Intimidated by going gluten-free? I get it! I promise it can be done...and can even be delicious! Here I've gathered a complete list of my Gluten-Free Product Recommendations and helpful resources to help you get started...or find a new favorite!
I have been gluten-free for well over a decade and although my site is filled with all gluten-free recipes, I often get asked for gluten-free product/brand recommendations and resources. I'm sharing it all here in this Gluten-Free Product Recommendations post and I hope it becomes a helpful resource for those newly diagnosed with gluten sensitivities, allergies, or autoimmune/chronic conditions. Navigating a new diagnosis can be overwhelming and stressful, so my goal is to create one easy resource with everything you need to know.
SEE ALL MY GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES HERE
My Journey Going Gluten-Free
I have many food allergies and dietary preferences but going gluten-free was at first a challenging one for me. Gluten is found in so many pantry staples that you wouldn't expect. When I first started out gluten-free there were not as many incredible resources and products on the market that there are now. But not all gluten-free products are created equal in my opinion! Over the years, I've learned that gluten is a tricky ingredient that finds its way into products you wouldn't even expect...things like spices, dressings and even toothpaste! If you are trying to be strictly gluten-free but aren't seeing the results you want it could be that gluten is hidden in some unexpected items in your pantry. I’ve realized that brands that truly dedicate themselves to gluten-free have created products with incredible flavor and texture.
If you are new to gluten-free, here are the basics...
Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, and triticale. They're generally used to help foods hold their shape (think flour). These items are gluten and can be used in many common food items, even as thickeners or fillers for sauces, condiments and more. These should always be avoided:
- Wheat
- Barley
- Rye
- Malt
- Brewer’s yeast
- Oats (unless they are certified gluten-free oats and your doctor has said you can eat them)
- Yeast extract and autoly
Unlikely Products That Sometimes Have Gluten
- Soy sauce
- Canned soups
- Spice mixes
- Bottled dressings and sauces
Read your labels. I’ve learned that beyond seeing “gluten-free” on the packaging, you should still review the ingredient list and look for “certified gluten-free” labels. Take the time to learn about “certified gluten-free” agencies so you are familiar with reputable and trustworthy certifying agencies. There is a Gluten-Free Watchdog group that reports products to the FDA that are labeled gluten-free but still contain gluten ingredients.
Ask the right questions when dining out. It is important to build confidence when at a restaurant, so that you can ask about gluten-free items (and gluten-free preparation — most Celiacs can't have any cross contamination, so no French fries that are prepared in a fryer that fries breaded chicken fingers, for example).
I take great comfort in knowing how many gluten-free foods are available these days. Even still, it’s important to be a well-educated consumer. Growing up my brother was born with many life-threatening allergies, one of which was peanuts. At age three he went into anaphylactic shock and was hospitalized after a playdate when he was given cookies that failed to list peanuts in the ingredients. This was back in the early 90s when food allergies were still somewhat novel (here is the article). Thankfully, labeling and certifications for food have come a long way. For those that follow a strict gluten-free diet, it is so important to know the lingo, understand how to interpret labels and certifications, and then be extra careful when labels are conflicting or ambiguous. It's also important to fully educate the caregivers of children who cannot read or advocate for themselves!
Fave Gluten-Free Pantry Staples/Brands
- These are my Favorite Gluten-Free Crackers
- Gluten-Free Pizza Crust: I prefer homemade best but Banza makes a good chickpea pizza crust
- Bagels: Pagels - These gluten-free bagels come frozen and my kids absolutely love them.
Gluten-Free Pasta Recommendations
- Jovial brown rice pasta is the best! Try their capellini or spaghetti noodles - my fave!
- Andean Dream Quinoa Orzo (I use it in this recipe - delish!)
- Best Chickpea Flour Pasta
Miscellaneous Gluten-Free Foods I Love
- Siete Almond Flour Tortillas - I use these for taco night and taquito night too!
- Larabars and That’s It Bars are great for on-the-go snacks
- Sprinkles
- Taco Seasoning (you could also try a homemade taco seasoning)
- For spices, Primal Palate brand is all gluten-free certified
- Simple Mills makes baking mixes and more! We absolutely love their almond flour sea salt crackers too!
- From the Ground Up snacks - their pretzel sticks are my kids' favorites and I love their cauliflower stalks
- Primal Kitchen sauces, dressings, and condiments are all totally gluten-free
Chips
- Siete Sea Salt Chips - try them as nachos in this recipe or for dipping in hummus
- Late July Sea Salt No Grain Chips made from Tigernut Flour - try them in my French Onion Dip
- Sprouts Grain-Free Tortilla Chips made with Avocado Oil - try them with guacamole or salsa fresca
Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread
I have yet to find one I absolutely love so please share your recommendations in the comments below! My good friend with Chron's Disease recommends Udi’s and Against the Grain for baguettes.
