While I need to eat gluten free to keep the inflammation down in my body, Amber eats this way because it's the easiest method for her to be wheat free. With having fructose malabsorption, Amber needs to avoid wheat and and its not so wonderful fructans.
The majority of our baked products (breads, desserts, pasta, crackers, etc) are made at home with entirely safe ingredients. Occasionally, I need a quick, or at least easier, way to create meals or snacks. This is where our few trusty store bought gluten free products come in handy.
(** These are only the GF products tolerated by Amber with fructose malabsorption. My list of GF products is considerably longer)
Udi's French Bread - I'm not the best at yeasted breads, and while homemade would be preferable, Amber still loves these loaves. We purchase both the small French Rolls and the French Baguettes in the white bread variety. The multi-grain is not compatible with Amber's diet.
Food for Life Brown Rice Tortillas - One thing I need a lot of practice with is tortillas. Mine are too thick and a little dry. Amber does not tolerate corn, so I'm left with only wheat free / gluten free flour tortillas. These purchased tortillas are not quite the quality I'd like to see, but they are available locally and Amber seems to really like them. They do contain brown rice, which means we have to limit how much Amber eats.
Nut Thins - I'm great at making crackers, however when I haven't had time to bake, Amber is tired of my crackers, or when I need something to tell a family member to get for Amber, then these are a great option. Amber does not tolerate large amounts of almond (so no almond flour), but in limited quantities these crackers are a perfect addition to our pantry.
Talenti Gelato - Amber was so sad to lose out on ice cream as most producers include high fructose corn syrup and other undesirable ingredients. We do make our own ice cream at home, but we've really only been successful with vanilla and chocolate. The Talenti Gelato has very limited ingredients and, in moderate amounts, Amber tolerates a few of their flavors very well. Our favorite is Mediterranean Mint.
Snyder's Gluten Free Pretzels - The staple snack food for Amber. She loves pretzels, yet I am not able to successfully make pretzels. Thankfully, Snyder's Gluten Free pretzels do not contain any ingredients which cause a flare in Amber's intestines. She's been able to eat these since the first diagnosis when her intestines still needed to heal from inflammation.
Hormel Beef Roast in Au Jus - Lately, I've been looking for a few products to make getting dinner on the table easier with short notice. We found this gluten free pre-packaged beef in au jus that has wonderful flavor and does not include the spices which Amber cannot tolerate. It has become a family favorite.
Reser's Main St. Bistro Mashed Potatoes - We have greatly missed flavorful, creamy mashed potatoes in our house since we had to give up our boxed mashed potato mixes. I have never been consistently successful at making mashed potatoes that had decent flavor and texture. These refrigerated mashed potatoes hit the spot and we all tolerate them quite well.
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix - Amber does surprisingly well with the devil's food and vanilla gluten free cake mix. I have only ever made them as cupcakes to freeze. We use them sparingly when a quick snack or dessert is needed; usually for parties or co-op lunch when I have run out of Amber's other fun snacks. Again, we limit Amber's consumption of these and have to watch what she eats the rest of the day. However, they have a great texture and taste. Amber's friends never realize they are gluten free.
Do you have any favorite gluten free shortcut products? Let me know, I'm always looking for an easier, but healthy, way to feed our family.
Thanks for these tips. I believe that some of my problem with pain in my legs is inflammation. I know without a doubt that I feel much, much better now that I haven't eaten gluten and sugar for a while and magically my migraines have disappeared too.
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