Gluten Free Food Reviews

These are the gluten-free version of a sugar-free Nutri-Grain bar, in my opinion. The brownish “cereal” exterior  is chewy, and I can’t place what they flavor is supposed to be. The interior center is an apple filling that tastes a bit tart and has quite an aftertaste. I can’t eat them unless I have a full glass of milk nearby to wash away the flavor, maybe  because I have a bit if a sweet tooth. The first bar I tried, I was not impressed at all.  By the end of the box, the flavor was starting to grow on me a bit, but not enough to buy them again. Overall, I was pretty disappointed.

Pros: portable, low sugar snack option

Cons: lacking in taste

Rating: 1 1/2 stars

They consist of 6 individually wrapped bars and measure the size of a small granola bar ( think Quaker granola bars)

This baking powder is gluten-free, corn free/ cereal and sodium free. It is a great replacement for “regular” baking powder in any recipe. I have tried this in both gluten-free and “regular” baking recipes with superior results. I don’t know what else you could say about baking powder . . . it’s a great find!

I found this item in the natural foods section of a local grocery store. It comes in an 8 ounce glass jar and cost $4.29.

Rating: 5 stars

Where Can I Buy This Product?

Allergygrocer.com 

As good as the real thing . . .

I purchased these noodles at my local grocery store or $2.69 for a 16 ounce box.

I used these noodles in a lime garlic shrimp dish and was surprised at the short cooking time- only 5 minutes! When I was preparing it, I accidentally cooked it a few minutes longer but it still turned out wonderful- definitely holds up to a little overcooking.

These linguine noodles are the perfect thickness for sauces and mixed dishes. However, they are so slippery no sauce would hold on to the noodles! As I ate I noticed that the noodles on my fork were practically naked- all the sauce was still in the bowl! Despite this, the noodles had a nice mild taste and perfect texture. A pretty decent product.

Pros: nice flavor and texture, cooks fast

Cons: Good luck getting any sauce on the noodles- very slippery!

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Where Can I buy this pasta?

        

 

Now here’s a yummy treat that tastes home made . . . and who doesn’t like homemade pudding?

I purchased this at my natural foods store for $1.59 for a 4.5 ounce box ( yields 2 cups pudding).

Right away I could tell this pudding was different than the Jello instant brand I grew up with. For starters, it looked different, The color is a muted brownish color- not the rich smooth brown I was used to. Also, it isn’t as sweet. The cocoa and cane sugar blended well for a nice treat, but didn’t kill me with a sugar high.

This is NOT an instant mix, and required constant stirring over  stove. I admit, I got distracted a few times and didn’t  stir constantly like I was supposed to. As a result, it was a bit lumpy and bumpy, but not so much that my kids wouldn’t eat it. The consistency of the cooked pudding was a bit gloppy and gluey- not the smooth result I was hoping for.

Pros: nice cocoa flavor, not too sweet, all organic ingredients

Cons: Cooking the pudding took quite a while; pass on this if you aren’t a patient person. Consistency if sticky and gluey if not stirred constantly

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Where Can I Buy This Pudding?

Coming Sooon!

Ingredients: coming soon!

 

This dressing is an organic version of the ranch dressing we have all grown to love- minus the gluten. I purchase this in various gorcery stores in my area for $3.69 for a 12 ounce bottle

This ranch dressing is fairly thin in consistency and darker in color due to the natural ingredients- it’s not the thick, bright white Hidden Valley has blessed us with. However, the taste is fresh and full of flavor . It is great with salads, fresh veggie dips, or anything else you would use ranch dressing for.

Pros: Great ranch flavor

Cons: thin consistency

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

      

Ok, this cake is small but mighty. I purchased it at a local natural foods store in the freezer section, and was curious if the $2.99 price tag for a single serving size cake would deliver something that actually tasted like a “regular” carrot cake. It also boasts 130 calories, no sugar added and reduced fat. (Hmm, in a CAKE? That ought to be interesting!)

The carrot cake is purchased frozen (obviously) and then left at room temperature until thawed. The package suggests 10 minutes. I left mine out for over 30 minutes and the center was still partially frozen. After waiting another 10 minutes, I lost my patience and dug right in.

