Favorite Gluten-Free Foods : Goodie Goodie Gluten-Free®

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It can be tricky to find the best of the best gluten-free foods. Some products taste really gross and some are fantastic! For most, it is trial and error. But for you with this handy list, you can skip the trials and grab my favorite gluten-free foods pronto!

When I was originally diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2006 it was pretty slim pickings in the gluten-free foods department. I understood what gluten was doing to my body, but I was completely flabbergasted as to how I was going to give my pantry a complete makeover and switch all my products overnight and not feel deprived.

There was one market in New York City at that time that had an abundance of gluten-free products. This market was known for its gluten-free section so I made it my mission to find the best of the best and went there with the idea I'd be in heaven.

Instead, I was confused. There were so many options and I was so new to this gluten-free diet and lifestyle that I felt incredibly overwhelmed. Can you relate?

What was a good gluten-free product? Which were the best? Which gluten-free products should I avoid? What was I even looking at? I didn't have a guide so I had to experiment all on my own. It was both fearful and exciting! There were many gluten-free brands that were fantastic so those were exciting to try while others I spit out of my mouth as soon as I cooked, baked, and chewed them. Oh, how frustrating food can actually be when you have to be gluten-free or have an allergy.

MY GLUTEN-FREE BREAD STORY

I held off on gluten-free bread for many years.

I had heard that gluten-free bread was disgusting and that finding a suitable bread option in the gluten-free department was going to be hard. So I did everything in between and left the bread out. I didn't need bread anyways! So I gave up sandwiches.

I finally tried gluten-free bread when I was contacted by a gluten-brand called Katz Gluten-free. They offered to send me some bread so I could blog about it. I remember thinking, oh no, I'm going to have to try gluten-bread and it's going to be gross and how am I going to write about it on my blog (Blogspot at the time).

I was instead BLOWN AWAY. I couldn't believe how delicious this bread was, how it tasted just like the original spongy bread I was so used to and actually missed. Katz Bread completely changed my view on gluten-free bread being bad. It was simply not true that gluten-free bread could never compare.

TIPS FOR GLUTEN-FREE FOOD TASTING:

Like any product you try, food tasting is the same across the board when the wheat and gluten is removed.
It's not going to taste the way it used to, the texture will be different.
You will have to taste all kinds of products until you find the one your palate and body loves, and the entire experience won't feel the same as it did before. But not in a bad way.
One of the most important things I learned is that not all gluten-free foods are created equal. This goes for ingredients AND quality and taste! What your Celiac sister may love, you may hate. But that goes with everything in life, it's why God gave us the ability to make our own decisions and form our own opinions.
The same goes for regular wheat non-gluten products. Some are just plain nasty.
The exciting part of this journey is that you are creating your life, you are building your future, you are taking care of your body - even if it's hard throughout the entire process.
It does get easier, you get savvier and you will learn to notice the difference between what works and what doesn't. When your body says "YES!!! Give me some more please!! to when your body says "NOOOOOO nasty, vile disgusting!".
I'll tell you that there are some gluten-free products out there - actually quite a lot!! that are so above and beyond delicious that most cannot believe they are gluten-free. And then there are many products that are naturally gluten-free that are just plain amazing! But like dating, there are also a LOT of gluten-free toads. Make it your mission, the quest that you owe to yourself to jump in and find what works best for your body in taste and quality so you can live your best life.

GLUTEN-FREE CLEAN EATING

In the last three years, I have drastically reduced the amount of food from a box that I eat. In fact, 80% of what I eat is made from scratch. This has been a personal choice driven by medical reasons and instead, I stick to a clean diet. However, there are those times when even I am in a pinch! So if that is you, or you need a bit of guidance or are new to the gluten-free lifestyle, or just want to try something new, I have compiled a list of my "over the years" favorite gluten-free products!

***Many of these links contain affiliate links through Amazon. This is of no cost to you but helps me support my blog. Many other links go directly to brand websites.

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