BEST GLUTEN FREE PRODUCTS
2016 update: So, i've been gluten free for 4 years now and here are some staple gluten free foods / brands I enjoy. Also, I'm hoping to update the recipes soon ish, i know it's a sad small amount of them.
Pasta: Heartland all the way. I buy this at Walmart. Target's brand of gluten free pasta is also acceptable. What you have to learn about this pasta though is this:
always cook it to it's longest cook time. i.e. if the box says 10-12 minutes, cook it 12 minutes at a high boil the whole time. And you'll need to stay by the pot too because gluten free pasta loves to boil over the pot. I help prevent this by pouring a couple tablespoons of canola oil in the pasta water.
Also, another tip: This pasta is great as leftovers too. The spaghetti is a little more forgiving to reheat than the fusilli or penne, but the trick to getting it back to normal is to heat it a really long time with liquid. If the pasta doesn't reach a certain heat, it will kind of taste crumbly / crunchy. I normally have to heat it a lot to where it's uncomfortable to eat immediately and then let it cool a little to eat.
Mac and Cheese:
This mac and cheese is amazing. I can't tell any difference between it and normal stuff.
This mac and cheese is amazing. I can't tell any difference between it and normal stuff.
Cornbread: Glutino. I'm a big cornbread person. love it. I normally add like a tablespoon of buttermilk when i make it. You might have to increase cook time a little though. other gluten free cornbreads are dry and sad, but this one can be really good.
Panko: 4C crumbs? is that the brand? Who knows, but this stuff works very well in recipes and is pretty available at walmarts now.
Chicken Noodle soup: Gluten Free Cafe. Does it kind of suck? Yeah a little. Is it a decent chicken noodle? Yeah, I eat it for lunch sometimes. Is it a good chicken noodle when you are sick? OMG YES BEST EVER. When you are sick and don't feel like making food and your taste buds are dead anyway, this is like a godsend.
Blueberry muffins: Are these the best? No. They are grainy and kind of dry, but they cook up really quick and you can always douse them in butter. I've been inclined to add extra blueberries but haven't done it yet. Let me know if you try it.
Cream of Rice: As a kid, cream of wheat was one of my favorites. i absolutely loved it. I miss it quite a bit now. This gets me by. I use lactose free milk instead of water, add about a tablespoon of butter and sugar and a sprinkle of salt and it's good to go.
Flour: Baking Free (freedom delivered / jules gluten free) was the best flour I'd tried until I found this Auntie's flour, made in Texas. It's amazing.
crackers: Potter's crackers. These have a nice wheat like consistency for a hard cracker and are great with cheeses and whatever else you like your crackers with.
Bagel chips: Glutino Bagel Chips. Glutino has a lot of great things, and bagel chips are one of them. I love eating these with goat cheese and im not even a goat cheese person!
Gluten free cakes: Pillsbury, other normal popular cake brands. The gluten free cake game has really stepped up its game recently. I haven't tried a ton but this funfetti version is nearly like the real thing with some icing on top!
Pretzels: Snyder's all the way. Now, these don't taste like normal wheat pretzels. The first time you eat these when switching from wheat pretzels, you might cry. But if you keep eating them for their crunchy saltiness (I've found the mini pretzels have more salt than the pretzals sticks and I prefer the minis), then eventually you'll forget what normal wheat pretzels taste like and begin to enjoy these.
Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps in Salted Caramel - these are sooo good. I can basically eat a bag in one sitting because the bags are small compared to most pretzel bags. Their regular flavor is good too, i like coating them in chocolate and freezing them for a dessert.
Cookies:
#1: Tate's Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies (found at Kroger). These cookies are very crunchy crispy and I normally prefer very soft cookies, so when i had these and thought these were DELICIOUS I was very surprised. They are SO good. Self Control is hard.
#2: Lucy's Gluten Free cookie in Chocolate Chip or Sugar. These are a little softer / chewy. The sugar cookie is a bit crunchier. Good with some milk!
#3 Liz Lovely's Snickerdoodle cookies (Snicker Dudes). These are soft and scrumptious and the sugary coating is the best.
#4 Glutino Gluten Free Vanilla Creme Dream Cookies. Let's ignore the fact that I'm already describing my fourth cookie. These are great, sweet icing with a nice shortbread like crunchy cookie outside. Great Value tries to copy it but don't fall for it, the Great Value brand sucks. If you are like me, these will remind you of oreos and you're like omg I really want oreos now thanks, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I haven't found a good oreo replacement. I'm on the lookout though, so if you have found one, let me know!
Donuts: Kinnikinnick's Maple Glazed Donuts. ZOMG THEY ARE SO GOOD. They come frozen so you have to heat them up a little. So good I had to stop buying them because i was like omg donuts all the time.
Dessert Muffins:
Let's not lie, these have no nutritional value, except maybe some blueberries. Udi's Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins are probably one of the first items I found as a new gluten free person and they gave me hope in life. Warm these babies up, slap some butter on them and you've got a yummy muffin with sugar crystals on top. WHO COULD WANT MORE, I DARE ASK?
Boxed Meals: Annie's Classic Alfredo Skillet Dinner. A great quick dinner when you cook up some grilled chicken to add to it. It has a slight weird after taste, but my non gluten free husband loves this meal. Unfortunately I was only able to find it at Target and they stopped carrying it last year so i haven't had it since then.
