Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Diet Resources

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May 21 2013

Review: Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

If I am anywhere within a 2-mile radius to Trader Joe’s, I make it a point to swing in to pick up my favorites.  I build this time into my errands and bring along coolers if I am picking up refrigerated or frozen items.  Recently when I was on one such trip, I found these gems waiting for me.

IMG 6444 thumb Review: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Oh yeah!

Ingredients: Powdered sugar (cane sugar, cornstarch), cane sugar, unsalted butter, buttermilk (cultured low fat milk, nonfat milk solids, sodium citrate, salt, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3), water, cream (cream, carraggnan), expeller pressed canola oil, rice flour, eggs, potato starch, cocoa powder, tapioca starch, vanilla extract (water, ethyl alcohol, vanilla bean extractives), salt, sodium bicarbonate, xanthan gum, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate), coffee.

I knew my time with these cupcakes would be limited, so I made sure to stake my claim loudly and clearly to the 17 year old boy who inhales all things gluten-free in my house.  The cupcakes are moist and rich with a decadent, creamy frosting.  Darn near perfect and had these been served to me on a plate, I wouldn’t have known that they weren’t homemade.  Jon concurred and asked me to make sure to buy these each and every time I go to Trader Joe’s from here on out.

Trader Joe’s maintains a list of their gluten-free products making it easy to shop in their store.  I was disappointed to find that there weren’t any Udi’s Gluten-Free items in stock when I was there this time, but was told there had been a delivery issue and they hoped to have them back on the shelves as soon as possible.  It makes me happy to see the gluten-free baked goods line consistently growing at Trader Joe’s.

Have you tried the new Trader Joe’s gluten-free cupcakes?

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May 20 2013

Review: Perfectly Simple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar

A little over a year ago ZonePefect debuted a new, gluten-free bar on the market.  The protein bar, certified gluten-free, comes in three different varieties and has a simple ingredient list.  A couple of weeks back I found out some great news…a new bar as been added to the line-up: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip.

IMG 6281 thumb Review: Perfectly Simple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar

I found the new Perfectly Simple bars right on the shelf of my local Meijer grocery store, but was lucky enough to get a sample from a running friend.  I love this new flavor!  I think it may be my favorite of all four varieties! 

Ingredients: Dates, Soy Protein Isolate, Invert Evaporated Cane Syrup, Rolled Oats, Chocolate Chips (Evaporated Cane Syrup, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter), High Oleic Safflower Oil, Whey Protein Isolate, and Natural Flavor.

The bars come 5 to a box and were priced at $4.59/box.  Each bar contains 10g protein, 170 calories, 5 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber. 

IMG 6360 thumb Review: Perfectly Simple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar

This is the perfect way to refuel after a run.  I love the real chocolate chips and rolled oats in the bar.

More about the gluten-free products from ZonePerfect:

Q: Are there any ZonePerfect Nutrition Bars that are gluten-free?

Yes, our Perfectly Simple Nutrition Bars are certified gluten-free.
Several other bars do not have gluten containing ingredients (wheat, rye, barley, malt) but they are not tested and certified gluten free.
Chocolate Almond Raisin
Chocolate Caramel Cluster
Chocolate Coconut Crunch
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Fudge Graham
Double Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

To see where to find the Perfectly Simple products close to you, visit the locator page on the ZonePerfect website. 

Have you tried the Perfectly Simple bars? 

Which bar is your favorite?

Will you try the new Oatmeal Chocolate Chip?

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May 18 2013

Review: Larabar ALT Protein Bars

It was only a couple of months ago that I discovered that Larabar had introduced ALT protein bars.  The new bars each contain 10 grams of protein, an increase from the 3-6 grams that typical Larabars contain.

IMG 6397 thumb Review: Larabar ALT Protein Bars

Cinnamon Apple Crisp – Dates, pea protein, peanuts, brown rice syrup, brown rice flour, dried apples, sunflower oil, cinnamon, natural flavor

Lemon Pound Cake – Dates, almonds, pea protein, brown rice syrup, brown rice flour, sunflower oil, lemon juice concentrate, vanilla extract, natural flavor

Peanut Butter Cookie – Dates, peanuts, pea protein, brown rice syrup, brown rice flour, sunflower oil

Pumpkin Pie – Dates, pea protein, peanuts, brown rice syrup, brown rice flour, dried pumpkin, sunflower oil, spice

I was a little concerned about the added ingredients taking away the simple, yet delicious flavor of the Larabars, but it turns out I had nothing to worry about.  I loved all of the varieties, but if you made me choose a favorite, I would have to choose the Lemon Pound Cake.  I am thrilled with the release of the ALT bars and hope that I begin to see them on shelves of my local grocery stores soon.  I have been looking since I wrote the first post about the bars in March and have yet to find them.  I can see these becoming part of my regular rotation of post-workout snacks.

More about Larabar:

It started out as just a hike, no different than countless others I’ve taken into the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Little did I know I was about to come up with a mountain of an idea: Combine wholesome ingredients such as fruits and nuts to create a food product that’s tasty, healthy and convenient.

In that instant, in May 2000, LÄRABAR® was born. After scouring the aisles of grocery stores and noting popular flavors of ice cream and cookies, I delved into my own product development. Natural foods, I believed, should be fun and enjoyable as well as good for you. With friends and family serving as focus groups, I tinkered with recipes until a consensus on yummi-ness was reached.

The next step was to launch a company to market what would initially be five delicious LÄRABAR flavors: Cherry Pie, Apple Pie, Cashew Cookie, Banana Cookie, and Chocolate Coconut Chew. I also assembled a sophisticated manufacturing arm… what amounted to be a Cuisinart™ and a rolling pin. The first batch of bars I produced for retail had to be sealed by hand — all 500 of them!

