Gluten Free Mrs. May’s Naturals: Almond Crunch

Health Values: Gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, no cholesterol, vegan, no preservatives

In my search for a somewhat filling yet tasty snack that fits in with my anti-inflammatory diet, I found Mrs. May’s Naturals at Whole Foods and decided to try it.

Am I ever glad I did!

I love these snacks. They have all of 4 ingredients: almonds, rice malt, evaporated cane juice, and sea salt. Okay, the small amount of cane juice is a tiny stray off the AF diet, but the total sugar count is very low – only 3 grams per 6 pieces. And it’s a whole lot better than any alternatives I’d find in regular snack foods.

One of the things I love about these snacks is that they’re “poppable”; meaning, they’re small enough to just pop into your mouth when you need a quick snack. No muss, no fuss, no mess. And when I’m on the run all day with nothing available to fill that inevitable hunger void except the usual unhealthy roadside options, these are a great choice.

There’s a little transparent “window” in the back of the bag where you can see the snacks. At first look, I thought they’d be like a nut brittle, which I like. But they’re not nearly as sweet – just enough of a sweetness touch to make them addictive. Plus they have that wonderful crunchiness that makes you feel like you’re actually eating something substantial. After a few of these, my hunger is quelled and I’m good to go.

(Contributed by raisingdaisy)

Gluten Free Kind Almond Cashew with Flax and Omega 3 Bar

Health Values: Gluten free, wheat free, non-GMO, dairy free, cholesterol free, no trans fats

I had this bar with me on a recent trip to the mall; it was my plan to take one bite, then put it back in my purse and take the rest home to take a picture and write about it. But it was so darn good, I blew through half of it before I’d even realized what I’d done.

Sorry about that.

Between the dates and the nuts in this Kind bar, it satisfies both crunchy and chewy texture cravings for me plus gives me that bit of sweetness that replaces a candy bar. And that gave me the strength to walk past the uber-tempting Gloria Jeans coffee guy brandishing his silver tray filled with flavorful whipped cream-topped vanilla caramel latte samples of eye-rolling lusciousness. I didn’t even feel the pain.

Kind snacks are made in the USA and they’re a great way to get a little more fiber and Omega-3s into your diet. There are a lot of different flavors, just check the ingredients (all natural) to make sure you’re not allergic or sensitive to any of them. I have an unfortunate sensitivity to apples, so a few of the Kind bars are off the list for me because they use apple juice as a sweetener. But there are so many different types, you’ll probably be able to find one to suit your tastes and dietary needs.

(Contributed by raisingdaisy)

Gluten Free Organic Imagine Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Health Values: Gluten free, organic, dairy free, vegetarian, preservative free

I really enjoy a warm bowl of soup on a raw day, but I don’t always have the ingredients I need on hand. Butternut squash soup is one of my all-time favorites; I not only love the flavor, I also love that it’s creamy without having any cream in it. Cream soups used to be my favorites before I became lactose intolerant, so butternut squash soup is a great way to satisfy that craving.

I decided to try Imagine’s Creamy Butternut Squash Soup. Not only is it organic, gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian, it also comes in a small carton instead of a can, so there’s no BPA contamination.

It was in my house a whole 2 days before I had to try it. The consistency is excellent – creamy without the cream, just like it’s supposed to be. It was very good; the only thing I’d change is to decrease the amount of nutmeg and/or cinnamon, which is a bit too strong for my taste. I still enjoyed it and the dominance of those ingredients seemed to lessen with subsequent spoonfuls.

Overall I still prefer my own homemade butternut squash soup, which doesn’t contain the sodium that Imagine’s soup does (460 mg per cup, 2 cups per carton). But this is a good occasional alternative on those raw winter days.

(Contributed by raisingdaisy)

Gluten Free Enjoy Life Very Berry Chewy Bars

Health Values: Gluten free, wheat free, non-GMO, dairy free, peanut free, tree nut free, egg free, soy free, fish free, shellfish free, sulfite free. Made in dedicated nut and gluten-free bakery.

