Shopping LIst
Snack foods are one of my many addictions and my latest is this drizzled popcorn from Popcorn Indiana. I’m a huge fan of their ‘munch better’ motto – all natural, zero trans fats, no cholesterol/preservatives, non-GMO corn and of course gluten free. Officially obsessed.
(Photo courtesy of www.popcornindiana.com)
Hummus-y healthy hummus from Sabra is a staple in our fridge. Perfect in sandwiches, as a dip, or with a salad, it’s a low fat snack that’s full of protein. A definite go-to. Even though it comes in tons of flavours, my fave is still the classic.
(Photo courtesy of www.sabra.com)
Finding a dairy-free yogurt that tasted great used to be impossible – until I discovered So Delicious’ Coconut Milk Yogurt. Unlike some soy-based yogurts I had tried that were grey, chalky, and basically gross, this coconut milk yogurt is white, creamy and delicious. Perfect to use in smoothies, parfaits, and even baking. Comes in a variety of flavours – I use plain for marinating and in savoury dishes, and yogurt in my shakes. (Photo courtesy of So Delicious)
Cream cheese is so versatile – on your morning bagel, sweetened in your fave dessert, or for a creamy dip . And now dairy-free folks can enjoy the delicious creamy taste of Tofutti’s Better Than Cream Cheese. It’s milk and butter-fat free, and contains no cholesterol, and comes in plain or flavoured. Feel good while eating good stuff that’s good for your heart.
(Photo courtesy of tofutti.ca)
I am a bit of a choco-holic and despite my dairy intolerance, I can freely indulge with these awesome chocolate chips from Enjoy Life, which are dairy/nut/soy/gluten free. While some allergen-free products are also taste-free, these chocolate chips are rich, smooth and will satisfy any chocolate craving.
(Photo courtesy of enjoylifefoods.com)
My love of chips has now reached epic proportions with Canadian company Covered Bridge’s amazing line of chips. I’ve tried just about all of these certified gluten-free flavours but my faves are Creamy Dill, Sweet Potato, and Ketchup (a flavour that you just can’t find outside of Canada). Hardcore fans can order online by the case. (Photo courtesy of coveredbridgechips.com)
My favourite cookies growing up were Oreos. And I have happily discovered a very good gluten free alternative. Glutino’s Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies are delicious and are my go-to when I’m craving a chocolatey comfort food. Kinnikinnick is another great brand to try too.
(Photo courtesy of glutino.com)
A savoury gourmet organic cracker that everyone will love that’s also nut-free, dairy-free and kosher. Crunchy and delicious, you can add this to any cheese plate, snack bag, or smother with jam and your taste buds will be very happy.
(Photo courtesy of marysgonecrackers.com)
Making gluten free snacks from scratch are great, but sometimes you need something that you can just pick up and throw in your purse/gym bag and be on your way. Larabars are great gluten free bars that are packed with yummy ingredients and taste great. My favourite is the Chocolate Coconut Chew. You can even buy in bulk at Costco.
(Photo courtesy of larabar.com)
Need a kid-friendly cereal that adults will love too? Gorilla Munch is the perfect cereal to satisfy your morning munchies. Kind of like a healthy corn pop, this corn-based cereal is made of only 3 ingredients and is organic too. I’ve used this in place of rice crispies to make a crunchy marshmallow cereal treat.
(Photo courtesy of naturespath.com)
A must-have for any gluten free pantry. This is my go-to for just about all my flour substitutions. I love that it’s easy to work with, has a great texture/taste, and is available just about everywhere. Bob’s Red Mill has tons of great products and is a wonderful company committed to high standards and keeping it gluten free. Bob’s Red Mill gluten free rolled oat are also a staple in my cupboard.
(Photo courtesy of bobsredmill.com)
Le Veneziane Italian Gluten Free Corn Pasta is my absolute favourite gluten free pasta. It’s got a velvety texture that reminds me of egg noodles, isn’t gummy or mushy, cooks up super fast, and tastes like REAL pasta. Trust the Italians to do gluten free pasta right. Try it once and you’ll be hooked. I found mine at Alimento on King / Brant in Toronto, but you can find it on Amazon.
