Gluten Free Food Reviews

Mary’s Gone Crackers send me a sample pack of their crackers. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to think. I mean, I like healthy foods, but I am not a foodie by any means, even though sometimes I wish I was. These gluten free crackers almost looked too healthy and I was worried they would taste too healthy as well.

Boy, was I in for a surprise! Not only do these crackers look different than a traditional, flaky, starchy cracker, but the taste was completely unexpected. I found these gluten free crackers to be crisp and flavorful with wonderful texture and a strength to hold up under any type of spread or topping. They also did not have an unpleasant aftertaste, as some gluten free products do. My gluten consuming husband even likes them- especially the black pepper flavor.

I sampled three flavors:

Mary’s Gone Crackers Original flavor: A wholesome, hearty, whole grain flavor that pairs well with any spread. A great all purpose crackers that satisfies hunger in a yummy way. Definitely my favorite with laughing cow cheese.

Mary’s Gone Crackers Onion flavor: This cracker looks like the original flavor, but definitely has the aroma and strong flavor or onion blended in. It is good, but I was unsure what to pair it with. i htink twith his flavor, you will either love it or hate it.

Black Pepper flavor: This Mary’s flavor definitely has a kick- the strong black pepper really shines through and adds a punch for those that like a little something “extra.”

The Mary’s Gone Crackers website describes their crackers as “a crisp delicious cracker with a rich nutty flavor. Wheat-free, Gluten-free and organic. Made of organic whole grain brown rice, organic quinoa (keen-wa: a high protein seed/grain), organic flax seeds and organic brown sesame seeds, with no added fat. Surprisingly satisfying on their own or with your favorite toppings. Always hold their crunch; unlike any other cracker you’ve ever had–they will soon become a staple in your cupboards.”

I agree- these crackers are surprisingly different- and good!

Pros: Whole grain, doesn’t crumble

Cons: onion and pepper can be a bit strong for a more sensitive palate, you’ll either love these crackers or hate them.

Rating:  4 1/2 stars

Wanna try these crackers for yourself? Click the link below to check them out and see the ingredients:

Have you tried these gluten free crackers? What did you think?

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These garlic sticks come in a 7 ounce box. I paid $5.39 at my local natural foods store.

These garlic sticks are fairly small (3-4 inches) and moderately crunchy. Initially, I thought these sticks would be comparable to a small crispy breadstick. Nope. Wrong. They are, in fact, excatly what the title implies. The sticks have a good crunch when bitten into, however, the texture and consistency is almost powedery when chewed. The flavor is of good strong garlic with just a hint of sesame.

These garlic sticks make a great companion for a fresh crisp salad, but I probably wouldn’t consider them a snacking option to eat alone. Initially I didn’t like them, but they have since grown on me enough to be saved from the dreaded garbage can. However, I doubt I will purchase them again.

Pros: great garlic flavor

Cons: strange crunchy/powedery consistency

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

Ingredients: corn starch, potato starch, eggs, vegetable fat, water, yearst, salt, emulsifiers, stabilizers, garlic sesame

Where can I buy these garlic sticks?

 *Check local natural foods sections and stores, I couldn’t find a current online source as of 5/26/07)*

*cracker photo coming soon!*

I bought these crackers for $2.89 at my local grocery store. Since I love the other Nut Thins crackers, I thought these would be fun to try.

Like other nut thins crackers, these crispy snacks have a light and subtle almond taste with a great texture and satisfying crunch. The cheese flavor is from a powder like substance on the crackers- it is not baked into the cracker itself. I was also surprised at the lack of “fake cheese taste” that most cheese crackers and snacks have. There is only a slight aftertaste, but overall these are pretty darn good. I think I would buy them again, even thought the country ranch flavor is still my favorite.

Pros: great crunch, light and flavorful

Cons: cheese flavor is good, not not great

Rating: 4 stars

Ingredients: Rice flour, almonds, cheddar seasoning [cheddar cheese powder (cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), disodium phosphate), salt, maltodextrin, natural cheese flavor, (cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), yeast extract, xanthan gum), cultured whey, onion, extractive of turmeric, garlic, extractive of annatto, lactic acid, less then 2% soybean oil (processing aid)], potato starch, expeller pressed safflower oil, soy lecithin (processing aid

Where Can I Buy These Crackers?

Amazon.com

 I think these have to be my all time favorite gluten free snack cracker. Seriously, they are so good!

These crackers come in a 4.25 ounce box and sells for $2.89 in my area. These ranch flavored crackers are a  flavorful snack that successfully balances the nutty cracker with the ranch flavor. The crackers are perfectly crispy, but not too much so. Just right.  The light ranch flavoring that coats the thin crackers is also perfect. It almost remind me of the cool ranch flavor Doritos I used to enjoy, but without the heavy, greasy taste. Even my non-celiac husband loves these crackers- that’s how you know they are good!

