up to speed and know exactly where gluten is lurking – or, if you’re sensitive to dairy, knowing exactly which foods to avoid.

And even when you know which foods are safe for you, the next step is learning which choices are the healthiest.

After all, just because something is gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean it is good for you.

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