Cereal: Chex Gluten Free cereals are a good option.
Corn / Rice: about the same. I THINK I liked the corn more because it didnt get soggy as fast in milk but i can never keep them straight
Vanilla: Good, and I've gotten it plenty of times, but it's veryyyyy sweet.
Chocolate: Too sweet for me
Cinnamon: good in milk and for a snack. I've gotten this one a lot.
Honey Nut: Best flavor of the flavored chex.
Chex Clusters: AMAZING IT HAS CLUSTERS WOOO. but really, it's a fav.
Pancakes: I have tried a million gluten free pancake mixes. I have yet to be satisfied, which is so depressing. Birch Benders Gluten Free Pancake and Waffle Mix has probably come closest, but the only thing I don't like about them is they have a bit of a crunch to them because it's made with hazelnut meal and they didn't believe in grinding it up too much.
Waffles:
Van's Gluten Free Frozen Waffles - These aren't the best, they are pretty picky about how they are heated. If you heat them in the microwave, they microwave best with a little moisture but not too much. They probably do best in a toaster, but I wouldn't know because I don't have one. They are pretty good though and good in a pinch. I've gotten them off and on for years. Only thing is they are kind of small ish so they aren't that filling and there aren't too many in the box.
Van's Gluten Free Frozen Waffles - These aren't the best, they are pretty picky about how they are heated. If you heat them in the microwave, they microwave best with a little moisture but not too much. They probably do best in a toaster, but I wouldn't know because I don't have one. They are pretty good though and good in a pinch. I've gotten them off and on for years. Only thing is they are kind of small ish so they aren't that filling and there aren't too many in the box.
Bread: I haven't found a great bread in America, but I did have Newburn Bakehouse by Warburtons gluten free bread in Scotland and it was pretty freaking amazing. so FYI if you ever go to the United Kingdom...
The best one I've tried is Canyon Bakehouse White though. it's definitely the best so far.
The best one I've tried is Canyon Bakehouse White though. it's definitely the best so far.
Tortillas: Ok, so i always use to love eggs and cheese tortillas, quesadillas, and enchiladas, among other things. But I despise corn tortillas, so I was in a bit of a predicament until I found these at my local walmart, Toufayan Bakeries Gluten Free Wraps. They aren't the softest, and they don't hold their fold very well if they aren't warmed, but they are a good gluten free tortilla and a great alternative to corn tortillas.
Mission Tortillas are better though, if your store has these. I noticed after a while the Toufayan ones can seem a little slimy after reheating. but the mission ones don't have this issue.
Snacks:
Lance Gluten Free Peanut Butter Crackers
Ok, so these are basically a godsend. I've been eating these every day for breakfast for like three months now lol. They also have cheese ones but after about two boxes of those I abandoned them for the peanut butter ones.
Frozen Meals:
Evol. brand - Their frozen meals are pretty good, the only thing is most aren't available at the stores I shop at so I haven't gotten to try many of their options. The only one I have tried and liked enough to buy again is the Chicken Enchilada Bake, but I really haven't gotten to try many of their products.
Udi brand - Their frozen meals are decent, some of them at least. Of the ones I've tried, I will re-buy the Lasagna with meat sauce and pizza.
Brownies: To be honest, no one can really mess up brownies. I don't have a specific brand to recommend because I'll grab whatever I see, add some chocolate chips and sometimes chocolate syrup to the mix, and it always comes out good.
THINGS I WANT TO TRY:
BreadsCanyon Bakehouse bread
Three Bakers Bread
Udi's Whole Grain bread
Rotella's Italian Bakery Soft White Gluten Free Bread
Better Way Gluten Free Whole Grain White Bread
Tortillas
Flatout Flatbread tortilla
Mission Gluten Free Soft Tortilla
Joseph's Gluten Free Wraps
Tortillas
Flatout Flatbread tortilla
Mission Gluten Free Soft Tortilla
Joseph's Gluten Free Wraps
Flour
Cup 4 Cup flour
Better Batter GF flour mix
Pancakes
Hungry Jack Funfetti Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle mix
Corn Dogs (Don't judge me)
Applegate Naturals GF Uncured Beef Corn Dogs
Foster Farms Gluten Free Corn Dogs
Pasta
Horizon Gluten Free Mac
Mrs Leeper's Chicken Alfredo
Snacks
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Puffs in Mega Cheese
Kinnikinnick Vanilla Wafers
Enzymes?
Gluten Cutter Digestive (probs doesn't work but whatevs)
IN SEARCH OF:
Oreos
Fig newtons
bread
the best pancake
Hungry Jack Funfetti Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle mix
Corn Dogs (Don't judge me)
Applegate Naturals GF Uncured Beef Corn Dogs
Foster Farms Gluten Free Corn Dogs
Pasta
Horizon Gluten Free Mac
Mrs Leeper's Chicken Alfredo
Snacks
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Puffs in Mega Cheese
Kinnikinnick Vanilla Wafers
Enzymes?
Gluten Cutter Digestive (probs doesn't work but whatevs)
IN SEARCH OF:
Oreos
Fig newtons
bread
the best pancake
