Being gluten and dairy-free isn't always easy, especially with my schedule. But after three years of learning how to adjust to my food sensitivities, I've discovered go-to brands for pretty much everything. I'm always on the lookout for better alternatives and cleaner products so if I've missed something, please share them with me in the comments below!
Breakfast
- Pancake Mix
- Simple Mills Pancake Mix: Made with 8 simple ingredients and certified gluten, dairy, and GMO-free, this mix is my favorite! Not only do they taste great, but they are clean ingredient-wise and a local Chicago company :) I like to add fair-trade dark chocolate chips or fresh organic blueberries to mine. Available online and in stores.
- Granola
- Victory Dance Foods Garden Granola: Another local brand I love! Their Garden Granola is gluten-free and made with beets, pineapple, ginger and more nutrition packed organic ingredients. It's also great on salads and as an afternoon snack with tea.
- Milk
- Ripple Chocolate Milk: I never thought that I would like pea-protein milk, but this is actually the closest tasting thing to chocolate milk that I have found. It has 8g of plant-based protein per glass, but still contains a decent amount of sugar so I like to have it after a good workout and typically limit myself to a 4oz serving size.
- Malk Unsweetened Almond Milk: Finally a preservative-free, fresh-tasting almond milk made with 3 ingredients! This is as good as homemade but without the hassle, and their bottles are BPA free. It's perfect for lattes and on its own. I like to add a sprinkle of organic cinnamon powder for extra flavor. Note: We've stopped buying almond milk, and have limited almond products in general, due to the large environmental impact of its production. Learn more here.
Lunch + Dinner
- Pasta
- Trader Joe's Red Lentil Pasta: I'm not the biggest fan of gluten-free pasta in general, but if I have to eat it, then this is my go to. It's organic and has 13g of protein per serving and a decent percentage of iron (15%). I like to make it stir-fry style with gluten-free teriyaki sauce and organic tofu, mushrooms, and kale.
- Jovial Spaghetti: Made with organic brown rice grown in Italy, this 2-ingredient spaghetti tastes pretty close to the real thing! Available at Whole Foods.
- Update 5/6/20: Chickpea pasta is a new favorite! Along with Wholefoods's 365 brand Mung Bean Pasta. Both are packed with protein and no nonsense ingredients, and the texture is much better than most alternatives.
- Noodles
- Lotus Foods Organic Millet & Brown Rice Ramen: Made with 3 organic ingredients, this is a weekly staple in our home. Check out our GF Ramen recipe. I love this recipe because you can easily change it up depending on what veggies you use.
- Happy Pho Rice Noodles: These are my favorite noodles for pad thai or Thai noodle salad. They are quick to cook and are made with brown rice, water, organic green, tea, and salt.
- Sauces
- San-J: Gluten-free and NON-GMO Project Verified, their tamari, teriyaki, and Thai peanut sauces are our favorites!
- Triple Crown BBQ: This is the first organic BBQ sauce we've tried that's as satisfying as the high-fructose corn syrup filled ones! I recommend the Classic one.
- Miso Master Organic Chick Pea Miso: Soy-free and gluten-free, this miso paste is made with organic handmade rice koji, organic whole chickpeas, sun-dried sea salt, Blue Ridge Mountain well water, and koji spores. I like to add a tablespoon to homemade ramen and soups for extra flavor.
- Flatbread
- My Bread Bakery: These are great for a quick weeknight dinner. They are gluten, dairy, egg, nut, and soy-free and cook quickly. We personally like the Ancient Grains with Chia + Flaxseed much better than the original one.
Snacks
- Crackers
- Simple Mills Sea Salt Almond Flour: Again made with 8 gluten, dairy, and GMO-free ingredients, these crackers are great to add to soups or enjoy with hummus. They are pretty filling compared to most crackers so you only need a few! Note: We've reduced our consumption of almond products in general, due to the large environmental impact of its production. Learn more here.
- Mary's Gone Super Seed Crackers: Made with all organic ingredients, these crackers are packed with nutritious super seeds and go well with hummus and dips. I like the Super Seed Classic Super Seed and Hemp + Chia.
- Off the Eaten Path Veggie Crisps: Made with peas and black beans, these are a nice alternative when you want something with a light crunch.
- Cheese
- Kite Hill Ricotta Cheese: It's crazy how good this cheese is! I like to use it on homemade pizza (think: arugula, fig, ricotta, walnut, balsamic flatbread) but it also works well for desserts ;)
- Kite Hill Chive Cream Cheese Spread: Made from almond milk and 8 other NON-GMO ingredients, this spread goes great with the crackers listed above.
- Treeline Soft French-Style Nut Cheese: Another satisfying cheese spread alternative! Made from cashews and 8 simple ingredients, my favorite is the Scallion Flavor.
- Update 5/6/20: I recently discovered Miyoko's and their products are the most comparable I've found to cheeses and butter with no nonsense ingredients. Highly recommend!
Desserts
- Cookies
- Kakookies: Created by a mom in search of healthier energy snacks for her daughter's cycling team, these cookies are quite delicious as a pre-workout snack or afternoon pick me up. Each cookie has 4-5g of plant-based protein and a few simple ingredients. I like the Boundary Waters Blueberry and Cashew Blondie ones the best.
- Meera Bites: Some of the best gluten-free, vegan brownie cookies I've tried! A bit on the pricier side, but a fellow Chicago maker whom I also love to support :)
- Monster Meli's Cookies: Okay, I've probably tried every gluten-free, dairy-free mix on the market, and I'm never quite satisfied. So when I don't feel like whipping up my own (I like this recipe), this is my go-to mix! The texture is much better than most gluten-free cookies and they leave me feeling satisfied, which is why I can overlook the non-organic ingredients 😱
- Dark Chocolate
- Alter Eco Deep Dark Sea Salt: Made with four ingredients, this is my absolute most favorite chocolate bar and I rarely leave the house without it. It's gluten-free, dairy-free, NON-GMO, fair-trade, FSC Certified and a carbon neutral product. Doesn't get much better than that!
- Equal Exchange Organic Bittersweet Chocolate Chips: Made with organic and fairly traded cacao from small-scale farmers in Peru, and sugar from small-scale farmers in Paraguay, these chocolate chips are great for baking, adding to pancakes or on their own.
- Grown Up Kids Stuff Chocolate Sauce: I'm a dessert lover and this chocolate sauce is as good as the real thing! But, it's actually better because it's made with real ingredients here in Chicago. I like to use this sauce on my apples and bananas (along with melted peanut butter) for dessert. It's also great on pancakes and waffles, or by the spoonful ;)
- Ice Cream
- Nada Moo: This stuff is addictingly delicious! It's NON-GMO Project Verified and contains 8g of sugar per serving, so not terrible compared to most ice creams. If you're not a coconut milk lover though, this might not be for you. Aman can't get over the coconutty flavor of this, which I actually love! My favorites are the Chocolate Peanut Butter and good 'ole Vanilla Bean. Update: I recently tried their Pistachio Nut and Lotta Mint Chip; the pistachio is light and nice for hot summer days, but I have to say, the mint chocolate chip is my new favorite!
- Sacred Serve: Handmade in Chicago, this vegan ice cream is not only delicious, but it's also sustainably produced and packaged 🤗 All three flavors are great and you can sign up for home deliveries in the Chicagoland area.
Share your favorite gluten-free and dairy-free foods in the comments below. I'd Love to try them!
Love + Light,
Smita :)
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