A jolly Christmas packed with sugary treats and not a lot of movement can lead us to make January promises: join a gym, dry January, sugar free January… the list can be endless.

But if you’re gluten free, it can feel like you’re already limited in your diet (which can impact your social life). Perhaps you don’t really want to cut something else out, however well-meaning it is to do so. After almost two years of pandemic struggle, we may all need to cut ourselves some slack. If you want to give something up for January, great. But if not, this post is for you!

So instead of what can I give up, how about what can I take up?

Learn the gluten free basics

We know that some of our members have struggled to access their usual gluten free favourites in shops over the last few months, so perhaps now is the time to brush up on your skills in the kitchen! You could have a plan, starting with something easy such as cakes before progressing to more complicated dishes. We have lots of hints and tips for cooking gluten free on our website.

Master one recipe or find a new favourite

Who knew that I’d been making scrambled eggs (the most basic dish!) wrong all these years. But, alas, it was true. Why not take up the challenge of researching your much-loved recipes to see if there’s a way to really perfect it. And when cooking gluten free, it can be as much about trial and error as it is about following instructions. Or perhaps you could try something new to add to your weekly repertoire of meals, for example progressing to puff pastry.

Take up a challenge

How about taking up a new challenge and raise funds to help us keep supporting people affected by coeliac disease at the same time? Taking up a new challenge – whether it’s running or parachute jumping! – is great fun and could be something you do with a friend. We have spaces in so many events, from running to walking, so it’s really easy to get involved in fundraising.

See our page for events and inspiration

Write a wish list

With life beginning to open up again and restrictions easing, why not create a list of fun activities you’d like to do? Perhaps travelling to Paris for a fresh, gluten free croissant (is that just me?), a tour of the UK (with stop-offs at Coeliac UK recommended venues, of course!) a trip to a city for sightseeing, or learning a new language – the options are endless. Get your friends and family involved and get creative!

Check out our travel guides for products, venues and useful phrases!

Random act of kindness

We all love it when we receive an unexpected gift or a smile. Random acts of kindness are just what we all need at the moment, and it really gives you an extra boost when you’re the giver! You could pay for someone’s coffee, donate to a food bank or even buy a gift membership for Coeliac UK for someone.

Gift Membership 

Fundraising or volunteering

If the pandemic has made you wonder about helping others, then you could make this one of your resolutions. And we always need your help!

Fundraising – whether an event organised by Coeliac UK like our Awareness Week Challenge, a bigger event like running for Coeliac UK in the London Marathon, or an activity you really like doing such as cake sales at school, or an event at work – is essential for us to continue helping everyone to live well, gluten free and fund vital research into coeliac disease. We really couldn’t do this without you all.

Volunteering is also a fantastic way to support us. You could help other members and share your advice and experience via our Member2Member support, or even help by taking photos at events which we can use for our marketing!

We hope we’ve inspired you as you ponder the approaching new year. Why not share this with your friends to get them involved, too? You could even tag those who might be up for taking on a fundraising challenge.

Happy New Year to our wonderful gluten free community! We’re here to support you throughout 2022.