Gluten Free Food Reviews

What a great idea! Luvli Foods sent me 3.2 ounce samples of organic applesauce to try out, and we couldn’t be more pleased!

First, the packaging:

My children loved the concept of this pouch styled packaging, since it kept her school lunch mess free. The top of the pouch twists off for you to squeeze or “drink” the applesauce. No spoon required! The cap does take a bit of muscle to twist, but once you get the hang of it, it isn’t a big deal. The cap is also resealable, which is HUGE for me because it keeps things nice and neat. This is a great way to have a serving of fruit on the go or in a bag lunch. The cute, smiling apple on the front is also kid friendly and makes the applesauce seem more fun. (Be careful with smaller children though, since the cap is a choking hazard)

The taste:

This gluten free applesauce is a true puree- it is absolutely smooth and is ideal for children that may balk at chunky textured food. This product is made from organic apples and does not have any added sugar, another bonus in my book. The flavor is of fresh apples with a hint of tartness.

I  love the saying on the front of the package- it says “100% fruit. 100% organic. 100% yummy.” I have to agree!

Rating: 5 stars

Interested in trying this portable and fun applesauce for your family? The Smashies website has a promo going where you can buy a case of ten pouches for $10- no limit!

Ingredients: Organic apple puree, natural flavor, ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

Ariel Natural Foods makes gluten free Fruitwell freeze dried fruit snacks. This was a first for me- I have never had freeze dried anything before! These Fruitwell freeze dried snacks come in three flavors: apple, banana, and pineapple. They weigh a lightweight 1.4i ounces. Don’t let the weight fool you- each bag is enough for two people to share.

I really like the resealable packaging that helps keep the fruit fresh and ready to eat; it was very easy to open and close.

These gluten free snacks are initially a bit crispy when you bite into them, but then seem to turn chewy and almost melt in your mouth. I must say, these snacks really pack some powerful flavor. The flavor is pure and concentrated, since the only ingredient of this snack is the fruit. That’s it! Gotta love simple. I also liked that these fruit snacks were dry to the touch, which avoided the sweet, sticky fingers you can get from eating regular dried fruit.

*The pineapple flavor is quite crunchy and sweet with a sharp punch of flavor. The fruit pieces are made from small wedges of bite size pineapple- the perfect size to pop in your mouth. Ingredients: pineapple

Rating: 4 stars

*The apple snacks are actual slices of apple with the peel still on them. This adds a little extra texture and flavor to the apple slices that I really enjoyed. The flavor was slightly sweet and much more subtle than the pineapple flavor. Ingredients: apples

Rating: 5 stars

*The bananas varied in size and shape, ranging from smooth to deeply textured. They were very crunchy and boasted a medium strength flavor. I did detect a strange aftertaste that I wasn’t crazy about. Ingredients: bananas

Rating: 3 stars

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Pros: naturally fat free & low in calories, portable, no sticky fingers, packed with flavor

Cons: texture may a bit weird, bananas had a slight aftertaste

To try these all natural and gluten free fruit snacks, visit Ariel Foods website for more information!

Enjoy Life sent me these allergy friendly rice milk chocolate bars to review, and I was definitely curious. Could a chocolate bar without dairy, nuts or soy actually taste good? I was about to find out.

First and foremost, I think the idea of these bars is wonderful.  This is a nice alternative for those of us that have a very restricted diet, but still want a treat now and then. These gluten free chocolate bars are vegan, nut free, soy free, dairy free, casein free, sesame free, sulfite free, egg free, potato free, and shellfish/ fish free ( I had to giggle at the fish free claim on their package, since I have never come across a chocolate bar that did have shellfish or fish, but whatever). I also thought of children with allergies that may feel left out when their peers enjoy their favorite Hershey bar or candy bar.  They don’t have to be left out anymore!

Each of these chocolate bars is fairly thick and somewhat crunchy. They don’t provide as smooth of a melt in your mouth experience like regular chocolate does, but I did not mind. They are all quite sweet; the evaporated cane juice and raisin juice adds a sweet, but a different, taste experience.

A review of each other three flavors:

Enjoy Life Foods boom Choco boom Dairy-Free Rice Milk Gluten-Free Chocolate Bar:  This “milk” chocolate flavor is mild and not overdone. At first, the texture and flavor reminded me of the cheap chocolate I got in my Easter basket as a kid ( remember that?), but as I tasted it, the simple flavors from the ingredients came through.

Enjoy Life Foods boom Choco boom Dairy-Free Rice Milk Gluten-Free Crispy Chocolate Bar: Same as the plain chocolate, but with the addition of crispy rice, like a Nestle Crunch bar. This was my favorite. Yum!

Enjoy Life Foods boom Choco boom Dairy-Free Rice Milk Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Bar: The flavor of this dark chocolate flavor is sharper with a slight bitterness to it. The texture reminded me of baking chocolate- it didn’t really melt in my mouth at all, when I ate it.

