Celiac Disease

Official Website of Celiac-Disease.com

You are here: Home / Archives for Foods & Products / Groceries

Groceries

What Chicken Stocks are Gluten-Free?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Just three years ago it was common to find wheat in many chicken stocks. Slowly but surely companies have been removing gluten from many items, including stocks. There are still chicken stocks that contain gluten but with so many labeled gluten-free, everyone should be able to find a safe version in their local mainstream grocery store. One brand that still lists wheat on many of its stocks is College Inn but some other gluten-containing products exist as well. As always, read the label to ensure the brand you buy is gluten-free.

Swanson is a Campbell’s brand and the company recently created a website listing all their gluten-free items. When I checked the Swanson broths at my store, none were marked gluten-free, but the Campbells Without Gluten website lists seven Swanson stocks/broths as gluten-free. All Progresso stocks are gluten-free and don’t have added MSG. Though MSG is gluten-free, many people don’t consider it a healthy food additive. Most, if not all, of the Pacific Foods chicken stocks, are gluten-free, including the low-sodium version.

Both Pacific Foods and Progress stocks are marked gluten-free and if given the chance I will always buy gluten-free labeled items. I don’t do it because I don’t trust other vendors who say their products are gluten-free but do not label them that way. I purchase gluten-free labeled products because I want to support businesses that clearly want the business of gluten-free consumers.

Excerpt from the Progresso website regarding all their stocks:

  • No preservatives
  • No MSG
  • Fat free
  • No artificial flavors
  • Gluten-Free
  • 100% Natural

It’s far more common to find gluten in bouillon cubes these days, rather than in liquid stocks. Barley and rye are typically not used in making bouillon so look for wheat on the label. Herb Ox brand makes several gluten-free bouillon granules and they don’t have any added MSG either. Several of the bouillon cubes that are gluten-free do contain MSG. Obviously, one can make gluten-free chicken stock from scratch. Boil a chicken carcass and add carrots, celery, and onions to it. Salt is optional. It’s simple to make but most of us don’t have the time. Luckily, so many of the chicken stocks on the market today are gluten-free so we don’t have to.

These days it’s more common to run into gluten in chicken stock when dining out. Always question if rice or mashed potatoes have chicken stock in them if you are dining in an unfamiliar establishment. Many people order rice without asking questions, assuming rice is always gluten-free. Unfortunately, if rice and mashed potatoes are cooked in gluten-containing chicken stock, they are no longer gluten-free.

Enjoy your dressing for Thanksgiving made with one of the many gluten-free chicken stocks now available. The times are certainly changing for the better and that’s something we can all be thankful for!

Review: Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwitch on Udi’s Bread

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 4 Comments

When was the last time you pulled out two soft pieces of bread and made yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Udi’s bread stays fresh and soft on the counter top for a week. The slices are smaller than the traditional gluten-filled slices you may remember, but when you are comparing gluten-free breads this one is the best.

This peanut butter and jelly sandwich was made using Smart Balance peanut butter and Welches reduced sugar jelly. Smart Balance peanut butter is really great because it is made with natural ingredients and no added sugar. It is also labeled “gluten-free” which is an added level of comfort for celiacs.

PeanutButterandJellyforDEUdi’s gluten-free bread is made in a dedicated facility in Denver, CO. Chad White is the master behind this amazing bread. He has single-handedly created Udi’s gluten-free breads and expanded the line to include pizza crusts, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and gluten-free granola. The blueberry muffins are a big hit with anyone that tries them, especially since they are large and soft. The pizza crusts are perfect. They are prebaked and ready to top and warm. The bottom of the crust is “dusty” with gluten-free flour, like the old-style pizza crusts.  Chad has really worked hard on this line. His goal was to offer gluten-free consumers a great (not just good) option. This modest, kind man has struck gold.

Most people who have tried Udi’s gluten-free bread have loved it. What makes it so great? First of all, the ingredients are simple. No long ingredients that are hard to pronounce. Second, it stays fresh on the counter for up to 12 days. You can keep the bread in the fridge, but then you want to bring the slices to room temperature for things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Plus, unlike most breads, this is good at room temp.

If you are along the front range, Udi’s products can be found at Whole Foods and King Soopers (and many more stores as the weeks go by). They are also available nationally at various grocery stores. If you can’t find Udi’s products locally then check their website to order. http://www.udisfood.com/glutenfree.php

Review of Gluten-Free Crackers

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Both Saltine and Ritz crackers were a staple in our house when I was growing up. I was more into water table crackers with fancy toppings when I was diagnosed with celiac disease than the crackers of my childhood. Still, to this day, I’ve not really found a “replacement” for Saltine or Ritz crackers. But I have found some gluten-free crackers worth keeping on hand in my exhaustive, expensive and extensive quest.

Glutano crackers were the first gluten-free crackers I tried and they didn’t not appeal to me at all, though they are very popular with many people. I wasn’t crazy about basic rice crackers either. I like some of the Nut Thins – probably the Pecan  and Smokehouse are my favorite flavors. Mary’s Gone Crackers makes some nice flavored gluten-free crackers that I pair with strong flavored cheeses or spreads. These crackers also work especially well as a filler in meat loaf.

