5 Tips for Shopping for Gluten Free Foods

A week ago I met a woman with a full shopping cart outside of Target. She had just learned her daughter and herself had Celiac disease. Although she had a full cart, she was very confused about shopping for gluten free. I do not have Celiac disease, but made the change to mostly gluten free to alleviate a family member's severe stomach pain. I remember my first confusing shopping trip to buy gluten free products.

Over the years, I have learned more about gluten free shopping. Most importantly, no one store is going to have everything you want. Especially if you shop for lower prices, visiting multiple stores is necessary. Secondly, the gluten free selections are getting larger and better all the time.

1 - Gluten free pasta
WalMart has a great gluten free section. Go to the pasta aisle to find very inexpensive Heartland spaghetti and macaronis.

2 - Crackers and Brownie/Cake Mixes
Aldi has inexpensive crackers and boxed mixes. Lowes Foods, Target, and Food Lion mark down their gluten free (Nabisco and Blue Diamond) crackers from time to time and I stock up.

3 - Bread
Glutino makes good gluten free bread. Some Food Lion stores carry this at lower prices than most other stores.

4 - Cereal
General Mills is to be commended for making a gluten free product for sale at regular cereal prices. Chex cereal has many flavors, they go on sale, and there are coupons - terrific!

5 - Snack Foods
Frito-Lay makes gluten free chips like Lay's Wavy chips and Tostitos Tortilla chips. Nature's Path makes delicious gluten free granola bars. My Target stopped carrying it so I ordered it online as described here. Some WalMarts have it.

Many of the above products have been reviewed on this blog. Check your local stores for gluten free products. Get familiar with pricing. Some of my favorites have been discontinued at stores, and I had to find other retailers or order online. If you really like something, buy in quantities. Good luck with your gluten free quest!

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Easy and Tasty Gluten Free Clam Chowder

Progresso has lived up to its name by being progressive and marketing a delicious gluten free chowder. It's offered at the same price as regular soups instead of premium pricing common to gluten free products.

The soup is creamy and full of chunks of potatoes and clams.

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Progresso makes other soups in gluten free versions. More information can be found here.

FDA’s Gluten-Free Rule goes into effect August 2014

A year ago the FDA issued a rule further defining the term gluten-free. Manufacturers of foods labeled gluten-free were given a year to comply. Packaged foods and dietary supplements fall under this ruling.

The rule states that gluten-free foods must have less than 20 ppm (parts per million) of gluten. It is possible that some of your favorite foods will fall in the estimated 5% of products in noncompliance.

Gluten-free Brownies

The Gluten-Free Organization (GFCO) provides certification services to producers of gluten-free products. Their certification assures 10 ppm or less of gluten.  If a product met the GFCO standards, it will also fall within the new FDA standard.

The GFCO FAQ page can be found by clicking here.

The FDA’s webpage on this ruling can be found by clicking here.

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LiveGFree Gluten Free Brownie Mix Makes Delicious Brownies

LiveGFree has a good brownie mix so you can have your brownies and eat them too!

Adjustments to the recipe: olive oil for the oil/ butter component and a glass 6 1/2 by 11 inch baking dish. I baked the brownies for a full 50 minutes at 350 F to cook them thoroughly.

They are chewy and chocolaty and were much appreciated by my tasters.

We also like the Betty Crocker mix, but have a slight preference for the LiveGFree. It was easier to mix, made more brownies, and the brownies stayed moister longer.

LiveGFree is distributed by Aldi Inc. and Made in the U.S.A.

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Blue Diamond Nut-Thins are Great Tasting Crackers

My family is pretty loyal to this cracker. It's the first we tried of the gluten free variety. They come in different flavors: Cheddar Cheese Almond, Smokehouse Almond, Country Ranch Almond, Almond, Hazelnut and Pecan.

The plain Almond Nut-Thins is the way to go in this household, and one taster prefers the texture of Nut- Thins to the Nabisco Rice-Thins.

Nut-Thins are made from rice flour, potato starch, and almonds. They are delicious and salty as a between meal snack or served with cheese and meats.

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Chex Gluten Free Cereal is Available in Many Flavors

Reducing or eliminating gluten is overwhelming in the beginning. There are a few products that make this daunting task easier. Chex Cereal is one of the products. Chex makes several varieties of gluten free cereal, and, they are not premium priced like most GF products. They are priced the same as other breakfast cereals. Thanks General Mills for not taking advantage.

There are varieties for everyone in the family. My husband likes the Honey Nut to replace the Cheerios he has switched from. My son likes the Vanilla flavor for snacks and breakfast. I like the plain Rice Chex with sliced banana and Almond Milk for breakfast. When I'm out of bananas, I'll treat myself with the Vanilla flavor. The Chocolate flavor is great for those chocolate cravings.

I pack a small bag of Rice Chex for a between-meal snack. It makes a great base for a trail mix-just add nuts and raisins.

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Nabisco Gluten Free Rice Thins Are Good Tasting Crackers!

It's good to see a cracker stalwart like Nabisco enter the Gluten Free market. Made from rice flour, these crackers are tasty. They are available in many flavors, but my family prefers the plain white rice original. The brown rice variety comes in White Cheddar, Sea Salt and Pepper, and Sweet Barbeque flavors. They are good for serving with cheese or meats as well as solo duty as a snack.

They compare favorably with Blue Diamond's NutThins, but without the almonds. 

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Gluten free Peach Cobbler made with Gluten free Bisquick

Here’s a very easy gluten-free cobbler recipe.

