Gluten-free advice

Anyone found a good gluten free flour, bread, or snacks? I’m new to removing this from my diet and I’m having a hard time finding things that taste good.
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Replies

  • AndreaTamira
    AndreaTamira Posts: 272 Member
    If you like baking, this bread is really, really nice: https://theloopywhisk.com/2020/04/02/ultimate-gluten-free-bread/
  • nhaynie228
    nhaynie228 Posts: 15 Member
    If you live near a Sam's Club, they have several gluten-free cracker options! I like to eat them with tuna for a quick lunch.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    If you live near a Trader Joe's, they have a lot of good gluten-free options. My husband has a gluten intolerance, and reports that their bread tastes the best of any gluten-free variety he has tried. He also likes their GF chocolate chip cookies and rice crackers.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,306 Member
    edited January 2021
    There is a gluten free group on here. I've eaten gluten free for like five years now. What started as a way to encourage my wife (who was recommended to go gluten free for a health condition) turned into discovering that I was Celiac.

    Canyon Bakehouse and Sam's Choice breads are my favorites. Canyon Bakehouse is also likely the cleanest in ingredients.

    For Quick Breads, I like King Arthur flour. For yeast, I use an Italian brand called Caputto's gluten free (they make regular flour too, so get the right one). For yeast raised breads, there's no comparison. I have found nothing gluten free to raise like Caputtos. It behaves almost just like regular flour. I've made pizzas, Belgium Liege Waffles, soft pretzels and much more with it and it turns out amazing. I'm wanting to make some Sticky Buns soon.

    For pasta, it's all up for debate in my family. Barilla's is likely the best, but we also eat others. For instance, it depends on the usage. For chicken noodle, rice fettuccini turns out best and doesn't fall apart. I like chickpea pasta too. Barilla's is mostly corn, so I limit it.

    For crackers, try the ones from Schar. They are usually not in the cracker section, but in a section all to themselves. Another brand to try is the ones from Lance -- they have GF Peanut Butter and Cheese crackers. I hate crackers made from rice flour. It's like eating just crunchy nothing.

    There are some refrigerator cookies which are great. Look for them in the refrigerator sections.

    Udi's sucks. Not sure how else to say it. Hamburger Buns are just OK. I hate their Pizza dough. And my wife is allergic to cow dairy, so don't even get me started on fake cheese. God it's horrid.

    What you'll find, with time, is that you can eat healthier snacks and adjust. Hummus with veggies, we eat GF pretzels, sometimes (on rare occasion) potato chips cooked in avocado oil or coconut oil. Popcorn is great.
  • MamaSarahBelle
    MamaSarahBelle Posts: 21 Member
    Thank you this is so helpful!!!
  • guitargirl55
    guitargirl55 Posts: 258 Member
    It's so hard to transition, but after doing it for a while you get so used to it that it's really easy.

    Here are my favorites!

    - Hamburger Buns - Schär brand Ciabata rolls are so good! They taste like regular buns. My favorite choice for sure.
    - Bread - Canyon Bakehouse.
    - Crackers - Lance baked original. They taste so good. Very close to ritz crackers.
    - Cereal - Honey Nut Chex. Chex brand has a few options and they are not overpriced.
    - General Tso - Live G Free (I found this at Aldi, not sure where you are located). I almost cried when I found this because I miss chinese so much! It's so good.
    - Other Chinese - Feel Good Foods makes some wonderful egg rolls and pot stickers.
    - Puff Pastry Dough - Schär. This stuff is so yummy. I have used it for regular dinner roles, pigs in a blanket, and homemade toaster strudels.
    - Noodles - I have found that most of them are good. I like Barilla.
    - Baking tips - get all purpose gluten free flour with xanthem gum, or buy xanthem gum seperate and add it. It makes a huge difference in baked goods!
    - Pizza - Freschetta is pretty good. I have switched to urban farmer sweet potato crusts because they are much more reasonably priced and still tasty.
  • skeletalplatypi
    skeletalplatypi Posts: 19 Member
    I have Celiac and have eaten gluten free for 10 years now. There are so many amazing brands now, I don't even know where to start haha.

    Depending on where you live:
    Kroger 7 grain Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
    Against the Grain (everything from rolls, baguettes, to pizzas)
    RealGood (low-carb gluten-free frozen foods - high protein)
    Schar (can be found at Walmart - is a little expensive but their ciabatta is divine and they have tons of snacks)
    Barilla, Banza, Tinkyada (my personal favourite - has the closest texture to regular pasta), Delallo (has delicious GF gnocchi), Trader Joe's GF pastas
    Bfree - they have pitas which I missed so much
    Mission - GF tortillas
    Glutino - mad expensive but their table crackers are my weakness

    I could continue on and on haha. If you want recipes, I suggest glutenfreegirl or glutenfreeonashoestring.

