Gluten-free diets have become increasingly popular in the past few years. Some folks turn to wheat-free diets for weight loss, while others use them to find relief from wheat or gluten allergies or food intolerances. Whatever your reason, we know that figuring out how to avoid gluten can be tricky. From your morning cereal to the bread in your lunchtime sandwich to your dinner pasta, gluten is one of the most common ingredients in the grocery store.
At Vitacost, we take the worry out of going gluten-free by devoting an entire section of our online store to gluten-free goodies. Here are some of our all-time favorites:
- What’s for breakfast? If you’re a cereal lover, you’re in luck! Gluten-free cereals range from a gourmet mixture of organic grains, such as Nature’s Path Organic Mesa Sunrise Cereal with quinoa, flax and amaranth, to the traditional, such as Erewhon Gluten Free Rice Twice ® Cereal with lightly sweetened brown rice puffs and crisps.
- Do you like to snack in the mid-morning? Step away from those bagels, muffins and doughnuts! Instead, try snacking on a tasty gluten-free snack bar. For example, you’ll savor the goodness of Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Kind Plus Protein Bars and delight in biting into a Dark Chocolate NuGo Nutrition NuGo Free Trail Mix.
- Lunch can make you — or break you — when it comes to fortifying you for the rest of your day. Soup and sandwich sounds simple — but beware of the wheat that typically predominates in bread and ingredients containing gluten that may be featured in soup. Problem solved with the delicious gluten-free Ener-G White Rice Flax Loaf. Try it with turkey and mustard or spread with almond butter and jam (yum!). And for a tasty, filling soup, go for Amy’s Organic Lentil Soup.
- Mid-afternoon slumps can halt you in the midst of a productive day. Overcome that challenge with a great snack: Crackers, cheese and an apple or pear. We’ve got a wealth of gluten-free crackers for you to sample, such as Glutino Gluten Free Crackers and Mary’s Gone Crackers Organic Crackers. On a dairy-free diet? Instead of cheese, try Barney Butter Crunchy Almond.
- The dinner bell is ringing. What’s on the menu? We’re glad you asked! For the ultimate comfort food meal, try Annie’s Homegrown Creamy Deluxe Macaroni Dinner with Real Cheese — 100 percent gluten-free and 100 percent satisfying. If you’re a DIY diner, try making your own pizza with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten and Wheat Free Pizza Crust Mix. Top that crunchy crust with Muir Glen Cabernet Marinara Organic Pasta Sauce and your favorite mozzarella cheese, and you’ve got a winner of a dinner!
- Dessert divas: Get ready to rejoice! You’ll go ga-ga for Chocolate Truffle Gluten-Free Pantry Brownie Mix. And for the ultimate finale to a gourmet dinner, mix up Vitacost Whole Food Gluten Free Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake Mix.