Gluten Free Food Reviews

 

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!

 

 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

As good as the real thing . . .