Pros: Great flavor and crispness, decent price,

Cons: The size of the box is deceptively larger than the 4 servings it contains inside.

Rating: 5 stars

Ingredients: Rice flour, almonds, seasoning ( salt, natural buttermilk flavor (buttermilk, whey, maltodextrin, skim milk), sour cream powder (sour cream [cream, non fat milk, and cultures], cultured nonfat milk, citric acid, tocopherols, ascorbyl palmitate [maintains freshness]), garlic powder, cultured whey, onion powder, spice, yeast extract, parsley, lactic acid and natural flavors), potato starch, expeller pressed safflower oil and soy lecithin (processing aid).

Where Can I Buy These Crackers?

Amazon.com

 

Ok, this was the first gluten-free graham cracker I have ever seen, and I just had to try it. I found it tucked away on the bottom shelf of the natural food store near my home. And for $5.59 for a 6 ounce box- it better be good!

First of all, the packaging is very deceptive. The crackers are packaged in spread out stacks in a plastic tray for a total of 12 crackers. The crackers are aprox 3 or 4 inches square and are quite thick compared to a traditional graham cracker. Upon opening the package I was treated to a wonderful cinnamon smell that actually smelled like a cinnamon graham cracker. Yum!

I found the crackers to be crispy, but not brittle. The cinnamon flavor was perfectly balanced & not too strong, just right. The crackers are slightly sweet, just enough to make the taste pleasant. The texture was also great- not too crumbly or  gritty. The first cracker I ate, I thought it was wonderful. However, the more I ate the more that the “rice flour” flavor kicked in. (Really, it wasn’t all that bad, but I thought I should mention it)

Overall, I was happy with my purchase, I think these crackers are good for an ocoasional snack or maybe used in a recipe.

Pros: Nice flavor and texture

Cons: expensive, deceptive packaging

Rating:  3  3/4 stars

Ingredients: Soy flour, tapioca flour, sugar, non-hydrogenated shortening (palm oil), brown rice flour, potato starch, white rice flour, water, cinnamon, honey, natural vanilla, baking powder, xanthan gum

Where Can I Buy These Crackers?

Locations  coming soon!

 

I wouldn’t suggest eating these crackers alone, but with a spread they are pretty good.

These crackers come in a lightweight 4.5 ounce box and consist of two seperately wrapped mini-boxes. I like this because it keeps the crackers fresher longer. The crackers have a whole-grain, almost nutty texture to them. They are coarse and rippled, not smooth and overprocessed. The crackers are very thin and easy to break, so use caution when using a spread or topping on them. 

 As for flavor, the crackers themselves aren’t very good. They are very bland and just don’t taste that great. I can’t even taste the natural onion and glarlic that are supposed to be in/on them. However, I found that their blandness is actually a great pairing with soft cheeses, like laughing cow swiss cheese with a bit of fresh tomato. This has actually become one of my favorite snacks!

Pros: Great base for spreads and toppings, light and airy

Cons: bland flavor , don’t eat them straight from the box

Rating: 3 stars

 

 OK, from the photo on the box, I had high hopes for this product. The 5. 3 ounce box was purchased for $6.20- it’s a pretty tall box and is jam packed with light 3 inch “breadsticks.”

I use the term “breadsticks” loosely- these small sticks are more like crackers. They are very crunchy- no soft parts in sight. And they are so light, it was hard to even decipher that there was actual pizza flavor on them, as the flavor was very mild and took a back seat to the satisfying crunch of the stick. 

I used these as a side for a salad and to dip in a marinara sauce. They were actually quite tasty for dipping, as they did not get soggy crumbly with the sauce. They would be better with a salad of they flavor was stronger.

 This product is mostly made from corn starch, potato flour and rice starch

 PROS: mild flavor ideal for dips, not soggy when combined with other foods

 CONS: More like a cracker than a breadstick

Rating: 3 stars

 

 Yum Yum Yum! Did I happen to mention these crackers are yummy?

These round crackers are perfect for snacking right out of the box. They have a nice nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness from the pecans. They are also perfectly salted and give your mouth something to smile about. By far my favorite Nut-Thins flavor- they’ll be a staple in my pantry.

 

I purchase these crackers from my local natural foods store for $2.89 for a 4.25 ounce box.

Pros: awesome flavor

Cons: the box looks big, but there really aren’t that many crackers inside. Be sure to buy two!

Rating: 5 stars

 

These round crackers are just right for snacks or appetizers! They are flat and very crunchy with a light sesame flavor. I like layering them with natural peanut butter and bananas or a bit of jam. Even thin slices of cheese or meat would be good, too.I personally don’t like them plain, as they have a bit of an aftertaste.  I always have to have something paired with this particular flavor.

I keep an open package contained in a ziplock, and the shelf life on them is incredibly long. I usually purchase them at my local natural foods store or Wegmans for $3.49.

I really can’t think of any cons on this snack food!

Rating: 4 1/2 stars