GLUTEN-FREE SURVEY RESULTS

PART I - GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. 69% of those answering the survey have 2 adults in the household
   13% have 1 adult in the household
2. 57% of those answering the survey have children (an average of 2.2 children per household)
3. Of those with additional allergies, 98% listed dairy. 20% listed eggs, soy, and/or corn. 12% listed yeast.
4. The most common health considerations include:
   25% are diabetic
   37% are on a low fat diet
5. The most challenging GF foods to prepare:
   35% said dinner
   23% said lunches for school
   17% said lunches for work
   11% said breakfast
   Only 9% said dinners for entertaining

PART 2 - CELIAC CHILDREN

1. The average number of celiac per kids per household is 1.2 children
2. 71% said their kids friends have not tried their child's gluten-free foods for fear that the kids will comment about the taste, so they serve popsicles, chips, and the like.
3. Of those who do serve gluten-free snacks to their kids' friends, 57% said the children didn't realize the snacks were GF. 27% made comments that hurt their child's feelings.
   Only 1/3 have sent GF snacks to school for the entire class. Under 10 years of age, the children don't seem to know the difference.
4. Heading the list of foods that picky eaters won't touch were fruits and vegetables.
5. The most difficult social situation for kids appears to be lunchtime at school. This was followed by sleepovers, pizza parties, and field trips.
6. The favorite foods of kids were
   1- Hamburgers,
   2- Ice cream,
   3- Pancakes,
   4- Cookies,
   5- French fries
7. 27% said their children help with the cooking, some starting as young as 3 years old
8. 69% of those answering the survey said their child was diagnosed 2 years ago or less
9. 71% said their child openly discusses the diet with their friends
   16% Make excuses why they can't eat some foods
   12% Hide the fact that they are on a special diet
   1% Will eat foods with gluten rather than admit they are on a special diet

PART 3 - KITCHEN QUESTIONS

1. 27% said they cook separate meals for the celiacs in the household
2. The most difficult foods to convert to gluten-free are (in this order)
   cakes
   bread
   bagels
   phyllo
   ravioli
   donuts
   sauces
   noodles
   desserts calling for oats
   One person said, "I have yet to find a food I can't convert!"
3. 73% said they depended on gluten-free cookbooks for the first 3 years, then began to convert their own recipes to gluten-free.
4. 22% responding always bake their own bread
   26% occasionally bake their own bread
   37% buy a baked loaf of GF bread
   9% buy bread mixes
   6% don't eat any bread
5. 52% of those responding occasionally eat out at restaurants
   37% eat out frequently
   11% never eat out
6. The average number of GF cookbooks owned by those who responded is 5.1 books
7. The favorite dinner entree was roast beef with chicken (from fried chicken to Marsala to everything in between) coming in a close second.
8. Broccoli and green beans tied for first place in the favorite vegetable category.
9. "Anything chocolate" overwhelmingly won for favorite dessert. Cake, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate chip cookies were next in line, in that order.
10. 44% buy their GF products from a health food store
    25% from a regular grocery store
    13% over the Internet
    6% from GF mail order catalogs
    12% from all of the above
11. When asked if you prefer cooking from scratch or using shortcuts, shortcuts won by only 4 votes.
12. 50% use bread machines for baking bread and 50% use the oven -- an exact tie!
13. 70% of those responding have a health food store within 8 miles of their home.
14. Only 25% said they buy their flours from an Asian market.

PART 4 - KIDS AT COLLEGE

1. Only 11% of those responding to the survey have children away at college
2. 77% tell their friends about the diet but many of them added that they don't mention it when they first start dating someone
3. 66% are on the school meal plan
   15% said the school is making special meals for them
   19% said they prepare most of their own foods
4. The most frequent dietary problem of being away at college (listed in order)--
   a. Cheat frequently because I'm too busy studying to worry about my diet
   b. When I ask the cooks what is in the food, they refuse to tell me.
   c. I share an apartment with friends and my foods are often cross-contaminated
   d. With no car, it's difficult to buy GF foods
   

PART 5- MISC. QUESTIONS

1. The most common snacks taken for car or airplane trips are fruits, nuts and cheese.
2. When invited to a wedding, 57% arrive and hope there is something they can eat.
   19% eat dinner at home before leaving for the wedding
   16% call the bride to request a special meal
   5% ask for a special meal once they arrive at the reception
   3% call the caterer to request a special meal
   Only 1 person responded that they take a small snack with them.
3. 89% said the non-celiacs in the house eat the GF foods.
4. The most difficult food to convert to gluten-free was overwhelmingly bread.

Finally, there was a box at the end of the survey where people could add their comments. Below is a sampling of the comments.

1. "I was just diagnosed and I am so scared."
2. "The GF ingredients are so expensive that I can't afford to bake very often."
3. "I can't find any pre-packaged desserts that I like."
4. "I love to cook and love experimenting with new foods. I have come up with some GF dishes that non-celiacs just love!"
5. "When I first started the diet, I thought there would be nothing I could eat. I bought a few GF cookbooks and am enjoying all of my favorite foods again."
6. "I cook the same things day after day because I'm afraid I'll get sick if I try something new."