Many brands exist on the market who take extra strides to create and certify “O” shaped cereals for those of us who need it. Read through the whole post to see just how some of these companies are going above and beyond. Who knows, they may become your new favorite cereal!

Nature’s Path Whole O’s

Nature’s Path Whole O’s became one of my favorite gluten free alternatives to Cheerios over a decade ago.  It contains no oats, no GMO’s, and is certified through GFCO. This cereal boasts only 5 ingredients. The main ingredients include organic brown rice flour and organic corn flour. See their FAQ section to learn about how they handle allergens. While not frequently available in bigger grocery stores, I find these at local health food stores, as well as on Amazon.

Cascadian Farms Fruitful O’s

Cascadian Farms sells 4 gluten free cereals, with the Fruitful O’s being the only “O Shaped” they make that they label gluten free. (They do have oat based O Cereals). It does not bear a gluten free certification logo. Ingredients are corn meal, cane sugar, purple corn flour, tapioca syrup, sunflower oil, sea salt, calcium carbonate, annatto, natural flavor, and Vitamin E. Find it in stores and on Amazon.

Love Grown Power O’s

Photo courtesy of Amazon

Love Grown Power O’s may contain the most unique blend of ingredients of all the gluten-free “O” shaped cereals. Their create their cereals from “navy, lentil and garbanzo beans.” Their original flavor contains no added sugar 4 g of fiber per serving. In addition to their original flavor, they also produce chocolate and cinnamon flavors.

The Love Grown FAQ section states the following:

Yes, all of our products are made with gluten-free ingredients including our oat-based products, which are made with Certified Gluten Free Oats. The manufacturers that produce Love Grown products are Certified Gluten Free with the Gluten Intolerance Group. Under this certification each ingredient, processing step, and facility are carefully reviewed to ensure no risk of gluten contamination. The manufacturers are not dedicated gluten free, nor are they required to be under the certification, but they have implemented all programs, controls, and training to ensure that all Love Grown products are gluten free. In addition to all of these steps, our finished products are not shipped until they have been tested and shown to be gluten free.

These cereals bear the GFCO gluten-free certification, which requires audits on a yearly basis, sometimes even more frequently depending on the product. If you’re a Prime fan, you can also order them on Amazon. 

Lovebird Cereal

Lovebird Cereal is made from cassava. They contain no grains, no oats, and no artificial sweeteners. Flavors include cacao, strawberry, honey, cinnamon and unsweetened. Their cereal is “certified gluten free and made in a certified gluten free facility.” Order directly from them on their website, or on Amazon. This is one alternative cereal I’ve tried and REALLY like!

Seven Sundays

Seven Sundays “Sunflower” cereals are made from Cassava. This cereal is sweetened with maple syrup or coconut sugar, depending on the flavor. Their about page states they are “100% Real Food- Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Contain No Refined Sugars, Dyes, Artificial Flavors or “Natural” Flavors. In addition they claim they are Glyphosate Free and Allergen Friendly.” You can find their cereals at Target and Whole Foods, among other stores. Use their store locator to find them near you. **Note – they have other Oat Protein cereal in O shapes, but their products are not certified gluten free.

Magic Spoon Cereal

Magic Spoon grain free cereal meets GFCO gluten free certification standards. This high protein cereal contains just 4 net carbs, no cane sugar, corn syrup or sugar alcohols. Magic Spoon is sweetened with allulose and monk fruit.

Their FAQ states the following: “Our cereal and Treats are Certified Gluten-Free, but are made in a shared facility that also processes products that contain gluten. We test product in and product out, and can guarantee that we comply with the Gluten-Free Certification Organization’s requirement to contain no more than 10 parts per million gluten.”

Order their products from their website or their variety pack on Amazon. (affiliate link) 

Three Wishes

Three Wishes grain free cereal is made from chickpeas and contains no grains. It is sweetened with Monk Fruit. The production facility also contains no peanuts. (Their products contain no tree nuts or soy, but they are present in the facility.)  GFCO certifies this product, which requires less than 10 ppm of gluten in a product.

Their website states the following: “All products are gluten free certified and tested under GFCO standards. There is no gluten present in our facility during production.”

Order from their website, or find it at Whole Foods. Also available on Amazon.

In Conclusion

So there you have it. Many gluten-free “O” shaped cereal options, most who have been independently audited to be certified gluten-free. So when the many voices out there want you to pick a side in the gluten free Cheerios argument, politely choose “other.” Let’s celebrate the diversity of flavors and uniqueness of ingredients. Aren’t we blessed that we have so many options?

Which of these cereals are you most interested in trying? Do you frequently buy one of these for your household? Share your thoughts on these brands below! 

