A Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Starter Kit: My Go-To Shopping List for Food Allergies

I remember sitting in the doctor’s office and hearing I had to give up dairy. He had a strong suspicion it was aggravating my asthma. (He was right.) I didn’t know where to start when I found out I had food allergies.

My brain was going through the list I had kept for the last week, tracking everything I ate. There was milk, or butter, egg, or cheese in everything. What on earth was I going to eat? Carrots? I already had several food allergies to deal with, so this was going to be a challenge. I faced a similar challenge when my allergy tests suddenly showed a new allergy to gluten a couple years ago.

At the time, I wished I had a friend to walk with me through the grocery store to help me find food that I could eat. I’m going to be that friend for you! While I can’t actually shop with you, I’ve created this list to give you a place to start.

Finding out you have food allergies can be very daunting. It’s hard to know where to start when you’re trying an elimination diet or cutting out whole food groups. It felt like a huge potential waste of money to pile items into my cart, wondering if I would even like any of them. And, unfortunately gluten-free and dairy-free foods have a bad rap for being tasteless or gross.

Although I’ve tried some weird things over the years, the good news is that there are many, many allergy-free options that are delicious! This list is made up of the options I love best, so I can save you some of that trial and error.

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I’m going to share some of my favorite pre-made meals to make the transition easier. During this learning curve, you’ll probably be trying a lot of new recipes. Which can be fun, as long as you’re not starving. Often, you’ll want to be able to grab something quick that you know is allergy-free. Having these ready-made options will make it a lot more fun to try new recipes, especially if anything doesn’t turn out. You can pop something in the microwave instead!

I’ve been totally dairy-free for over a decade. I’ve gone totally gluten-free several times, and have settled in for a low-gluten diet. Before I list my favorite foods, I’m going to share some tips I learned along the way.

Note: This blog post is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. I am not a health care provider, and what I share is based on my personal experiences.  Always talk to your doctor when making changes to your treatment or before trying something new. By reading this post, you agree that you are responsible for ensuring that any foods you try are safe for your particular allergies and dietary needs.

My Tips For Going Allergy-Free

First, go slowly. I tend to jump in headfirst when I start a new eating plan, and over the years I’ve learned the transition is a lot easier if you do some planning first. Believe me, having some time to adjust and take a few shopping trips to stock up on your new essentials will save you a lot of stress. That’s where my list comes in! Because it is really hard to make a lot of decisions when you’re hungry.

Second, I strongly suggest you work with a nutritionist or naturopathic physician while you transition to your new diet. They can help you make sure you’re still getting the required nutrients, and they can walk you through what to expect when you make these kinds of significant changes to your diet. (For instance, making sure you get enough calcium while going dairy free, or getting enough fiber while going gluten free.) It will take your body some time to adjust, so they can help you know what’s normal. They can also help you learn what foods are likely to be contaminated. (For instance, unless they’re labeled “gluten free,” oats often contain gluten due to being grown with wheat).

While shopping for new foods, you’re going to read a lot of ingredient lists. Start at the bottom of the list. Look for the word “Contains” in bold font, which will be followed by major allergens. This will help you eliminate foods more quickly; there’s nothing worse than reading through twenty ingredients while starting to think, “Yes, I can eat this!” only to discover that the last ingredient is an allergen. Also, learn what other names dairy and gluten hide under on ingredient lists. Also, I personally avoid anything that says it’s made on the same equipment that processes any of my allergens.

If you contact companies about questions on their products, I’ve found it helpful to keep a copy of my emails and their responses in a Word document. I can refer back to this when I’m ready to try something new, and in case I’ve forgotten whether or not I checked with a company in the past. (I have several other allergies in addition to dairy and gluten that like to hide under ambiguous labels.)

Finally, I’ve found most of these foods can be bought locally at Fred Meyers or Marlenes. I live in the Pacific Northwest, but for ordering anywhere, I’ve linked to Amazon and other sites in the list below.

Alright, let’s get shopping!

My Favorite Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Foods

I’ve noted what the labels say on these foods: gluten free, dairy free and/or vegan. A few are NOT gluten free.

PS some items linked to below are shipped from Amazon and need to be refrigerated. I’ve never purchased perishable foods on Amazon, so I checked some reviews and it looks like these items are shipped well so they don’t spoil.

Easy Meals:

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 8 Grain Hot Cereal, 27-ounce

Labeled as Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free
My favorite breakfast food, similar flavor to cream of wheat.

Nature’s Path Homestyle Waffle
Labeled as Gluten Free
These are on the sweet side, kind of like a waffle cone, so I top with fresh fruit or peanut butter instead of syrup.

Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheeze
Labeled as Dairy Free and Gluten Free (They also make a variety with cheese, so just be sure to check before you toss these in your cart!)
One of my favorite meals/snacks ever. FYI Amy’s has the most helpful customer service!

Amy’s Vegan Supreme Pizza
Labeled as Vegan and Dairy Free
Even my dad loves this pizza! This is delish.

