Gluten Free Food Reviews

When visiting my parents, I picked up this 6.2 ounce frozen Glutino gluten free pizza to make as hot and quick lunch. Since I love feta, I was excited. However, I am not a fan of cooked spinach, so I was interested to see how this Glutino gluten free pizza would turn out.

I popped this pizza into the oven for 16 minutes, and let it cool for five minutes before slicing. I noticed it seemed more like a personal size pizza, and sure enough, the packaging indicated this pizza is meant to be a single serving. Which means you don’t have to share, unless you really want to.

This gluten free pizza boasts a thin and tender rice crust that is light, chewy and slightly crisp on the bottom. The flavor is mild and provides a neutral palate for the toppings. The flavors of the ingredients tasted well balanced. The yummy flavor of fresh spinach, feta and riccota cheeses with a touch of safflower oil, came through loud and clear. I liked it alot, which is huge, considering I am not a huge fan of spinach!

On the down side, the crust thickness was inconsistent and somewhat lumpy, resulting in crisp overcooked spots and softer, chewy spots in the pizza. Also, there was a very generous space of crust around the edges. I prefer my topping to cover most of the pizza, and this gluten free pizza seemed to skimp on the ingredients by making such a wide crust. However, that is just my personal preference. Overall, a tasty pizza I would definitely buy again.

PROS: fresh, full flavored, smells wonderful, 10 g protein

CONS: crust is inconsistent, but easy to overlook since the toppings are so tasty, high in sodium (1000mg!), 5 g. saturated fat, skimpy spinach and feta toppings

Rating: 4 stars

You can buy this gluten free pizza from organicdirect.com

Ingredients: Water, corn starch, tapioca starch, spinach, mozzarella-brick cheese blend (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, bacterial culture, salt, microbial enzyme, calcium chloride, cellulose), feta cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, bacterial culture, calcium chloride, microbial enzyme, lipase, salt, natamycin, lactic acid), ricotta cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, lactic acid, salt), safflower oil, evaporated cane juice, glucono-delta-lactone, dried egg whites, salt, guar gum, yeast, garlic, pectin, sodium-bicarbonate, spices, sodium alginate, modified cellulose.

Check out what Racheline and Dr. Gourmet thought about this gluten free pizza product!

Who doesn’t love a summer cook out? Whether you prefer a juicy burger, spicy bratwurst or a skewer of roasted veggies, there is something for everyone. Thankfully, when I am the host, I can ensure the affair will be gluten free, so I can eat and enjoy without worry.

However, I love my Minnesota brats with all the fixings. And to handle all of those condiments, you need a good, hearty bun. At a gluten free cookout, what’s a girl to do? I found these Kinnikinnick gluten free hot dog buns in the frozen foods section and wanted to give them a shot. I am very picky about gluten free bread, and realized this would either be very good or very, very bad.

To eat these buns, you need to defrost them. I wrapped a bun in a paper towel for 30 seconds or so and it was ready to go. To lightly toast the buns ( to minimize crumbling, and enhance flavor), I baked mine in the oven for a few minutes. Both versions tasted OK- neither one better than the other.

First of all, these buns are hearty big and thick with lots of gluten free bread to support even the largest hot dog. In fact, they are almost too big and can overwhelm whatever you choose to put inside.

The texture of these gluten free hot dog buns is a bit textured and spongy and tasted a bit of the white rice flour. They are also very soft- no coarse crumbs. To me, these buns tasted gluten free, but did what they were meant to do- cradled my cookout meat of choice without becoming a soggy mess when slathered with my favorite ketchup.

The best thing about these gluten free hot dog buns is that they have a whopping 7 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. That was a nice bonus I wasn’t expecting.

PROS: soft, hearty, lots of fiber and protein

CONS: spongy, very thick, you can tell these are gluten free, just “OK”

Rating: 3 stars

To Purchase: Click HERE to get them at WellnessGrocer.com

Ingredients: white rice flour, tapioca starch, water, sugar, poly dextrose, egg whites, dextrose, yeast, sunflower oil ( and/or canola oil), pea protein, sodium carboxy methylcellulose, salt, vitamin blend (thiamine, viatmin B2, niacin, folic acid, iron)

Kinnikinnick has started it’s own blog- “The Gluten Free Insider”

It’s informative and fun- click HERE to check it out!

