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.
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{ 64 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m not Gluten Free but Pop Chips are and they are delicious!
I second pop chips I have them on auto delivery from amazon!
I still haven’t bought any gluten free bread since being gluten free, but I do remember trying that millet bread (Food for Life brand, maybe?) somewhere and loving it toasted with some butter.
I just had to give up dairy for breastfeeding purposes so I love that you also combined dairy free options. I am a lover of cheese and yogurt so it was an adjustment initially but like you said, it’s not so bad once you get used to it.
Don Lee Farms veggie burgers are phenomenal – I got them at Costco. SO GOOD and gluten free!
I’ve been gluten free since October thanks to celiac, but I actually love how healthy I’ve become since cutting out gluten. That and healthy living blogs have completely changed my perceptions of how empowering healthy living can be!
Anyway, my favorites are the Udi’s bagels, Kind Bars (especially apricot and coconut), and oat flour. However, I wish I could find a GF version of Pringles and Zebra Cakes! Haha
Lay Stax are GF! My Celiac son loves them!
Kim
Have you tried eating small amounts of gluten since your diagnosis? I only ask because I have a dairy sensitivity that still allows me to eat dairy occasionally, and I’d hate to have to restrict it totally from my diet! I’ve found the best way to deal with diets that are restricted is to just eat whole foods and stay away from processed. It’s certainly cheaper, too!
Are you adding dairy back into your diet now that Henry is transitioned? Mmmm….cheese!
Thanks for the GF post! My daughter was diagnosed with Celiac 8 years ago at the age of 7 and we’re amazed at how these products have drastically improved. She’s a big fan of Above the Grain and Udi’s breads and bagels. We love to bake too and found that Cup4Cup is a God-send (C4C is sold at Williams Sonoma and Dean and DeLuca — its pricy $20/3 lb. but so worth it). C4C also has a GF pizza crust mix which is yummy too.
I use a lot of these products, Udi’s is by far my favorite GF bread! I always hate when people give me “that look” when I say I can’t eat gluten, it’s really not so bad!
The cookbook babycakes is amzing! Its gluten-free and vegan.
Hi Caitlin! I was diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity last year… it was a doozy. Needless to say, it hasn’t been that bad of a transition! I’m wondering though, which test you got done? I had received a blood test for my results but I don’t know if that is as accurate? What have your experiences been?
We love the new Udi’s wraps, they are great! We’re a dairy & GF family, so we’re pretty excited about Daiya’s new products; dairy & GF pizzas, cream cheese spreads, & cheese slices! The wedges are great too!
I just made my own GF pancakes & waffles that are so very tasty & kid approved! I freeze them, cuts cost on buying Van’s waffles & I know exactly what goes into them. I even make my own GF bread now! I never use to cook, & sadly lived on the SAD diet. Now I’m a healthy foodie & love it!
Maybe this is silly but I refuse to eat ThinkThin bars based on the name alone.
I’m sure you did a post on this but how did you know you needed to give up gluten? I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease about 9 months ago and it’s so annoying how no doctor can ever seem to recommend dietary adjustments to help manage my symptoms.
Have you considered the Autoimmune Protocol version of Paleo?
http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/05/modifying-paleo-for-autoimmune.html
http://paleozonenutrition.com/2011/11/02/the-paleo-diet-variation-to-treat-auto-immune-disease/
http://paleodietlifestyle.com/dealing-with-autoimmune-diseases-and-digestive-problems/
I’ve been gluten free for about 6 months and agree, it’s actually easier than I thought! I do love the Think Thin Bars, but have lately been eating Barre. It’s kinda like a Lara bar, but better. It was designed by Pittsburgh Ballet dancers and is local, so that’s pretty cool.
As far as beer, it’s hard, but I’ve found some great ciders too! My beer brewing husband has been on a mission lately to make me a great gluten free beer/cider. I’m excited to try it.
Thanks for the great list! Just curious, what prompted you to cut out gluten?
I have many of those items in my pantry as we speak- think thin are great! I have annies cheddar bunnies, which are almost gone, almond ranch nut thins and pecan nut thins, and pamelas pancake mix! I dont even go all gluten free but i love these!
i was actually just talking to my son’s teacher last night and she commented on how well he transitioned to gluten-free eating as he was diagnosed with celiac in october. at first, it was so hard and i think i cried every grocery trip but with time and understanding, we’re figuring it out. we have many of the same favorites as you and also look to trader joe’s for pastas as that was a huge thing for him. we’ve found that corn pasta is preferable (for him) to rice pasta and i found a couple of amy’s burritos that were delish and gf.
it’s all in the approach, and i love that it’s expanded our horizons!
Thanks for all the suggestions. I don’t need to go gluten free, but I’m trying to cut back the amount of gluten I eat. I’ll definitely be referring to this list in the future.
Dr Pragers are my favorite veggie burgers by far! hey do fall apart easily but I love that you can actually identify the veggies you are eating. Must try those Annie’s bunny cookies!
My husband is gluten-free and tried the beers, but he wasn’t a fan either. Those things are pricey too! The Bob’s Red Mill products are great, and we love the pizza crusts by Udi’s.
