GLUTEN FREE SWAPS! 🔄️

What foods do you miss that you used to enjoy when you weren’t sticking to a gluten free diet? Yes, there are lots of gluten free substitutes for our favourite gluten filled items in the Free From sections of a supermarket, but as we all know, they usually come with a higher price tag.

Well, you’re in luck, because we’ve found a load of gluten free swaps for those products you miss the most, and best of all, most of these you’ll find on the normal shelves of a supermarket so won’t cost you an arm and a leg. In fact, most are actually cheaper than the real thing!

Keep scrolling to see a list of gluten free swaps 👇🏼😃

Doritos vs Aldi Tortilla Chips

Doritos Chilli Heatwave crisps contain wheat but the Aldi Snackrite Tortilla Chips taste exactly the same and are completely gluten free! Doritos Tangy Cheese also contain gluten and the Cool Original ‘may contain’ gluten but Aldi come to the rescue again because their other Snackrite Tortilla Chip flavours are a great substitute for the Dorito flavours which aren’t suitable for those avoiding gluten.

Wotsits vs Aldi Cheese Puffs

If you’re coeliac, you shouldn’t be eating Walkers Wotsits because although they don’t contain any gluten ingredients, they are labelled as ‘may contain’ for gluten sources because of how they are manufactured. The Aldi Cheese Puffs, however, are gluten free without any ‘may contains’ and taste just like Wotsits, coming in a share bag size or multipacks. Other supermarkets also have their own version of Wotsits which are gluten free like the Tesco Cheese Puffs and the Cheese Tasters from M&S so always check the labels, you might find some great substitutes.

Sensations vs Aldi Perfections

If you don’t know already, the Walkers Thai Sweet Chilli Sensations contain wheat. However, the Aldi Thai Sweet Chilli Perfections (I still don’t know how they get away with the similarities) are gluten free. They taste pretty much the same and they’re cheaper so it’s a win win!

Monster Munch vs Aldi Monster Claws

Like the Wotsits, those gluten free, especially coeliacs, shouldn’t be eating Walkers Monster Munch because they ‘may contain’ gluten. Aldi saves the day again with their version Monster Claws which are gluten free with no ‘may contains’.

Walkers vs Lays

So, although Walkers and Lays are part of the same company, all Walkers crisps have a ‘may contain’ for gluten sources. However, most of the Lay’s crisps, which you often come across on your holidays, are usually gluten free with no ‘may contains’ depending on the flavour.

Because Lays aren’t traditionally sold here in the UK, you’ll find that Walkers are the version stocked in most supermarkets but you might come across Lays in smaller shops. Failing that, most supermarket’s own branded plain crisps are usually gluten free without any ‘may contains’ so opt for those over Walkers.

Go on, book a holiday and go wild with the Lay’s!

Pringles vs Lidl Potato Snacks

If you’re missing Pringles and don’t fancy spending almost £3.00 on the Schar gluten free Curvies, then get yourself to Lidl. Their Snacktastic Potato Snacks are pretty much pringles and they come in different flavours which are all gluten free! Careful you don’t mix these up with the Aldi ones though because they contain gluten.

HP Sauce vs Asda Brown Sauce

This is a big one for people who have had to go gluten free but love brown sauce. Most brown sauces, including big brands like Original HP, contain barley so it’s a no go for us gluten free breakfast lovers. However, the brown sauce from Asda’s Just Essentials range is gluten free and I’ve heard good things about it.

Colman’s Mustard vs Tracklements

Another gluten containing condiment is English mustard. Standard English Mustard like Colman’s contains wheat so is not safe for anyone avoiding gluten but Tracklements English Mustard is gluten free and available to buy online or in store at Waitrose.

Lea & Perrins vs Henderson’s Relish

So, you can usually buy a gluten free Worcestershire sauce from the free from aisle in a number of supermarkets because the classic Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce contains barley. However, did you know that Henderson’s Relish is naturally gluten free and you’ll probably be able to easily pick it up in most supermarkets.

Marmite vs Yeast Extract

You either love it or hate it. If you’re someone who loves it, and you’re gluten free, you’ll be missing Marmite which contains gluten. However, did you know that most supermarket own brand yeast extract is gluten free? I’ve checked and you can find gluten free yeast extract in Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, Asda and Aldi.

Malt Vinegar vs Non-Brewed Vinegar

Chips just aren’t the same without some good old malt vinegar, which of course, contains gluten. There is a popular substitute that a lot of fish and chip shops use (hence the name) and you can buy it online on Amazon. It’s called Gluten Free Chippy Non-Brewed Condiment (Malt Vinegar Flavour) and I’ve had it before and was nicely surprised with how much it tastes like standard vinegar.

Blue Dragon vs Lee Kum Kee Hoisin

Slightly rogue but most brands of Hoisin sauce have gluten as an ingredient. If you want to recreate some duck in hoisin sauce at home then make sure you get your hands on the Hoisin sauce from Lee Kim Kee - it’s completely gluten free and you can buy it from a number of supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.

