Food You Can Eat
All is not lost. Sometimes you have to look hard, and sometimes you have to travel a little further, but you can definitely maintain a normal diet without wheat. Here's how.
Bread: While most traditional breads are out of the picture, you still have options. My favorite is spelt bread. Most people have never heard of spelt, and think that it sounds weird, but the reality is that you could feed it to them and they'd never know it wasn't wheat. That's because spelt is an ancient ancestor of wheat, and they are very similar. Spelt bread is available at both TJ's and WF. A lesser alternative is real rye bread, which does not contain wheat and looks nothing like the rye bread you're accustomed to; you can get it at WF. Rice bread is widely available at health food stores and specialty grocers, but it's absolutely disgusting.
Pasta: Traditional pastas are a no-no, but there are still plenty of pasta options. Asian cuisine has featured pasta made from rice for hundreds of years, and you can find Asian rice pastas in just about any supermarket. In addition, specialty grocers are beginning to stock Italian-style rice pastas such as spaghetti, rotini and penne, made from brown rice. I've found these are great, and all but the most inquisitive food conoisseur's would never know they were made from rice.
Tamari sauce: Simply put, it's soy sauce without the wheat. You can pick it up at any grocery store with an Asian food section, or an Asian grocery--which every town now seems to have. Be sure to read the label, though, as some tamari sauces have popped up which still contain wheat.
Fish sauce: A staple of Thai cooking, this is the Thai version of soy sauce (in its universality in Thai cuisine, not in taste or source). For this reason, Thai food is usually a safe bet, although some Thai dishes still contain soy sauce (just ask!).
Snacks: Potato chips are usually A-OK, as are corn tortilla chips (but beware multi-grain chip!). Asian-style rice chips are easy to find, and some American styles are starting to pop up. Crackers made from rye and oat bran can be found in most grocery stores.
Pizza: It's probably America's #1 go-to food, which is why I'm including it here. Unfortunately, there aren't many good options. I have tried spelt-crust pizza and haven't been terribly impressed. I have seen rice crusts, too, but haven't tried them. As demand grows, I expect these products to get better.
Baking: I have seen a variety of gluten-free chocolate baking mixes, although I think they all come from the same place and are just labeled differently (hint: TJ's is by far the cheapest). I've used them to make brownies, and have been somewhat disappointed with the results, but it's better than nothing. As for cakes and pies, you're out of luck for a store-bought solution, but you DIYers can check out our recipe page!
Breakfast: Most breakfast staples (eggs, oatmeal, fruit, potatoes, meat) aren't a problem. Corn- and oat-based cereals abound. Spelt bread makes great toast, and you can use it for french toast as well, albeit it's not as good as thick-sliced challah (egg bread). As with the baking mix, there are gluten-free waffle/pancake mixes available in specialty stores, and the results are acceptable.