My husband can’t eat gluten, and like you said, it’s not as bad as it first seems because there are so many foods that are naturally gluten free! When we are cooking for ourselves it’s not a problem, but going out to eat can be more challenging (though obviously not impossible.)
We love, love, love Bob’s Red Mill GF products. We’ve made a few baked goods with the all-purpose baking flour that were not identified as GF by our non GF friends
I didn’t know about the Annie’s GF bunnies! Are they dairy free, by chance? I’ll have to be on the lookout for those. Thanks for the info!
I love cheese and yogurt.And to make it even easier, you can experiment with the dozens of free recipes on this site. Now there is no need for you and your family to go without your favourite foods!
My little one reacts strongly to dairy, eat, soy and wheat, so while not gluten-free, it’s been a very big adjustment for me (Still BFing). I’ve found that most gluten-free processed foods contain soy so those are a no-go. When reading labels I though I saw that some Larabars have dairy from choc chips, but many do not. Kind Bars, Amy’s, Veggie Burgers – many contain soy. Cooking myself hasn’t been bad, but eating out is impossible and since we live in a small town in MT, there isnt a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or Costco within driving distance. I was a vegetarian for a while, but started to eat meat again once everything else was off the menu. However, to see my boy happy and healthy is worth every inconvenience.
Food for Life’s Millet Bread is delicious toasted. World’s better than Udi’s in my opinion. I also have to recommend Pop Chips. Yummy and addictive!
Earth Fare also makes really good chocolate chip cookies.
I’m doing a gluten elimination diet at the request of my doctor and RD. How did you know you had to give up gluten (symptoms, diagnosis, etc)? It’s been a lot of trial and error deciding if this is what I need to do for my health, and it’s a pain in the ass!
I worked for Amy’s a few years ago, and I just wanted to mention from first hand experience what a FANTASTIC company Amy’s is! It is very committed to providing education and meals for people with Celiac disease and other special diets.
I’ve been thinking of going gluten free, but know I’d miss all the yummies! Thanks for this list.
I don’t have to eat gluten free, but my diet naturally tends to lean that way. I love the Purely Elizabeth granolas! They’re made gluten free with oats, quinoa, amaranth, chia, and coconut sugar. Super yummy.
My little one has gluten and dairy allergies, so I had to cut those (along with about ten other things) out of my diet while nursing. I have to be honest, I much prefer to just grind up big batches of almond meal, oat flour, and make my own goodies. I feel a bit weird about GF flour blends, but I ca definitely see their utility and many of my friends love them! I also snack on lots of nuts, corn chips with guac or salsa, fruits/veggies and smoothies. Eliminating dairy and gluten were tough, but no onions or garlic were the hardest, for sure!
I could go gluten-free no problem. No vegan, that’s another story. I will never give up my eggs!!
NuGo Dark protein bars, Udi’s GF Mighty Bagels, Goodbye Gluten bread, Udi’s flour tortillas, Hilary’s Eat Well Veggie Burgers or Sunshine Burgers, King Arthur Chocolate Cake Mix, Tinkyada GF pasta.
HI!! Nice to visit over again today- I have not popped over in awhile!
LOVE the new site look (new to me anyways!)
Not GF but there are for sure some goodies that are.
Hope all is well and glad to be back.
Moni xx
I think your first paragraph said it all – there’s lots of real food choices that are gluten free. Cutting out all of the processed food, gluten free or not has made my digestion far improved and has improved my energy, mood, and I’m left not hungry every two hours.
I have been gluten free for about two years now (celiacs), and it does get a ton easier! Udi’s used to be my favorite bread, but I think it’s been edged by Cayon Bakehouse breads and buns. I found them at Whole Foods–and they just recently started doing frozen and non-frozen, which is great. Sometimes you don’t want to have to thaw out a hamburger bun before you eat! The other gluten free option that I love to have in my desk is the gluten free Go Picnic meals. Shelf-stable and gluten free is a godsend when you can’t do fast food and you forget your packed lunch…
My brother has a gluten-free sensitivity and after many hard, tasteless pasta brands, we have come to love Tinkyada!
Totally unrelated, but Happy International Women’s Day! Keep up the good work!
What prompted you to cut out gluten? I ended up doing so at the request of my Endocrinologist due to fertility issues. It wasn’t until I cut it that I realized the number of digestive issues I was having were directly related to gluten.
That said, what are some of your symptoms when you get “glutened?” I’m typically incapacitated for a day
I was wondering if you have read Wheat Belly. If so, do you have any thoughts on it? My husband and I don’t have known gluten sensitivities, but we decided to try the eating plan for 30 days to see how we feel. One week in and we feel better than we have in years! (We are in our 30s) I’m trying to avoid any processed or packaged foods, but I love all of these suggestions when in a pinch. Thanks!
Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies made with Trader Joes gluten free oats…MMMMM!
If you haven’t tried it, Daura Estrella is a gluten-free beer and quite tasty. It’s a little pricey, but I assume you’re not exactly drinking hard cider by the case anyway.
