It is my experience that gluten-free (GF) products taste like the mud pies I made with my best childhood friend. I’m not allergic to gluten or anything, but I do appreciate the fact that it can be associated with issues like bloating and celiac disease…yikes! If you enjoy trying new healthy things like I do, if you’re allergic to gluten, or if you just want to see what this GF craze is all about, here are some foods that belong in your grocery cart. Hint: You won’t find them next to the mud pies! And most can be found in the Nutrition/Natural Foods section at your grocery store, or online.
Yumyum for the tumtum!
Altiplano Gold Natural Instant Quinoa Cereal
Mmmmm…my good friend quinoa! This cereal is thick and hearty like oatmeal and also has a flaky texture thanks to the nature of quinoa. This is a super-fast meal (just add hot water) has twice the iron and three times the efiber or regular packeted porridge. Grab the Oaxacan Chocolate variety for a sweet afternoon snack.
$9 for 12 pouches, altiplanogold.com
Enjoy Life!
Enjoy Life Foods Sunbutter Crunch Snack Bar
It’s like biting into a peanut butter bar, but crunchier thanks to crispy brown rice and sunflowerseed butter. With three grams of fiber, three grams of protein, and a nice dose of healthy unsaturated fat, it takes a sledgehammer to serious hunger pangs!
$4.30 for 5 bars, enjoylifefoods.com (I’ve also spotted these on shelves at Fred Meyer!)
PizzaPizza!
Amy’s Kitchen Single Serve GF Rice Crust Pizza
Amy’s my hero!! As yummy as the full-size version, the mini one has a dinner-appropriate 460 calories and is plate-ready in 10 minutes. The rice crust bakes to a mix of doughy and crispy, and it’s topped off with chewy, gooey soy cheese (also doesn’t taste like dirt!) — ideal for the many gluten-intolerant tummies that also can’t handle dairy. The perfect dinner for sitting down to catch The Biggest Loser!
$4, amyskitchen.com, and in most grocery stores near you.
Pasta even the Italians love!
Bionaturae Gluten Free Spaghetti
I didn’t spell that incorrectly, it’s just a weird name! This pasta won over the Italian market, so it’s GOTTA be good! Made from rice, soy, and potato (yay for our home-grown tater!), it’s less dense than the regular stuff, but every al dente bite still soaks up tomato sauce. And while other GF pastas are as flexible as cardboard…that’s no joke…this one can be twirled on your fork and doesn’t have to be rinsed with water before coating with sauce or olive oil. YUM!
$4.50, bionaturae.com
