This post is to keep track of some of the gluten free options out there when you're cooking or baking for someone who has celiac. I've done a lot of allergy free baking, but gluten free baking is very difficult and it's hard to find decent substitute ingredients. It can also be more expensive to buy gluten free options. Some manufacturers make both gluten free and regular varieties of the same food and charge more because the gluten free variety requires more careful preparation to avoid cross-contamination. Checking for a gluten free label as well as checking the ingredients list becomes important. Many foods that should be gluten free and don't list any wheat related ingredients in their ingredients lists may still have traces of wheat or gluten. It's also surprising and can be difficult when you find you need to check for gluten in a wide variety of foods that you would naturally assume are wheat and gluten free. When in doubt contact the manufacturer. However, keep in mind, the manufacturer will likely tell you that the ingredients in products can change without evident warning.
Since it seems so hard to track down what's safe or not and since wheat and gluten can be so invasive in so many products that would not ordinarily be considered as a source of wheat, I decided I'd record my findings so far on what will hopefully be safer options for people attempting to bake gluten free. Since it may be hard to find the items when needed, I've also listed some of the stores that I've found that carry those options.
Several gluten free nut, dried fruit and flour options are available from nuts.com. I've bought dried plums, apricots and cranberries from them. Be careful to check the ingredients because some of their dried fruits contain preservatives. They have chestnut, tigernut, sweet rice flour and sorghum flour. They also have Brazil nuts (a good source for selenium), sunflower and pumpkin seeds. They have psyllium husks, potato starch and tapioca starch. Plus, there are several other gluten free options listed at their site. They had teff flour which I bought in large quantities. Unfortunately, they are no longer carrying the product and I will have to look elsewhere for a good source of teff flour.
The nuts.com web site also has amla powder. Amla powder is a good source of vitamin C. Unbuffered vitamin C powders can be used with baking soda to provide the acid to make baked goods rise. Aside from amla powder, I've also used Navitas camu camu powder and Superfood+ immunity blend. Pure Radiance C powder from Pure Synergy is also gluten free.
Costco has dates and dried figs. They also have oatmeal, rice, quinoa, chia. What's nice is they sell products in bulk sizes so you can get a decent amount for the price on many of their products.
Some products they have include:
One Degree Sprouted Rolled Oats
Kirkland Organic Whole Brazil Nuts
Kirkland Organic Quinoa
Mayorga Organics Chia Seeds
Mariani Organic California Deglet Noor Pitted Dates
Sunny Fruit Organic Sun Dried Dates
Sunny Fruit Organic Sun Dried Figs
Go Raw Sprouted Organic Pumpkin Seeds with sea salt
Go Raw Sprouted Organic Sunflower Seeds with sea salt
Costco is temporarily out of Brazil nuts due to a recall. I'm having a great deal of trouble finding an affordable source of Brazil nuts without this option.
I found out Marshalls and TJ Maxx sometimes carry Sunny Fruit Organic Sun Dried Dates, Sunny Fruit Organic Sun Dried Figs and Sunny Fruit Organic Sun Dried apricots. Finally found a good source for prunes. Was very happy to find out Sprouts carries Made in Nature organic dried fruits including prunes, apricots, figs and other options.
Was having trouble finding steel cut oats. Finally found out Sprouts has their own brand of gluten free, organic steel cut oats. I also found Publix had a better deal with Bob's Red Mill steel cut oats.
I've had no problem finding gluten free pasta options.
Trader Joe's has Sedanini pasta made from red lentils. It has become a new favorite. Trader Joe's also has lentil and brown rice pasta. There are several options for red lentil pastas including the following:
Barilla red lentil penne
Barilla red lentil spaghetti
Whole Foods red lentil spaghetti
Whole Foods penne rigate vegetable pasta
Target Good and Gather red lentil spaghetti
Target Good and Gather red lentil rotini
Target Good and Gather yellow lentil penne
I was able to find some halfway decent alternatives for my manicotti and lasagna dishes. Walmart and Whole Foods have Jovial rice lasagna noodles.
Whole Foods had some very nice alternatives to rice or lentil based pastas. Unfortunately, they're no longer available in my local stores. One option was Cello teff penne. There also used to be a very good 365 brand black bean pasta but they stopped making it. Was sorry they discontinued it and even emailed them about it. Maybe if enough people write in, they'll consider making it again.
Another pasta option with a different ingredient make up is Veggiecraft Farms Pasta made with Cauliflower. It has cauliflower, pea and lentil. Sprouts Green Pea Rotini is another interesting alternative as well. Unfortunately, they no longer seem to be making it. Sprouts at least carries some of the Veggiecraft options.
