One of the problems of having a gluten allergy, especially when people are first diagnosed, is finding food and resources. After all, most gluten-free items cost more than their regular counterparts. I used to wonder why it cost more when they were leaving items out. When I began preparing gluten-free recipes I learned why; they have to add a lot of different flours and ingredients to get the same results. This week, we’re sharing some new products we’ve discovered to help you on your Gluten Free journey. Even, if you’re not gluten-free, these are some good finds!
1. Stock the Crock
The beauty of this book is with enclosed tip section at the bottom of each recipe. Most recipes have a “Make It Gluten Free” option, while other options found on some of the recipes include “Make it Paleo-Friendly,” “Make it For The Picky Eater,” and “Make it Vegetarian/Vegan.” Another feature I liked is the “Simple Swaps,” which provides substitutions for some of the ingredients you might not have on hand. The beginning cook will appreciate the “Tips” sections for recipe prep. Each recipe has been submitted by home cooks so you’ll have a selection of family-tested recipes.
2. American Heritage Historic Chocolate– Who doesn’t love chocolate? It’s been a treasured favorite of our history for years. American Heritage Chocolate is a taste of the past, using a recipe from the 1750’s and only using ingredients available in the 18th century. All the products are Kosher, have all-natural ingredients, and no preservatives. Available products include Chocolate Drink, Chocolate Sticks, Chocolate Blocks and Chocolate Bites.
There’s a huge difference in this chocolate than the classic chocolates of today. It has the subtle taste of spices, the tang of dark chocolate, and a smooth, creamy texture. This chocolate will give all your favorite recipes a deliciously different taste, especially if you are a dark chocolate fan. I think this would also be a perfect addition to a little girl’s tea party. If you’d like to try the chocolate in a gluten-free recipe, try this Chocolate Mousse recipe available on their site.
3. Ian’s Natural Foods– I love the story behind Ian’s Natural Foods. In 2001, a father wanted to find simple and nutritious foods for his son. He created his own non-GMO allergy friendly product line and named it “Ian’s” after his son. Today they sell 35 products across the US and Canada. He offers products that cater to no eggs, no milk/casein, no peanuts or tree nuts, no soy, no wheat/gluten, and non-GMO.
We tried the Fish Sticks, Popcorn Turkey Corn Dogs, Organic Chicken Nuggets and French Toast Sticks. The Corn Dogs were a hit with Brittany who was so excited to discover she could actually have corn dogs again. “I’ve missed these,” she exclaimed. We were thrilled to discover the baby could eat the Fish Sticks, Chicken Nuggets, and French Toast Sticks. With her extensive food allergies, it is hard to find any convenience foods she is able to eat. We’re keeping these in the freezer at all times now for times when we need to prepare a quick meal for the baby that she will actually eat. We did have a little trouble finding the products and the selection in our area was limited, but the products can also be purchased online.
4. T-Fal Cooking Accessories– I am a sucker for cooking accessories. My motto is “Anything that makes my life easier.” That’s why I love trying new kitchen gadgets like these from T-Fal. In our kitchen, we use a lot of garlic. A LOT of garlic. Bryan often asked if I am trying to keep vampires at bay with my garlic usage. The only problem with garlic is dicing it. I hate that. I switched to jars of minced garlic, but that is more expensive. Having the T-fal Ingenio Garlic Press
Lately, since I have to do so much vegetarian cooking, I have discovered the joy of “zoodles,” or zucchini noodles. The T-Fal Ingenio Peeler makes it possible for me to turn almost any type of firm vegetable into a noodle, although I usually use squash (especially butternut squash for Fall). T-fal Ingenio Peeler
One thing I seem to spend a lot of time doing in my kitchen is using a strainer. It’s almost impossible to hold a strainer in one hand and pour the ingredients into the strainer using the other hand. That’s where the T-Fal Ingenio Tripod Strainer comes in handy. It’s designed to work two ways; the traditional way of holding the strainer or using the drop-down support that allows it to stand in place. Because of the freestanding base, the strainer itself never touches the sink. It’s a convenient size for smaller dishes and is dishwasher safe. All of these products are reasonably priced too. Most have a price point of around $11 or less.
5. Pantry Perks– Finding gluten-free and other allergy-friendly items can be difficult. We live in the suburb of a medium-sized city and most of the stores that sell a variety of allergy-friendly items are 30 to 45 minutes away. That can be a problem when I need something in a hurry. And don’t get me started on the area where the family farm is located. If you need any type of specialty item you are out of luck unless you want to drive for at least an hour and a half. Pantry Perks is a new service designed to fill this void.
