Going Gluten Free (Post 2)

Now that you know the story about why my family is Gluten Free, thanks to post #1.  I am going to let you know what products that we have found that taste good, are easy to find, and work for us.  I know that not everyone is the same, and these may not work for everyone due to other issues.  This is what works for my family!

Bread

This is a staple.  My son needs his PB&J.  In order to give him that, we needed to find a good sandwich bread.  I have made my own GF sandwich bread which is really good.  I just don’t have the time to make 2 loaves a week.  Plus, the ingredients are very expensive.  For the same cost, if not less, I buy Kinnikinnick White Sandwich bread.  My Publix now carries it!  I pay $5 and something a loaf.  I know it is expensive, but it is a necessity!

You can ask your Publix or Kroger if they will special order these items for you.  They both have them in the warehouse.  If you don’t have a store that carries this in your area you can order directly from Kinnikinnick!  I have not purchased anything that tastes bad from their company! You have to pay $10 flat rate shipping, but it is overnighted from Canada!  It is worth the $10.  I make a large purchase when I order.

They also make the best Hamburger & Hot Dog Buns!  Again a life saver when feeding kids!

One other bread must have from Kinnikinnick is their Pizza Crusts!  They come in the freezer section in a box of 4!  They are personal sized and about $10 a box.  I cringed the first time I saw this.  However, it is a relief to be able to pop a small pizza in the oven for my son when we are having one.  He loves his little pizzas, and there is never any left.  Except for the crusts, which I usually will finish off.

Sweet Treats

Kids want to eat cakes, cookies, donuts, etc.  Just like their friends and family.  One of the first GF items I bought was the Kinnikinnick Donut!  These are excellent! They are the only kind of donut I purchase now.  Publix also has these in the freezer section.  They are around $6 for a box of 6.  Which isn’t bad if you think of what you pay at a donut shop.  If you order directly from Kinnikinnick they have several options; chocolate covered, vanilla glazed, cinnamon sugar, etc.

Some of you may or may not know that Betty Crocker has a line of Gluten Free Products.  They have Brownies, Yellow Cake, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Chip cookie, and now GF Bisquick!  I haven’t tried the Bisquick yet, but all of the others are excellent.  I only make Gluten Free Brownies in my house now.  They are super!  The cake mixes make great cupcakes.  I make a big batch of Gluten free cupcakes and keep them in the freezer.  When there is a birthday, or special occasion I can easily pull one out and ice it for my son.  That way he can have a treat too!  The Betty Crocker GF Mixes usually run around $4 or more.  Winn Dixie has them on sale for $2.99 this week! I stocked up!

Betty Crocker has us covered in the fresh baked chocolate chip cookie category, but there is one famous cookie that needed a replacement stat in our house!  The oreo! We have found the best tasting alternative, the K Toos!  They are made by Kinnikinnick and are always in my pantry.  They make a kid, and a mom very happy!  I have not found a better tasting packaged GFCF cookie!

Crunchies

My son loves those peanut butter sandwich crackers.  The ones that come in a pack usually out of a vending machine.  I have spent a fortune on different brands and types of gluten free crackers trying to find a “ritz” or “saltine” alternative.  I had about given up!   I picked up a box of crackers at Publix a couple weeks ago, not knowing if it was one of the many we had already tried.  Thank goodness it wasn’t!  These Glutino Crackers were a hit.  They make the best gluten free peanut butter crackers! They are over $5 a box at Publix, but you can order the Glutino Crackers at Amazon for $3.38 a box.  You just have to order 6 boxes at a time.

Another favorite snack was pretzels.  Glutino wins the taste test in this department too!  Publix and Winn Dixie both sell these for around $7 a bag!  Expensive, but worth it for my son to be able to have a snack! You can again get these much cheaper at Amazon.  You can get (12) 14 oz bags of Glutino Pretzels  for $62.61 or $5.21 a bag!  That is a huge savings! I have been known to grab a handful of these when I walk past.  They are really good.

Chips are a gray area.  Since my son is allergic to Wheat and doesn’t require a completely gluten free diet we just allow him to have regular chips.  He loves any kind of potato chip.  Some of you may want to check labels because the flavorings can contain allergens.  Lays and other chip companies are very good about labeling allergens.  Pringles however, is not Wheat or Gluten free. So, stay away from those.

Breakfast

I have been known to buy special boxes of cereal every once in a while.    I am a sucker for a cute kid telling me he loves me.  These Panda Puffs are a favorite.  They are over $4 a box at Publix, but Amazon is running a special on Envirokids and Natures Path organics.  Right now, you get 25% off!  So, you can get these Panda Puffs for $2.83 a box shipped!  I think I will be stocking up!

General Mills is also really trying hard to go Gluten Free.  They have a printable list of all 250 of their Gluten Free Products Here! We love their Chex cereal, and my son loves Trix because they are wheat free.  **Please be careful if you need to go completely Gluten free! Just because the label does not contain wheat, does not mean that it wasn’t processed on the same equipment with wheat items.

We also love these Natures Choice Breakfast bars.  They are pricey at Publix, but Amazon is beating them again on price!  You can order a case of 12 Natures Choice GF Fruit bars for $30.75 Shipped or $2.56 a box!  That is a fantastic price!  I must buy atleast a box of these a week at Publix.

Pasta

This isn’t a large concern in my house because my son just doesn’t like pasta.  He has started to want to try Mac n Cheese.  The best tasting GF pasta by far is DeBoles Corn Elbow Macaroni!  I have tried a few brands but DeBoles is the only one that tastes like real pasta.  I recommend the ones made with corn, because they are the best! You can also order it from Amazon if your store doesn’t carry it! DeBoles Macaroni comes out to around $2.16 a box on Amazon.

Homemade

When it comes to many things I just go homemade.  I just make our own …

• Chicken Nuggets
• Fish Fingers
• Granola Bars
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Gluten Free Yellow Cake
• Many More Gluten Free Recipes

It is all about finding substitutes, reading labels, and focusing on the foods you can have!  I hope this list of some of our favorites has helped you on your Gluten free journey! Please feel free to leave what works for your family in the comments!  I will be putting this post in the Gluten Free Tab as a reference.  I would love to know what you have found that tastes good and works for you!

The next Going Gluten Free Post should be up Saturday night! It will focus on How we handle eating out, parties, etc.  Basically, any social situation where food is an issue.

Tagged as: Gluten Free