Glutino now offers four flavors of gluten-free crackers but I only like the Vegetable flavor. It is really about as close to a Ritz cracker as I’ve found, though of course it has a veggie flavor to it which a Ritz doesn’t have. Many people love all the flavors but the Cheddar, Multigrain and Original crackers did not appeal to me enough to buy them again.

For a basic plain cracker to be eaten with a nice spread or topping I like Ener-G Crackers. But I love their Onion Crackersand I can even eat them plain! I’d love the company to reduce the size of their crackers though. The huge rectangle shape is quite awkward to serve at a party and they are fairly difficult to cut down to a more manageable size.

Periodically I check the gluten-free product listings on Amazon.com and over a year ago I found a gluten-free product line called Valpi-Form. The France based company makes several phenomenal gluten-free products, one of which is their Salty crackers. This is the only cracker I’ve found to be similar to a Saltine in taste, size and texture. The problem is that they  – or anything from the line – are rarely in stock. And as soon as the products arrive on Amazon.com, most are sold out in a couple of hours. People can sign up to be notified when out of stock products arrive on Amazon.com.

Many people consider Schar crackers the closest thing to a Saltine but they are too buttery and crumbly for me to agree with that assessment. They are quite good crackers though, and as long as you are not trying to spread anything on them, they should not crumble. The packaging improved immensely a while back so that half the box will not be in pieces either.

Over the last few years I’ve tried gluten-free crackers that literally tasted like dirt – or the box they came in. I would not repeat the name of the products if I could remember them because everyone has different tastes and I don’t want to deter anyone from trying something just because I don’t like it. One of the items I bought after reading rave reviews about it – so I was the odd man out thinking they were horrible.

Photo courtesy of The Grainless Baker

To my great surprise there are actually two types of crackers for which I’ve found gluten-free versions that taste better than the gluten ones I was trying to replace. The Graham Crackers from The Grainless Baker are the best such product I’ve had and I’ve tried five gluten-free brands that I can remember.

My gluten eating husband will eat every single Grainless Baker graham cracker if I don’t hide them from him and he doesn’t even like gluten crackers! Put a little peanut butter on one for a truly decadent snack or just enjoy them plain with hot tea. Or use them or the graham cracker crumbs from the company for the best graham cracker pie crust ever!

Last but not least, the Cheese Crackers from the Sunny Valley Wheat-Free Bakery (all products are gluten-free)  in WA State are my favorite gluten-free cracker EVER! If you want to know what they taste like, think of a Cheez-It cracker that is made only with real ingredients. This of course means the gluten-free cheese crackers taste better than Cheez-It crackers. They are actually cheesier if you can believe it!

Tell us what your favorite gluten-free crackers is in the comments below.

Note: I have not tried the new Cheese Crackers from The Grainless Baker as I just found out about them today. Their Graham Crackers are now available at Return to Eden.

Find Gluten-Free Groceries at Hy-Vee Foods

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

For most of us who find ourselves living in the Midwest, we don’t have many of the gluten-free grocery luxuries that the rest of the country enjoys. Most notably, we don’t have any Trader Joes or Whole Foods Markets. One thing we do have, however, is a major grocery chain that has worked hard to become very friendly to those who follow a gluten-free diet. This major grocery chain is of course Hy-Vee Foods.

A few years back, Hy-Vee added a health food section to their stores which included several of the essential gluten-free packaged items. This is very convenient because our small town doesn’t have a health food store as an option.

In addition to the new health foods section, they’ve also gone through their shelves and built a mammoth list of confirmed gluten-free products, which they’ve made available for anyone to download on their website here (scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the PDF link). I didn’t link directly to the list as it changes a few times each year, so I figured it would be better to link directly to the source. Because Hy-Vee is our primary grocery store, I went through the list and built a smaller list of gluten-free products which would fit on one page, then my wife or I will take that with us when we go shopping.

If that convenience wasn’t enough, I know my local Hy-Vee store and many of the other Hy-Vee stores also staff dietitians which are available to Hy-Vee shoppers. In addition to performing their normal roles, these dietitians will also accept feedback on existing gluten-free products and often bring in requested products to their stores (our location now stocks Chebe products!).  Overall they have been great to work with!

To our readers who live in the Midwest, have you had the pleasure of working with a Hy-Vee in your area?  I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!

Whole Foods Market’s Gluten-Free Products List

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

No matter where you live within the United States, there is a good chance that you will find a Whole Foods Market in your local area. This of course is a good thing, as Whole Foods Market has always been very good to the Celiac community. They are educated on the gluten-free diet, and most locations have a pretty impressive selection of gluten-free products.

While digging for a gluten-free products list for Whole Foods Market, I noticed a new section of their website devoted completely to the gluten-free groceries that they offer, which can be viewed here.  If you view the menu on the right where it says gluten-free Living, you’ll find some sublinks to more specific gluten-free information.

For your reference, here is the list of gluten-free products that Whole Foods Market currently carries: [Read more…] about Whole Foods Market’s Gluten-Free Products List