**Don’t forget to check out my other Kinnikinnick gluten free product reviews!

Yes, my blog has a different look- again! I am hoping this will be my temporary look until I can get a designer to help me tweak it just the way I want. I know it is a little, well, boring, but at least I can post reviews again.

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Amy’s gluten free pizza is found in the frozen foods section, and I wanted to compare it to Glutino’s spinach and feta pizza that I just LOVE ( as soon as I can find it locally, a review will definitely be posted!). This medium sized pizza could feed about two hungry people and cost $6.19. Kind of pricey, but I hoped it was worth it.

Well, right away I was disappointed. the actual pizza fresh from the box seemed to lack cheese in a huge way- much less coverage than I expected. But really, I guess I shouldn’t bee too surprised, since most packaging tried to make the product look good enough to buy it. I guess I was a sucker it his regard.

After i baked the pizza for 13 minutes, I noticed a strong garlic scent. Hmm, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all . . .

. . .or, maybe it was.

The crust on this Amy’s gluten free pizza tasted mealy and coarse, although it baked very soft, comparable to a warm slice of rice bread with a touch of crispness on the outer edges thanks to a touch of olive oil.

The toppings boasted an overpowering fresh spinach flavor with tangy tomato sauce. So-so- flavor -not super yummy, but definitely edible. The soy based mozzarella and ricotta cheeses were just “OK” as well, si nce i am used to the flavor of dairy based cheeses. The pizza could definitely use more cheese since it seemed more like a garnish than an actual topping. The cheese also requires broiling for it to really melt and cook. The funny thing is, I thought this pizza tasted better cold than fresh from the oven.

Overall, this pizza was average for a gluten free pizza. I would eat it if I were really hungry, but I wouldn’t consider it a staple in my freezer for a quick meal option. I guess I am just really picky.

PROS: fresh topping flavors, 8 grams of protein per serving, 4 grams of fiber

CONS: crust is too soft and coarse, high in fat- 20 grams per serving

Rating: 3 stars

Since the ingredient list so sooo long, click HERE to view it and see the packaging as well!

To purchase this pizza, your best bet is to check your local grocery store’s natural foods section or a local natural foods store.
Read what PaperGirl, Lisa B. from Vegsource.com, Ken from Vgean Lunchcast, Roseann from Supervegan, Jenny from LivingVegan, and Jim from EZ GFCF have to say about this gluten free pizza product!

Also, feel free to check out my review on Amy’s Rice Crust Cheese pizza!

Another home-style favorite of adults and kids alike- good ‘ole mac & cheese. I found this on my last trip to Minnesota and just had to try it out and compare it to one of my frozen food favorites- Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheese. No stores in my local area carry this gluten free frozen product, and I was curious to see how the two compared. I purchased this 10.6 ounce box cost $5.29.

Fresh out of the package, this is what the gluten free mac and cheese looked like:

To be honest, it looked a pretty bad- a little freezer burn going on? I popped this product in the microwave for a total of five minutes, and this is what the mac& cheese looked like straight from the microwave:

It came out very soupy and not very appetizing. Yuck. So, I cooked it for another 40 seconds and let it cool until the sauce thickened up. The final result is the picture at the top of this review. Thank goodness it ended up looking OK.

The brown rice noodles seemed very dense and chewy, and the sauce tasted quite mild due to the fact that this product features a three cheese blend of monterey jack, cheddar and parmesan. The sauce tasted creamy and smooth, but appeared clumpy on the noodles, similar to Amy’s gluten free Rice Mac and Cheese . This Glutino Mac & Cheese tasted less homemade than Amy’s and reminded me of a gluten free version of Kraft mac and cheese flavor, minus the neon orange coloring. When I read the nutritional information on the back of the packaging, I almost fell off my chair! This product contains a whopping 20 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat. WOW!

Overall, this is a good gluten free version of macaroni and cheese, but I have to say I still prefer the strong, cheesy, homemade flavor of Amy’s.

PROS: easy prep, mild flavor for those that aren’t sharp cheddar cheese fans

CONS: soupy at first, pricey, high in fat

RATING: 3 1/2 stars

Please click HERE to view the packaging, ingredients and nutritional information.