**I was not paid by any of these companies to mention these products. This post is meant to be informative only. In addition, these images were not taken by myself, but found through other websites. However, this page does include Amazon affiliate links. Amazon will credit a small portion of the sale to me, but it does not change the price you pay. **

Originally Published January 2018

The post Gluten Free Alternatives to Cheerios appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Secret Family Recipe

My dad was known for one signature dish. Every family gathering, you can almost bet that he would bring his gluten-free meatballs. These juicy meatballs were present at every Christmas party, family potluck, and any other time there’s good cause for a celebration.

My dad claimed them as a “secret family recipe”, but I’m choosing to pass this on to you! So welcome to the family, and make a batch of these great meatballs. I hope your family enjoys them as much as we have. 

Gluten Free Adaptations

In all honesty, this recipe for gluten-free meatballs underwent some alterations since its inception. In my younger years, my dad made these with beer, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, and Lipton’s Onion soup mix.

Fast forward to post celiac diagnosis, and regular beer is a no-no. (As is Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix.) You can leave the beer out, if you want. If you choose to use beer, make sure it is made from gluten free grains, not a gluten removed one like Omission or Space Rock.

Gluten Free Beers You Could Safely Use

• – New Grist
• – Green’s Beer- Any flavor
• – Ground Breaker Brewing
• – Ghostfish
• – Alt Brew (in Wisconsin)

Gluten Free Onion Soup Mix

• – Simply Organic French Onion Dip Mix
• – Mom’s Place Gluten Free Onion Soup Mix
• – Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix from The Country Cook

Gluten Free Corn Flakes & Breadcrumbs

Kellogg’s Corn Flakes are not gluten-free because they contain malt. Instead, look for corn flakes that are truly gluten-free, such as the one manufactured by Nature’s Path. You could also use the Gluten Free Corn Bran Flakes made by Meijer.

Another great possibility is to used crush Corn Chex. Chex underwent a huge reformulation years ago and took out all the malt from their cereal. I use crushed Corn or Rice Chex all the time in recipes.

Now, I don’t even use corn flake crumbs. I am in love with Aleia’s Gluten Free Breadcrumbs. They come in various flavors. I would stick with the plain breadcrumbs if you plan to add barbecue sauce to these.

However, if you plan to pair them with spaghetti, I highly recommend using their Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs. They’re my absolute favorite!

What Sauce Do You Use for Gluten Free Meatballs?

While these gluten-free meatballs are used best with my dad’s signature sauce, they’re pretty versatile. You could add other seasonings based on how you’d like to use them. Add Italian seasoning and serve them with marinara and spaghetti. (They’d work great as a meatball sub this way too!) Or prepare The Cookies Rookie’s Swedish Meatball gravy with a GF flour blend, and serve these meatballs over hot gluten free noodles

Add a pinch of Chinese Five Spice and serve them with a sweet and sour sauce over rice. One could also leave them plain and place them in a kid’s lunch with dipping sauce for a fun hands-on meal. The possibilities truly are endless. These freeze and thaw really well, sans sauce, so make up a batch in advance for your next gathering!

Looking for recipes for other types of meatballs? Sweet and sour or Swedish meatballs? Check out this post from Fearless Dining that lists 14 gluten free meatballs recipes!

Print

Gluten Free Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 4 lbs ground beef I used ground sirloin, my dad uses ground chuck
• 1/4 c chopped onion
• 4 eggs
• 1 c gluten-free beer or beef broth
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 pkg gluten-free onion soup mix I used Simply Organic
• 2 c gluten-free corn flake crumbs

Sauce

• 3 c ketchup
• 3 c grape jelly
• 1/4 c bbq sauce I prefer Stubb’s

Instructions

• Line cookie sheet with tinfoil and coat with cooking spray. 
• Mix ingredients in large bowl with fork or potato masher. (You can mix with your hands as well. If so, I highly suggest removing rings first.) 
• Using a 1 oz (#40) scoop, gather a portion of the gluten-free meatball mixture. Drop in the palm of your hands and roll into a ball.
• Bake gluten-free meatballs in the oven, one sheet at a time, at 350 for 15 minutes. I highly suggest flipping them after 7 minutes.
• Remove baked meatballs from cookie sheet and place in crockpot or dish with lid. Repeat until all meatballs are cooked.
• In a medium sauce pan, combine ketchup, grape jelly and barbecue sauce. (The barbecue sauce is optional, but I highly suggest it to cut the sweetness of the sauce.) Cook until jelly melts completely. Allow to cool. 
• Finally, layer cooked meatballs and sauce in slow cooker. Cook on low heat for at least 4 hours. Stir occasionally so sauce does not burn.

**This post is NOT sponsored by any of the above named brands. However, this post does include Amazon Affiliate Links. This provides me a small commission fee. However, this does not influence the cost of your purchases. Thank you for helping to support this website!**

Originally published March 2017

The post Gluten-Free Meatballs: A Secret Family Recipe appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.