Ingredients:

½ stick of butter or margarine
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk (I used skim)
1 cup gluten-free Bisquick mix
2 cups fresh peaches 

1. Melt the margarine in a 9 inch square pan in a 350 F oven.

2. By hand mix sugar, Bisquick, and milk together in a bowl.

3. Pour over melted butter and do not stir.

4. Evenly distribute peaches on top of batter.

5. Bake for 40 minutes allowing the top to brown.

This post topic was previously reported on in my Garden Lady blog.

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Eggplant with Garlic Sauce is Gluten Free and Delicious

Eggplant

 I developed this recipe to mimic the way eggplant is prepared at some Chinese restaurants. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Olive oil
about 8 small eggplants
2/3 cup gluten-free soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic

Directions:

Cube peeled eggplant. 

Cubed Eggplant

Heat olive oil in large non-stick saucepan.

Add the diced eggplant.

Sprinkle with salt and cover. Stir frequently. Add more olive oil if needed.

When eggplant is cooked thoroughly, add soy sauce and sugar.

Continue cooking with frequent stirring. Leave lid off now to thicken the sauce. Add minced garlic.

Serve with rice or alone. Top with sesame seeds or green onions.

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Below is an 8 minute video demonstrating the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce recipe.

This post topic was previously reported on in my Garden Lady blog.
 

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Heartland Pasta is a Yummy and Economical Gluten Free Option

Heartland Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta

Heartland Pasta is made from a rice flour blend. It is available in spaghetti, fusilli, and penne varieties. I found it in the pasta aisle at Wal-mart priced around $2 a package.

Heartland Gluten Free Spaghetti Pasta

I prefer this rice and corn blend rather than straight corn pasta. When boiled it is less starchy and has a taste and texture closer to wheat pasta.

Tasting the pasta at the maximum recommended boiling time, I usually have to continue cooking another 2 minutes.

Preparing the penne and fusilli with butter or margarine and a generous portion of shredded cheese makes a nice macaroni and cheese dish. The spaghetti is great with traditional spaghetti sauce or served with shrimp scampi.

Macaroni and cheese made with Heartland Gluten Free Pasta

This post topic was previously reported on in my Garden Lady blog.

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Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Brownies are Chewy with Chocolate Goodness

Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Brownies

The Betty Crocker gluten free mix is a tasty alternative to regular brownie mixes. I've found the mix available at many stores priced in the $4 - $5 range. These brownies are easy to make since the ingredients are simply mixed in a bowl with a spoon.

• olive oil can be substituted for butter
• using an 11" X 7" glass baking dish, add 10-15 minutes to baking time
• results are a chewy, chocolaty brownie
• kids approve

Brownie batter in bowl

Brownie batter in baking dish

Brownies ready to eat

This post topic was previously reported on in my Garden Lady blog.

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Nature's Path Gluten Free Chewy Granola Bars Rock

Nature's Path Organic Gluten Free Chewy Granola Bars in Dark Chocolate Chip have become a staple in my pantry. This is a truly, good-tasting granola bar without any gluten.

Nature's Path Gluten Free Chewy Granola Bars

My taster likes it for a portable snack, and because it's not overly sweet. It holds together well if you're moving while you eat. I can buy a box of 5 in the $3 - $4 range.

Nature's Path Organic Gluten Free Chewy Granola Bars feature:

• gluten free
• chocolate
• reasonably priced

• organic
• fair trade chocolate
• non-gmo
• product of USA

This post topic was previously reported on in my Garden Lady blog.

Update: This product is no longer available at stores in my area.  I've found it's easy and economical to order from the Nature's Path online store.

3/7/15 Update: I was surprised to see this product in a Raleigh area Walmart. This store had an impressive gluten free selection at reasonable prices. It appears that different stores in a retail chain will vary in their gluten free offerings. It can be beneficial to explore several stores in your area. 

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LiveGfree Gluten Free Baked Chewy Bars Only Okay

I bought the liveGfree Baked Chewy Bars in Cocoa Loco flavor at Aldi's because of the low price. They are sold in a box of 5. The price was $1 less than the same number of Nature's Path bars. The bars are smaller yet denser than the Nature's Path Chewy Granola Bars (previously reviewed here). 

The liveGfree bars are more cake-like thus more of a dessert treat than the "health bar" texture of the Nature's Path bars.

Tastewise, the liveGfree Baked Chewy Bars in Cocoa Loco have a nice texture, but not as good a flavor as the Nature's Path. My taster preferred the granola-based Nature's Path.

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Glutino Gluten Free Bread is Tasty and A GF Bargain

I was paying over $5 a loaf for gluten free bread. My local grocery store, Food Lion, began stocking Glutino bread in white and multigrain at $3 (and some change). Delighted with the cost savings, I was a convert.

Glutino Gluten Free bread is made from a potato, corn and rice flour blend. It is drier and more crumbly than wheat-based bread. To overcome these qualities, I add extra condiments and toast the bread.









My review of Glutino bread originally appeared in my Garden Lady blog.

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Bisquick Gluten Free Pancake and Baking Mix has many delicious uses

Bisquick Gluten Free Mix is a ready-made substitute for flour. As described on the box, pancakes, shortcakes, waffles, pizza crust, and biscuits are easily made from the mix. 

My favorite uses of Bisquick Gluten Free Mix is as a breading to fry chicken and in a breakfast casserole (that I usually serve for dinner). To fry chicken, I put a cup of the mix in a plastic bag, add salt and pepper, and toss the chicken pieces in the mix.

Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. browned and drained sausage or sliced sausage links
3 eggs
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup Bisquick Gluten Free Mix
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Optional:
salt and pepper to season
1/2 cup onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray nonstick coating on a casserole dish. 

Mix eggs, Bisquick, and milk (optional salt and pepper). Beat one minute using a whisk.

Pour into casserole dish and add cheese. Stir in sausage (optional onions). Gently move meat and cheese around to evenly distribute in the dish.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool and serve.

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