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 Great
GFCF Products
Through our
travels through the GFCF Diet, we found some really great products
that make it all much easier. I have listed them here for you. Some
things are baking ingredients. Some are prepackaged foods that are
wheat and dairy free. I have included web links showing product
shots where I can, so you know what to look for at the store.
Prepared/Packaged
foods
Let's start with the packaged and prepared foods,
since they are the easiest. I
tend to stay away from other common allergens, like soy, corn, peanuts
and processed sugar as much as I can, for safety sake with my sensitive
child. Most of these products can be found at Whole Foods - some
of them at Safeway or Lucky even. If you don't see the product in
your store, ask them to start stocking it. In most cases they are
happy to do so - particularly if you are responsible about it and
let them know when you stop using a product as well.
Pamela's
Cookies
One of the first really good gluten free cookies on the market,
Pamela's has expanded into cake, bread, brownie and cookie mixes
as well. Our family favorite is the packaged chocolate chocolate
chip cookies - delicious! www.PamelasProducts.com |
Sunshine
Heroes Vitamin Supplements
Great, high quality gummy vitamins with no soy, dairy or wheat.
We use the multi
vitamin and the calcium
supplement (super important with no dairy in the diet). I also
like the Immunity
elderberry supplement and they have a yummy Omega
3 with DHA product, too. www.NaturesSunshineProducts |
Breyers
& Dryers All natural Popsicles
Because I like to stay away from corn syrup and processed sugar,
I thought I would include our favorite popsicles - Iris loves
the lemony flavors best. www.breyers.com
& www.dreyers.com |
Tinkyada
Rice Pasta
Really good rice pasta in all varieties. Aldente and great if
you stick with just 10 minutes of boiling time. www.RicePasta.com
& www,tinkyada.com |
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Nature's Path
Organic Whole O's
Gluten free "Cheerios" made from
corn and rice. This is a great baking ingredient (see my chocolaty
cereal bars recipe) but they are also great with an alternative
milk (most kids love the Vanilla flavored Rice Milk with their
cereal) for breakfast. www.NaturesPath.com
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Chex
Cereals
Chex makes a few varieties of gluten free cereals
that taste just like they always have. They also have a lot
of recipes that are gluten free, but becareful of the other
ingredients. Carmel is butter based, right? www.Chex.com |
Haagen
Dazs Mango Sorbet
If your little one will miss ice cream, I recommend this brand,
as it is the only brand (and flavor that I see in my store)
with no corn syrup. Sherbet seems like a good alternative to
some families, but it has dairy in it, sorry. Haagen-Dazs.com |
Van's
Wheat and Dairy Free Waffles
These are really very good. We put jelly on, instead of butter
and they also have wheat and gluten free french toast, which
we have not yet tried. A great substitute for the quick and
easy breakfast. vansfoods.com
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Alternative
Milks
There are a lot of great alternative milks out there - I am
partial to Rice
Dream, myself. I like the plain in cereal, while the kids
like the sweeter Vanilla flavor. Too many people have problems
with soy (originally created as a cattle crop, I am told) so
I didn't even consider soy milk, but Almond
Milk (with more protein than the Rice Milk) is also quite
good - particularly in baking or with cocoa powder for hot chocolate,
where the kids can't see the light brown color. |
All
Natural Ruffles Chips
I have to say I am loving the all natural FritoLay products.
Potato and corn chips with no wheat, dairy, trans fats or additives
- easy, easy. It's important to read the labels on our favorite
snacks - Doritos usually have dairy, for example - and pretzels
are all wheat. Many say Spelt pretzels - which are delicious,
but Spelt is a less processed version of Wheat and it still
contains gluten. www.FritoLay.com |
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MaraNatha Nut
Butters
These are made with no trans fats and the cashew
butter is delicious. Great for some of those who can't tolerate
peanuts. The trick with these is to make sure you stir it
with a butter knife really well before you use it and put
it in the refridgerator. MaraNathaFoods.com
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Gluten
Free Bisquick
I have not tried this, but I am heartened by the manufacturing
sector's response for the need for wheat and gluten free products.