This is an online marketplace specializing in purchasing bulk natural, organic and specialty brands and having them delivered directly to your door. Not only do they offer groceries, they provide wellness and essential products. They feature all of our favorite name brands like Bob’s Red Mill, Ghirardelli, and more. Shipping is free on orders of $75 or more and they offer daily deals and sale items. One of my favorite features is their referral program. Share your referral link with friends and family. Then when you purchase $60 or more of items each month you earn 7% back on your purchase, plus 6% of your friends’ purchases. What could be better than saving on groceries?
Do you have any food allergies? What are your favorite tips for making life with food allergies easier?
Definitely sharing this article with my friend who has this disease. She is always looking for more products and food that she could eat!
My daughter suffers from this disease. It wasn’t easy in the beginning to find products she likes but the more I researched the more I found. She love American Heritage Chocolate (who doesn’t really, lol).
It can be so hard to figure out what to eat when you have a gluten allergy! This is a great list of foods to try.
Lots of great ideas here. I haven’t heard of Ian’s before. I try to cut down on gluten so I’m going to try them. Thanks!
I know all about food allergies. Gluten not so much. My daughter has several food allergies that are a pain, but I know that gluten is hard to accommodate for. Thankfully there are so many products now that are gluten free.
Some nice products for people with Celiac Disease here. Sorry to hear about your challenges.
My family and I are not sensitive to gluten, but we have friends who are gluten sensitive. I will share this post with them. Oh, and I love that T-Fal strainer. I will get that for myself. 🙂
Finding gluten free food and at a reasonable price is always a challenge. These resources are great pointers in that direction.
I have an uncle with Celiac’s. When his food isn’t home made he eats Udi’s.
I really enjoy the taste of Ian’s. I don’t need an allergy to enjoy their food!
My youngest is gluten-free. We’ve tried Ian’s chicken nuggets but not the french toast sticks yet. The mousse sounds good.
That’s a lot of awesome products for people who are dealing with food allergies. I love the tools. The chocolate is also something that I would love to try.
I’m so glad that there continues to be more and more options for those that have celiac.
This is a great gluten free resource! I would love to give the chocolate a try. I also need to get a garlic press!
I think these are really helpful for families who are dealing with food allergies. I like the choices and that cookbook is really interesting.
I don’t have any food allergies. My son is allergic to shell fish and my daughter is allergic to hazelnut, pears and bananas. We avoid those things but other than that we are okay.
My neighbor is gluten-free and I always appreciate your gf posts because it gives me more insight on what I can serve her when she comes over for a visit. I need to get my hands on that cookbook. It sounds like it has some delicious, easy to prepare recipes that I’d enjoy.
I’m not too familiar with a gluten-free lifestyle, but these are useful to know. We have friends and relatives who are gluten-free and also newly diagnosed, so it would be nice to have some of these things on hand when they visit or I need to prepare a dish or gift.
I am always looking for new gluten free recipes to try. I will have to pick up a copy of the Stock the Crock Cookbook.
Picking out some organic ingredients and food from Pantry Perks would be a great idea. I’m liking the sound of Ian’s allergy-friendly food too.
I need to share this post with my mother-in-law. She has celiac and has to be gluten free or else she gets incredibly sick. She can’t even go to restaurants anymore for fear of contamination.
I have a friend with Celiac disease and after FINALLY being diagnosed the hunt for comfort began. Her flareups would be so bad that she would be balled up in pain and unable to get out the bed sometimes. Learning to recognize her triggers and eat things that didn’t cause flare ups has helped.
I have been trying to eat in a more healthy way lately to help reduce inflammation. Thanks for these suggestions. I’ll check them out.
This is such a great resource for anyone new to dealing with this problem. I have a friend with Celiac’s, and it was so hard on her when she first started having to deal with it.
It is such an awful sounding disease to have to suffer from, but I am glad there are more gluten-free products hitting the market.
A friend of mine suffers from this disease and it’s always hard for her to find stuff that is good that is still gluten-free. I love post like this because I can share them with her and she can learn more about what she can eat. This all looks really good and I bet it taste good to.
I know a few people who suffer from this disease. One friend actually over came it with the help of her doctor. Wonderful there are more companies coming out with food for them to enjoy.