Nine years ago, I was an anomaly. Okay, I’m probably still a little bit of an anomaly, but I was also gluten-free before it was cool. I was gluten-free when there wasn’t anything in any restaurant (besides salads) to eat that was gluten-free, and grocery shopping meant going to specialty health food stores that cost triple what regular prices were.

I had to start a blog simply to justify paying outrageous prices for flours and other necessary items. I essentially went five years without having a piece of bread. (Insert horrific gasp here.)

But those days are over.

Retailers are on the gluten-free bandwagon, and I, along with the millions of others with Celiac or gluten-intolerance, couldn’t be more thrilled. Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is one of the most recent retailers to join the gluten-free movement. They’ve recently expanded their selection and created a labeling system for all gluten-free products on their website.

Fred Meyer has been one of the pioneers with its nutrition center and continues to expand its gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and organic offerings, and even Safeway surprises me every now and again with a little something for us sensitive eaters. Trader Joe’s also now has a GF labeling system, which makes it easier to identify products.

Restaurants have also been exceeding my expectations these days as well. Pizzicato added a gluten-free crust to their menu, California Pizza Kitchen has its very own gluten-free menu (and their Mediterranean salad is the best!), and the Olive Garden even has gluten-free pasta. And don't forget the gluten-free options at PF Changs, among others.

This is a prime example of retailers listening to their customers. As customers become more savvy and health-conscious, retailers must as well.

There are, of course, some that refuse to join in (Starbucks, Panera and Paradise Bakery come to mind), but those retailers will lose the customers they refuse to serve. I have not been into a Starbucks  after they took their one gluten-free item off the menu after just a couple of months (and it was terribly done besides that).

What do you think about the latest food retailer craze? Some folks say it’s ridiculous for retailers to try to meet these needs, while others, like myself, say it’s part of evolving with the times. Weigh in with your thoughts here!

-Heather Strang

*Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons.