For years, gluten-free was a niche category for those with health issues. Not any more. As reported in the Grocer this week, enthusiasm is growing - probably thanks to high-profile fans such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Novak Djokovic, who claim gluten-free diets make them feel better and less tired. As a result, there is a greater choice of quality products than ever before.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye (oats are often "contaminated" with it too) which acts as a sort of glue, giving stretchiness to dough, but it can be difficult to digest. Increasingly, food manufacturers are replicating its effect using different ingredients – and as the products get better, more people are turning to them as a healthy choice.

Cliff Carter, the general manager of bakery brand Mrs Crimble's, attributes the growth in sales to the fact that "people who do not need to avoid gluten are still choosing to cut it out, because they just feel better without it." He points out that the gluten-free market is now worth £175m and had the highest number of product launches of any food category last year. Many of these foods are now leaving supermarkets' "specialist food" sections to sit alongside their conventional counterparts.

Michelle Berriedale-Johnson of foodsmatter.com, which runs the FreeFrom Food awards, says: "Over the seven years that the awards have been running, growth, especially in gluten-free, has been nothing short of stratospheric. Market forecasts that only three years ago were edging into the £100,000s are now nudging the billions."

The increased choice is good news, but the trend aspect of the surge can overshadow hundreds of thousands of people who have serious health reasons for avoiding these grains. Sufferers still struggle to convince others that even a trace of gluten can result in symptoms akin to severe food poisoning (sometimes lasting for several days) or worse.

People with coeliac disease (estimated at 1% of the population) have a lifelong autoimmune condition whereby gluten attacks the lining of the gut wall. Left unchecked, it can lead to osteoporosis and certain cancers. Many people have allergies and intolerance resulting in eye irritation, stomach upsets and other symptoms, which in some cases require hospitalisation.

The EU is stepping in to help: from 13 December, any gluten in foods will need to be clearly marked – and this applies not only to packaged food, but also to food sold loose or used in catering.

The spread of gluten-free has not been limited to supermarkets. Many restaurant chains now cater for gluten-free diners, including Domino's Pizza, Wagamama, Caffè Nero and Las Iguanas. Some places are going all the way: Vozars is a totally gluten-free restaurant and deli in London, as is the new 2 Oxford Place in Leeds. Cookery school Vale House Kitchen near Bath now offers gluten-free courses, while Abingdon House B&B in Torquay serves only coeliac-friendly meals.

We are still a way off a time when those with a serious gluten intolerance can eat out without a second thought, but in the meantime, here are some of the best gluten-free products to eat (and drink) at home.

Ten gluten-free greats

Nairns gluten-free oatcakes, £1.94
These oatcakes are carefully farmed and processed to prevent gluten contamination.

Genius triple seeded sandwich loaf, £3
You'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a slice of this bread and a slice of standard.

Doves Farm gluten-free plain flour blend, £1.70
A blend of selected flours, including rice, tapioca and buckwheat, that mimics the characteristics of plain wheat flour.

Focaccia Mediterranea, £4.60
The overall winner at this year's FreeFrom Food awards: a superb focaccia with rosemary, olives and onion that tastes just like the real thing.

Newburn Bakehouse lemon and poppyseed muffins, £2
Warburtons now offers a range of gluten-free muffins, sub rolls, sliced bread and teacakes.

Hambleton Ales GFA, £15 for six
A gluten- and wheat-free ale from Nick Stafford. GFA uses sorghum in place of wheat, teamed with hops for a flavourful result.

The Black Farmer range, from £2.98
An early bird on the gluten-free scene, this range of meatballs, burgers and sausages helps normalise gluten-free food.

Eat Natural toasted buckwheat muesli, £3
Breakfast choices can be particularly limited if you're gluten-free – this muesli shows they don't have to be.

Clearspring tamari soy sauce, £2.89
Soy sauce almost always contains wheat, but tamari tastes similar and opens up a world of Asian cookery.

Young's free-from fish fingers, £2.29
A brilliant freezer standby that tastes just like the standard version – and another major brand moving into the gluten-free sector.

Got any other gluten-free favourites? Recommend them below the line.

• See coeliac.org.uk for details of Coeliac Awareness week.