Gluten Free Food Reviews

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.

 

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!

This box is a decent sized 7 ouncer that fetches a price of $5.39 at my local natural foods grocer.

My first mistake was thinking these were like a bread stick- larger & lighter. They are not. They are small and dense- maybe two inches long and light in color, speckled with garlic and sesame. They have a very strong garlic smell and flavor, which is wonderful if you are a garlic fan. When you bite into one, it almost turns powdery in your mouth. These sticks would be great with a large green salad. Overall, I thought they were “ok”, but I probably wouldn’t buy them again. They aren’t something I would have with a regular meal, and I don’t like the texture and strong garlic flavor enough to eat them out of the box as a snack.

Pros: nice garlic aroma and flavor

Cons: texture is powdery, starchy when you eat it 

Rating: 2 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

 

Here’s a nice sweet and chewy snack for a peanut butter lover!

The box of 6 indiividually wrapped bars ( for $4.99) offers a crunchy and chewy alternative to a granola bar- almost like a glorified rice krispy treat with some peanut butter thrown in. They have a nice taste and texture, but do little to satisy your hunger or snack craving. If anything, all it does is make you want more.

Pros: great flavor, nice and chewy, portable packaging

Cons: a “light” snack, not much substance in it to satisfy hunger

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

 

I purchased these muffins in the frozen foods section of a natural foods store for $5.29 for a package of four muffins. These aren’t your average sized muffins though- they are HUGE! Very thick, very tall. You could easily split them in half and save one half for later. Each muffin is 170 calories

The package suggests microwaving or toasting for best flavor.  The first time I zapped the frozen muffin in the microwave for 40 seconds. It was perfectly thawed and warmed. So much so that the “browned” top and bottom of the muffin started to flake off, leaving a holey interior exposed. These muffins are soft with your “typical” rice bread flavor and texture- mild, dense, almost sponge-like. I tried to flatten the bread but it would bounce right back( for the most part!). It tasted good with butter and GF jam. Good, but not good enough to write home about. As I ate the muffin, it retained it’s shape and did not break off into pieces or crumble in my hands, as some rice flour products have done.

Overall, it was a decent gluten-free enlgish muffin. I would suggest toasting it for best results.

Pros: nice flavor, large size

Cons: dense and heavy, high price

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Ingredients and vendors coming soon!