Amy’s Vegan Margherita Pizza
Labeled as Vegan and Dairy Free
I haven’t tried this kind yet, but it looks similar to the yummy “cheeze” pizza that was discontinued. It’s on my list to try.

Amy’s Pad Thai
Labeled as Gluten Free Dairy Free, Vegan
I like that they don’t skimp on the amount of chicken.

Evol Lean & Fit: Teriyaki Chicken
Labeled as Gluten Free
So many yummy veggies!

Amy’s Bean & Rice Burrito
Labeled as Dairy Free
A great go-to meal.

Amy’s Gluten Free/Dairy Free Bean and Rice Burrito 
Labeled as Gluten Free/Dairy Free
I like the gluten tortilla a little better, but these are very good.

Amy’s Organic Chunky Vegetable Soup, Low Fat, 14.3-Ounce
Labeled as Vegan and Gluten Free
I missed cream of tomato soup, and this makes up for that.

Best Substitutes for Baking and Cooking:

Pacific Foods Oat Drink
Labeled as Dairy Free
Best milk replacement for baking or cereal.

Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds
Labeled as Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Great for cooking and it melts like cheese! It’s the closest thing to cheese I’ve found. They also make a cheese stick, but since those are meant to be eaten cold, I am NOT a fan!

Tinkyada Brown Rice Noodles
Labeled as Gluten Free, Wheat Free
The BEST gluten free noodles ever. Use them for spaghetti or whatever. My family, who are not allergic to gluten, prefer these to regular noodles. 

Tolerant Organic Gluten Free Red Lentil Rotini Pasta
Labeled as No Dairy, No Wheat or Gluten
My second choice to see the Tinkyada noodles. I like the hint of richness the lentils add, but I’ve had trouble with them falling apart or some of the noodles not cooking in the past.

Earth Balance Olive Oil Mindful® Dressing & Sandwich Spread 
(Aka Mayonaise)
Labeled as Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free
I’m picky about my mayonnaise, and this stuff is great!

Earth Balance Olive Oil Buttery Spread
Labeled as Vegan, lactose-free, non-dairy, gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and no MSG
Closest to butter I’ve ever tasted. I use it on everything from scones to baked potatoes to frosting recipes.

Food for Life Brown Rice Tortillas
Labeled as Vegan and Gluten Free
Perfect for making veggie wraps or sandwich wraps.

Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening
(Also available at Costco)
Just lists ingredients: Organic Palm Oil
Perfect as a butter substitute in baking.

Belolio Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil
Perfect as a melted butter substitute in baking. This is the brand we’ve found does not taste like olive oil when used in baking.

Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips
Labeled as Free from Wheat, Dairy and Egg and other major allergens
Perfect for cookies and other desserts! Check out their other chocolate chunks and allergy-friendly snacks.

Applesauce
2 rounded TBSP works in most baking recipes to replace one egg.

Snacks and Desserts:

Kite Hill Yogurt
Labeled as Dairy Free
This is delicious. Peach and blueberry are best in my opinion. The strawberry is too sweet for me unless I mix in some bananas. Which is saying something because I have a sweet tooth.
I don’t like plain yogurt by itself, but I’m curious to use it in baking.

Glutino Pretzels
Labeled as Gluten Free
I snack on these all the time, especially if I need some salt due to Dysautonomia. Great with hummus.

Mary’s Gone Crackers Original Crackers, Organic Brown Rice, Flax & Sesame Seeds
Labeled as Gluten Free
Also great with hummus.

Boars Head Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
Labeled as Gluten Free
This is my favorite of their hummus, though I like their traditional flavor too. I eat this all the time with veggeis, pretzels and/or crackers. Also makes a delicious spread for a tortilla wrap.
I was disappointed to see their website doesn’t list the ingredients. Too bad, because I really want to see if their dessert hummus is safe! This sounds delish. 

Eat Pastry Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Labeled as Gluten Free, Vegan
It’s so nice to have an easy way to whip up a batch of warm cookies!

KIND Healthy Grains Granola Bars, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate
Labeled as Gluten Free
One of my favorite snacks.

Larabar Gluten Free Bar, Peanut Butter Cookie
Labeled as Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan

LARABAR, Fruit & Nut Bar, Cashew Cookie
Labeled as Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan
These are my two favorite flavors. There are more: LÄRABAR 16-Flavor Variety Link too

SO Vanilla Bean Coconutmilk Frozen Dessert
Labeled as Gluten Free and Vegan
Otherwise known as the best dairy-free ice cream I’ve found!

Daiya New York Cheezecake
Labeled as Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Oh. My. Word. I did not think I was ever going to have cheesecake again, and this is sublime. Top with some canned cherries if you’re feeling especially decadent.

I hope this list gets you started with healthy, allergy-free options! Bon appétit! 

Which are your favorites on this list? Which are you most excited to try?
I’d love to hear what you think of these products, and if this list was helpful for you!

PS Here are some easy recipes on my blog.