One question that I have been asked repeatedly over the past thirteen years is, “What are the best GFCF foods”? My son has been Gluten Free/Casein (dairy) Free GFCF/dye free/chemical free for that long, so, I have an idea or two!
Of course, no two people are the same and everyone has different likes and dislikes. Since writing my book and numerous articles, as well as being on TV, radio and being available to talk to parents online, I have a good idea of some of the favorite brands and products.
In the past thirteen years since, so much has changed. Many products had to be ordered online, or specialty stores had to be located. Now, more and more GFCF products and brands are showing up across America. Even typical grocery stores are carrying several lines of GFCF products.
[1]The best grocery store to find the largest supply of GFCF foods at the best prices is Trader Joe’s, which has 464 stores in 41 states and Washington D.C. http://www.traderjoes.com/ [2]. Trader Joe’s continues to be an excellent employer and one of the top customer service survey winners for many years.
Remember: Read labels. Some products might have dairy/milk or other ingredients you must avoid. They do not offer a Diary free list, but they do have a Vegan list, which could be helpful, as it will now include products with dairy/milk (eggs are NOT dairy and are allowed on a GFCF diet, yet not on a Vegan diet). Some GFCF favorites: pasta, corn tortillas, almond milk, granola, snickerdoodles, brownie crisps, nuts, dried fruit, sausages (some have milk!), frozen pancakes, GF all-purpose flour, polenta, taco shells, corn chips, and potato chips.
[3]On the east coast, with nearly one hundred stores in six states, Wegman’s is a popular store with many GFCF options. Locations are in: New York. Pennsylvania. Maryland. Massachusetts. New Jersey. Virginia.
https://www.wegmans.com/stores.html [4] They offer a wide variety of products.
[5]Another great store to find GFCF, healthy foods is Sprouts. They are opening stores monthly and have really grown since their inception. Currently, they have over 250 stores in 15 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. https://www.sprouts.com/ [6]
[7]The majority of their food is very healthy. They also have a large vitamin and natural hygiene product department. They offer many popular health food brands and often have sales. If you shop on Wednesdays, you get both the sale prices from the previous week and the current week.
This store has been around for a long time. Yes, many of their products can be more expensive, but they do have sales and they offer a huge assortment of products from vitamins, hygiene products, produce, meats, seafood, salad bar, sushi bar, deli bar, fresh sandwiches, pizza, bakery and much more. Currently they have 465 stores in 43 states, Canada and even in the United Kingdom. Whole Foods offers many organic products, as well.
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Now you are ready to plan your meals, pack your kid’s lunches and send them off to school with healthy choices. For a complete listing of all of the items on our list please click here [10].
Barrie Silberberg is the author of The Autism & ADHD Diet: A Step-by-Step Guide To Hope and Healing by Living Gluten Free and Casein Free (GFCF) And Others Interventions [11]. Her web site is: www.puttingyourkidsfirst.com [12]
Helpful GFCF Articles
- Ditch The Chemicals Start The Year Off Healthy [13]
- Where to Purchase Gluten Free Casein Free (GFCF) Foods and Some Favorite Brands [14]
- Finding GFCF Baked Goods While You are Traveling [15]
- GFCF Holiday Recipes and Hints on Eating Outside of the Home [16]
- Getting Ready for Summer Fun: Being GFCF & Other Healthy Ideas [17]
- Fall Means Pumpkin GFCF Recipes to Enjoy this Cozy Autumn Season [18]
- GFCF/Chemical Free Holiday Breakfast or Brunch [19]
- GFCF Holiday Cookie Recipes [20]
- Preparing Ahead Before You Make GFCF Recipes [21]
This post originally appeared on our July/August 2017 Magazine [22]