I remember when I first found out I had to go gluten free; I felt like the world was coming to an end. Since gluten is found in wheat flour, a common ingredient in bread products, fried foods and baked goods, a lot of foods were no longer an option for me. My mind jumped straight to conclusions, and I thought I was going to have to live on fruits and vegetables for the rest of my life; however, that has not been the case. Over the past four years of being gluten free, I’ve learned many lessons when it comes to avoiding gluten in my diet, whether that’s learning what to look for on packaging, finding new options through reliable brands or coming to realize which surprising foods contain gluten. Below are some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned over the past few years that I wish I knew before I started this whole gluten-free journey.
- What to look for on packaging
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Do me a favor and look at the nutrition facts label of any item in your pantry. Below the nutrition facts label, you will see an ingredient list, which tells you exactly what was used to make the item you’re holding. At the very bottom of the ingredient list, you will see in bold letters, “Contains:” followed by a list of ingredients, including eggs, milk, soy, nuts and wheat. This is a crucial part of the nutrition facts label, as it tells you any possible allergens that are present within the food product. Basically, do not consume if you see wheat on this list.
An easier way of determining whether something is gluten free is by looking for the certified gluten-free label, which is normally located on the front of the package. This icon is a circle with “GF” written inside and “Certified Gluten-Free” written on the outside of the circle.
When ordering at a restaurant, many places have included the GF icon next to certain dishes that are gluten free. As always though, be sure to ask your waiter if you have any questions or concerns and they will be happy to accommodate your needs.
- A list of my favorite gluten-free brands
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1. Enjoy Life
In addition to being gluten free, Enjoy Life goes the extra mile and is committed to producing foods that are free of 14 allergens. Basically, anyone can eat products produced by this company, which is why I love them so much. You can rest peacefully knowing that there are no cross-contaminants in their products, an issue that affects people with serious allergies. Their chocolate chips are also perfect for baking, just in case you were wondering.
Udi’s is another great gluten-free brand, and I highly recommend their muffins or bread. Although their products are usually found in the freezer section of your local grocery store, don’t let this deter you from buying their products. I’ve found that gluten-free bread or baked goods are normally on the drier side, but for some reason, refrigerating or freezing them makes them more moist.
3. Glutino
Glutino, in my opinion, is taking the gluten-free cracker and cookie game to the next level. They make what I’ve found to be the closest thing to an Oreo cookie, and it tastes like the real thing—but it should be noted that Glutino Oreos are always naturally double-stuffed. They even go so far as to make gluten-free pretzels, something I never thought I would see, and let me tell you, I didn’t realize how much I missed pretzels until I had one again.
Another company producing delicious gluten-free cookies is Tate’s Bake Shop. Even though this company is better known for its normal, glutenous cookies, they make what is probably my No. 1 gluten-free cookie. Thin, crispy and full of chocolate chips, these cookies can’t go wrong. Tate’s Bake Shop offers a variety of flavors, from good old chocolate chip to coconut crisp.
5. Barilla
Whenever I’m buying pasta, I always get Barilla. Not only does it taste so similar to the real thing, but it also is certified gluten free, which makes it even better. With a variety of pasta shapes, it’s easy to incorporate Barilla pasta into whatever recipe you’re making—I’ve even had gluten-free lasagna, something I never thought possible. The possibilities are endless, really, and I’m so thankful I don’t have to live a life without pasta.
6. Amy’s
When it comes to quick, frozen meals, Amy’s takes the (gluten-free) cake. I’ve seen Amy’s in almost every single grocery store I’ve ever been to, making it extremely accessible. Amy’s produces a large variety of products: pizza, macaroni and cheese, rice bowls, burritos, wraps, enchiladas and international dishes. In addition to their frozen meals, Amy’s also makes hearty, delicious soups, which are perfect for sick days or when you just want a nice bowl of chicken noodle soup.
