Gluten-Free? Try These Easy Healthy Swaps For Your Favorite Foods

Gluten-Free? Try These Easy Healthy Swaps For Your Favorite Foods

gluten-free bread with a qrunch veggie quinoa patty, sundried tomato sauce, tomatoes, and arugula.  

One of the questions I get asked the most when people find out that I am celiac, is what do you eat then?

It’s a valid question at the end of the day when I was first diagnosed half of the products on the shelves didn’t exist, and I was overwhelmed with the thought of not being able to eat anything.

The only good part of the whole transition was I knew a little bit about the gluten-free lifestyle since my aunt’s husband is gluten free and when I met him in high school he would take his own burger buns to restaurants.

The good thing is, most restaurant nowadays have options, and if they don’t have gluten-free options, like tamari or coconut aminos, then I take my own.

There is nothing to be embarrassed off and you should feel totally comfortable making your gluten-free swaps when at restaurants, at the grocery store and when out with friends.

I normally take two dishes when I am invited to a party or potluck, a dessert since the odds of a dessert being dairy free + gluten free is low (even though my friends are very nice about it and will always have at least two things I can eat) and then some sort of snack we can all eat, like a dip or enchiladas or something along those lines.

gluten-free bun, turkey and bacon burger with grilled pineapple and the fixings. 

BURGER BUNS/ HOT DOG BUNS

I’m not gonna sit here and say I don’t eat burgers or hot dogs because I totally do, they are part of my childhood and while my versions normally include a Colombian twist and something a little healthier, they are still burgers and hotdogs.

You can either forfeit the bun completely and wrap it with lettuce or collard greens or you can just pile as many toppings as you can on a patty and eat it with a knife and fork.

The other option is going for some gluten free bread options.

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Canyon Bakehouse: their hot dog and burger buns are great options

Kim and Jake’s: I really like their buns for slider type of burgers.

BREAD

The options now for gluten-free bread are a lot more than they were when I was first diagnosed with celiac. I feel like I have found the perfect bread for most occasions, and if not I try to make it myself. I am still working on mastering a homemade gluten-free bread and will keep you all updated until then these are my favorite options.

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Canyon Bakehouse: their bagels are great as is their newest addition the Hawaiian sweet and the honey oat.

Kim and Jake’s: their peasant loaf is my go-to for Friday night game nights with some olive oil, some vegan cheeses, spreads and nuts, and fruit.

BFree Foods: I like their sandwich bread and their sweet potato wraps are awesome.

baked eggs with grass-fed meatballs, I used the Aleia’s Italian breadcrumbs in there. 

BREADCRUMBS

This is probably the last to join in on the party, mainly because it is so hard to find good quality gluten-free bread crumbs, I actually discovered these a couple weeks ago.

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Aleia’s: not only are their breadcrumbs amazing their cookies are out of this world.

PASTA

When it comes to pasta there are a few options, most of my favorite ones are made with beans and legumes which is a cool option, the other option is just rice, corn or quinoa pasta. You can also make noodles out off veggies like zucchini, sweet potato, butternut squash and so much more. I make these cold cucumber noodles with ginger sauce which is a cool way I use cucumber noodles and soba noodles to make a fake it take out at home.

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Jovial: They make really good brown rice pasta, and this is my go-to for my one pot mac and cheese. They have a little bit of everything, from manicotti to lasagna sheets.

Explore Cuisine: I like their gluten-free plant-based diet because I really like that I just soak the red lentil pasta and don’t have to turn on the stove on during the summer.

Eden Foods: They are my go-to when it comes to soba noodles and mung bean pasta.

Banza: this is another plant-based option when it comes to pasta, they have chickpea pasta that is great for baked dishes, or pasta salads.

SOY SAUCE 

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Coconut Aminos – they have individual packets, perfect for going out for sushi or when traveling.

Tamari – make sure it says gluten-free

CRACKERS + CHIPS 

Okay so not only am I gluten free because I am celiac but I also tend to get a little irritable when I have corn, so I try not to eat it on the daily and save it more for special occasions like corn on the cob during the summer months or cornbread during football season.

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Boulder Canyon: their coconut oil chips are amazing.

Siete Chips: I really like their nacho and lime cassava chips.

Artisan Tropics: their plantain and yucca chips are crazy good.

GRANOLA 

While I do make my own granola from time to time, I have at least two types of granola at all times and they are both grain free. There are a bunch of options out there, these are my favorites.

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Wild Way: I love their expresso vanilla and their banana, they are all amazing.

Purely Elizabeth: I like all of their granola’s too, but the maple and grain free versions are my favorite. I use these as a great topping for my chicken tacos.

Jessica’s Natural Foods: the chocolate chip granola is insane.

gluten free, nut free, egg free waffle with chocolate hazelnut spread and strawberries. 

WAFFLE & PANCAKE + BAKING MIX 

While I like to make my own pancakes and waffles and not rely on a mix, and the same thing with baking, I do have a couple go to that I get when I am going to a friends house for convenience or when I am in a hurry.

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Simple Mills: I really like their cake and muffin mix. I get their bread mix all the time too.

Bob’s Red Mill: is another favorite of mine, their paleo pancake mix is great as is the gluten-free baking mix.

GLUTEN FREE GRAINS + FLOURS 

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Otto’s Cassava Flour: this is my go-to baking flour, I use it to make just about everything from pancakes to homemade lemon bars to gravies.

Almond Flour: I also really like using almond flour for making recipes like waffles, cookies, and energy bites and bars.

Rice: while a lot of people are not fans of rice, I eat rice two to three times a week.

Quinoa: I love using quinoa in my tabouleh recipe, I like using it for my veggie burgers, and it’s a great salad base.

Gluten Free Oats: I eat a lot of oatmeal, and like making homemade granola, and granola bars and more.

my go to warm breakfast oats, you can mix all the ingredients at the beginning of the month and keep it in the fridge for easy preparation. 

What are your favorite healthy gluten-free swaps? Let us know in the comments below.!