Gluten-Free Fair introduces Grand Rapids to new food options

People choose their diets based on many factors. For some, there is the luxury of choices and for others there are food sensitivities or the necessity of disease control. Many people avoid gluten. Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley. People with the auto-immune disorder Celiac must avoid gluten completely.

In mid-May, at the Delta-Plex in Grand Rapids, there was a gluten free fair. It was the seventh annual and sponsored by Anchor Baptist Church. I visited to learn about the Michigan produced gluten free foods.

I arrived around 10:00 a.m. – the opening time. As I searched for a parking space, people were entering the building in a steady stream: mostly women, some men and a few children. As I entered, I was given a bag with brochures and samples.

There was a large exhibit hall filled with food booths; they also had information and samples. Many of the samples were for products to replace items typically made with wheat flour such as pastries, granola and pizza crust. Some local restaurants were there with their gluten free menus. There was a booth for a company that makes stickers and signs used to distinguish gluten free (or other allergens) in food products in stores, bakeries and homes. 

Classes were also available. I attended two by Margaux Drake, Master Raw Food Chef. In the first, she presented her Clean Start Program which is a plant-based food plan. The program lasts four weeks; each week there is a presentation and a food demonstration. In the second class, she demonstrated her recipe for vegan and gluten-free vertical salad.