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Thanks to everyone who replied to my question about GF yogurt and GF
frozen french fries. The consistency of the answers showed me that
celiacs--out of necessity--are the most brand-loyal consumers out there!
Too bad food companies don't realize this.

GF yogurt: almost everyone mentioned Yoplait. The next most frequently
named brand was Columbo. Others mentioned were Crowley (never heard of
that one, maybe a regional brand?), Safeway's Lucerne brand, Peak's
Perfection (frozen yogurt, I think), Breyers Light, and Dannon--but
plain only. I got mixed messages on Stonyfield Farms--a few people said
at least some flavors were GF, but one person said the company would not
confirm that the "natural flavors" were GF. I guess that's the problem
with Dannon, too. Pesky natural flavors...

Frozen french fries: Again, most people use Ore-Ida. A few also
mentioned McCains. Several people mentioned that both of these companies
will send out GF lists on request, so I'll have to do that. One person
mentioned Cascadian Farms Spud Puppies and french fries.

By the way, I keep hearing about Outback Steakhouse being a staple
restaurant for celiacs, and I found out why on Saturday night. The
manager at a local Outback (Centreville, VA) bent over backwards to
figure out what I could eat. She obviously hadn't heard of celiac (well,
I phrased it as being allergic to gluten/wheat), but she was interested
and eager to accommodate my needs. After I ordered, someone on staff
realized that they could download a GF menu, so they did that and gave
it to me. The manager stopped by several times during the meal to make
sure everything was OK. And this was "prime time" on a Saturday night,
when the place was totally packed with a waiting time for a table of
60-90 minutes.

Jennifer L. Gross
Wordwright Editing & Writing
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