'normal' Foods That Are Gluten Free

[thepeach80]

Hi, I'm Jennifer and new here. We recently tested my almost 3yo for celiac and his results were negative w/ only an elevated IgA (which I read could be related to celiac). We have taken him off gluten as best I can (it's hard and he's sneaky, as is his 4yo brother, lol), but I need help. His main symptom is lack of growth, specifically height though he has seemed to have grown slightly the past few wks since going off most gluten so maybe we're really not crazy! My father also has a form of Crohn's so this all has me wondering. We're looking at doing enterolab at tax time. Anways, back to my main question. What 'normal' foods do you eat that are gluten free? I just learned today that ketchup has gluten in it?! He loves ketchup and eats better when he has a dip. Ideas? We did find some donuts he'll eat today (Kinnickinicks) so that's good. He's not real keen on the gluten free food, but was never real keen on bread in general so it's just hard sometimes. He likes hotdogs and we've been using the Hormel's naturals chicken a lot. I guess I'm just trying to balance my pocketbook as much as I can buy buying cheap food when I can so I can afford the $8 bag of donuts. Thanks so much!

ETA: I forgot to mention that as a baby/young toddler he was intolerant to about everything, wheat, dairy, and soy were all big ones and he was on rx formula only for a while. We added wheat back in about 23 mos and dairy/soy at 2.5yo. My oldest was off dairy/soy till 2.5yo as well. The baby is on rx formula as well and gained almost 5# in the past 2 mos since she weaned so I'm afraid she was having growth issues as well from foods too, but it's hard to know.

[happygirl]

I've never seen a ketchup that has gluten in it!

All companies are now required to list wheat, by law.

Here is a list of companies that will list any gluten: Open Original Shared Link

If you don't see it on the label of these companies (wheat, rye, barley, malt, or oats), then its safe! hope this helps.

[psawyer]

I've never seen a ketchup that has gluten in it!

Heinz Organic, if I recall correctly, does.

[Darn210]

Regular Heinz ketchup is gluten free. Hunts is not (I believe that ingredient-wise it is but their website won't guarentee - CYA for cross-contamination IMO)

Here are some of our mainstream staples:

BallPark beef franks (part of SaraLee who also labels all their gluten sources)

Kraft cheeses

Dora the Explorer cereal

Trix Cereal

Rice Cakes

Jif Peanut Butter

Rice

Oscar Mayer ham/turkey/bologna

apple sauce

fresh fruit

fresh vegetables

grilled chicken

bunless hamburgers

tacos (Oretago stuff is gluten-free)

potatos

Great Value (Wal-Mart) au gratin potatos

Betty Crocker Potato Buds (I NEVER liked instant mashed potatos but the kids love them and they're quick and sometimes, you need quick!)

Kraft Jello

Kraft Pudding

A lot of the Frito-Lay products are OK

any fresh meat, fruit, vegetable . . .and most simply (sauce-free) frozen fruit or vegetable

Here is a list of companies that do not hide the gluten. They will list a gluten source in a generic ingredient . . . If it has barley in the "natural flavorings" it will call it out. If you read the labels of their products, you will know if it is OK or not

Open Original Shared Link</a>

My kids were big snack cracker eaters. Gluten free crackers are pricey!!! And I don't want them to have chips all the time. It has become cost effective to make my own chex(type) mix. I use Health Valley's Corn and Rice Crunchem's and Glutino pretzels and some mixed nuts (Lea&Perrins Worcestshire sauce is OK as is Lawry's seasoned salt).

Here are a couple of worth the money gluten-free items:

Tinkyada pasta (they have a kid version with shapes)

Gorilla Munch

Van's Waffles (make sure it says gluten-free, they have some that aren't)

Bell&Evans chicken strips (I make my own but when I need something quick, my kids like these the best)

Pamela's baking and pancake mix - we use it for both pancakes and muffins - make extra pancakes and freeze them and then pull them out when needed.

[thepeach80]

Thanks! That's the kind of list I need. I'm so used to having a list of ingredients (dairy, soy, egg, etc) and gluten is a bit trickier that's it's been hard. We do love the Tinkyada, found that out before and we use about all those products you mentioned at the end. We just moved so we're still settling in which has made it hard too. I need to make some pancakes though, Evan always loves those at grandma's house./'

[psawyer]

You need to make some pancakes, you say. We love the Glutino pancake mix. It makes a light fluffy pancake that does not in any way remind me of chewing on cardboard.

Glutino products are all gluten-free.

As others have posted, there are a lot of companies that voluntarily disclose any ingredient derived from a gluten grain. With these brands, you can read the ingredient list, and if you don't see wheat, rye, barley or oats, then you know that there is no gluten hiding in an ambiguous term like "natural flavor."

Here is the list I use. There may be others.

Arrowhead Mills, Aunt Nelly's, Balance, Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry, Bertoli, Betty Crocker, Blue Bunny, Breyers, Campbells, Cascadian Farms, Celestial Seasonings, ConAgra, Country Crock, Edy's, General Mills, Good Humor, Green Giant, Haagen Daz, Hellman's, Hershey, Hormel, Hungry Jack, Jiffy, Knorr, Kozy Shack, Kraft, Lawry's, Libby's, Lipton, Martha White, Maxwell House, McCormick, Nabisco, Nestle, Old El Paso, Ortega, Pillsbury, Popsicle, Post, Progresso, Ragu, Russell Stover, Seneca Foods, Skippy, Smucker, Stokely's, Sunny Delight, T Marzetti, Tyson, Unilever, Wishbone, Yoplait, Zatarain's.

This list does not include all brands owned my the companies listed.