The Best Grain-Free Food Brands
If you thought being gluten-free was a challenge, meet the evil twin... grain-free! One day I started to realize that I didn't feel good when eating white rice, something that never happened in the past. I decided to cut it out and realized it had made a huge difference in my digestive system.
Just because something is gluten-free, doesn't mean it's grain-free. I've learned this the hard way when I've tried ordering gluten-free pasta at restaurants and was met with immediate stomach and chest pain. Many gluten-free products still contain rice flour, but these below brands have got you covered. While many are marketed as Paleo Friendly, I'm not fully paleo as I love some cheese here and there.
Base Culture - Breads, butters and brownies, oh my!
Base Culture makes some of my favorite bread, brownies, and almond butters. At a basic level, their sliced bread is pretty good and isn't super tiny compared to other grain-free breads. Then you get into their brownies: Cashew Butter Blondie, Almond Butter Brownie, and the Chocolate Chip Brookie. They're so light, yet satisfying and perfect for my sweet tooth. They also have banana bread which is so good! Lastly, their almond butter... I LOVE their Cinnamon Raisin bread topped with the Cinnamon Almond butter. They also have a maple almond butter and expresso almond butter which is on my list to try next.
Siete - a Mexican-American food brand, rooted in family, that makes delicious grain free products.
Where would I be without Siete. Taco nights are a staple in my home, and every single thing from Siete is delicious. A few of my favorites include Cassava Flour Tortillas and Burrito Wraps, Cashew Queso, Churro Strips, Chipotle Hot Sauce, Mexican Wedding Cookies, and the Sea Salt Chips. You can find the brand at Whole Foods, sometimes Costco, and Publix if you're in the south. I use their tortillas or burrito wraps multiple times a week, and every time someone tries their chips, I'm always asked "what brand are these". To top it off, it's family-owned and I really love their mission. It's a brand you feel great eating and supporting.
Jovial - Two words: Cassava Pasta.
Many gluten-free products still contain rice flour, but not Jovial's Cassava Pasta. Cassava (or yuca), is a starchy root vegetable, which is important for me to eat to keep weight on. I eat this pasta at least once a week, but can only find the spaghetti at my local Whole Foods. The texture is great, and it truly feels like pasta (to me). On their website, they have penne, elbows, orzo, and fusilli - which reminds me, let me order some more now.
SimpleMills - Crackers, Pancakes and Baking Mixes
SimpleMills makes TONS of products. Crackers, pita chips, pancake & waffle mix, muffins, cookies... the list goes on. My favorites include the Rosemary & Sea Salt Crackers (I bring them out for my charcuterie boards), Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix, Pancake Mix, Cupcake Mix, and Frosting. I've tried their cookies, but they feel too dry for my taste. The ingredients are simple, nothing artificial about it, and they can be found at a ton of retailers.
Other mentions:
Purely Elizabeth Grain-Free Granola
I'll continue to update this list as I make new discoveries! Happy exploring and eating.