There are a few options for pasta made from soy or edamame. They can be expensive.
I am having a very difficult time finding elbow macaroni. I really like the Tolerant lentil macaroni. Tolerant was bought out by Barilla and they discontinued the product. Barilla does not make a viable alternative either. The only passable elbow macaroni I've found so far is is Bionaturae rice and lentil elbows. I tried one of Living Now's elbow macaroni products with quinoa but was not a fan.
I used to eat puffed rice regularly for breakfast. Unfortunately, it's not gluten free. I contacted Nature's Path and Arrowhead Mills and both said their products could be cross-contaminated with wheat. So, I went looking for alternatives but found very few options. I tried the puffed rice from nuts.com but it tasted more like crisp rice cereal rather than puffed rice. The closest alternatives I could fine were rice cakes. These include:
Lundberg Organic Whole Grain Rice Cakes Brown Rice Lightly Salted
Quaker Lightly Salted Rice Cakes - Walmart
Publix Lowfat Salt Free Rice Cakes - Publix
I tried the Lundberg Organic Rice Cake Minis with Sea Salt. They're too salty but they do have a nice taste to them. They might be usable as a cracker substitute.
When I contacted Emerald Cove by email, I was impressed by the level of testing they do to make sure their products are safe from radiation and other contaminants, I prefer to buy their nori but there are a few gluten free options for nori roll wrappers:
Nori - Emerald Cove - Whole Foods
Gimme Seaweed Wraps - Sushi Nori - Sprouts, Whole Foods
Ever since I was introduced to kelp noodles at a Whole Foods event, I've really enjoyed it in my salads. There are a few brands out there. Both nori and kelp are good sources of certain vitamins and minerals including iodine. Here's the kelp brand I'm currently using:
Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles
Gold Mine Kelp Noodles mention they're gluten free at the Gold Mine web site.
I have trouble with nuts and thus typically avoid nut butters. However, recently I've been enjoying sunflower butter which seems to be a better option for people who may react to nuts. Trader Joe's had a very nice brand of sugar free sunflower butter that only contained sunflowers and salt. Unfortunately, it was discontinued. I've been able to track down two other options, both gluten free:
Sprout's Sunflower Butter - Sprouts
SunButter No Sugar Added Sunflower Butter - Whole Foods, Publix Greenwise, Sprouts
I used to just by lentils and beans at the bulk bins, but there are cross-contamination issues with that. Would be very interested to find out if soaking or cleaning could avoid some of the issues, but have yet to find any good references. I'm having a horrible time finding alternatives that actually claim they are gluten free. I was able to find black beans, adzuki and pinto beans at nuts.com but that's all I found that I can eat in the bean and legume category. I also finally found Dakota's Pride Green Lentils at Aldi. Dakota's Pride had other varieties of beans that were marked gluten free as well. Only some packages with Dakota's Pride show gluten free so be sure to check the labels. Publix had Hurst's Brand lentils which says Gluten Free on the label. iHerb offers Bob's Red Mill lentil beans options. Pueblo Linda black beans at Aldi also had a gluten free label. Again, I'd recommend checking the labels on the specific product and look for the wording gluten free on the packaging. Sometimes the same brand can make gluten free and non-gluten free varieties. Sprouts sometimes has beans like black beans and pinto beans that say gluten free on the label. There have to be other alternatives out there, but I've yet to find them.
I contacted Hurst regarding their lentils which say gluten free on the package but also packaged in a plant that is not gluten free. They also package barley. Here's part of their response: "After a barley run, the equipment is cleaned and swabbed to verify cleanliness. Barley is also only run on one line so if your package has a lot code ending in an A or B, barley is never run on this equipment. We do everything we can to reduce the risk of cross contamination and hope that you are able to enjoy all of our non-gluten items." Their brand is fairly easy for me to find some of my local groceries and is an affordable way to buy lentils compares to some of the other alternatives.
A quick warning to stay away from Vitacost brand bean options. Their web site says gluten free but the packages I purchased did not and when I asked further, they couldn't guarantee the product was safe for someone with celiac.
I had assumed that frozen peas would be safe especially since they're a frozen food. Was very distressed to see a "May contain traces of wheat" warning on the label. I now need to find out which brands of frozen peas are actually safe. Trader Joe's responded to my inquiry and said their organic peas and petite peas are made in wheat and gluten free facilities but they do not specifically test if they're 20 ppm or less. I've written Aldi to ask about their products and they have not responded. If anyone does get a response, please share it. Ironically, Aldi owns Trader Joe's.
