Going gluten free doesn't have to mean going without your favorite grilled cheese sandwich or French toast breakfast. You CAN have bread and it CAN taste good!

Gluten free just means a little tweak in your staple bread entrees.




However, depending on which bread you choose, you could find yourself thinking you'll never have a tasty sandwich again. Trust me, we've tried some pretty nasty gluten free breads over the past few years. But, we've also found some yummy options and have compiled a list for you of the top three brands (and no, none of these companies are endorsing this post; we just want you to eat what tastes good).

Top gluten free bread companies:

1. Canyon Bakehouse

Canyon Bakehouse has some of the most moist and squishy gluten free bread out there. We particularly like their cinnamon raisin and 7-grain breads. Perfect for a sandwich!

2. Rudi's Gluten Free

Rudi's is also quite moist for a gluten free bread. Their multigrain and cinnamon raisin breads are great for making toast in the morning. We also really like their plain tortillas

3. Udi's Gluten Free

Udi's bread holds a special place in my heart, just because it was the first gluten free bread I tried that tasted good and when toasted I didn't feel like it was going to break my jaw as I attempted to bite it. I also appreciated that it wasn't crazy crumbly like other breads (none of these three breads mentioned are!). Again, we like their whole grain, as well as their hamburger and hot dog buns. We also REALLY like their blueberry muffins. They're a great thing to pack (with Justin's peanut butter packets) for out of town trips!

Another great thing about Udi's is that Trader Joes is now carrying it!!! I think it's about $1 cheaper there than the health food store I usually buy it at! Score!

Now, granted, you can buy mixes and make your own gluten free bread, but honestly, we don't have time for that. When we're making something with bread (which we don't do every day) it's usually something quick like a sandwich or toast. Having these breads handy makes those quick meals that much tastier! Trust us, we've tried the funky stuff...it's gross! ;-)

One SUPER important note...we keep ALL our gluten free bread in the freezer so that it keeps longer and better. We just take off a slice or two and defrost in for 30 sec in the microwave or toast it in the toaster oven (just make sure you don't burn it!).

Happy bread eating!

Did we miss an amazing gluten free bread on this list? If so, please tell us and we'll see if we can check it out.

Rachel aka Gfreegal

Yippee!  Ok, maybe I'm a bit over-excited, but Udi's has come out with new breads and they're uber-healthy!!  OHH yeah!!!

Finally, a gluten free bread that's healthy and likely tasty (I have yet to try anything from Udi's that I didn't like, but I need to go buy this bread before I'll know for sure!).


Just looking at the facts in the image above, I'm excited to eat something with 12 grams of whole grains!

Besides being gluten free, the bread also boasts being soy-free and nut-free!  Added bonus for those with multiple allergies or just trying to avoid soy or nuts.
Being on a gluten free diet, I've missed the opportunity to buy already made "whole grain" breads.  Crosby and I cook A LOT at home, but we have yet to add making our own bread to the list.  We don't eat a lot of bread anyways, but when we do make sandwiches or toast, it's much more convenient to pull an already made loaf out of the freezer.  It makes me so excited to have the option of a bread that will be good for us to eat. 

Here's a snippet from Udi's blog about their bread.

Udi’s new Omega Flax & Fiber and Millet-Chia breads not only provide great taste and texture – their ‘ancient’’ and wholesome ingredients provide the solid nutritional foundation needed for our current busy lifestyles.  Read on to discover some of the natural health benefits of these ancient ingredients offer.   

Their website carries all their products and the price is pretty reasonable. :)

Who doesn't love a nice bowl of chili with some homemade gluten free cornbread?

The idea always brings me back to when I was younger and my dad would always eat cornbread with any meal he could. Maybe I'm thinking of the dad from Full House, who knows... hahahaha

But seriously, my dad loves this stuff!

Gluten free cornbread has to be one of the easiest things to make.



Here's what you'll need.

• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 1/3 cup of melted butter
• 2 Eggs
• Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Grease 9"x9" non-stick pan
3. Mix together cornbread mix, milk, eggs and butter in a large mixing bowl.
4. Mix on low speed until blended.
5. Pour into a baking pan.
6. Bake for 25min

This is the most delicious banana bread EVER!  Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
*Recipe adapted from Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.


Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Canola or Coconut Oil (I prefer Coconut)
• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (or any all purpose flour)
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Xanthan Gum
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup Walnuts (I chose chocolate chips instead!)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 9x5 non-stick loaf pan (funny how we have to grease non-stick pans!).
Cream oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Add flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.  Mix in bananas.  Beat until smooth, then stir in nuts or chocolate chips.  Pour into pan.
Bake for 1 hour.
Let cool for about 10 minutes.  Slice and serve with butter while still hot!

Enjoy!  Please let us know what you think and any variations that you like!

What better way to test out a new loaf of bread than to make French Toast.

Being an avid breakfast eater, French Toast is one of my favorite meals to make. It's such a delicious and fairly easy meal to make. Usually reserved for a relaxed Saturday morning, summer break affords me the luxury of making this meal mid-week.

So back to the new loaf. If you've ever tried Trader Joe's staple brown rice loaf then you can understand why I steer clear of anything bread-like at my favorite grocer.

While I love many things about TJ's, their gluten free bread is not on that list. This bread, Food For Life's brown rice loaf, is joked about in our house as the perfect weapon should we ever need to attack an intruder!

This thing is so dense. It is only edible toasted with an eighth of a stick of butter slopped on top (possibly a 1/4 stick!).

Needless to say, this thing is rough and in my opinion not worth the money saved (it's $2 less than Udi's).

It's just too stinkin thick, but a few weeks ago I heard there was hope. One of my lovely TJ checkers told me they had other gluten free bread that was better. I've been on the lookout ever since and I found it for the first time yesterday. It's Trader Joe's brand brown rice bread and it's not half bad.

My mother had purchased this bread last week so she warned me that keeping it in the freezer made the bread a bit too dry. I figured I'd remedy that by making half the loaf into French Toast, freeze some of that, and leave the rest in the refrigerator for sandwiches and such (side note, most gluten free bread holds up best when frozen as it goes rancid quickly).

As I started to make the French Toast, I was a bit leery of this bread as it already appeared a bit dry. I kept the bread in the egg solution a bit longer than normal and seemed to do the trick! Twas a tasty tasty breakfast today!!

Gluten Free French Toast (Ingredients) -

• *Secret ingredients are vanilla and cinnamon! It will revolutionize your taste buds! :-)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2-3/4 cup milk of choice (I prefer whole milk) 
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1/2 t cinnamon 
• 6-8 slices of bread (less bread if not gluten free as those slices are often larger in size)

Directions -

1. Heat griddle or pan over medium heat and spray with Pam to coat.
2. Beat eggs, add milk and vanilla and continue to beat. 
3. Pour mixture into a shallow dish, I use a pie pan, and sprinkle the top of the mixture with cinnamon.
4. Place a few slices of bread into dish and allow to sit for about a minute before turning over. 
5. Let sit another 30 sec-1 minute before placing in pan. 
6. Cook on both sides until golden brown.
7. Continue with remaining bread. I prefer to sprinkle more cinnamon into the mixture between each slice of bread. 
8. Top with sliced strawberries, butter and a bit of whipped cream for an extra treat.

*All ingredients used except for the bread are organic (it has transformed flavors for us).

I'll have to see how this bread fares when used for sandwiches a stuff. I doubt it'll be as good as Udi's, but at $2 cheaper a loaf I'm hoping it comes close.

Maybe I need to start making my own bread...anyone know of cheaper and tasty gluten free bread recipes?

I'd also love to find/make bread that's organic. If you have any leads please let me know.

Otherwise, enjoy a tasty breakfast on this lovely Tuesday!