I’ve been gluten and dairy free for years and everyone wonders what I, but it’s not that hard. Here are my faves:
Goodbye gluten bread is great. It doesn’t have to be toasted and it tastes the best.
Schar hamburger buns don’t seem to be as dry as Udi’s for me.
Food for Life brown rice tortillas microwaved for 28 seconds( after lots of different times!). I eat an egg wrap every morning.
Best cookbook: Cooking for Isaiah. The brownies are better than any regular I ever had. You just have to make the flour blend.
Kind bars
Udi’s multi-grain bread is definatly the best hands-down! Nature’s Path makes the best cereals, I LOVE their Mesa Sunrise and Vanilla Sunrise, totally recommend!
These are a few favorites of mine:
-Against the Grain brand rosemary rolls and pizza crust (I’m eating a pizza made with their pizza crust right now!) These top my list but they DO contain dairy, and are a little pricey.
-King Arthur all purpose GF flour is great
-King Arthur brownie mix is decadently delicious
-Trader Joe’s rice pasta is a cheaper, repackaged version of Tinkyada GF pasta which is pricier and my favorite GF pasta out there
-There’s an ice cream sandwich that’s GF and its to die for…I think its GlutenFreeda. Lemon frozen yogurt with vanilla cookie…omg, and there’s also a pumpkin flavored one I had in the fall (I think it was pumpkin, and maybe there was cinnamon involved–whatever it was, it was amazing)
-Whole Foods has a frozen pie crust that’s GF and works great for a chicken pot pie.
OMG, Against the Grain. I love all of their products! So delicious.
Hard cider is my beverage of choice. I love that the US is now carrying a lot more brands, as I used to only be able to find most of them in Europe. I love Magner’s Pear Cider…it’s my absolute favorite!
Thanks so much for this post! I am GF and DF, not because I want to! I really don’t like eating things out of a package, but when I’m in a pinch I really love Chex Mix!
This is an awesome post! But FYI – Pamela’s baking mix actually has powdered buttermilk in it! Not dairy-free!
I love the Kind bars, corn pasta from Trader Joes and Great Harvest cinnamon chip bread (for French toast or bread pudding).
YUM! I’m not gluten free but thinking about trying it for a month to see how my body reacts and responds.
Where can I buy the Dr. Praeger’s? I checked the website but there was no info. Thanks!!!
I don’t eat GF but I have a few friends that do and there are so many options! Most of them have adopted to GF fairly easily.
The best gf bread hands down is Schar’s!!! It is the only one I’ve tried that I truly can’t tell a difference from real bread.
This is THE BEST gluten free veggie burger I’ve ever had:
http://www.hilaryseatwell.com/veggieburger.php
I have found them at Whole Foods.
Since I have Celiac Disease, I can’t have any gluten obviously, but there is a beer called Omission that I’ve heard people say is good. It has less than 20 ppm of gluten, so it’s “technically” gluten free.
I’ve been gluten free since October. And I’ve been perfectly okay with it as I don’t miss the gnawing stomach pain, cramps, bloating, etc. It really isn’t that hard to eat gluten free. I do find myself eating a lot more protein. I don’t buy a lot of the gluten free alternatives because #1-I’ve been pretty disappointed in a lot of things-many gf things taste like cardboard! and #2-I’m just fine with not replacing things. I’m better off not eating the cakes, cookies, crackers, etc.
Trader Joes Gluten Free/Dairy Free Brownie Mix is great, and free of other common allergens too. Great for when you need to bring a dessert to a party, and want something you can enjoy too. Thanks for the great GF post!
I’m on board with all of your suggestions! I do long bike rides and need something to eat while I ride, I used to use Powerbars before I had to cut out gluten. Now I’ve found Bonk Breakers, they’re delicious! And Picky Bars, but they’re smaller with similar calories and I think more expensive. I do try to stay away from eating anything processed and tend to make my own since I can’t stop myself from snacking.
Thank you for the wonderful post! I was diagnosed with celiacs in November, and it was hard at first, but is getting easier! Thanks for the tips, Ill have to try some of the Amy’s brand!
I actually don’t like Udis but I use a boxed mix I love, I think its Glutino. I generally do’t buy too many gluten free products, opting for a more Paleo approach lately, fresh veggies, fruit, and meat.
I just became gluten free, and this post was so helpful! It’s hard to find good substitutes. I found a great gluten free beer the other night. It’s made by Green’s and it’s a belgian beer! Higher alcohol content and larger bottle, but that can be more fun
Gluten-free foods are so hit and miss with me. The roasted veggie Amy’s pizza is AMAZING. Wow, that caramelized onion sauce is soooo good! But the Think Thin bars? I had to choke my way through one on a road trip when I had no other options. Like chewing pure protein powder. Blech.
This post was great, I’m also curious what prompted you to know you needed to go GF? I’ve had full allergy testing and was told I was not celiac but I’ve always wondered about sensitivity. I have thyroid issues as well as fertility issues, however, my doctor doesn’t seem to think gluten is going to make a difference. Just curious how you knew you needed to cut it out!