Gluten-Free Staples You Can Find At Trader Joe's

Whether you have celiac disease or just a run-of-the-mill gluten intolerance, living without wheat can be a huge challenge, even in today's global, diversified food environment. And that is why, if you must eat gluten-free, you should absolutely live near a Trader Joe's store. Yes, this California-based chain that is noticeably lacking self-checkout lanes is chock full of gluten-free goodies, but more essentially, it's got a lot of basic pantry staples.

Trader Joe's hasn't gone on the record for why it sells so many gluten-free items, but it may be that the company simply recognizes a growing market and seeks to fill in the gap with high-quality, good-tasting products that its customers have come to rely on. And just as an FYI, if you head to the stores on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings, you'll likely have a lot more elbow room and feel a lot less hurried and harried as you peruse the chain's gluten-free offerings.

Oh, Trader Joe's gluten-free bread selection — how we do love thee. When TJ's decided to do wheat-free bread products, it really went all-in, with sandwich breads, English muffins, baguettes, bagels, hamburger buns — even pizza dough and ready-made crusts. For many people, the sandwich bread is their go-to in terms of taste and quality — no flimsy pieces that disintegrate once they hit your mouth. The whole grain version was so popular that when TJ's changed the recipe (removing eggs to make it vegan) and customers vehemently complained, it listened and brought back the original.

If you thought when you started your gluten-free journey that you would have to say ciao to pasta, Trader Joe's is here to tell you that you can still say ciao, because in Italian, it also means hello. They have an extensive wheat-free pasta selection, including basics like fettuccine and fusilli, and more specialty shapes tagliatelle. In addition to its Hearts of Palm pasta, stores sell GF cheese ravioli, as well as cauliflower gnocchi (in the frozen section), perfect for whipping up this pan-fried mascarpone gnocchi with basil pesto on the quick.

There are so many incredible GF sweets at Trader Joe's, in a variety of departments, so lock in. Consider livening up your morning coffee with one of its GF muffins or glazed chocolate donut holes (the latter of which you cannot even tell are gluten-free). TJ's is also heavy on the gluten-free cookies, with packages of chocolate chunk, oatmeal coconut, madeleines, and even a GF version of its iconic Joe-Joe's. Also, if you didn't know, it has finally happened: Trader Joe's released gluten-free versions of its chocolate and vanilla mini sheet cakes.

When you're craving pizza and mac and cheese, or something with Asian flavors, but you don't want to break the bank (or submit yourself to the possibilities of cross-contamination) with takeout, Trader Joe's has a bunch of GF freezer meals and proteins that you can keep stocked up on. There's breaded shrimp (the fried coating is made of coconut flour and tapioca starch), Korean japchae (with sweet potato glass noodles), Thai coconut pancakes, and one major fan favorite, chicken tikka masala, which is surprisingly filling for a freezer meal.

Trader Joe's sells plenty of long-lasting grains that you can keep on hand to bolster your morning breakfast or your dinnertime meal. These includes all kinds of oats (though you may want to practice caution if you are especially sensitive to gluten, because an organization found traces of gluten in the company's rolled oats — though TJ's denied the claims), granola, convenient little tubs of overnight oats, quinoa, and basmati and jasmine rice — which while not labeled gluten-free, equally do not contain a wheat allergen warning on their labels.

One of the great things about Trader Joe's many snacks is that they are often naturally gluten-free, like its Organic Iced Oatmeal Baked Whole Grain Bars, its tortilla chips, and many of its potato chips. There is something so nostalgic about the bags of Rice Cracker Medleys, so addicting about the Organic Cacio e Pepe Puffs, and so comforting about many of its savory popcorn bags. Oh, and the number one Fan Favorite item Chili & Lime Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips? As the name suggests, those are also gluten-free.

Trader Joe's also offers plenty of products for those who prefer to make things more from scratch, like its GF all-purpose flour, as well as seasonal pumpkin bread mix (a big hit year after year), and its pancake and waffle mix. Additionally, many canned and nonperishable items, like beans and broth, are naturally gluten-free, and you can stock up on them while you're in-store. Also, many of its specialty seasonings, like the infamous Everything but the Bagel, as well as the Chili Lime, Green Goddess, and Everything but the Elote, are also gluten-free.