Those of us with specialized diets know the pain that can occur when purchasing alternatives to common foods. I prefer eating foods that simply don’t contain the avoided ingredient naturally, but sometimes, you need an alternative. Anyone who has tried allergen-free products knows they’re often hit or miss, and very often just misses. It’s difficult to convince yourself to try a product when you know it could be a big waste of money, so here’s a quick list of some of my favorite allergy-friendly foods that are totally worth it.
1. Sweet Note Bagels
I was a little bagel obsessive as a child. In elementary school, smoked salmon and dill were some of my favorite foods. When I became sick, I reached for a popular grocery store brand’s GF and dairy free bagels with the hope they’d be similar. According to a former roommate (who had a non-GF palate), they tasted like “giant, soggy Cheerios.” She was right.
That’s why Sweet Note Bakery is so incredible. With a texture like a classic bagel, these GF, soy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, peanut and tree nut-free, vegan and kosher bagels are as close to the real thing as any of us will ever get.
Bonus: They're super active social media presence creates a great relationship between consumer and company, and if you live in the Philly area, you can buy them in stores!
A pack of four is $7.25 (plus approximately $10 shipped frozen, so buy in bulk or in store) online, and trust me, they’re worth it.
2. Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips
Let’s not talk about the shots of mini chips I take on the regular, and instead focus on the fact I can buy allergy-friendly chocolate in Target for under $5. Although I haven’t made it into their multitude of other products, I can vouch for all types (yes, all types) of their baking chocolate. Am I an addict? Maybe.
3. Nature's Path Panda Puffs
Again, we’re not talking about my addictions here. It’s not polite. Let me just say I might eat these daily. Listen, I’m a college student. Cereal is a food group and so is peanut butter. And you know what? I totally look old enough to be a mom to a toddler, so it’s totally OK for me to buy cereal marketed to kids. The cashiers don’t have to know I’m an Envirokid, too.
For anyone with a peanut allergy, Natures Path has a whole line of GF and vegan cereals, just like this one, that aren’t peanut butter flavored. They range in price depending on the store, typically between $2.99 and $3.99 (Trader Joe’s has the best price, Target has the worst), and for a box of cereal, that’s not too bad.
Life Hack: Put some Enjoy Life mini chips in your cereal. Nobody has to know.
4. Synder's of Hanover Gluten Free Mini Pretzels
Half of my family is vaguely German and that means half of my blood is sauerkraut and pretzels. Therefore, I had to find a GF pretzel alternative or risk losing my last name. These don’t match the sourdough experience, but they do make a pretty good snack. Much lighter and crispier than a typical pretzel, these are a bit like if you mixed the crunch of a potato chip with a non-GF pretzel. They make a great between classes, carb-y snack and go for about $3 in stores. Other varieties include buffalo and honey mustard and onion. Although I haven’t made it to those, I can say these GF, dairy-free, egg-free and milk-free minis are surprisingly adequate for a big brand’s venture into the allergy-friendly market.
These four are my first favorites, but you can bet more are coming. I hope this list eases the stress of the GF and allergy-friendly sections and saves you a little dough on your next shopping trip.