Do you have some extra time and want to whip up a batch of homemade gluten free mac & cheese? Check out Shauna’s recipe at Crazy Orange Turtle’s Gluten Free Kitchen- it looks like a winner!

Ahhh, more bagels, Since I enjoyed the plain Glutino bagels so much, I just had to try their sesame flavor. Now, my sister Kristina swears by the Kinnikinnick bagels ( a review of them will be along soon!) I have found these to be chewy and satisfying. One of my old bagel favorites was the fresh baked sesame flavor from Wegmans. If you have ever tried their fresh artisan breads, bagels and muffins before going gluten free, you know what I mean.

These bagels come five to a package and are double packaged for optimum freshness. I purchased m ine for $5.89 at my local grocery store. These bagels are quite large and filling!

The overall texture and density were comparable to the plain flavor ( click HERE to read the review for more details). The only difference was the generous coating of sesame seeds on the exterior of the bagel. No kidding, I would cut, bite or slice the bagel and the sesame seeds would be EVERYWHERE. For maximum flavor and texture, this bagel should be toasted. The toasted sesame seeds add a nice flavor, and I would definately buy these Glutino sesame bagels again.Â

PROS: nice chewy texture, yummy sesame flavor

CONS: sesame seeds fall off everywhere, needs to be toasted for best results

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Where can I buy these yummy bagels?

Glutino - Premium Sesame Bagels
From: glutenfree.com

Ingredients: Corn mix (corn starch, skim milk powder, evaporated cane juice, salt, glucono-delta-lactone, pectin, sodium bicarbonate, sodium alginate, modified vegetable cellulose), water, tapioca starch, sesame seeds, margarine (palm and palm kernel oils, soy lecithin), skim milk powder, evaporated cane juice, liquid edd whites, safflower oil, liquid yolks, guar gum, yeast, salt, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, iron, calcium.

Once upon a time I made a mean teriyaki stir fry. Really- I loved it. Then my need to eat gluten free got in the way. Bye bye soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, kung pow sauce- the asian inspired sauces I loved were not on my gluten free “approved list.” It was almost a year before I even realized there was gluten free soy sauce and 17 months before I tasted it. Yum. So, when I spied this Amy’s Teriyaki Bowl frozen meal for $4.89 at my local grocery store, I had to give it a try.

 This is what it looked like straight from the box. Not bad, eh? I was thrilled to find all those veggies on top.

I opted to cook this gluten free teriyaki meal in the mircrowave for five minutes, There are directions on the box for an oven method- however, it requires a whopping 50 minutes in the oven. Uh, no thanks!

This is the “after” shot. Again, not bad.

Like other Amy’s Bowls, the vegetables turn out perfectly cooked- tender but not soggy. The peppers seemed to disappear, but at least the green beans and broccoli tasted good. The rice was cooked OK, but seemed too chewy for my taste.

The sauce tasted sweet and tangy with just a hint of spice. However, when the sauce, vegetables, tofu and rice combined, all I could taste was the sauce. I felt pretty disappointed because I actually like the taste of the rice and distinct vegetables- losing that made me feel like I was just eating a bowl of teriyaki, not a meal that had teriyaki as an ingredient. I know my opinion may not be a popluar one, since I have read many positive reviews of this gluten free product. I guess I differ on this one due to personal taste. It is a good gluten free product, but probably not one I would buy again for a while.

This would also make a great and healthier cloice for lunch at work- it boasts a mere 4.5 grams of fat, 10 grams of protein and 290 calories.

Pros: healthier lunch choice, lots of veggies, cooks evenly

CONS: sauce overpowers the rice and vegetable flavors

Rating: 4 stars

Where Can I Buy This Product?

WellnessGrocer.com

Read what Rebecca at VegFamily.com has to say about Amy’s Teriyaki Bowl!

Click HERE for nutritional information and ingredient list

Yummmmm, a steaming hot bowl of pasta on a chilly November afternoon. Sounds good to me! As I go about my cleaning and errands during the day, I sometimes keep a frozen gluten free product in the freezer to cook up while I put away groceries or get ready to pay bills. Brown rice pasta is something I have grown to love, and enjoy to even more than the gluten pasta I used to consume. It’s lighter, more flavorful and just tastes GOOD. On one particularly chilly day, I popped one of Amy’s gluten free Baked Ziti Bowls in the microwave for five minutes. You can also bake it in the oven for 55 minutes, but really, who wants to wait that long for something that is supposed to be a convenience food? Each bowl is one serving size.