(Photo courtesy of italianharvest.com)
Did you know soya sauce has wheat in it? Wheat sure gets around and it’s all over your Chinese takeout. We use soya sauce often at home and have replaced our regular soy sauce with this gluten/wheat free tamari sauce by San-J. It’s got a great flavour – try the organic kind.
(Photo courtesy of san-j.com)
A great staple to have on hand. I used these delicious tortillas to make wraps, crispy flatbread pizzas, homemade crackers, tortilla chips, desserts (tortilla apple pie), and I’m sure that’s just the beginning. They have a great taste and texture and all my taste testers loved them (gluten eaters included). And they’re available in most major grocery store
(Photo courtesy of foodforlife.com)
Egg-less mayo is way delish. Sounds like it wouldn’t be and you should try it even if you aren’t allergic or sensitive to eggs. Gywneth Paltrow is also a huge fan and she prefers the taste of Veganaise over regular egg-filled mayo, and I agree. (Photo courtesy of followyourheart.com)
This GF sandwich bread by Udi’s is actually yummy (hard to find in the GF bread category). It’s light and toasts up like normal gluten bread. Perfect for your favourite sandwiches or smearing with Nutella (my guilty pleasure). Keep it in your freezer and pop it in the toaster oven to heat.
(Photo courtesy of udisglutenfree.com)
These GF waffles have a great texture, toast up amazingly and don’t fall apart when you add maple syrup. I like that they are plain – the perfect breakfast vehicle for adding your favourite fruits and toppings.
(Photo courtesy of www.naturespath.com)
This pizza crust is perfectly seasoned,yeast-free, easy to whip up and has become the foundation for all my pizzas. I’ve tried many other GF pizza crust brands and this is hands down the best. It’s light and crispy rather than dry, doughy and tough. And for only $5.99 USD, each bag makes TWO huge pizzas – a great value which can be a rare find in the GF aisle at the grocery store.
(Photo courtesy of www.namastefoods.com)
This baking mix is awesome. I buy the large bag and make all sorts of goodies – savoury biscuits, cookies, cakes, biscotti, muffins, quickbreads, you name it. The recipes are right on the back of the big bag or you can go online and get way more recipes. The dough has a light flaky texture and makes some of the best biscuits around (comparable to gluten-filled ones). You can also buy the bags in bulk on amazon.com.
Other awesome products by Pamela’s: Brownie Mix, Chocolate Cake Mix, Chocolate Frosting.
(Photo courtesy of www.pamelasproducts.com)
Coconut oil is a great all natural, vegan butter substitute. You bake with coconut oil almost as you would butter. Not only is it dairy-free, but it has a subtle sweet, nuttiness about it. Spectrum also makes a great organice shortening that I use for biscuits.
(Photo courtesy of www.spectrumorganics.com)
If what you are making requires a buttery flavour, this is the best non-butter butter there is. It’s not waxy like margarine, rather it melts like real butter. Perfect for baking (especially apple pie type desserts) and savoury dishes like mashed potatoes. (Photo courtesy of www.earthbalancenatural.com)
Craving a sweet treat? This ice cream is amazing, and even if you’re not dairy-intolerant, the natural sweetness of coconut milk makes this frozen treat extra decadent. Available in lots of flavours, I love the chocolate and vanilla, though if my grocer carried the Pomegranate Chip or Cherry Amaretto, I’d be on that like white on rice.
This brand also makes coconut yogurt which is great for adding to fruit smoothies (think strawberry pina coloda but vegan/virgin). Mmmmm…
(Photo courtesy of www.turtlemountain.com)
These pretzels are light and crunchy and not too salty. Husband D, who’s gluten-tolerant, says he likes these GF pretzels even more than regular gluten ones. Besides being a great salty treat, you can toss a few in a food processor and make yourself some GF breadcrumbs too. Glutino makes a variety of GF products – I’ve tried the bagels and breakfast bars but wasn’t a huge fan, but these pretzels more than make up for it.
(Photo courtesy of www.glutino.com)
