Wheat-Free/Gluten Free

Foods containing gluten, wheat and dairy cause more allergic reactions than any other food products. Gluten primarily includes wheat as well as barley and rye. Some have intolerance to wheat or another particular grain. Many people have an intolerance or sensitivity to these foods that is often difficult to diagnose. The food world has responded with a variety of gluten, wheat and dairy free products so everyone can safely enjoy cheese, cookies, bread and other great foods. Here at TheCelebrityCafe.com we decided to try out some of these foods. We were honestly expecting the worst but we were pleasantly surprised. We also discovered products along the way that are free of many other allergens such as soy and corn.

One of our favorite finds was the Kitchen Table Bakers Gourmet Cheese Crackers. These crackers are wheat, gluten and sugar free. We can honestly say these are some of the best crackers we have ever had. They are more cheese than cracker and so they have more protein than carbohydrate in them. They taste great on their own or instead of croutons with salad. They come in a variety of flavors like onion, aged parmesan, sesame and rosemary.

Being that most of us like spicy foods, Veggie Slices Cheddar Flavor with jalapenos was our favorite soy-based cheese. It tasted great alone but it was also really good melted on a hamburger! The mozzarella flavor was a close second. It had sharpness to it like provolone cheese. Soy-based cheese is low in fat and has no saturated fat. Veggie Shreds were also very good. We loved the parmesan, mozzarella and Romano combination tossed with pasta and on salads also.

There are plenty of desserts for people who have common food allergies. Natural Feast makes pies and pie shells that are not only wheat free but vegan, kosher and lactose free. They also contain no cholesterol. Pretty much anybody can eat these pies! There are three pies- apple, chocolate mousse and blueberry. What we like the most about these pies is that the fruit pies need to be baked so they have more of a homemade flavor than store bought pies. They are also relatively low in fat. You get a good taste as well as a great smelling kitchen. The chocolate mousse pie just needs to be defrosted. Nicely decorated with chocolate drizzles on top, it had a strong cocoa taste which we think dark chocolate lovers would like. It is not very sweet. The only negative is that it is not as smooth as regular mousse pie.

Kookie Karma makes Raw Living Kookies and Carb Conscious Kookies in a variety of flavors. These cookies have no wheat, gluten or any animal products- they are certified vegan. We were confused at first about the 'raw living' thing and we had all these wild images of dancing and talking cookies. Raw living cookies are cookies that are not cooked so they have active enzymes found in raw fruits and vegetables that are important for good health. The cookies are dehydrated at low temperatures. We found the raw living cookies to be similar to granola bars in texture. Our favorite flavors were Banana Bread and Cherry Cashew. You can really taste the flavors in both these cookies and the ingredients come together nicely.

Enjoy Life Foods also makes cookies that appear to be made from nothing! They are gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut, yeast, corn potato, and nut free. You kind of start to wonder what they are made of- they taste pretty good. Our two favorite cookies were the No-Oats Oatmeal and Ginger Spice Cookies. These cookies are gluten and dairy free. We liked these cookies because they are small and cake like- very soft and moist. The Ginger Spice cookie is so flavorful you are left with a slight tingling sensation from the ginger and cinnamon. The No-Oats Oatmeal cookies taste like they have oats to us- they taste like the real thing to us which is usually hard to duplicate.

You would think that bread would be pretty hard to make without wheat flour but there are many alternatives in the same grain family that are more nutritious like spelt and kamut flours. Although it is a relative to wheat, some research has shown that kamut can be a good substitute for some people with wheat intolerance. Although there is no research available on spelt it has been reported by physicians that some people with wheat allergies do better on spelt as well. One should always consult with their physician first to double check! Health Seed makes a wide variety of breads that are very good. They make an organic 100% Spelt Bread that has flax, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. This bread has a nice complex taste. It is dense but very satisfying. It tastes great toasted. Fresh Meadow makes a 100% Kamut Bread which is wheat free as well. We found this bread to be the best alternative for whole wheat sandwich bread in that it was not as dense. It was a bit crumbly so it tasted better toasted.

So there you have it- great tasting substitutes for people who suffer with food allergies. No one should ever feel like they are missing out on great foods like bread, cheese, and cookies! We also discovered that even if you don't have food allergies these foods are healthier substitutes for the standard varieties.