It is no secret that some gluten-free products just don’t measure up as an alternative to their wheat-based versions! Read on to learn the top products that I’ve found for gluten-free or lower-gluten alternatives. All of my favourites have a great flavour and texture, and mostly whole food ingredients. Some of these I would easily choose over wheat-based versions!
Gluten-free pasta, pizza, bread, and baked goods can all sometimes have a weird texture or odd flavour, and something I see quite often is that the ingredients are questionable! It’s common to see different versions of modified starches as a main ingredient, which is something that is not only highly processed without much nutritional value, but can also lead to spikes in blood sugar as there is not enough fibre to slow down digestion.
Why I Like to Buy Gluten-Free Food or Alternatives to “Modern Wheat”
For the most part, I generally buy gluten-free products when it comes to things like pasta, bread, and baked goods. So before I get to which products I recommend, I wanted to share why I like to eat gluten-free products when I can, even though I do not have a diagnosed allergy or diagnosed sensitivity to wheat.
In researching what is different about modern wheat in comparison to older varieties (such as Einkorn wheat), there was a lot of conflicting information out there that could certainly cause a lot of confusion for people! Some sources would describe wheat as being genetically modified, while others would say it was simply changed through breeding. The reason for this is because the definition of genetic modification changed after the wheat was modified. So it has been genetically modified, but it doesn’t meet the modern definition of genetically modified, which is why you’ll see some websites saying things like “GM-wheat is not approved for use in Canada”.
The reason there is so much confusion as to whether or not modern wheat is genetically modified comes down to simply what you interpret “genetically modified” to mean. But regardless of the exact definition, wheat WAS drastically changed in the 1960s. This is when “dwarf wheat” came into the market, and it has a different gluten composition. Even organic wheat grown today is the “dwarf wheat” variety (unless it specifies it as a different variety), which is why I typically avoid wheat altogether.
There is also some conflicting information as to whether modern dwarf wheat has more gluten, or simply gluten with a different chemical structure. Regardless of that, what we can agree on is that the gluten in modern wheat is different, and probably not in a good way! With celiac disease and gluten sensitivity at higher levels than ever before, I think it’s reasonable then to ask the question, “are we having an abnormal reaction to a normal food, or are we having a normal reaction to an abnormal food?”.
Are we having an abnormal reaction to a normal food, or are we having a normal reaction to an abnormal food?
the plant pioneer (I’m not the first to ask this question)
On top of the differing proteins and gluten structure that are present in modern wheat as compared to ancient forms, non-organic wheat is also sprayed with a lot of glyphosate (a main ingredient in Round-Up), which is known to damage the gut lining and the gut microbiome. No wonder so many people are having issues with it! If I’m purchasing wheat, I only ever buy organic wheat to at least reduce exposure to glyphosate.
Bread
For the first product recommendation, I want to mention the best gluten-free bread I’ve ever had! It’s called Alkeme gluten-free sourdough, and the texture and taste are just like regular sourdough. And the ingredients are amazing with no added starches!
The only downsides to this brand are that it is quite expensive (that’s what you get when the ingredients are whole foods!), and it’s not organic. I currently buy it from spud.ca. Fermented grains, like sourdough, are often easier to digest than ones that are not fermented. This brand is currently available in four Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
I wish it was available in more places! But to give you an idea of the kind of ingredient list you should be looking for, here’s the ingredient list from their Country Loaf: Water, gluten-free flour blend (sorghum flour, millet flour, arrowroot powder, tapioca flour), gluten-free starter culture, psyllium husk, coconut sugar, sea salt.
PASTA
For pasta, the best ones are made with lentil flour and/or quinoa flour. They may have some rice flour combined with the lentil/quinoa, and this is ok as long as it still has lentil/quinoa as a main component. These ones stay firm when cooked, and don’t have any kind of weird flavour.
Chickpea flour is ok, but the flavour is not my favourite and I found they started to fall apart more quickly than other types. Avoid ones made solely with rice flour as they get mushy… although they can work for things like homemade Pad Thai.
Another great advantage to pasta made with lentil or quinoa flour is that they are high in protein! They often have 20 g of protein in one serving! This means you can make a vegan pasta without worrying too much about if your meal will contain enough protein.
