Kara Swanson's Top 10 Picks for Gluten-Free Living

When it comes to gluten-free baking, this flour makes it super easy to enjoy your favorite recipes without any extra hassle. It's an exact replacement for regular flour—so if the recipe calls for 1 cup of regular flour, you can just substitute it for 1 cup of this flour to make it gluten-free! 

The possibilities for baking with gluten-free flour are endless. You can use it for cookies, cakes, pancakes, muffins, and tons of other goods. It's also vegan and doesn't have any soy, oat, or corn ingredients. After much experimentation, I have found that this flour has the best texture and taste out of many other brands.

One of the hardest swaps to do when you're eating gluten-free is bread. I've tried a lot of gluten-free bread over the years to find the perfect one that not only tastes good but doesn't fall apart! There's nothing worse than trying to eat a sandwich and it completely falling apart. 

It was love at first bite when my family tried Canyon Bakehouse. Not only does their bread taste amazing, but the texture is perfect! It reminds me of regular bread. 

Besides honey white bread, they have lots of other flavor options to choose from. We mostly use this bread for toast, sandwiches, and grilled cheeses.

Siete's Almond Flour Tortillas are delicious and have a great texture. They're only made with a handful of ingredients like almond flour, tapioca flour, and water, so you know exactly what you're getting. Siete is one of our favorite gluten-free brands. In fact, my pickiest eater prefers these over any other wraps!

A downside is that the tortillas do tend to fall apart at times. I recommend heating them for 5 to 10 seconds in the microwave so that they bend easier. 

You need to eat them relatively quickly because they don't have preservatives, but they store really well in the freezer. Once they're frozen, all you have to do is heat them up and then eat! 

Eating brown rice pasta is a great way to add whole grains and healthier carbohydrates into your diet. Tinykada has the best tasting gluten-free pasta and their product holds its shape well, despite being made from flour alternatives. 

Make sure you don't overcook them or the pasta will get too soft and start to stick together. However, leftovers store well and won't get mushy over time. The texture is very similar to regular pasta and even fussy eaters won't be able to tell the difference!

Another major swap you'll have to do when you're eating gluten-free is crackers. Simple Mills' crackers are made from simple, quality ingredients, making them a favorite in our house. There are no additives and they taste really great. They're perfect for dipping, lunches, or for plating on a snack board. 

The only downside is that they are a bit pricier and don't come in a large amount! But they're a good pantry staple to have because they're certified gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, paleo-friendly, corn-free, and grain-free.

These are our favorite brand of gluten-free cookies. You won't even be able to tell they're gluten-free! The delicious snacks are loaded with dairy-free chocolate chips and have a great, crunchy texture. Enjoy Life's cookies are a perfect dessert, treat for a lunch box, or snack at the soccer fields.

They're made from buckwheat flour, which is high in proteins and essential amino acids, and are a good source of iron, zinc, and selenium. In addition, all Enjoy Life products are free from common allergens like dairy, soy, wheat, tree nuts, egg, and peanuts, which makes them good for people who have dietary restrictions!

These are a pantry staple in our home and we often give them as a snack to our girls. These pretzels are extra crunchy—they're even crunchier than regular pretzels! Everyone who tries them for the first time mentions this. 

These pretzels are perfectly baked and lightly salted for that classic pretzel taste but without the gluten. Glutino Pretzel Twists make for a great snack on-the-go, at your office desk, or with your favorite dip.

If you struggle with sugar cravings but are addicted to chocolate, you're going to love JoJo's dark chocolates. They kick the sugar cravings and taste great! JoJo has a variety of different flavors like Goes Hawaiian, featuring coconut and macadamia nuts, and they even sell a peanut butter-filled bar called Peanut Butter Delight. 

The chocolates are low in sugar, contain clean ingredients, and have the perfect amount of sweetness to kick cravings when you're really wanting something sweet. Plus, dark chocolate has antioxidants so you can feel good about eating JoJo's. You can save money on your order through their official website when you use the code KARA10.

These veggie pops make gluten-free snacking delicious. If you're craving something crunchy and still want to eat healthily, this snack checks all the boxes. 

Each serving has 7 to 8 grams of plant-based protein and is made from real vegetables like kale, broccoli, and carrots. These are highly addictive, so it's a good thing they're made with such clean ingredients! We love snacking on these at the park or in the car.

Another must-have item is almond flour. You can use it for all your baking needs! So many recipes actually call for almond flour instead of regular baking flour, making it great to have all-around. Almond flour is naturally gluten-free and very versatile, and we find that Bob's Red Mill's, in particular, has a great flavor and texture. 

Almond flour cannot be used with a 1 to 1 substitution ratio, so recipes won't turn out correctly if you try to replace regular flour with an equal amount of this. However, almond flour is a good source of fiber and boasts lots of vitamin E and magnesium.