In the gluten-filled world where we have spent most of our lives until now, we learned as children which products we liked to eat and which we didn’t. Now, as sufferers of celiac disease or as a gluten intolerant, we find ourselves thrown into the task of finding gluten-free products to replace all those foods containing wheat, rye, barley and oats that we loved to eat–like bread, cookies, cakes and pastas. Our lives have suddenly become much more complicated.

A totally gluten-free diet means learning to cope with the creation of menus for three meals a day every day of the week with gluten free products most of which we’ve never heard of or even tasted. While some products on the market are good, some are only okay and many are so bad that you may as well eat the carton on the box it came in. At the start of your gluten-free diet, many of the foods you have purchased will end up in your garbage pail and leave you frustrated and on the verge of deciding to give up on gluten-free food after only trying a few things. How can you ease your suffering and find what products are the most tasty in the easiest way possible, avoiding the costly and time-consuming trial and error system? One of the best ways is to follow the crowd. Log onto the on-line celiac message boards and local support groups. Here the members will tell you in no uncertain terms what gluten-free products are worth eating and which should be avoided at all costs.

Since most people with celiac disease were diagnosed with the disease well into adulthood, they, like you, remember exactly what their favorite products tasted like. The modern gluten-free food manufacturer has a lot of work to do in the taste-pleasing department if he wants to keep his customers. Word of mouth spreads quickly in the celiac community. If a product meets or exceeds expectations, it quickly gains a following. If the product is tasteless, the word spreads just as quickly. There’s nothing that a person with celiac disease hates more than spending good money on bad food. What follows below are some foods to get you started on your way. We have carried out a survey of some of the best-loved gluten-free food along with the names of their manufacturers. K-Toos (cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies similar to Oreos); KinniKritters (animal crackers) and Tapioca Rice Cinnamon Buns (cinnamon rolls) are some of the favorite products coming from Kinnikinnick manufactures. All Kinnikinnick products are manufactured in a gluten-free facility so there is no need to worry about cross-contamination. As they have over 100 products there are plenty of products to choose from.

If you are looking to go the mix route try looking in the health food sections for such popular mixes as Perfect Pie Crust, Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix, Favorite Sandwich Bread and Angel Food Cake, all from the Glutino Food Group. Pamela’s Products is another well-recognized brand that deserves its place high on the list of favorite gluten-free brands. Their Amazing Wheat-Free Bread Mix is among the most popular due to its soft, bendable texture. Their Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix comes in a large, 4-pound recloseable zipper bag! If you are looking for pasta, no list of the best gluten-free brands would be complete without mentioning Tinkyada Pasta which can be used instead of regular pasta to cook all your pre-gluten-free pasta-based family recipes like spaghetti, casseroles and lasagna. And the best part about their products, which come in all the traditional shapes such as spaghetti, fettuccine penne, spirals, lasagna, shells and elbow macaroni, is their taste and high quality which enables celiacs and non-celiacs to enjoy the same great meal.

You might be surprised at how easy it can be to live well on a gluten-free diet with some of these delicious, quality products in your kitchen.

So here’s to happy and tasty gluten-free eating!