SAN DIEGO (CBS8)-- Gluten-free options are becoming more readily available. Here are some alternatives to traditionally wheat foods:
-- Pasta: rice pasta, quinoa pasta
-- White rice: brown rice, quinoa, polenta
-- Bread: 100% spelt bread, rice bread, almond bread
Brands such as Bob's Red Mill, Rudi's and Udi's have lines of gluten-free products that can be purchased from specialty stores or online. The products include everything from bread to muffins to pizza crust to snacks.
Dairy-free options are also available. Vegan alternatives as well as lactose-free (which contain animal products) alternatives are:
-- Milk: Lactaid (lactose-free), almond milk, flaxseed milk, coconut milk, rice milk, soy milk
-- Cheese: Daiya (lactose-free), almond cheese
-- Ice cream: almond ice cream, rice ice cream, coconut ice cream, Lactaid ice cream (lactose-free)
-- Yogurt: soy yogurt, lactose-free Yoplait yogurt
-- Pudding: soy pudding, lactose-free pudding
-- Butter: Earth Balance
For cooking, there are some options to substitute for eggs.1/4 cup of silken tofu, blended thoroughly will replace the eggs. Bananas and apple sauce, as mentioned above also act as an egg replacer. A solution of one tablespoon of water, baking powder and vinegar also works, but does not provide as much moisture. This is best used only in cakes.
Shopping Tips
Many major grocery stores now have gluten-free sections. Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs and Stater Bros. all carry basic gluten-free baking and cooking products, as well as gluten-free snacks. More specialized products can be found at Whole Foods, Jimbo's, Sprouts, Trader Joe's, other specialty stores or online.
Lactose-free and vegan options are available at most major grocery stores; however, more specialized products such as ice cream may only be available at specialty stores, such as the ones listed above.
