As we continue our assessment of foods that are eligible for gnashing, we find not only are there great options, but we might discover that some of our current favorites are already gluten free. This is probably one of the most valuable lessons.....financially and anxiety wise. And one I wish I would have learned pre-trashing my cupboards. See post one if you are "in the dark". Anyway, you will find it well worth your time to visit some websites here and learn what is already on the shelves in the local grocer.
As I have encouraged in the previous posts, go to the website of companies whose products you currently consume and see if they have an allergen list, nutrition guide or other dietary guide. It can be a wonderful thing to find readily accessible foods handy, within your reach. So lets start talking.
SNACKS: Crackers, Chips, Pretzels, Cheese Curls, Granola Bars, Popcorn, Nachos, etc. I put the toughest one first, though there is near hope on the horizon. Goldfish, remember those? My son LOVED goldfish and Cheese-Its. Well, those DON'T exist yet. BUT there are some excellent snack crackers. Blue Diamond has a line of crackers with a variety of flavors that are quite tasty. Nut-Thins come in several flavors and I like every one of them. Texture is a little different, but yummy. Saltines is another item that you really want sometimes, soup for instance. Schar has a full line of incredible crackers, snacks, cookies, mixes and more. These are as close as I have found yet. There are other companies that offer gluten free crackers, including Mary's, Glutino and Crunchmaster, all of which I have tried and enjoyed. I have also found many uses for the crackers and using them as crumbs, as a crust for fish or steaks with blue cheese. Or as crusts for pies. My mind is going and I have to take a break to bake. Be back in a few.
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| http://www.glutino.com/ |
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| http://www.schar.com/us/gluten-free-products/ |
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So Seriously I did stop, shop and bake. When you get to Desserts you will see today's yummy piece of art!!
TREATS: Candies, fruit snacks, snack bars, cereals and all kinds of "pocket food". This is the category that can be a real lifesaver if you are traveling or have a social gathering and you want to pack some easy things to get you through just in case there is not a single thing you can consume. Happens :-) But don't take it personally. Your family and friends love you, and for the life of them can not remember if gluten is a nut or milk or chocolate or or or. I have this happen all the time so we are always "packin"!
Snack bars and breakfast bars are great to carry as you don't have to worry about melting, temperature, etc. We love EnviroKidz Crispy Rice Bars and cereals, as well as Pamela's Whenever Bars, Enjoy Life Coca Loco Bars and Cookies. This section is very robust and I have not tasted a bad treat yet. Snickerdoodles, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Graham Crackers, Sugar Wafers, Ginger Snaps, Chocolate Chip, Lemon Cookies and SOOOO much more. Have fun and explore. There are even good replacements for the very special sandwich cookies (Oreos), chocolate or vanilla, by Kinnikinnick and Glutino. Awesome! I even used these to make Christmas Turkey table decorations. Way fun and good eats!
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| http://www.pamelasproducts.com/Default.aspx |
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| http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/chewy-bars/cocoa-loco/ |
Dessert: This is the final frontier! Who doesn't love a great dessert. This is a great boon to those of us who can not eat gluten. There are delicious pre-made gourmet items such as Pamela's Cheesecake, Udi's Double Chocolate Muffins or Katz Marble Cake. Also in your regular grocer are mixes from Betty Crocker for cookies, cakes and brownies along with those other companies we have seen before such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill,
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| http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/gluten-free-baking-mixes |
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| http://www.katzglutenfree.com/Gluten_Free_Foods_s/7.htm |
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| http://www.arrowheadmills.com/ |
And of course there are mixes. Each of the companies listed so far have mixes for that homemade baking in addition to flour mixes that you may use cup to cup to replace your former wheat flour. And just like the flour or mixes you have used for years they will provide you with options to make your favorite things. For example the gourmet Turtle Cheesecake I made today. AWESOME if I do say so myself. Took about 15 minutes to get it mixed and 70 minutes to bake. YUM! 100% Gluten Free.......and we won't discuss calories but so you know, it can be made in a "lite" version.
So Gluten Free has starches (bread, rolls, bagels, muffins, etc), has pasta (elbows, noodles, lasagna, etc), has snacks, desserts and treat (everything you can dream of) and next we will talk smack.......no, wrong blog. We will talk about another staple type category as we explore the gravy boat of life!
Next: Kitchen Basics Step Five - The Shopping List - Sauces, Dressings, Creams and Things
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