Now if only Tyson would start making delicious wheat free chicken
nuggets! bettycrocker.com |
Jamba
Juice
With my child's limited diet I like the idea of Jamba Juice,
with their nutritional additions. I stopped going there because
they have dairy in so many of their drinks, but it turns out
they usually have non-dairy alternatives that are just as delicious.
Add an immunity or vitamin boost and your child enjoys a super
treat that is oh so good for them. |
Bread
Bread is the hardest - most gluten free breads are heavy and
not that good. Most have to be toasted to be acceptable to the
kids at all - and since so many of them need to be kept in the
freezer, the toasting is important. I haven't tried Pamela's
bread recipes, because baking bread intimidates me, but we have
used this brand of bread with some success, if I can just remember
the name... I also recently got to taste Udi's gluten free bread
and I was impressed. My youngest ate the whole plain piece of
bread she got as a sample and even ate the crust withouth complaining. |
Baking
Ingredients
These
products make baking a lot easier. Again, I
tend to stay away from other common allergens, like soy, corn, peanuts
and processed sugar as much as I can - I don't want to trade one
problem for another.
Spectrum
Organic Palm Shortening
I thought this would be hard to find, but it was right in my
Whole Foods AND in my Safeway. A 100% vegetable product and
works in every sweet recipe I have tried that I use this instead
of butter. www.SpectrumOrganics.com |
Hain
Pure Foods
Gluten Free Baking Powder
Believe it or not, simple ingredients like Baking Powder or
Vanilla can be sources of unwanted ingredients. I use these
brands because they are the purest I could find. www.hainpurefoods.com |
Arrowhead
Mills Gluten Free Flours
This company has a wide variety of alternative flours with lots
of information. This is the flour I use most - in fact their
brown rice flour is the flour I am most comfortable cooking
with and usually the flour I used in the recipes I have here.
Plus, it's available at my Safeway. www.arrowheadmills.com
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Bob's
Red Mill Flour
This company has a wide variety of alternative flours with lots
of information - i.e. you should only use Oat Flour to replace
a portion of the flour, or some such - and, of course, recipes.
Unfortunately, the few recipes I tried from this site I didn't
care for - but the Rice Flour and Oat flour is all natural and
good quality...and in my Safeway. www.bobsredmill.com
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Guittard
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
This brand with the rich gold label shows no dairy in the ingredients
and it's the only brand I use, really. I can even give the kids
a few chips for a chocolate fix - this is a staple in my kitchen.
Their web site doesn't show the chocolate chips, but this one
does - it's the gold bag. www.anoccasionalchocolate.com/guittard-dark-chocolate.html
|
Ghirardelli
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Again, this brand shows no dairy on the label and it's wonderful
for baking - see my allergen free fudge recipe - as well as
hot chocolate with vanilla flavored Rice Dream or Almond Milk.
It won't have the calcium it usually does, but that's where
a good calcium supplement comes in. ghirardelli.com |
Nature's
Path Organic Whole O's
Gluten free "Cheerios" made from corn
and rice. This is a great baking ingredient (see my chocolaty
cereal bars recipe) but they are also great with an alternative
milk (most kids love the Vanilla flavored Rice Milk with their
cereal) for breakfast. www.NaturesPath.com |
Spice
Islands Pure Vanilla Extract
Not all vanilla extract is created equally and I have found
this one to be the best and purest - it has no corn syrup. spiceislands.com
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Xylitol
All Natural Sugar Substitute
This is the most amazing sugar substitute there is. Made from
tree bark, Xylitol looks, acts and tastes just like sugar. It
is nutritive and good for your teeth even - our local dentist
has been giving away Xylitol lollipops to her littlest patience
with great results - and it doesn't amp up the kids. You can
find it in Whole foods or get it online like I do, from Nature's
Sunshine, who also offer a line of candy,
gum,
chocolate
and mints
with xylitol
in them that are great. www.naturessunshine.com
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