When I first found out that I needed to stop eating gluten, I was so sad. I thought my new diet would be terrible and that I would miss cake, bread, pasta, and beer so much. In reality, it’s really not that bad (or hard) once you get used to it.
That’s because many foods are naturally gluten-free. Maybe more than you think! Tofu, some types of tempeh, meat and fish, beans, eggs, fruit, yogurt, veggies, nuts, hummus, rice, and quinoa (well, maybe) is perfectly safe (but always check labels!). And many more ‘processed’ foods – like Rice Chex and corn tacos – are gluten-free, too. So eating gluten-free isn’t necessarily as hard as you think, and you certainly don’t have to buy pricey specialty products.
But gluten-free specialty products make it a lot easier to be gluten-free and not feel like you’re missing out. Here are my favorites!
I love the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake and Cornbread Mixes. I use the cornbread mix to make all those delicious variations of Quiche Cornbread. These are both also dairy-free.
I also like the Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix. It’s lighter and fluffier than the Bob’s Red Mill mix, but I like dense pancakes, so I prefer Bob’s. The Pamela’s mix is dairy-free.
Blue Diamond makes really tasty crackers called Nut-Thins. Some variations are also dairy-free. They are super tasty and taste a lot like Wheat Thins.
Most veggie burgers contain gluten; for a non-gluten option, I like Dr. Praeger’s. The ingredient list is super short and recognizable, so these burgers are a good option for everyone. The only thing I don’t like about these burgers is that they fall apart if you don’t cook them carefully.
Amy’s has a ton of tasty gluten-free frozen dinners and pizzas. Amy’s has a rice crust and vegan cheese pizza that is (moderately) yummy – it’s certainly no Papa Johns, but it will do for those who are seeking a gluten- and dairy-free option. I like all their Mexican and Indian offerings.
Annie’s has some great stuff, too. My favorite offering are these Cocoa and Vanilla Bunny Cookies – they taste a lot like Teddy Grahams.
As far as bread goes, I LOVE Udi’s, but Rudi’s and Glutino breads are tasty, too. Udi’s tastes the best when toasted (as does most gluten-free bread). I like the texture of Glutino’s more but it falls apart really easily.
Larabars are dairy- and gluten-free. So many good flavors, too.
The Think Thin bars are gluten-free but contain dairy. The name is incredibly annoying, yes, but the bars are tasty and are packed with protein. There are some strange (read: created in a laboratory) ingredients, so now I try to eat these only when I’m in a pinch.
So – those are my favorite gluten-free goodies! If you’re gluten-free, too, what goodies do you like the most?
Oh, and the beer thing? Sure, there are gluten-free beers, but I don’t like any of them! I’ll stick with hard ciders or wine, thankyouverymuch.
I’m not Gluten Free but Pop Chips are and they are delicious!