- Foods you wouldn’t assume had gluten
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1. Soy sauce and teriyaki sauce
I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that there’s gluten in these sauces, but this is one of the biggest pieces of advice I would give to someone just starting out on their gluten-free journey: do yourself a favor and buy gluten-free soy and teriyaki sauce. Since wheat flour is used as a thickening agent in recipes, I assume that it’s used to make the sauces a little bit thicker and less runny. I highly recommend buying Kikkoman gluten-free soy sauce and teriyaki sauce because they taste just like the real thing and are certified gluten free. Another tip: when going to a hibachi restaurant where they cook your food in front of you, if you bring an unopened bottle of either of these sauces with you, they will cook your food in it for you.
2. Gravy
This is a must-know fact for this Thanksgiving season if you’re on a gluten-free diet: avoid the gravy on your mashed potatoes unless it was made with gluten-free flour. As I mentioned before, flour is a thickening agent in cooking, which is why it’s an important ingredient in gravy. Also keep in mind that stuffing is not gluten free; although disappointing, it saves you more room for turkey and mashed potatoes.
3. Sausage
Believe it or not, some sausages are not gluten free due to the use of flour when packing the meat together into shape. Again, it’s so important to read the ingredient list on the back of packaging to make sure that what you’re buying is gluten free, or if you’re buying straight from the butcher or at a restaurant, then be sure to ask questions. When it comes to your health and wellbeing, it’s always worth it to double- and triple-check.
4. Meatballs and meatloaf
Just like with sausage, flour is also used in these foods to create and hold their shapes. In the case of meatballs, flour is used to shape the meat into little balls, whereas breadcrumbs are used in meatloaf to not only shape the meat into loaves but also to provide texture. When my mom makes meatloaf for dinner, she always uses the gluten-free breadcrumbs from 4C Crumbs. Certified gluten free, I can now enjoy my meatloaf worry and gluten free with this product.
5. Omelettes from IHOP
Even though they now enclose this information on their menus, IHOP uses their pancake batter in their omelettes to make them fluffier and help it all stay together. I didn’t know this until I asked my waiter one time, and I was baffled. That is such an important piece of information to keep off of a menu, and I’m glad they chose to correct their mistake. Instead of ordering a regular omelette at IHOP, just ask them to withhold the batter or order off of the gluten-free menu.
- Gluten-free flour alternatives for cooking/baking
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1. 1-to-1 flours
When it comes to replacing regular wheat flour in a recipe for gluten-free flour, I recommend using either Pillsbury Best Multi-Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. These flours are great because you can use them in place of regular wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio, meaning that if a recipe calls for one cup of flour, you can use one cup of gluten-free flour instead. What makes these flours capable of being 1-to-1 is xanthan gum, which helps thicken gluten-free foods.
2. Almond flour
Almond flour is another great alternative to wheat flour, and is also gluten free, low carb and great for those on the Keto diet. When I use almond flour in my recipes, I opt for the Bob’s Red Mill brand, but it’s important to also buy xanthan gum if using this kind of flour to bake since Bob’s Red Mill almond flour includes almonds as its sole ingredient.
3. Brown rice flour
Brown rice flour is one of the most common gluten-free flours that I’ve seen on ingredient lists and is extremely versatile. From pasta to crackers and cookies, there’s nothing this kind of flour can’t do.
4. Cornstarch
In some cases, you can use cornstarch in the place of flour by reducing the amount of flour called for in a recipe by half. Made of purely fine ground corn, cornstarch is a naturally gluten-free product. My preferred brand of cornstarch is Argo, and since cornstarch is used as a thickening agent, it’s perfect for gluten-free cooking.
The journey to living a gluten-free life is full of mistakes made and lessons learned, but you get used to it after a while. You come to learn what to avoid and what to replace, and eventually, you become somewhat of an expert. If you’ve learned anything from this article, I hope it’s this: always check ingredient lists and always ask questions if you feel uncertain. I promise it’s not worth it to just assume something is gluten free rather than double-checking because you’ll just regret it later. Do your homework, research reliable brands and go forth into your new way of living.