I was surprised at the fresh but sweet carrot flavor- I could actually see the tiny shredds of carrot in there (yes, a carrot cake that actually had carrot in it!). The cake was ultra moist with a texture that gave no indiciation of it’s rice flour base. It was not crumbly or grainy in any way. A nice bonus is the subtle flavor of cinnamon that complimented the carrot wonderfully. The cream cheese “frosting” was not creamy and smooth, but very thick and would break off in chunks ( I guess because it was frozen). However, it was tangy and flavorful and paired well with the cake. Overall, very yummy!

Pros: Great flavors and texture, perfect single serving size

Cons: chunky frosting, long thaw time, kind of pricey for a small cake

Rating: 4 stars

Ingredients: Coming soon!

*This cake may be purchased in the frozen foods section of local grocery and natural food stores*

Who knew something so plain looking could be so fantastic?

This tall 12 ounce canister (price $2.79) contains tiny corn flake crumbles that are ideal for coating chicken and fish to bake or fry. I made some crispy chicken tenders with this product and I was amazed at how good it was!

First, I combined the cornflake crumbles with some parmesan cheese and garlic. I dipped chicken tenders first in an egg mixture, then in the crumble mixture. I sauted the chicken a few minutes on each side in some canola oil and the final result was spectacular!

The corn flake coating cooked up to a beautiful golden yellow/brown color. The coating was perfectly crunchy and light, and it looked like any breaded chicken tender you would buy at a restauarant. I made these for my family to rave reviews.

The flavor of the cornflake crumbs was a bit on the bland side when used without additional seasoning. However, I find this ideal because it makes the mixture more versital for various recipes. This is a gluten-free item that I will definately use again and again.

Pros: perfect “breading” for fish and chicken, mild flavor for versitality, nice texture and appearance

Cons: Honestly, I can’t think of any!

Rating: 5 stars

Click HERE to purchase these from  AllergyGrocer.com

 Ingredients: Milled non-GMO corn, sugar, salt, carmel color.

 

I bought this brownie mix from a local natural foods store for $4.29, much less than some of the other mixes. So I thought, why not try it out?

The recipe was easy to mix by hand and pop into the oven into an 8×8 pan. When the brownies finished baking, I cut into them while they were still pretty warm with no problems or stickiness.

Overall, these are decent gluten-free brownies. They aren’t the best I’ve had, but certainly not the worst. (The worst being my attempt at homemade gluten free brownies- not a pretty sight).

 

 Pros:The top of the brownies were a bit crispy and crinkly, just the way I like them. They are very moist and fudgy, even when slightly overbaked. They have a mild cocoa flavor and nice texture, no obvious graininess or crumbling from the rice flour. The cut brownies hold their shape very well.

Cons: These are very sweet brownies. At times it almost overhwelmed the coca flavor. There was also a chalky feeling left in my mouth after eating one.

 Bottom line: I would buy these again, but not rave to my gluten-free friends. These would be great with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream. Now that would really make them even better!

Rating: 3 stars

    

I bought this product at my local grocery store for $2.50.  I thought it would make a perfect lunch item, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

These enchiladas can be cooked via microwave (5 minutes) or oven (55 minutes). Since I am not a patient person I opted for the microwave cooking version.

Upon opening the package I found a cardboard tray with two enchiladas sprinkled with a few shredded pieces of cheese. I wasn’t too impressed. After five minutes in the microwave my lunch looked even worse. The cheese had comepletely disappeared in a pool of reddish sauce. However, the yummy smell coming from the tray saved it from the open trash can across the room.

To my surprise, it was good- really good! The enchiladas cook fairly flat ( not like the plump photo on the box), but the corn tortillas hold their shape well and do not fall apart. There is a pleasant combination of cheese, spicy tomato and mysterious mexican spices that are appealing and tasty inside the soft but chewy tortillas. if you look hard, you might find bits of corn and chilis are here and there. After a few bites a noticed a more intense spiciness from the chilis that made the enchiladas even better.

Pros: fast cooking, great flavor, great price

Cons: Quite frankly, it doesn’t look that appealing, there could be more corn and chilis, considering the name of the product. product photo on box is VERY misleading

Rating: 4 stars