Considering all the allergens these bars avoid, they’re a good snack choice. The first bite took me by surprise – yes it was chewy, which I liked, but the initial taste was more of grain than of berry. The berry taste came later and wasn’t as prevalent as I expected. Still, it wasn’t bad and it was definitely better than some other allergen-free snacks I’ve tried.

There are a few drawbacks that kept me from giving these bars 5 okays. First, they’re pretty small – about 3½” long – and they’re light. This would be okay except that on my extremely light anti-inflammatory diet, I get pretty hungry between meals and need something that can fill me up for an hour or so when I’m on the go. One of these bars only satisfied me for about half an hour, so for me, it’s a good after-lunch “dessert” but doesn’t fill me up between meals. And at 110 calories per bar, I’m not inclined to eat two or three.

Second, they don’t have a strong enough berry taste; the aroma of berry is actually stronger than the berry flavor. Also, I expected the bars to have a fruity filling (not through any false advertising, I just envisioned a chewy fruit bar as having a Newton-type filling), but they’re solid with tiny bits of dried fruits throughout the bar.

All in all, the bars are good and some of those drawbacks won’t be drawbacks for everyone. Now that I know what to expect and what not to expect, I’ll probably enjoy them a bit more. Just make sure you have some water or tea with you – they do leave you a little thirsty.

  (Contributed by raisingdaisy)

Menu Mishaps: Learn from My Mistake

I made a horrible mistake recently. I went to a restaurant that had a gluten free menu, but didn’t order off of it. Why, you ask? A while ago, when I had gone to this restaurant, I noticed that the gluten free menu had specific items from the regular menu, but the descriptions were no different. So I thought that it wouldn’t make a difference which menu I ordered from.

I was terribly wrong.

A few minutes after I left the restaurant, I was already starting to have reactions to what I had eaten, which apparently had gluten. 4 days later, I’m still exhausted and have a constant brain fog, plus other reactions that aren’t so pleasant.

The lesson? Although a dish may sound gluten free or may even be found on the gluten free menu, never order it off of a regular, non-gluten free menu. Even besides cross-contamination, there could be hidden wheat or gluten. Regardless of whether the gluten free menu looks any different from the regular menu, it absolutely is. The only exception I’ve found to this is salad. Even then, don’t get any marinated meats or pre-made dressings – just ask for olive oil and lemon.

Kit’s Organic Fruit and Nut Bar – Chocolate Almond Coconut

Health Values: organic, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, non-GMO

You know how sometimes things taste better than they smell? Well, this is one of those times.

Two of us tried this bar, which looks similar to a brownie when you break it open. One of the things I’ve learned when trying new treats is not to set my expectations by smell, looks, or consistency.

This bar definitely tastes better than it smells, but not quite as good as it looks when broken open. We both enjoyed how the small nut pieces and tiny coconut shreds added a little diversity to the bar’s texture. The chocolate flavor was good but not nearly as rich or strong as we’d have liked. Still, not bad for a packaged organic snack.

Would we buy it again? Maybe.  Here and there – possibly – but not as a regular snack. Meanwhile we’ll continue our quest for that incredible to-die-for-I-need-to-buy-a-case organic gluten-free snack we keep hoping for – we know it’s out there!

(Written by raisingdaisy)

Kit’s Organic Fruit and Nut Bar – Cashew

Health Values: organic, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, non-GMO

We love dates. We love their sweetness and sultry texture. Personally, when I have a particularly difficult craving for the type of sweets I can’t have, a date or two will help to curb those cravings. So when I discovered that Kit’s Organic Fruit & Nut Bars had organic dates as the first ingredient, I couldn’t wait to try it.

But somehow, Kit’s managed to find dates that aren’t sweet. Both of us frowned a bit when we first took a whiff of the bar, which prompted us to take a small first taste rather than plunging in with a full bite. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either.

Our opinions varied slightly – my fellow GF healthy eater thought the bar tasted “odd, almost like it had a little bit of soy that didn’t belong in it” (note: for the record, this bar is soy-free). She said it took some getting used to in order to finish her half.

On the other hand, I thought the taste improved with subsequent bites. But neither of us would buy this bar again – I’d sooner stuff a cashew into a real date and have that for a snack instead. At least my candy craving would be quashed.

(Written by raisingdaisy)