The gluten version….and the gluten-free version!

When you’re gluten-free, so much of your time is devoted to finding tolerable alternatives to your old favorites. You’ll spend hours of your life in the gluten-free aisle at the grocery store, deciding which brand is telling the truth about their delicious, healthy gluten-free product. We want to step away from that daily struggle for a minute and instead focus on the brands that have exceeded our expectations. The products that make you thank your lucky stars you’ve been sentenced to a lifetime of gluten-free eating, because otherwise you would’ve never discovered this product. We read your blogs, we poured through your Amazon reviews, we Googled it, and we reverted to our own personal opinions. The results are in, and the survey says that these 5 products make our jaws drop, our wallets open, and keep the gluten-free gods as happy as ever.

1. Snyder’s Pretzels.

Available in two flavors and two styles, Snyder’s of Hanover Gluten-Free Pretzels are the reigning champs of corporate gluten-free offerings. Throughout the gluten-free community, this GF alternative has wormed its way into the hearts and pantries of wheat-wary folks across the country. Whether you’re a fan of their Buffalo Wing or Honey Mustard & Onion Sticks, this simple snack is easily more delicious than your average pretzel. Pick up a bag of Snyder’s GF Pretzels and relish a moment of gluten-free superiority.

2. Tamari Sauce.

It often feels like a gluten-free diet doubles as a death sentence for your love affair with Asian cuisine.  After all, what good is General Tso Chicken without soy sauce? Tamari sauce to the rescue. The healthier, more flavorful sibling to soy sauce, Tamari sauce is made as a byproduct of miso paste. There’s an entire page in every gluten-free scrapbook devoted to the moment you discovered Tamari sauce. Your favorite stir-fy, rice, tofu, and noodle dishes can live on in all of their glory, all while enjoying a richer, fuller taste, and half the sodium. Take that, gluten-lovers.

3. Against the Grain Pizza.

Everybody indulges in a frozen pizza every once in awhile. And when they do, they expect a certain taste. With many frozen gluten-free pizzas, you’re often in for a night of cardboard and sugar, heated to 425 degrees, and priced double the average pizza. With Against the Grain frozen pizzas, you can enjoy a delicious frozen pizza just like the good old days in both the Three Cheese and Pesto varieties. We won’t put any specific brands on blast, but we’ve recruited some of our gluten-eating friends to do a taste test, and Against the Grain’s golden, puffy crust and flavorful ingredients take the cake each and every time.

4. Gluten-Free Flours.

There’s an entire subculture of gluten fear-mongers out there, and they would quickly condemn the use of wheat flour in any product. For those of us who have been denied it against our will, we’d likely trade a kidney to get it back. No matter how many times you daydream about stuffing an entire loaf of Wonder Bread down your throat, there’s no getting around the lack of nutrients in white flour. Stacked up against its gluten-containing counterparts, almond flour, hazelnut flour, coconut flour, and even tapioca flour still outshine your typical flours. It may not taste exactly like mom’s homemade bread, but it’ll probably taste – and feel –  better.

5. Olde World Pierogi.

We’re a Michigan-based business, so we can’t help but plug another awesome Michigan-based company. Old World Gluten-Free is a small, family-owned company making locally-sourced, 100% gluten-free pierogi in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Tested by both gluten-eating and gluten-fearing Polish folks alike, these pierogi exceed the expectations for American-made pierogi. Available in a variety of creative flavors, including sauerkraut & mushroom, savory sweet potato, and wild blueberry, their pierogi offer gluten-free people a delicious, safe option that is usually universally denied to them. The moral of the story is simple: in every community, there are entrepreneurial spirits motivated by gluten-free friends or family members to create an awesome new GF product. Seek out the small businesses in your community who are creating unique, delicious, and deeply personal gluten-free alternatives. There are pizza places, sandwich shops, taco stands, and even pierogi kitchens across this country who are devoted, delicious, and often way better than their gluten-containing equivalent.

Know a gluten-free product that knocks the socks off of its gluten-filled equivalent? Want to give a shout-out to a locally-owned gluten-free product? Tell us all about your favorites in the comments below.

The post 5 Gluten-Free Foods That Are Actually Better Than Their Gluten-Filled Equivalents appeared first on The Gluten-Free Blog.