When Kelly Barrett found out that her 6-year-old son had a sensitivity to gluten, she went straight to her pantry and threw out anything that contained gluten.

"When I was told he was gluten sensitive, I panicked," said Barrett, a Gainesville resident. "I threw out everything that had flour in it, but then we didn't have any food left."

Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, barley and rye - common ingredients in most every food item or condiment.

After purging her home, Barrett went to the grocery store to restock her shelves with gluten-free foods, but her options were limited.

That was five years ago.

"Now I can walk into places like Kroger and they have an entire section dedicated to gluten-free foods," Barrett said. "I've even found gluten-free frozen fish sticks and chicken nuggets."

As with other food intolerances, as society becomes more aware of the restrictions, grocery stores and restaurants are accommodating.

One such establishment is P.F. Chang's China Bistro.

"A lot of people don't know it, but we have a separate gluten-free menu. Our staff goes through extensive training so they know how to deal with various food allergies," said Kristi Taylor, manager of the restaurant's Mall of Georgia location in Buford. "We take special care to give all of our patrons the same quality dining experience. We are finding that more and more of our patrons are gluten sensitive."

According to the Gluten Intolerance Group, nearly three in every 133 Americans is gluten sensitive. Gluten sensitivity is often mischaracterized as a food allergy, but it is typically caused by the autoimmune disease celiac. The body reacts to the protein in wheat and then attacks itself.

During a recent gluten-free menu tasting, officials with Challenged Child and Friends invited community members out to learn more about the restrictions of gluten sensitivities and also to taste some of the gluten-free dishes offered by P.F. Chang's and Chick-fil-A.

Challenged Child and Friends is a Gainesville developmental center that provides therapeutic, educational and counseling services to children with various disabilities, including autism.

"When people with a gluten sensitivity try to digest gluten, it causes damage to their digestive track," said Jennifer Brown, a physical therapist with Challenged Child and Friends. "People who suffer from acid reflux and (irritable bowel syndrome) tend to also have gluten sensitivities."

Although Chick-fil-A breaded chicken nuggets aren't gluten free, there are many items that do fit that description, including the waffle fries.

"Our waffle fries are gluten-free because they aren't breaded and they are cooked in a different fryer from our (breaded) chicken," said Jeanie Taylor, who is the marketing director of the Spout Springs Road Chick-fil-A in Flowery Branch.

"If you are gluten sensitive, you can also order our char-grilled chicken sandwich without the bun or the char-gilled chicken and fruit salad without the granola. And for children who want nuggets but are gluten sensitive, we are also willing to cook the char-grilled chicken in nugget form."

Some of the gluten-free items available at P.F. Chang's include Moo Goo Gai Pan, egg drop soup and a flourless chocolate dome dessert.

Gluten can be found in foods that most wouldn't think include it, including soy sauce, vodka, chewing gum and anything that has caramel coloring.

"It's amazing to see all of the different gluten-free things that are available today," said Maxine Trapnell, a Gainesville resident and Barrett's mother.

"My grandson is the typical 11-year-old and likes to eat sweets and pizza, and now we can find those things in the grocery store. And when we go on vacation, we call ahead to the places that we'll be staying and most places are really, very accommodating."

Although restaurants have to take a few precautionary steps when preparing gluten-free dishes, more and more establishments are willing to go that extra mile.

"Our food is served family-style, so our servers ask patrons if there are any allergies and if there are we cater to that," said Derrick Casey, a staff trainer with the Mall of Georgia branch of P.F. Chang's.

"The server keys in any allergy information into a computer that notifies the chef and that food is prepared in a separate cooking area, so that it doesn't get contaminated. We have a pretty extensive gluten-free menu that includes appetizers, entrees and even desserts, so the people with allergies can still enjoy some of the same foods that everyone else in their party is eating."