Celiac in a Shared Kitchen: How I Keep Myself Safe (Without Forcing My Kids to Go GF)

When I finally started taking my Celiac disease more seriously (after enduring a pretty bad “glutening” one month in) I knew I needed to overhaul our shared kitchen. I have two kids (ages 7 and 10), and I really didn’t want to force the entire household to go 100% gluten-free. Around that time, a woman in the science-backed, zero-fear-mongering Facebook group I joined said something that completely stuck with me: her medical and dietary needs had no bearing on what her husband or kids ate.

Taking that advice to heart, I decided to find a middle ground.

Since I do most of the cooking, some meals are naturally just going to be gluten-free to make our lives easier. For instance, I made spaghetti with Barilla Gluten-Free pasta the other day and absolutely no one complained! Total win.

But for everything else, we had to make adjustments. Here is the list of changes I made in our shared kitchen to keep cross-contamination at bay. These exact steps might not all be necessary for every single family, but they are working perfectly for us right now:

The Deep Clean: I wiped down all of my cabinets and drawers, and ran the silverware caddy through the dishwasher to clear out any hidden crumbs.
Cutting Boards: I replaced our old wooden cutting boards with these glass ones, which are non-porous and much easier to sanitize.
Knives: I swapped out my wooden-handled knives for these solid stainless steel versions so I can safely run them through the dishwasher.
The Toaster Situation: We have the Ninja Foodi toaster oven, so to keep things safe and simple without buying a whole second appliance, I have been using aluminum foil for all of my gluten-free toasting needs.
Cast Iron Care: I completely stripped and refinished my cast iron skillets, then hung a little note in the cabinet that reads: “Cast iron is for gluten-free only.”
Pots & Pans: I bought these new ceramic-coated pots and pans (which I admittedly needed anyway) that can be easily tossed into the dishwasher.
The Two-Strainer System: I bought a brand-new strainer strictly for gluten-free foods. Because my family still eats gluten pasta from time to time, I took a sharpie and wrote “For Gluten Only” on the handle of our old plastic strainer so there is zero confusion.
Sponges: I switched to Scrub Daddy sponges. I keep one in a little dish by the sink labeled “GF Only,” and the other one gets thrown directly into the dishwasher whenever I run a load.
Countertop Wipes: I keep a container of Lysol wipes right on the counter to easily wipe down surfaces before and after cooking. I know gluten isn’t a living germ—so wipes don’t “kill” it—but physically wiping down the surfaces works wonders for keeping cross-contamination at bay.
Condiments & Spreads: Double-dipping a crumb-covered knife into a jar is a massive cross-contamination trap. I’ve been making the switch to squeeze bottles where I can, like with mayonnaise. For everything else, I just keep my own dedicated jar or tub and write a giant “GF” on it with a Sharpie.
Family Meetings: I’ve had a lot of open conversations with my husband and the kids about the importance of cleaning up their crumbs immediately after having a gluten snack.
The Grill: My next project is to completely strip and refinish our outdoor Blackstone grill, which will be strictly designated for gluten-free cooking moving forward.