PSN Issue
By: 
Where to Purchase Gluten Free Casein Free (GFCF) Foods and Some Favorite
Brands
If
you live in a large city, especially in the land of fruits and nuts, where
there are Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Sprouts and health food stores all within
five miles from your home, finding GFCF foods is not a problem. If you live in
a tiny town, hundreds of miles from any large, or even medium sized
communities, you have a much more difficult time purchasing GFCF foods. First
let me discuss purchasing GFCF foods at the above-mentioned stores.
Whole
Foods Market exists in thirty-nine states and D. C., with a few stores in the
UK and Canada. Some states have ONE store, whereas some city’s have five. It
varies due to supply and demand, and other needs. Whole Foods has an incredible
array of GFCF foods to whet your appetite. They even have an online guide to
the brands of GFCF foods found in their stores located at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/nutrition/special-diets.php.
Some stores even have printed copies upon entering, near the cash register, or
ask for a copy at Customer Service.
Trader
Joe’s is in over twenty states, with more locations being added all the time.
They have a great GF list and a Vegan list, to find GFCF, read the labels and
call, when in doubt. You can combine these two lists, yet Vegan also means egg
free and animal product free, so it is casein free for sure. Their products are marked with a lower
case “g” on the package and an upper case, “V” designating gluten free and
Vegan. For their GF product list see http://www.traderjoes.com/pdf/lists/list-no-gluten.pdf,
and for Vegan items see http://www.traderjoes.com/pdf/lists/list-vegan.pdf.
Keep in mind, if it is GF, it is not necessarily CF and if it is Vegan, it is
not necessarily GF.
Sprouts,
http://sprouts.com/home.php, are
located in only four states, but they are expanding rapidly. The four states
are: California, Texas, Arizona and Colorado. They have a huge assortment of GF
items and a detailed guide in the stores of all their GF products. Read the
label to see if they are CF, as well.
Wegmans
Food Markets, www.wegmans.com, are
located in five states on the east coast: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Virginia and Maryland. They only offer a GF list, but they do give some
suggestions on their web site for CF, and look for special diets on their web
site as well.
Many
areas are popping up with GF stores and bakeries offering a variety of choices.
For
those who do not live near any of these stores your best bet is to order GFCF
foods online. Also look to see what stores are in your state, in case you do go
on day trips and can stock up. Take a cooler with you to keep perishables
fresh.
Here
are some of the most popular online sites to purchase GFCF items.
When
ordering online, remember to check for sales, coupons, and special sale events
or savings. Some companies charge a flat fee for ordering food directly from
them. Kinnikinnick is one such company that charges a flat $10 fee per order.
You
can always do an online search for specific brands or just GFCF companies to
compare shipping costs, special deals and products available.
It
is wise to do an online search for health food stores in your area or gluten
free stores/bakeries. You might find one in your town or the next town over.
Two good web sites for support and information are:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GFCFKids/
http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/index.php
As
stated above, everyone has different favorite foods, and now having been
involved with GFCF foods and families who enjoy GFCF foods, I have compiled a
list of items that seem to win the most votes on being some of the best.
Breakfast foods:
Cereal:
Nature’s Path EnviroKidz, Glutino
Waffles:
Van’s, Trader Joe’s
French
Toast: Glutino, Ian’s
Breads/Buns/Muffins:
Udi’s,
Kinnikinnick, Food for Life, Ener-G
Snacks:
Chips:
Terra Chips, Lundberg Family Farms, Arico
Pretzels:
Glutino, Ener-G
Snack
Bars; BumbleBar, Arico, Larabar, Jocalat Bars, Enjoy Life, Clif Bar, Glutino
Meals:
Chicken
Nuggets: Garrett Farms, Ian’s Bell & Evan’s (black box)
Hot
dogs: Applegate Farms, Shelton’s
Lunch
Meat: Applegate Farms, Boar’s Head, Shelton’s
Pasta:
Tinkyada, Trader Joe’s, Orgran, DeBoles,
Cheese
alternatives: Daiya
Yogurt:
Ricera, Turtle Mountain
Desserts:
Sorbet:
Sharon’s, Haagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry’s, Dreyer’s/Edy’s, Ciao Bella
Ice
Cream: Good Karma, FreeZees, Rice Dream, Turtle Mountain
Pudding
Mix: Dr. Oetker’s
Cookies:
Enjoy Life, Mi-Del, Nana’s, Ener-G, Kinnikinnick, Arico
Cake,
brownie, cookie mixes: Namaste, Gluten-Free Pantry, Bob’s Red Mill, Authentic
Foods
Disclaimer: All information on this site is of a general nature and is furnished for knowledge and understanding only.