Holy smokes, Batman!!! You won't believe the gluten free foods we've got here!!
It's been almost a year since Eric kicked wheat to the curb, and I've been thinking a lot recently about how much he has to limit what he eats because of this food allergy. It got me wondering that sometimes it's possible to be overly careful and miss out on some gluten free foods that are just fine to eat.
Hopefully while reading this you'll make a face like Lucy's above. These are ingredients and products that I was surprised to find out are gluten free, even though they definitely don't seem like it at first. Just remember, always do your research! If you are dining out, never assume that something is gluten free, ask the wait staff to make sure. And if they are not sure (like if you get the response "gluten? what's that?" you might be better off passing.
Buckwheat
Yes, I know that you are now programmed to cringe at anything with the word "wheat" in it, but this type is OK. Buckwheat, in fact, is not wheat at all. It's just a regular old plant that has flowers and seeds, and those seeds are ground up and used in noodles, groats, pancakes, farina and more. They are most frequently seen in Japanese soba noodles and in buckwheat pancakes or crepes in fancy cafes. Just be sure to ask and make sure that the buckwheat was not mixed with regular wheat flour to make the dish.
Doritos (most kinds)
Now, I don't normally support bagged, preservative-laden, chemically snacks that can sit on the shelves of your pantry for years. But I am always excited to see when the folks that make these snacks take the time to figure out if people with food allergies can eat them. Take Doritos. On their website they list if each type of chip is gluten free, contains trains fat, lactose free, casein free, onion free, additive free, msg free and is pork free (the pork free thing is a little odd, but I guess it's good to know...). You'll notice that all Doritos except Nacho Cheese and Spicy Sweet Chili contain no gluten ingredients. Thanks, Frito Lay. You make it much easier for millions of gluten intolerant Americans to get their snack on!
Chex Cereal (5 flavors)
Another example of a big company helping out the little people by telling them which products won't make them crawl into bed for days on end. Chex cereal has been heavily marketing it's 5 types of gluten free cereal: Rice, Honey Nut, Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Corn. They even have a slew of gluten free recipes on their website!
Tamales
Tamales are a delicious Latin American dish made of corn masa stuffed with meats, cheese, and veggies and steamed inside a wrapper of corn husks or plantain leaves. They're gluten free because the corn masa traditionally is only made from corn. Check out Trader Joe's frozen beef tamales, or support your local Latin American restaurants and get some authentic, probably home-made, tamales. Just be sure to confirm that there is no wheat flour in the mix.
Tamari
Tamari is a kind of soy sauce, actually it was the original soy sauce first invented in Japan. Tamari traditionally contains little or no wheat, and if you purchase gluten free soy sauce from the supermarket, chances are it is Tamari.
Fruit by the Foot
I'm not sure why I was so surprised to learn that Fruit by the Foot snacks are gluten free. Maybe it's because Fruit Roll Ups, a very similar sugary delicious snack, do not say "gluten free" on their label. Check out the General Mills website for nutritional info on every product they make. The Fruit by the Foot says "gluten free" right on the top right of the label.
Breadfruit
I couldn't help it, had to throw this one in there. For anyone that's watched Top Chef, you probably know already that breadfruit is not a loaf of bread shaped into a strawberry or pear. It's a regular old fruit, just with a spongy texture that will remind you of bread. Fooled ya, didn't I?
Oats
I wanted to include oats on this list with a word of caution: regular "Quaker Oats" are NOT gluten free. The thing about oats is that they are naturally gluten free. But in modern times, there is so much darn wheat everywhere that it frequently contaminates the oat fields. I exclusively use Bob's Red Mill's gluten free oats. They are grown on fields away from wheat fields, packaged in a gluten free facility, and each batch is tested for the presence of gluten. If you have an extreme gluten sensitivity then you should avoid, but for the vast majority of folks these oats will be just fine.
Kosher for Passover foods
Some of you may be aware that Passover ends tomorrow evening. I recently was surprised to find that many Kosher for Passover foods are gluten free. Foods such as cakes, cookies, macaroons, even some types of matzoh are gluten free. Without going into too much detail, about a gagillion years ago when the Jews were fleeing slavery from Egypt, they were forced to roam the desert for 40 years without any sort of bread or bread products. To commemorate their toils in the desert, during Passover no bread or bread products are eaten. Be careful, there are still many products that do contain wheat flour, like matzoh. But I was very excited to see so many gluten free products on display. And now is the perfect time to pick up ~10 lbs of macaroons (like I did) since they will be on sale in the markets.
What other surprising gluten free foods have you encountered?? Leave a comment or email me at gfmadefriendly@gmail.com and I will expand this list!
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