When preparing gluten-free pastas, always rinse the noodles with cold water after cooking them. This is necessary to keep them from sticking to each other and getting mushy.
Pasta tip: there are lots of ways to add additional protein to your meal if you are having a plant-based pasta. I like to make a creamy sauce with blended cashews (nuts are a good source of protein), or top the pasta with hemp seeds and/or pumpkin seeds.
cereal and toaster waffles
We all need some ready-made products once in a while, to ease the stress of busy days! Nature’s Path is a great company that makes organic food products with many gluten-free options, and one of their products that I love is their gluten-free & organic toaster waffles! These do contain some starches, so I like to consider them as more of a treat or a special weekend breakfast. I always top them with lots of organic berries and organic maple syrup!
These are a much healthier choice than Eggo waffles, so they’re great for kids too! They also have a lot of different gluten-free cereals that make much healthier choices for kids (and you!). No pesticides, artificial flavours, artificial colours, high fructose corn syrup, or harmful preservatives in these ones! You would be shocked at the level of pesticides found in typical cereals!
Cauliflower pizza crust
This cauliflower pizza crust has made it really easy to make gluten-free pizza at home. The crust is thin and turns out crispy every time! I appreciate the mostly-wholesome ingredients. I’m sure there are some great pizza dough recipes out there using whole grain flours, but that is just not something I’ve ventured into doing just yet.
Pictured below is one of the veggie pizzas I made with black beans and dollops of pesto. Sooo good!
flours
When it comes to baking, the best flours I’ve used that work as an alternative to regular wheat flour are spelt flour and Einkorn flour. Neither of these are gluten-free, but the gluten is in it’s “natural form”. It’s not genetically modified, and is said to be much lower in gluten and easier to digest. Something I’ve noticed when baking with these flours is that that baked goods end up having a more delicate and crumbly texture as compared to regular wheat, which makes complete sense when you think about the fact that gluten is what gives flour it’s elasticity.
Einkorn flour is actually a type of wheat, but it is an ancient grain that has not been drastically changed from thousands of years ago! Because I buy the whole-grain Einkorn flour, it doesn’t always work as a 1:1 substitute with white wheat flour. I prefer to find recipes that are intended for Einkorn flour, or specify what measurement to use for a substitution, just to be sure it will turn out well!
There are so many other benefits to using Einkorn and spelt flour other than just the lower gluten content. They are higher in protein and many other nutrients! I love the flours from Anita’s Organic Mill as shown below.
Another great flour is spelt flour. The flavour is similar to wheat flour and usually can be substituted 1:1 (depending on if the recipe calls for whole wheat flour or white flour). Spelt flour is the one I buy most often!
For flours that are gluten-free, my favourites have been oat flour and almond flour. Both of these provide great flavours in baking! Of the two, oat flour is the easiest one to use as a substitution for other flours, and it’s much less expensive than other gluten free flours. You can even make it yourself at home with a high-powered blender, which is the healthiest and cheapest way to do it! And yes, oats are naturally gluten-free, but you have to make sure to purchase ones that are certified gluten-free because they are sometimes manufactured in the same facilities as products containing gluten, which can cause cross-contamination. Certified gluten-free oats are necessary for those with celiac disease.
Ready-Made Meals
If you’re someone who sometimes buys pre-made meals that can just be thrown into the oven on a busy day, I highly recommend the products from Amy’s Kitchen. Every item I’ve tried has been delicious, and I now typically buy something from Amy’s on a weekly basis. Sometimes this is actually healthier than eating out because I can read what every single ingredient is.
Amy’s Kitchen makes many gluten-free items, as well as vegan and dairy-free, and the items are made mostly with organic ingredients and whole-food ingredients! They can be purchased at most major grocery stores such as Walmart, Sobey’s, and Superstore. I also sometimes order them online from spud.ca.
Pictured below are a few of the gluten-free items from Amy’s that we’ve loved the most. Please note: the Pad Thai tastes great, but is high in sugar! So we don’t buy that one often.
I hope these product suggestion are helpful to you! I would love to know you make out with them. Leave a comment below!
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