G-Free Grab & Go Nutritionist Approved List

• G-free Specialty Products
• News & Recalls

UPDATED 2016 list here

I’m a huge fan of naturally gluten-free food. It’s usually healthier, usually cheaper, and IMHO, usually tastier, too. That’s especially this time of year when there are a lot of yummy options almost in season!

And yet…there are so many reasons packaged foods do absolutely come in handy from time to time, whether it’s because of job demands, travel, outdoor activities that prevent easy access or you just need to have something shelf-stable and portable in the car in case of emergency.

I’ve put together a updated list of some of my favorite healthier options among packaged products, with an eye out towards ones that are lower in sugar, higher in fiber and protein, and less processed. Obviously, you don’t want to forget naturally gluten-free options, too!

Bars:

• Altbars® (vegan)
• Larabars®(vegan) I’m particularly jazzed about the Larabar minis!
• Pure bars®(vegan) Certified GF
• Health Warrior Chia Bars Certified GF
• Prana Bar(vegan)
• Epic bars
• Raw Revolution Bars®(vegan)
• Kind bars®
• Bumble Bars®(vegan)
• No Opportunity Wasted bar®
• NuGo bars®–Certified GF
• Zingbars®–Certified GF
• Rise bars®
• Clif Mojo Bars (only some Clif bars are gluten-free–grab carefully)

What do I consider a gluten-free healthy bar? In a nutshell, mostly ingredients your grandmother would recognize, some protein and fiber for fullness and of course, gluten-free. These also avoid artificial sweeteners and soy protein isolate.

Snacks:

• Bhuja Snacks®–Certified GF
• Caveman Cookies®
• Enjoy Life® (allergen friendly–none of the top 8 used)
• Funky Monkey Snacks (top 8 allergen-free facility)
• Hail Merry’s®-Certified GF
• Just Tomatoes® Fruits & Veggies
• Mary’s Gone Crackers® –Certified GF
• Nuts.com® (many options are certified GF)
• The Good Bean Roasted Chickpeas–Certified GF
• Chickpeatos–I’ve seen these in Whole Foods in Alexandria & I love them!

Quick meal options

Soups!

• Amy’s has great bean soup options
• Pacific has many soups, including veggie soups
• Progresso has many options that are labeled gluten-free
• Gluten-Free Cafe

Frozen:

• Amy’s Organic® has frozen entrees, with vegan and vegetarian options
• Beetnick frozen foods–certified GF, lots of options
• Dr. Praeger-veggie burgers, veggie patties, fish sticks & more.
• Garden lites® soufflés and muffins, vegan and vegetarian options.
• Glutenfreeda® has a wide variety of options. Nutritionally speaking, the burritos are healthier than the ice cream sandwiches, of course

Veggie Burgers:

• Dr. Praeger’s® Gluten-free California Veggie Burgers (check the box—they also sell products with gluten but test gluten-free products for safety)
• Hilary’s Eat Well® Gluten-Free Veggie Burgers
• Qrunch®burgers Vegan and allergen friendly
• Sunshine burger® Nutritionally, the most fiber and protein packed g-free veggie burger I’ve seen!

Shelf-stable options:

• CookSimple® has a variety of boxed meals (some gluten-free, some not)
• GoPicnic® has pre-packed meals that are shelf-stable. (some vegan options)
• St. Dafour® has tinned meals (some gluten-free, some not)

Cereals: (other great breakfast options here)

• Certified g-free oatmeal—many brands are tested gluten-free:Udi’s,  Glutenfreeda, Cream Hill Estates, and more.
• Bob’s Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal®
• Crunchy Flax from Enjoy Life®
• Erewhon Buckwheat and Hemp Cereal®
• Kind Healthy Grain Clusters®
• Mesa Sunrise®
• Emma’s Organics

Breads:

Ah, the task of finding a g-free bread with enough fiber. Try these:

Dr. Schar Ciabatta Rolls®

Julian Bakery (variety of lower carb, higher fiber options)

Sandwich Petals®

Udi’s Flax and Fiber ®

Did I leave out one of your favorites? Leave me a note in the comments.

Recalls:

Frito Lay has a voluntary recall for BBQ chips that are labeled gluten-free, but they contain wheat.

Bart and Judy’s Gluten-Free cookies have tested with high levels of gluten, so buyer beware!

AND, on a much lighter and nicer note, I have a review of a bunch of gluten, dairy and soy-free chocolates.

I’m submitting this to Gluten-Free Wednesdays, a weekly roundup of all sorts of interesting gluten-free recipes and posts. It’s co-hosted by Linda of Gluten-free Homemaker, Shirley of gluten free easily and Lynn of Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures. Hop on over for some more yum!