Gluten-Free Flour Varieties for Baking
Gluten-Free Grains
- pasta (brown rice gluten-free pasta by Jovial)
- macaroni
- quinoa
- rice (brown, forbidden, jasmine, basmati, sushi rice, white, wild, arborio)
- spring roll rice paper
- sprouted buckwheat cereal (I like Lil Bucks)
I don't use these in my kitchen as often but these grains are also naturally gluten-free:
- Amaranth
- Millet
- Sorghum
- Teff
Fave Naturally Gluten-Free Foods
I have found with my food allergies it is better to focus on what I CAN eat rather than what I can't eat. Here are some Gluten-Free Product Recommendations for foods I love that are naturally gluten-free!
- Rice Cereal
- Potatoes (Mashed Potatoes!)
- Sweet Potatoes
- Rice
- Quinoa (how to make perfectly cooked quinoa in your pressure cooker) + (how to make perfectly cooked stovetop quinoa)
- Oats (certified gluten-free)
- Buckwheat/Soba Noodles - make sure to look for products made with 100% buckwheat flour - some mix in wheat!
- Spaghetti Squash (great pasta sub!) - how to make spaghetti squash in your pressure cooker
- Chickpeas
- Zucchini Noodles (aka Zoodles)
- Corn is also naturally gluten-free; however, I'm personally allergic to it so you won't see corn in any of the recipes on my website.
Fave Gluten-Free Personal Items
- Toothpaste [use coupon code ELAINE10 for 10% off]
- Vitamins
Must-Have Gluten-Free Resources
FindMeGlutenFree.com - this is an app that finds gluten-free friendly restaurants near you, so you can search by zip code and look at ratings for how gluten-free friendly a restaurant is. You can also see if it is dedicated GF, celiac-friendly etc.
Celiac Disease Patient Info: Celiac disease is an allergy to gluten where eating gluten kills the villi in your GI tract, making it so you can't absorb nutrients. Cutting out gluten solves symptoms so no medication is needed usually. Celiac disease is not rare; recent research has shown that as many as 3 million people in the U.S. (about 1 percent of the population) may have it! This PDF resource has everything you need to know. Also, my good friend, Hannah Herrington, CPH, CHES, wrote this incredible resource on Celiac Disease. She also wrote this article in TheMighty.com: When You're Consumed by Guilt That Your Chronic Illness Brings about her experience with Crohn's Disease. Chrons Disease is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation anywhere in the GI tract. It can also effect eyes, joints, and even skin.
This article is for any parents out there.
Book: Real Life with Celiac Disease: Troubleshooting & Thriving Gluten Free
Gluten-Free Gourmet Meal Delivery - filter meals by "gluten-free" [use code ELAINEGORDON for $50 off your first order!)
My Favorite Gluten-Free Bloggers to Follow
Finding a community of fellow gluten-free friends helps so much! I love following @glutenfreebaltimore and @glutenfreephilly.
Websites with Gluten-Free Resources
Gluten-Free Staple Recipes
Can't find what you love in the store? Try making some of these gluten-free staples at home in your kitchen!
- Fave Granola
- Gluten-Free Veggie Burgers
- Easy Homemade Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
- Stuffing
- Easy Homemade Gluten-Free Crackers (Nut-Free Crackers)
- Pumpkin Bread
- Easy Homemade Gluten-Free Granola Bars
- Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs
- Gluten-Free Pancakes
- Easy Homemade Socca/Flatbread
- Frosting
- Best Gluten-Free Cupcakes
- Homemade Gluten-Free Poptarts
- Donuts
- Homemade Broth
- Homemade Candy
- Energy Bites
- Icing
- Cookies + More Cookies
- Ice Cream
- Brownies
- Tots
- Enchilada Sauce
Gluten-Free Meal Plans
If you want to see how a week of gluten-free meals looks be sure to check out my meal plans:
I hope you found this post helpful wherever you are at in your gluten-free journey. If I missed a must-have gluten-free product or recommendation that you love or that has been helpful to you, please comment below!
Note: This post contains affiliate links which means if you purchase through them I get a small commission at no additional cost to you. This post is not sponsored in any way and all opinions are my own. The information provided in this post is not medical advice and should not be considered a replacement for seeing a medical professional. Make sure anything you purchase is labeled gluten-free!
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