Today’s post is sponsored by Udi’s Gluten-Free, the premier gluten-free brand in America, and I was selected to participate in this campaign by The Motherhood.

Many of you know that my daughter, Zuzu, was allergic to wheat for the first seven years of her life. At that time, Zuzu was also allergic to eggs, dairy, nuts, sesame and peanuts. In the past few years, Zuzu has outgrown her allergies to wheat, eggs and dairy, but remains allergic to tree nuts, sesame and peanuts. As the number of foods that Zuzu is allergic to has shrunk, our lives have gotten much simpler. As a family, we can now eat the same kind of bread, pasta, milk and ice cream. Dining out and traveling is far less stressful.

You may have heard a lot lately about people with food allergies, food intolerances and other medical conditions which mandate special diets. You may also have heard a lot about people who avoid gluten. I have several friends both in my personal and professional lives that are gluten-free because they have been diagnosed with celiac disease, an auto-immune disorder triggered by gluten that causes damage to the intestines. And it seems like I hear about more people being diagnosed every week. I know still more  people who have sworn off gluten for other health reasons.

I like to think that the years I spent as the parent of a child with a wheat allergy has given me an appreciation for the challenges of adopting a gluten-free diet. Wheat is in so many of the foods we eat – not just the ones that would expect either, like bread and pasta. I remember being stunned to learn that Zuzu could not eat Twizzlers because they contained wheat! Soups and salad dressings often contain hidden wheat. People with food allergies and celiac disease by necessity become experts at reading labels.

But what most people with food allergies and celiac disease really want to is to live normal lives: to enjoy the same types of foods that everyone else enjoys, to eat in restaurants, to attend parties and to travel. So much of our social lives revolve around food and it can be very painful for those on special diets — especially kids — to feel excluded or different when they can’t eat what everyone else is eating. I remember Zuzu asking me plaintively one time: “Why does it always have to be pizza?” It seemed that every birthday party or after-school event she attended served pizza – something she could not eat. I can only imagine how those who are gluten-free feel when faced with yet another birthday cake or sandwich that they cannot eat.

That is why I am excited to participate in this campaign with The Motherhood on behalf of Udi’s Gluten Free, the number one leading gluten-free brand in America. Udi’s goal is to make being gluten-free less of a burden by providing the best-tasting gluten-free food on the planet and allowing those people who are gluten-free to enjoy foods like bread, cookies, chips, and pizza. Udi’s removes the restrictions that made living gluten-free a struggle so that the transition to this way of life is seamless. In doing so, Udi’s has also created a community for folks to share information and to support one another. That’s why 87% of Udi’s customers report that Udi’s made them feel normal again. That’s pretty heartwarming stuff.

In many families, one person needs to avoid gluten, but the rest do not. However, doctors recommend that the whole family go gluten-free to avoid the risk of cross-contamination. This only works if the gluten-free versions of everyone’s favorite foods tastes great. Udi’s Gluten-Free foods makes this possible.

This week, I served my children and their playmates Udi’s Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle cookies, Udi’s Millet-Chia bread and Udi’s Aged Cheddar Ancient Grain Chips. Not a single kid noticed anything unusual about these snacks. In fact, they loved them. The snickerdoodles were a favorite for their soft and chewy texture. I thought the Millet-Chia bread was absolutely delicious for my morning toast or as part of a turkey sandwich. The bread was tender — not like the dense, gluey rice-flour bread I remember buying for Zuzu several years ago — and packed with healthy fiber.  As for the chips, my kids passed over the usual pretzels and chips to eat more of Udi’s Aged Cheddar Ancient Grain Chips.

Although eating gluten-free seems to be the latest fad, for millions of people, it is an absolute necessity and the only way for them to be healthy. For others, avoiding gluten may just be a matter of feeling better.  (Wheat is a natural inflammatory so it can make anyone feel bloated and sluggish.) All of us, however, need to understand the seriousness of conditions like food allergies and celiac disease. A little sensitivity can go a long way whether you’re hosting a gluten-free child for a playdate or meeting a gluten-free friend for lunch. I am grateful to companies like Udi’s Gluten Free who make safe and delicious products that bring that sense of normal back to the lives of those following special diets.

Full disclosure time: I participated in this program on behalf of Udi’s and The Motherhood. All opinions expressed herein are entirely my own