Pizza, pasta, pancakes, and burgers — all classic American food served at many restaurants across the nation. All these dishes contain gluten, which, for around 2 million Americans with celiac disease, means these entrees are a no-go.

Many restaurants offer gluten-free alternatives but often at a costly upcharge. This can lead to people with celiac and their families paying more than the regular customer for the same dish or having to avoid going out to places because of health concerns they can not control.

Currently, there are no laws preventing restaurants from charging for gluten-free alternatives. Iowa could be a pioneer in changing that. New laws could prevent gluten-free alternatives from being an additional charge or limit how much restaurants can increase the price of these alternatives.

While a small percentage of Americans are diagnosed with celiac, the true number of people with celiac is much higher. Eighty-three percent of people with celiac may not be diagnosed. Also, around 25 to 30 percent of Americans follow a gluten-free diet. The number of people actively seeking out gluten alternatives is much higher than initially thought.

The price increase of gluten-free alternatives comes down to their economic production with companies needing to spend more money on research into making gluten-free products that would traditionally contain gluten. Development of these products, and catered production of gluten-free products and alternatives in factories free from gluten and using the process needed to make these specialty products that up the price compared to its gluten counterpart.

It also seems more expensive due to the large subsidies given to wheat in the U.S. This has cheapened wheat and wheat products significantly more than what it would be in a more laissez-faire market, making the non-subsidized gluten-free option significantly more expensive.

With so many Americans following a voluntarily gluten-free diet and the need for cheaper healthier food options in the U.S., Iowa could look to subsidies, such as giving money to companies who produce gluten-free alternatives like they do for wheat producers. This would help gluten-free alternative producers cheapen the price of gluten-free options compared to their wheat counterparts.

“Gluten-free” has also become a buzzword for health food and is seen as a profitable upcharge by restaurants. People with celiacs pay extra for food because of their condition. This lifelong tax puts them financially behind their peers due to this additional charge given to them at birth.