It's much easier to find gluten free rice. Mahatma, a popular brand, offers organic brown rice and other types of rice that are all gluten free. Publix Greenwise also has an organic gluten free brown rice.
Emerald has various nuts that are gluten free. I made cashew cream with their Whole Cashews.
Badia spices are supposed to be gluten free. I bought their organic ground turmeric and it says gluten free on the container. The Spice Lab web site showed some of their products as gluten free including Himalayan salt. Saw some at Costco recently. Many spice options are gluten free but their packaging doesn't always say so. When in doubt, check the company web site or contact the company.
Wholesome organic fair trade molasses is listed as gluten free at their web site.
Products that can be used as flour substitutes are useful. As mentioned, nuts.com offers several options. I was also able to buy gluten free products like buckwheat (Eden brand found at a local health food store) and grind them into flour using a Vitamix. I have not been able to find a good source of water chestnut flour. Water chestnut is naturally gluten free and a useful starch alternative in gluten free baking. It's typically easier to find water chestnut flour at Asian markets, however, they typically lack a gluten free label and may be cross-contaminated. If anyone wants to contact some manufacturers or stores and request water chestnut, it makes an excellent alternative to corn, tapioca and potato starch. The more people that request options, the more likely manufacturers and distributors may comply.
I've been using a lot of teff flour in my recipes and am so disappointed nuts.com is no longer offering it. Bob's Red Mill makes teff flour. The trick is trying to find a reasonable source for it in one of the local stores or online. I also noticed Anthony's has teff flour on Amazon and I've see several recommendations for their products. So, next time I need to stock up on teff flour, I will try their 5 pound option. I can go through 5 pounds in no time.
Bob's Red Mill also makes a sweet rice flour. It works really well in baked goods as part of a flour mix. It's especially useful if you want to replace starch ingredients.
I've had no trouble finding gluten free tapioca starch. Aside from nuts.com, Whole Foods, Sprouts and other stores carry options such as Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour.
I typically bought flax seed in the bulk bins at a good price and now had to find options that were pricier but safer from cross-contamination. I prefer seed to meal because it lasts longer and can be less expensive. I grind the flax seeds into meal using a coffee/nut grinder or in my Vitamix just before using it. Some gluten free flax seed options include:
Bob's Red Mill Whole Flaxseed - Sprouts, Winn Dixie
Arrowhead Mills Organic Flax Seeds - Publix, Whole Foods
It's nice to have whole grain options not just alternative flours. They can be used as a side dish with meals and as alternatives to more popular foods like rice, oatmeal or potato. I've already mentioned quinoa which is becoming a popular option. I also mentioned buckwheat. One other interesting grain alternative I found is teff (Bob's Red Mill brand). Teff makes an interesting porridge. It's a good source of several nutrients including more calcium than many other grain options. Haven't tried it but Fonio is another gluten free option. (I think it sets off my grass related allergies though.) I've also tried sorghum as a side dish. It's good but it can be a little hard on your teeth. I've seen videos where it's been popped to look similar to popcorn. My results so far, sorghum popcorn does taste good but it's extremely hard to pop especially without burning it. I've tried popping it in a frying pan and in the microwave. If there's a trick to doing this successfully, I'd love to learn it. It's possible only certain varieties of sorghum pop well just as only certain varieties of corn are bred for popping. There's popped quinoa as well which looks like it would be great for a homemade energy bar or cookie. However, like sorghum, I haven't found an easy way to pop it.
I did finally find a brand of bread that didn't have many of the ingredients that are on my allergies and intolerances list. The brand is Simple Kneads. I tried their cinnamon raisin bread. While it doesn't taste like a normal cinnamon raisin bread, it's good in a pinch when you just want to have a sandwich. If you're not into lettuce buns for your meats, this is an option. I found them at Sprouts. I guess the taste of foods that contain flour and use gluten free options is just different, but many companies and recipes seem to compensate by adding extra spices or flavors to try to cover it up. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of strong flavors. I find the cinnamon and flavoring in the cinnamon raisin bread tolerable but it seemed a bit overpowering for me.
I don't usually like bar cookies and energy bars, but I thought this one was decent:
Greenwise Lemon Fruit and Nut bar - Publix
I also came across Larabar Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Minis on sale at Publix and to my surprise, I found them very palatable. However, it's not a great option if you're trying to avoid chocolate due to food allergies or if you're trying to limit caffeine intake. I also recently noticed Goodie Girl cookies in a local grocery. I'm not sure if I would react to some of the ingredients, but the variety of cookies they offer looks nice.