Overall, these bars can’t compete with Lindt or Ghiradelli, but they are an excellent alternative for allergy sensitive consumers.

Rating: 4 stars

Pros: nice flavor, great for those with multiple allergies

Cons: pricey ($2.12), texture is a little different than regular chocolate bars

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Want to try this gluten free product for yourself?

Click the link below for ingredients and purchasing information:

Enjoy Life Foods boom Choco boom Dairy-Free Rice Milk Gluten-Free Crispy Chocolate Bar

from Gluten Free Mall

For more of my Enjoy Life reviews, click HERE

I tried these chips thanks to Danielle, of the Gluten Free Artist blog , who commented on the wasabi version of these chips in my “Top 5 Foods” post. My local store did not carry that particular flavor, so I settled for the fiesta lime.

These chips come in a medium sized bag weighing 6 ounces, perfect for a single person to last a few meals or snacks. The chips themselves are thick and hearty, boasting a heavily textured “whole grain” looking surface. The flavor is tangy and had a nice lime kick. They are quite zesty and a party for the mouth! The texture and flavor provides a pleasant snacking experience and pairs well with a simple sandwich or tex-mex meal. Thanks Danielle, for posting about this brand of chips. They are quite a find!

Pros: great zesty flavor and big crunch factor

Cons: Can’t think of any!

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Where Can I Buy These Tasty Chips?

Ingredients: Brown rice, brown rice flour, organic masa corn flour, white rice flour, high oleic expeller-pressed safflower or sunflower oil, organic sesame seeds, seasonings (rice flour, organic buttermilk powder, salt, organic evaporated cane juice, organic nonfat milk, tartaric acid, citric acid, dried parsley, safflower oil, organic lime oil, and less than 2% tricalcium phosphate (anti-caking agent). Contains Milk.

I bought these little snacks during my last trip to Richmond to share with my adorable nephew, who is dairy-free. The 4.5 ounce box cost $3.95 , and contains about 5 servings. I was especially intrigued that such a snack could pack in a whopping 5 g. of fiber in each serving.

Upon first taste of these light and airy snacks, they seemed ok. A light, but processed “cheddar” taste with lots of crunch. So far, so good. But then, the aftertaste hit and it was just AWFUL! I can’t even begin to describe what it was. I think it was a combination of the amaranth, chicory root, and the imitation cheddar flavor. Please, save your money, this isn’t a product worth your it.

Pros: Good source of fiber

Cons: nasty aftertaste- YUCK!

Rating: 1 star

If you are feeling brave, and want to try these anyway, you can buy them at:

Ingredients: Amaranth flour, chicory root extract, rice flour, inulin, rice protein concentrate, cold pressed canola oil, onion powder, sea salt, paprika, tumeric, garlic powder, non-dairy natural cheddar cheese flavors and calcium lactate

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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)*

These tasty little pretzel rings come in a 2.65 ounce bag that provides aproximately two servings. I purchased them for $1.89 at my local natural foods store, and I believe it was worth it. These are great!

First of all, it’s not like I am a huge sesame fan, and I wasn’t quite sure what to think about these. I really like their pretzels ( click HERE for the pretzel review), so I was willing to take the risk. And really, the price is so reasonable, I wasn’t really risking my pocketbook.

These sesame rings are simply wonderful and a perfect snack if you want something flavorful, light, crunchy with a touch of salt. I found the saltiness and the sesame was balanced perfectly. The products provided a satisying crunch, but definately were not hard and brittle. These pretzels keep well and resist getting stale, so feel free to store an opened package with confidence, Overall, a great buy and great product.

Pros: Great flavor, perfectly crunchy, affordable price

Cons: They don’t come in a bigger bag!

Rating: 5 stars

Ingredients: Corn Starch, Potato Starch, Sesame Seeds, Palm Oil, Soy Flour, salt, Sugar, Baking Powder (ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate), Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose, Yeast, Soy Lecithin (emulsifier).

Where can I buy these?

Ener-G product website

Amazon.com

Bob’s Red Mill

Gluten-free.com

 Yum diddy yum-yum, I just adore these crispy little pretzels! They are perfectly crisp and taste fantastic with just the right amount of salt. They are the closest thing to a gluten-containing pretzel I have found to date.

I purchase them in a 2.65 ounce snack sized bag which yields 2-3 servings, depending on how hungry I am. They are the size of a mini-pretzel and are easy to eat, with little mess. Also, they stay fresh a long time and did not go stale, despite a few times of sitting open on my kitchen counter for hours.These should be a staple in everyone’s pantry!

Pros: fantastic taste and flavor, afforable price

Cons: Are you kidding? I can’t think of any!

Rating: 5 stars

Ingredients: corn starch, potato starch, palm oil, soy flour, salt, sugar, baking powder (ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium acid Pyrophosphate), sodium carboxymethylcellulose, yeast, lecithin from soy (emulsifier). May contain sesame seeds.