If you have Celiac or Gluten Intolerance, finding gluten free food for the family can be difficult. When Brittany was first diagnosed with Celiac, we searched for foods to eat. There were a lot of failures. I still remember some cookies we purchased that no one would eat, including a horde of visiting teenagers. Thankfully, there’s much more variety now. We’ve made it our mission to find and sample different gluten free foods that we would use in own kitchens. Here’s what we have for you this week on Gluten Free Friday.
Although we receive samples of many of the products, all opinions are our own.
1. Jessica’s Natural Foods Baking Mixes -I had heard a lot of buzz lately about Teft flour. Although it has been used in Ethiopian households for centuries, it wasn’t widely available in the US until a few years ago. That’s why I was excited to try Jessica’s Gluten Free Mixes. Available in All Purpose Flour blend, Muffin Mix, Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix and Chocolate Cake Mix, these mixes combine a blend of Teff and Oat flour plus omega rich flax. The blends are non GMO and contain no rice ingredients. As I have often said, “Leave it to a mom to create great products for her child.” That’s the case with Jessica, who created her products for her gluten intolerant husband and her organic syrups for her picky toddlers. Brittany was so excited to see the muffin mix that she asked me if I could make her lemon poppy seeds muffins, her favorite, which as she wistfully told me, “I haven’t had any since I found out I had Celiac.” I’m very thankful to say she is now able to have her muffins again, although whether or not she will share them with the rest of us is doubtful.
2. GoGo SqueeZ – These have been in a staple in our kitchen since Brittany was diagnosed with Celiac. Available in four varieties, Applesauce on the Go, Yogurt on the Go, Fruit & VeggieZ, and Organic Applesauce, these products are Non-GMO and shelf staple. We use them when traveling. They are great for snacks and since they taste good, we can tempt the baby with the 100% fruit varieties. Did I mention the fruit varieties are gluten, nut and dairy free? The squeeze packages are less messy than trying to dish up fruit on a spoon too. While this is not needed, I like to keep a package of these in the fridge or, when traveling, in a cooler. The cool temperatures seem to work on soothing the baby’s sore gums when she is teething.
3. Sans Sucre Gluten Free Sugar-Free Baking Mixes–
Did I mention diabetics tends to run in our family? Not only did my father, my grandmother and two of my great grandparents have diabetes, both of Bryan’s parents have it as well. Because of this, I try to find products that I can take to extended family dinners that are sugar-free or have less sugar. Sans Sucre (French for “without sugar”), are the first of their kind. They’ve been creating delicious treats since 1981. Using hand selected ingredients and stevia sweetener, they have created tempting chocolate fudge brownie mix and classic blondie baking mix. They also have 8 gluten free and sugar free Mousse mixes. Those are perfecting for creating filling for pies, parfaits and tarts.
4. Erewhon Cereal –
If you have ever wondered, “How hard is it to find convenience foods that are free from dairy, peanuts, soy and gluten?” I will tell you, pretty hard. With Brittany’s celiac and the baby’s life threatening allergy to dairy as well as lesser allergies to soy, we spend A LOT of time reading labels. It’s nice to find products that the entire family can eat without worry. Erewhon cereals come in seven flavors; Crispy Brown Rice, Cinnamon Crispy Brown Rice, Harvest Medley, Honey Rice Twice, Cornflakes, Simply Vanilla Granola and Cranberry Chia Granola. All the products are certified gluten free and certified organic as well as Non-GMO. They are perfect for enjoying for breakfast or using in recipes. The best part? We can pack a bag of these for the baby to use as a snack when we are on the go. Since she wants what other children are having, it’s much easier if we can share something that tastes good and is safe!
Ci
5. Corn Tortillas – This is one item I always keep stocked in our kitchen. While I prefer to plan ahead and pick up fresh tortillas on days they are prepared at the local carniceria, these can be purchased at any big box store. They are perfect to take the place of flour tortillas in any dish. They can also be fried and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar to make chips or cut into strips and used in place of dumplings in soups. There is a trick to preparing these to make them taste fresh, which we learned from our friend, Reyna, who owns a local tienda. Place a skillet over low to medium heat. Add one tortilla and allow it to sit in the skillet for around 10 seconds. Turn the tortilla over and heat briefly. Place the tortilla on a tea towel lined plate and cover. Repeat this procedure with as many tortillas as you need for your meal, keeping them covered by the towel. Use immediately after heating.