This is what the pasta bowl looked liked fresh from the freezer:

To my surprise, it actually looked pretty good. A sprinkling of soy cheese graced the top of the noodles with green peas peeking out on the sides. However, it didn’t look that good for long:

Wasn’t there soy cheese on there? Where are the peas? I felt a bit nervous at the scary site- the way the soy cheese cooked with the organic tomato sauce didn’t look tasty at all. Stirring the ziti helped a bit. And, it did smell realllly good!

 The yummy smelling sauce was thick, nicely seasoned, and complimented the ziti noodles with just a touch of sweetness. The addition of soy ricotta, garlic and olive oil were simply scrumptious. However, the noodles cooked unevenly in the bowl; some noodles tasted perfectly cooked, while others were dense and chewy, and not pleasant to eat. The peas cooked nicely without mushiness and held their shape well. However, I am not sure that the peas really complimented the sauce- the peas almost seemed out of place when it came to flavor. I wished the peas weren’t in there at all. But, that may be because I am not used to adding peas to my pasta.

Overall, it is a decent gluten free product that would be great for a quick lunch idea.

PROS: great flavor and aroma, tasty sauce, organic ingredients, non dairy

CONS: noodles cooked unevenly, we want more soy cheese Amy’s! ( it disappeared!), appearance doesn’t look good after cooking

Rating: 4 stars

You can buy this product from Wellnessgrocer.com or in the frozen food section of your local grocery store. This link also lists ingredients.

Read what Cybele of the Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook says about this product!!

I really like making my own chicken tenders and nuggets. IÂ use gluten free corn flake crumbles, a bit of egg and cooking and oil, and sha-zam! A chicken dish that my kids inhale in a matter of seconds. When I saw the Ians gluten free chicken nuggets in my local grocery store, I was really curious. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a quick version of my kids favorite snack right in my freezer? My children are not gluten free and are huge fans of Tysons nuggets, but I try to feed them gluten free whenever I can. With our family history of allergies, the less major allergens the better. It can’t hurt, right?

This eight ounce box contains two servings of nuggets. I actually use the term “nugget” loosely here. These Ian’s gluten free chicken nuggets are more like balls. They may be prepared in the microwave or in the oven. True to form, I tried to microwave first, then the oven. The oven produces a crisper nugget, but I didn’t notive that much of a difference in the overall flavor. The coating on the nuggets is made of corn flake crumbles, cornmeal and corn flower, and definately has a strong cornmeal flavor and texture. The corn coating appears cracked as well after cooking.

The inside of this chicken nugget is interesting at best. It is fairly dry and peculiar. I wasn’t sure it it was actually chicken! After examining the box I realized the filling for these nuggets isn’t just chicken- it is chicken mixed with more cornmeal as a filler. Yuck. The overall flavor and texture of the nuggets was very poor and I will not buy them again. Ever. This might be Ok for a kid who doesn’t know any better ( it is low in sugar and the chicken is made with no added antibiotics and hormones, all natural) but even my kids wouldn’t touch it after seeing the inside. Their reaction? ” No Mom, we want the *real* homemade chicken nuggets- those look gross!”

Enough Said.

PROS: All natural, free from many major allergens, nartural hormone/antibiotic free chicken ingredients

CONS: flavor, taste appearance, interior texture. Yuck!!!

Rating: 1 star

Click HERE for package photo and nutrition information. Ian’s Chicken nuggets is about half way down the page.

Interested in trying these chicken nuggets for yourself? Check out the WellnessGrocer.comÂ

Read what Suzanne at TimesUnion.com/blogs says about these chicken nuggets!

Cheesecake used to be my favorite dessert. I wouldn’t have it very often, but when I did, it was a dessert I would savor. I say “used” to be my favorite because I haven’t had cheesecake in ages, and haven’t taken the time to figure out a yummy gluten free version. Lately I have been wanting to try though, so imagine my delight to find a single serving size gluten free version of cheesecake in the frozen foods section! I tossed the 3.5 ounce box into my cart and barely noticed the $2.99 price tag.