Blue Dragon vs Healthy Boy Oyster Sauce

Like Hoisin sauce, most Oyster sauce also contains gluten so you do need to double check every time you pick up a brand to make sure it’s safe. One brand that is safe is Healthy Boy Oyster Sauce which is completely gluten free and you can also easily pick this up for supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsburys and Morrisons.

M&M’s vs Choc Um’s

If you’re missing Crispy M&'M’s then buy the Crispy Choc Um’s from Aldi. They’re definitely gluten free but double check that they don’t have any ‘may contain’ warnings on the ingredients because I can’t find any allergen information that has been updated recently. You could also use these as a substitute for Smarties if you need something that looks similar.

KitKat vs KitKat Santa

A festive substitute here so you best be quick. KitKats aren’t gluten free because of their wafer centre which contains wheat. However, at Christmas time, KitKat Santa’s are available to buy in most supermarkets and they are completely gluten free and safe for coeliacs. And it does actually taste like you’re eating a KitKat!

IMPORTANT: Make sure that you do not mistake a Malteser Reindeer for a KitKat Santa because the Malteser one is not gluten free but they do look similar.

Malteser vs M&S Rocky Road Pieces

Nothing will ever be the same as eating a Malteser but given that one of the main ingredients is barley, I’m not sure we’ll ever get a direct swap. But, the M&S Made Without Dairy Rocky Road Pieces are gluten free as well as dairy free and the honeycomb ones do have a similar taste and texture to Maltesers. They’re worth a try!

Kinder Bueno vs Schar Melto

This is the only time I’m using a gluten free brand like Schar as a gluten free swap. As we know, there are plenty of gluten free branded products which are a substitute for the gluten containing products like KitKats, Wotsits or sauces. However, I have to mention the Schar Melto because Kinder Bueno Bars were my favourite chocolate before being diagnosed coeliac and the Schar Melto’s are so close to tasting the exact same. You only get the one bar instead of two, but they are one of my favourites.

Terry’s Chocolate Orange vs Asda Choc Orange Segments

You might not know that Terry’s Chocolate Orange isn’t suitable for people with coeliac disease because of the ‘may contain’ warning. Thankfully, Asda have brought out these Choc Orange Mini Segments which are really the same as a chocolate orange and they’re free from gluten, milk and egg.

Milkybar vs Milkybar Speculoos

Like above, Milkybar has a warning for ‘may contain’ so should be avoided by those with coeliac disease. However, their festive Milkybar Speculoos is gluten free without any ‘may contains’ even though it’s filled with caramelised biscuit pieces. I’d get to the supermarkets quickly and buy some of these before they sell out and disappear until Christmas 2024!

Kellogg’s Squares vs Bliss Crispy Mallow

Kellogg’s Squares, despite them being a rice based snack, contain barley. The Bliss Crispy Mallow’s though, are gluten free and also a lot cheaper! You can find these in Tesco and they’re also available in B&M, Savers, Iceland and Poundland so keep an eye out for them. They make a great lunchbox snack.

Cocktail Sausages vs M&S Cocktail Sausages

Something I only found out a few weeks ago is that M&S Cocktail Sausages are gluten free! Most supermarket cocktail sausages contain wheat but you can find these gluten free ones in the normal deli section of M&S. Because it’s M&S, they are of course more expensive than other supermarket cocktail sausages but because they’re not in the free from section, they’re cheaper than what you’d probably pay if it had the ‘Made Without’ label.

Mozzarella Sticks vs Morrisons Mozzarella Sticks

You’d be surprised that there are actually a few ‘accidentally gluten free’ Mozzarella Sticks out there. What I mean by accidentally gluten free, is that they aren’t in the free from aisle and simply don’t have gluten in the ingredient. We love an accidental gluten find because they don’t have the price jump like it would if it was in a free from aisle. Morrisons have their Mighty Mozzarella Sticks in their pizza deal and you can also get some at Tesco, both which are gluten free.

Birds Eye Dippers vs Aldi Tempura Nuggets

Finally, the classic kids beige dinner, chicken nuggets! Obviously, most chicken nuggets in supermarkets, like Birds Eye Chicken Dippers, are coated in a gluten batter or a gluten crumb unless they’re a free from product which are usually priced higher. But it might surprise you that Aldi have gluten free Tempura Chicken Nuggets hidden amongst their normal breaded chicken range. They also have Tempura Chicken Goujons too so just look for the pink label and make sure they’re labelled gluten free on the front.

Have we missed any? Or is there anything you want us to find a gluten free alternative to? Drop us a message and we’ll work our magic! 🕵🏼

* This blog was written in December 2023 and ingredients may change over time. Please use this as a guide but always double check the ingredients and allergens when you shop for the product.