So, that’s all the brands we have for you today! Check back next week to see what we have in store for you. Have you heard of any of these brands before? Which ones do you like best?
We also have lots of GLUTEN FREE RECIPES available. Missed any of the previous weeks? See more GLUTEN FREE FRIDAYS here.
Love these options! My son is gluten free so I’m always looking for something new for him!
What great options for those that can’t have gluten! Awesome tips about the corn tortillas. Will we to try it!
My husband made me a new, I think it was Betty Crocker, gluten free chocolate cake for my birthday. It was really delish. You’d never be able to taste the difference and it’s the best I’ve had yet. I haven’t heard of Jessica’s, but I’ll be on the look out for that brand. It’s really hard to have variety sometimes.
Thanks for sharing your list of gluten free products. Go go Squeeze Yogurtz is delicious. I will pick up some of those brownie mixes at the store. They look good enough to try!
The baking mixes and the brownie mixes look so tasty! I am not on any special diet, but I would love to try these gluten free mixes anyway. Another chance to try something healthy. Thanks for the list! I am checking these out at the store tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing these gluten free products. Although my family and I do not have any sensitivity to gluten, ti would always be good to have a few of these items in stock. You’ll never know when you are suddenly in a situation that you have to cook something gluten free for a guest.
Those pork tacos look amazing. Going to give the cereal a try!
I am going to have to try that cereal, we need new options and I Love your weekly gluten free posts for ideas and suggestions. Thank you for sharing in a thorough, educational way!
It can be hard but I am so glad that I gluten free now and now ten years ago. At least things are starting to be labeled!
Thanks for sharing these 🙂 our children’s best friends have gluten intolerance and I always wonder what I can feed them. I’ve seen some of these in the local stores so I will pick the up.
I’ve n never heard of Erewhon brand nor seen them from the store. I am glad that there are great options out there for those who follow gluten free diet.
I think blogs like yours are such a great resource for many because honestly I wouldn’t even know where to begin getting GF foods and what not to get etc. Thanks for introducing some brands to us
I have a friend with that has to take so many food considerations. GF is definitely one of them, so I’m happy to come across new ideas, recipes and products that will help me in having more options for her when she’s over to visit with her crew. 🙂
I always love Gluten Free Fridays. You always have at least 1-2 brands I’ve never heard of before. It broadens my options!
Gluten free meals and foods are not easy to come by. We love Go Go Squeez!
I admit, I eat GoGo Squeeze myself. I recently heard about Sans Sucre and can’t wait to try those mixes next.
I recently discovered low-carb tortillas! I can’t remember if they’re gluten free, but I am usually one to go for corn over flour any day.
I absolutely love Blondies! Probably one of my favorite desserts. Although I am not gluten-free I’m always willing to try something like this because it looks delicious.
We thought my daughter had a gluten intolerance years ago and the products we found looked awful and were very limited, so luckily she wasn’t. Gluten Free products have really come along way since then and those baking mixes look really good.
I have a couple of GF friends who are probably gttting tired of me pulling out the chocolate mousse and DIY Lara bars recipes for dessert. Happy to see that you loved the mixes. Wish they sold them here in Costa Rica.
I love to see that there is so many more options for people who have need gluten free options! As the years go on they’re only going to get better!
It’s always good to have a list of gluten free foods and snacks. My kids have friends that have gluten allergies so I like to keep something for them in case they come over.
I’m always looking for new gluten free products, especially when it comes to baking. I’ve never heard of any of these. Would definitely be interesting in trying the brownie mix. It looks fantastic!
We are lucky not to have any food issues in our home. I do make a gluten free baking mix that I use when needed for some friends when they come over for a meal.
Those tacos look awesome! People who are gluten free can really have anything these days. There are so many options.
Those gluten free baking mixes look great. I’m so glad that gluten free has gotten so mainstream. It makes things much easier.