Almost as good as the real stuff?

SyntonicGarden

Since the group seems to be a mix of those of us who are GF and those who are here in support of family members who GF, I'm sure we've all experimented with gluten-free bread, pasta, cookies and even soy sauce. Some of the productsw are dry and crumbly. Some of them are delicious but ridiculously priced and somewhere, there's a middle ground between delicious and affordable. I'm curious as to which products you've found that are pretty close substitutions for gluten-based products and are worth the money you've spent.


These are three of my favorites:

*San J Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce / Organic Tamari - Tastes like soy sauce!

* Udi's Classic Hot Dog buns - Great warmed, even better toasted! Sometimes you can find online coupons for $2 off!

* Trader Joe's brown rice pasta - Decent texture as long as you don't over cook it. Costs about $2 a bag.


What have you tried and what do you recommend?

coronalime

I've been impressed with most of Udis's products. Especially the muffins..the chocolate delish muffins..

Against the Grain baguette bread..You get 2 "sticks" normally frozen section. Spread on top butter and sprinkle parm cheese and bake..YUM.

Snyders just released pretzel sticks..1/2 the price of the others and just as good.

Crunchmaster crackers. Espcially at Costco/Sams Club price!

Immaculate makes ready bake choc chip cookies that are awesome.

Trader Joes pastas seem to work especially for the price.

However. We rarely use any bread/pasta...I cant afford the calories unless a big race or workout is looming. I mostly wrap in lettuce. Sometimes I use a Vans gluten free waffle to make an open face sandwich. I use GF rice cakes in the mornings to replace "toast".

CPReaves

We love Heartland pasta from Walmart. It's $2.18 a bag, and is a corn and rice mix. You can't tell it's not "normal" pasta.

The kids love the Synder's pretzels.

We also adore Kinnikinnick's pizza crusts. They are by FAR the best and fairly decently priced, 4 of them in a box for about $9.00. My husband says their donuts are amazing.

Pretty much everything else I make from scratch...all our cakes, cookies, pancakes, bread. I've been told that my cakes are better than regular cakes, and my gluten-eating family prefers I bake for their parties than to buy cakes (and they have been known to eat the cake I bring for my kids and husband instead of eating the regular cake). The pancakes we make are by far better than any we used to eat before going gluten free.

RmIIImc70

I love French Meadow Bakery pizza crust. It is great. Udis is good too. Some other favorites are:

Schar table crackers
Glutino pretzels
Natural Nectar crackle breads are great and low cal. Different texture but a good low cal option instead of bread or crackers. I add hummus or cheese. Yum.
UDIs bread (although I haven't tried anything else and I don't eat much bread)
I love the San J GF soy sauce! Reduced sodium.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I've found that rice pastas don't hold up the same, but quinoa pastas rock my socks.

glutino pretzels (they do have a bit of an after taste)

smorables graham crackers

I do a lot of make my own stuff.

samb

I like Udi's multi grain bread, I am not sure the brand but it is a frozen mac & cheese...I want to say Annies, Udi's granola, and Tinkyada spaghetti. That is about as far as I have gotten so far on GF products tho! I have made my own teriyaki sauce as I can't seem to find any, but other than that I usually just eat meat and vegetables and fruit anyways :P

ilookthetype

Heck yes on the Glutino pretzels and crackers. I love them.

I make my own gf bread/muffins/cookies/crackers and they've all been spectacular.

For a while I really like Kinnik doughnuts but my best friend told me it was only because I hadn't had a real one in a year, and now they're just too heavy.

Cheryl_Catrair

I am Rudi's (not to be mistaken with Udi's) # 1 fan and if you have not tried their new frozen pizza crust please do! I love their original, multigrain, and cinnamon raisin bread - and honestly, if I can't get that brand of bread or pizza crust, I just go without it. I'm not real fond of the other brands.

amfeldhege

Bakery on Main Oatmeal - if you are looking for Instant Oatmeal that mimics Quaker Instant, this will do it. I've tried 3 or 4 other brands and hated them, love Bakery on Main

I second the Against the Grain Baguettes - they are awesome. Haven't tried any of the products that I didn't like

Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse Cream Biscuits - are a little crumbly sometimes but taste/texture of homemade biscuits.

French Meadow Bakery "Flour" Tortillas - the prep on these have to be just right but these are a good substitute if you *need* something other than corn tortillas

Bittersweet Bakery - this is a local bakery, but their products are great. Cookies, breads, pizza crust... they make pies, bars, rolls, muffins too

amycal

I made Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Bread mix last night to go with chili - it was good. Not as sweet as the one I usually make from the cornmeal box but that's ok. Also it calls for a 9x9 pan and I am thinking mine was only 8x8 because it was really thick and did not cook as fast as it said.

CaraBeara1

I heart:

- San J's Tamari Sauce
- Tinkyada brown rice pasta (so much better and easier to cook with than other rice pastas I've tried)
- Blue Diamond Almond Nut-Thins (I have to hide from the gluten eaters who like them because they are $)
- Amy's rice pasta Mac&Cheese (so delicious, but definitely a special occasion food)