My Top Gluten Free Kid Friendly Products

Here is my handy dandy list of kid friendly gluten free products. Want to know how to replace Kraft dinner? How about pancakes? All those favourite foods that you think your child will have to give up are actually replaceable with gluten free options. So here are my favourites, and where in Vancouver to buy them!

1. Pamela's Baking and Pancake mix. My all time favourite product. I use this for everything. It makes gorgeous gravy, banana bread, cookies, and of course, pancakes. It does contain butter milk powder so it is not suitable for dairy free diets. The cookie recipe on the back of the package is fool proof. I have found this product at Choices in the pancake section. It is expensive so I often buy it in bulk from Amazon for a few dollars cheaper.

2. Gluten Free Pantry Favourite Sandwich Bread Mix. I make most of Matthew's bread from this mix. It is as easy as making cake from a box. However you will need a high powered mixer, like a Kitchen Aid, because the doe is very thick and sticky. I add extra flax seed meal to this for an Omega 3 punch. It yields a nice big loaf and is fractionally cheaper then buying GF bread. It tastes far better then the frozen varieties. It is worth the little bit of effort. I buy mine at Famous Foods. Some times I buy it in bulk from Amazon.

3. Pamela's Brownie Mix. Great brownies! No one will know the difference! Buy it at Choices.

4. Glutino crackers. These are a great replacement for Ritz crackers. They don't taste the same, but they are the closest to a regular cracker that is out there. I buy them from Price Smart, and sometimes London Drugs has them.

5. Slim Down Rice Crackers from Want Want. These are the best rice crackers. They are super tasty! I buy them from London Drugs, Choices, Famous Foods and Whole Foods.

6. Mi-Del Arrowroot Animal Cookies. These cookies replace animal crackers. They are pretty tasty. They do contain butter so they are not dairy free. I buy these at Choices, Price Smart and Wholefoods.

7. Waffles. There are Natures Path frozen waffles in several varieties and Vans waffles. I recommend trying them out until you find the ones your child likes. I go for the Mesa Sunrise ones from Natures Path because they are a little healthier. But they can be a little dry. You can buy them from Price Smart, Whole Foods, Choices, and Famous Foods.

8. Mrs, Leepers pastas. This pasta is made from corn so it is yellow in colour. It cooks up with out getting mushy. It tastes like tortilla chips. It is high in fibre and protein. The elbow macaroni closely resembles Kraft dinner. You can buy the Kraft dinner packets for the sauce and throw away the pasta. Your child will hardly notice the difference. I buy this at Price Smart.
Just a side note; Annies makes a GF mac and cheese product. I am not a huge fan of it. It is expensive, the pasta is made from white rice which makes it void of any fibre or taste.

9. EnviroKids Crispy Rice bars. My kid loves these! They are a good replacement for rice crispy bars.
You will find these at Price Smart, Whole Foods, and Choices.

10. Natures Path Whole O's are a great replacement for Cheerio's. They are the healthier choice as many gluten free kids cereals are packed with sugar. You will find them at Price Smart, Whole Foods, London Drugs, and Choices.

11. Kinnikinik makes a wide variety of products including breads, English muffins, bagels, and mixes. You can find ready made frozen products in the freezer of the bakery at Safeway. They can also be found in the frozen foods of Price Smart, Whole Foods, Choices and Famous Foods. I keep these breads on hand for convenience, in case I don't get around to making bread. The bagels are tasty and kids love them with jam.

12. Panne Rizzo on Cornwall in Kits makes the nicest rice buns. If I am in the area I always pick some up to keep in the freezer. They make great hamburger buns or garlic bread. I cut them in half because they are pretty big. You can call Panne Rizzo and order these in advance.

13. Pamela's Chocolate Cake Mix. I use this to make cupcakes for special occasions. One packet can make about 24 small cupcakes, so it is good value compared to other mixes. GF cake mixes are tricky. It is hard to get good cake. This is by far the best one I have tried. I always add an extra egg and I add a half cup of vegetable puree, like spinach or sweet potato to add fibre and improve the texture. I always get compliments! In fact, I have made a cake that looks like McQueen out of it!

You could spend a lot of money and time, like I did, trying to find the right products. I hope this list helps to make it a little easier!