My first mistake: I thawed this Lean on Me gluten free cheesecake on the countertop, just like their carrot cake. Ummm, big no-no. Thirty minutes later I found a warmish pot of custard-like cheesecake. Back in to the freezer it went. Another 30 minutes later I have a firm but slightly icy dessert on my hands. Darn it! I should have read the box- it suggests to refrigerate or keep frozen. Oops.

I must tell you that this cheesecake does not have any type of crust- it is just the filling in a plastic bowl. The consistency resembled a creamy mousse and left me with a strange tangy aftertaste. It reminded me of the “fake” cheesecake dessert in a box mixes they used to make. I’m not a fan, I like a dense and flavorful cheesecake, so mixing cream cheese with cool whip or a packaged mix really isn’t what I prefer. However, this Lean On Me Cheesecake wasn’t even as good as the boxed mix.

However, I liked that the cheesecake wasn’t too sweet. This should not surpise me, though, since it boasts ” No added sugar- only 130 calories” on the box. The flavor also seemed bland to me as it only slightly resembled cheesecake; I was pretty disappointed. I have to say, that I am sure the watery residue and ice crystals at the edges did not help from my thawing and refreezing mistake. I think I’ll pass next time and make one of my own.

PROS: low in sugar and calories, single serving size is great

CONS: bland flavor, mousse like consistency

Rating:Â 1 1/2Â stars

Want to try this cheesecake anyway? Here’s where to shop:

Gluten Free Mall.com: Lean On Me Original Gluten-Free Cheesecake (Frozen - 0.25 Unit)

Ingredients: Cream cheese, fat free cream cheese, light sour cream, half & half, maltitol, egg whites, eggs, natural vanilla

Read what the Jay at glutenfreepost com says about Lean on Me Original Cheesecake

Before going gluten free 18 months ago, I lived on bagels. Loved them. Especially with cream cheese and sliced strawberries, peanut butter, or strawberry jam . . . yummm. And before last week, I hadn’t tried a gluten free bagel because I convinced myself a decent tasting replacement just wasn’t possible. I am not sure why I picked up this package of Glutino Sans Gluten Free Premium Plain Bagels and plopped it in my basket, but I did. And boy am I glad!

These bagels are sold in packages of five for $5.79 in the frozen foods section of my local grocery store, and are double packaged for ultimate freshness.

I first thawed my bagel in the microwave for 40 seconds before slicing it and placing it in my preheated oven on a piece of tin foil ( I don’t have a dedicated gluten free toaster in my home- yet.). I baked it until it was golden brown on the top. I removed it and immediately smothered it with cream cheese, as I used to do before my celiac diagnosis.

Yum.

I found the bagel to have the perfect thickenss and size for a satisfying breakfast or snack. The exterior was crisp and crunchy, the interior soft and chewy, but a bit of a springy texture. However, this did not take away from the product. I found the flavor to be gentle and perfect for spreads and toppings. I did not detect any dryness or graininess.

I don’t miss my “old” bagels anymore. The only thing I like better is the sesame flavor! (Look for the review tomorrow!)

However, on the down side, this bagel must be toasted for maximum flavor and texture. If thawed and sliced, it crumbles more and resembles a typical piece of rice bread- slightly dry and grainy. Therefore, if you wish to make a bagel sandwich, please toast the entire bagel. You’ll be glad you did. This gluten free product is also high in fat- 16 grams of fat per bagel. Note the nutritional information of the package is for 1/2 a bagel, but I don’t know anyone that just eats a half, after thawing and toasting . . .

PROS: Crunchy and chewy when toasted, pleasant but mild flavor, closely resembles a “regular” bagel

CONS: untoasted eating is not recommended, high in fat

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Where Can I Buy Glutino San Gluten Free Premium Plain Bagels?

Glutino - Premium Plain Bagels
From: glutenfree.comIngredients: Corn mix (corn starch, skim milk powder, evaporated cane juice, salt, glucono-delta-lactone, pectin, sodium bicarbonate, sodium alginate, modified vegetable cellulose), water, tapioca starch, margarine (palm and palm kernel oils, soy lecithin), skim milk powder, evaporated cane juice, liquid egg whites, safflower oil, liquid yolks, guar gum, yeast, salt, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, iron, calcium Read what Gluten Free For Me  , Going Gluten Free, or Ellen from I am Gluten Free  say about these bagels!