Boulder Canyon makes gluten free potato chips.
Didn't even think about contamination in sprouts since I assumed like most vegetables, they would be safe. Noticed afterwards they're made in a facility that handles wheat. This was the information I got from Fullei Fresh on their alfalfa and broccoli sprouts: "We have wheat seeds which are used to grow wheatgrass which does not have gluten yet. We were told gluten develops at more mature growth. The wheat seeds and wheatgrass are in the same building as alfalfa, but stored and grown in a separate room. Both alfalfa and broccoli sprouts are grown, packed and stored far from wheatgrass although they are shipped in the same trucks. They’re in enclosed packages so shipping should not be a concern."
I assumed pure fruit juice would be okay. However, I've been looking into calcium enriched juice to add more calcium to my diet. Did not realize how hard it was to find information on what juices might be gluten free especially when there are additives like calcium. According to their web site Uncle Matt's Pure Organic Orange Juice with Calcium & Vitamin D + Zinc is gluten free. Didn't notice any markings on the product itself though.
I double checked with Walmart and they said their Great Value Dry Milk is gluten free.
I contacted Haagen-Dazs by email and they do offer gluten free ice cream varieties. They did recommend reading the label because ingredients may change.
Daisy, Axelrod and Friendship offer gluten free dairy options such as cottage cheese.
Ghee can be gluten free, casein free and lactose free. You can make your own by clarifying butter. There are also several varieties in stores. Check the labels for ones that say they're safe for specific intolerances. I bought Kelapo brand from Publix to test out.
Toothpaste is a huge issue. I have allergic reactions to so many of them. Brands I thought were safe may not be gluten free. I did find out Tom's Toothpaste, Jason's Toothpaste and Dessert Essence are supposed to be gluten free. Whole Foods carries all of these products. So does Sprouts. There's also a Tom's Toothpaste value two pack available for a good price at Walmart. Would you believe floss can be an issue too? I've read that Reach, Colgate, Oral-B Glide, Dessert Essence and Tom's of Maine are okay, but I haven't confirmed it myself.
It's important to check vitamins as well. Many state that they're gluten free on their labels. However, I recently checked on a 365 brand vitamin. It does not list wheat as an ingredient or possible cross-contaminant but it is not labeled gluten free either. Upon contacting Whole Foods about it, I was told it is not gluten free.
I have allergies to chocolate, but I did find out that most of Lindt's
Excellence line of chocolate bars is gluten free.
Check the Kosher for Passover products. They're often, but not always, wheat and gluten free. I stock up on Kosher for Passover chocolate chips (with brands such as Glicks) at Walmart once a year. They often provide a way to avoid ingredients such as soy lecithin as well. I also found other chocolates marked gluten free at various Kosher stores. California Gourmet makes vegan and soy free chocolate chips that are gluten free, dairy free and nut free. I found the semi-sweet variety. They are marked Kosher for Passover, but I would assume they make their chips all year round. I also found BaKol Natural Unsweetened Organic Cocoa which is non alkalized, marked gluten free and Kosher for Passover. It's distributed by Lieber's chocolates. Yehuda Matzos makes Gluten Free Matzo-Style Squares which are Kosher for Passover.
There are some great ideas for recipes from various Passover recipe books that specialize in working with low gluten foods. Many can be adapted by replacing matzo with gluten free flour alternatives to create gluten free options. Sponge cakes, angel food cakes, flourless cakes, popovers and other favorite Passover recipes can easily be adapted to gluten free varieties.
Vitacost has some gluten free options and I see it recommended often. My experiences with them to date have not been good. If you have to order from them, I recommend doing so with care. If you aren't familiar with the product you are ordering and are not absolutely sure in advance that a specific product is gluten free, I do not recommend purchasing it from them. They have items listed on their web pages as gluten free that are not actually gluten free and are not even labeled as gluten free on the packages. Also, check that items you ordered aren't missing from your purchase. I've had that happen too.
Several online posts concerned me about cross-contamination of appliances, dishes, utensils and other kitchen items. Washing thoroughly with soap and water is important.
I have run across a few articles that have eased my mind about parts of the situation.
https://nationalceliac.org/celiac-disease-questions/do-i-need-new-designated-pans-plates-and-utensils/https://theceliacscene.com/rethinking-cross-contamination-no-need-to-be-so-careful/
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