    Also, feel free to message if you have any questions or are looking for other more specific suggestions!
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 824 Member
    I love the GF bread at Trader Joe's as well. I've also discovered Bob's Red Mill GF pizza crust which is about the closed I can find to "real" pizza crust. Bob's Red Mill chocolate chip cookie mix is also excellent. I make the cookies for my son who tells me that they are just like my homemade recipe. Bob's Red Mill also has some great 1:1 gluten free flours. I recently made a GF coffee cake and GF chocolate chip cake using the flour. No one could tell it was GF.
    Wishing you all the best. I believe it takes a while to find the products you like, mostly through trial and error.
    And if you ever want a nice GF treat, Nothing Bundt Cakes has a delicious GF mini bundt cake!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,819 Member
    I would look to cuisines that can be easily adapted to gluten-free, like Thai. San-J is one brand that has GF soy sauce.

    https://www.thekitchn.com/the-difference-between-tamari-and-soy-sauce-ingredient-intelligence-174139
  • MamaSarahBelle
    MamaSarahBelle Posts: 21 Member
    Thank you for the advice, however my doctor has taken me off gluten so I don’t have a choice.
  • I discovered I had Celiac 10 years ago. In that time, as an avid baker, I've found my favourite flour is GF Jules. It has the consistency of cake flour, so very lightweight and measure for measure. My non-Celiac family like the texture of the cookies and breads. Jules has an amazing amount of recipes on her website, too, most of which include dairy free options. I even made a GF King Cake for Mardi Gras last February!
  • whoami67
    whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
    Rule of thumb on gluten free processed foods or baked goods: almost all of it is disgusting, but it is all much better than it used to be years ago. Brownies are one of the few baked goods that almost always taste good gf.

    Udi's gf millet chia bread is good; I'm not fond of their white bread. Trader Joe's gf bread is fine. Most gluten free bread needs to be toasted to be edible.

    Pamela's and Bob's Red Mill made perfectly acceptable gf all-purpose flour and baked goods blends. Trader Joe's gf flour is fine (and cheaper), but tends to make dry baked goods. Add extra eggs or other fat to the recipe to help with that. If you choose to mix your own gf flour blends, the more types of flours and starches you mix together, the better the flour.

    Tinkyada makes the best gf pasta. Trader Joes makes perfectly fine gf pasta for a much cheaper price. It isn't as good as Tinkyada, but for the price, it's my everyday choice.

    Aldi has a lot of reasonably priced gluten free items, but I don't like the taste of most of them. YMMV.

    I've been gf for about 15 years. When I first stopped eating gluten, I was like you, looking for specialty gf items. Now, I rarely bother with that. Most foods specially made gf are just overpriced and not very good tasting or good for you.

    List of gluten free items:
    All fresh fruit
    All fresh vegetables and many frozen vegetables
    Pretty much any type of meat, poultry or seafood that doesn't have spices or breading added to it, including most deli meat
    Rice
    Quinoa
    Potatoes
    Sweet potatoes
    Cheese
    Yogurt
    Eggs
    Potato chips (read the label)
    Corn tortillas and corn chips (read the label)
    Many Progresso and Amy's soups

  • JessAndreia
    JessAndreia Posts: 540 Member
    This is quite specific, but I recommend buckwheat flour for pancakes if you make them. I believe that's what a gluten-free, vegan restaurant I get them from uses, and I actually like them way better than I like pancakes made with regular flour.
  • pamjsa
    pamjsa Posts: 149 Member
    I've been gf for about 10 years. I love almost all the gf products at Trader Joe's, if you live near one. Costco sells a frozen pizza with cauliflower crust that's so tasty, my husband likes it better than "regular" pizza.

    I've found that it's easier to focus on what I can eat and build from there. So, for instance, I eat soups and salads for lunch,or hummus and veggies, rather than a sandwich. When I want a treat, rather than being disappointed in gf baked goods, I eat a nice piece of chocolate or a macaron (they're usually made with almond flour.) Eating gf is really a matter of building new habits, just like eating healthy in general.
  • Angela937
    Angela937 Posts: 514 Member
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    We started using this pizza cauliflower crust to avoid extra carbs for my diabetic family members. It tastes pretty good, but I recommend baking it on a pizza pan or cookie sheet to keep it from getting cooked to crunchy. I believe we bought it at Walmart, or our local grocery store.
  • LisaGetsMoving
    LisaGetsMoving Posts: 664 Member
    My spouse and I discovered Sabatasso's Gluten Free 4 cheese pizzas at Costco, a 3 pack for under $15. It's tasty as it is, but we add things like sliced onion, mushroom, pepperoni, olives before baking and it's is delicious. Our grandkids LOVE it with just a bit of extra mozzarella.
  • sportygal1971
    sportygal1971 Posts: 60 Member
    Other than tjs gluten free pancake mix, I've decided to just to stay away from flour. Most gluten free flour is so high in carbohydrates.
    I do like the caulipower brand. Their tortillas, chicken tenders and pizza crust is pretty good.
    There is this egg white wrap thing that is really good to in place of bread that is 25 calories. Texture is like flour tortillas.
  • josheppa
    josheppa Posts: 2 Member
    I love gfJules flour and mixes. Only available online. No one can tell they are gf. Expensive but totally delicious. I have taken pies, cookies, and rolls and even the most “I hate gluten-free” liked them. I also love Against the Grain baguettes and pizza crusts.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
    i dont eat gluten free myself, but do prepare and buy food for a senior farmer in our area who has celiac disease and is on a VERY limited income and needs help (no one to help him).

    I buy the gluten free flour w/ xanthum gum included to make him baked goods. Gluten free pastas to make those dishes (making him a simple lasagna this weekend). Was planning on making him some muffins this weekend too.

    Honestly, the stuff is so expensive that I haven't tried any of the premade products I get for him. I do a lot of soups for us, and its easy to portion his out before adding noodles or anything, or I simply don't include anything he cant have.

    He seems to like it all well enough. I Have had the justins peanut butter cups- and those ARE good. but I never met a peanut butter cup I didn't like LOL

    my sister (only because she likes to be trendy) likes the cauliflower crust pizzas, but this guy doesn't have a full size oven and I don't think his toaster oven is big enough for a full size pizza, or I would get him one of those.