Thank goodness we have machines for that job today. After all, we’re producing millions of LÄRABAR bars every year! They are a wholesome indulgence you can feel good about eating.

Larabars have been a staple in my house and diet for the past 7+ years.  I love that the company is continually evolving to keep the product line fresh and exciting.

Have you tried the new Larabar ALT protein bars?

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May 17 2013

Review: Kinnikinnick Soft Bagels

It was just a few weeks ago that I found out and wrote a blog post about the brand new Kinnikinnick Soft Bagels.  I checked a few local stores, but was not able to find the bagels in stock yet.  The gluten-free gods must have smiled down on me because I received samples of the new bagels earlier this week. 

IMG 6409 thumb Review: Kinnikinnick Soft Bagels

Plain – Ingredients: Water, White Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower and/or Canola Oil, Corn Starch, Cellulose, Fructose, Psyllium fiber, non-Hydrogenated Shortening (palm and/or canola oil), Yeast, Modified cellulose, Salt, Cultured corn syrup solids, citric acid, Vitamin and Mineral Blend(Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Iron), Enzymes

Blueberry – Ingredients: Water, White Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Blueberries, Sunflower and/or Canola Oil, Cellulose, Corn Starch, Fructose, Psyllium fiber, non-Hydrogenated Shortening (palm and/or canola oil), Natural Flavour, Yeast, Modified cellulose, Salt, Cultured corn syrup solids, citric acid, Vitamin and Mineral Blend(Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Iron), Enzymes

Cinnamon Raisin – Ingredients: Water, Raisins, White Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower and/or Canola Oil, Cellulose, Corn Starch, Fructose, Psyllium fiber, non-Hydrogenated Shortening (palm and/or canola oil), Yeast, Modified cellulose, Cinnamon, Salt, Cultured corn syrup solids, citric acid, Vitamin and Mineral Blend(Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Iron), Enzymes

I didn’t waste any time sampling these babies!  I had planned on a veggie burger for a fast dinner, so the plain bagel became my vehicle!

IMG 6412 thumb Review: Kinnikinnick Soft Bagels

Look at that – so bagel-y!  The outside has crisper “skin” and the inside is nice and chewy, just like a bagel should be! Breakfast was a given – blueberry bagel and cream cheese.  Before I show you my breakfast, check out the bagel after I toasted it, before I spread it with cream cheese, it is purple from all of the blueberries! 

IMG 6416 thumb Review: Kinnikinnick Soft Bagels

IMG 6418 thumb Review: Kinnikinnick Soft Bagels

Seriously delicious!  I do believe that this is the first gluten-free blueberry bagel I have tried and it was spectacular!  The bagel was thick, soft and chewy and had a wonderful blueberry flavor.  Simply heaven!  Last, but not least, the Cinnamon Raisin bagel.  It was equally as impressive and tasty smeared with butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.  What a nice treat! 

In addition to being gluten-free, these bagels are also vegan, dairy- and nut-free.  The bagels come 4 to a package and are priced at $5.99/package.  They are currently available on the Kinnikinnick website and will be shipping to their distributors over the next few weeks.  Remember that Kinnikinnick offers flat rate shipping for $10, so make sure to stock up on your favorites.

Have you tried the new Kinnikinnick Soft Bagels? 

*These bagels were sent to be free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

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May 16 2013

Review: Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend

Pamela’s Products have been a staple in our house and on grocery store shelves for many years.  I am thrilled to see more products have recently been added to their line-up, including this new Artisan Flour Blend. 

IMG 5991 thumb Review: Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend

Ingredients:
Brown Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, White Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Sorghum Flour, Arrowroot Starch, Sweet Rice Flour, Guar Gum.

Before this flour mix was introduced, I frequently baked with Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix.  There are quite a few differences between the mixes, including the omission of dairy, salt and leavening agents in this new flour blend.  More about the new flour blend:

Delicious scratch baking will be back in your life! This flour blend has no dairy, no nuts, no salt, no leavening, no corn and no soy. It will work perfectly in most of your traditional recipes or with subtle tweaking such as adding more liquid. Now you can bake like you used to!

For recipes to make with this mix, see all of our Artisan Flour Blend Recipes.

Helpful Hints:

  • The Artisan Flour Blend will work in most recipes as a replacement for wheat flour.
  • Due to the subtle flavor of our Artisan Flour, seasoning and herbs will elevate the taste when making gravy, or coating meats and poultry.
  • Batters may thicken as they sit and may require water to thin.
  • For yeast breads, we suggest using 1 tsp dry yeast per cup of Artisan Flour. Additional water will most likely be needed. Add water until dough is a sticky batter similar to banana bread. For a taller loaf, use a parchment collar at least 3 to 5 inches above the edge around the interior of the bread pan.

I used the Artisan Flour for baking and as a thickening agent in gravy and had tremendous results with both!  The flour blend really does look like traditional all purpose flour, but without the gluten. 

Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend is available now on Amazon.com for $4.60/24 ounces or $11.67 for 4 pounds and should be available soon on your local grocery store shelves. 

Do you have a go-to packaged gluten-free flour mix?  Have you tried Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend?

*This product was sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

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May 15 2013

NFCA Webinar: Celiac Disease: Immunology 101 and the Drug Development Process

Celiac Disease is treated one way, with the gluten-free diet.  There are no expensive medications to pay for, just “simply” remove gluten from your diet.  In the grand scheme of things, of diseases and disorders, it could be a lot worse.  The diet can be what you make it – purchasing whole unprocessed foods that are naturally gluten-free is the least expensive way to go, though there are many delicious gluten-free replacement foods on the market these days, but they can get pricey.

What if there were another way?  What if your doctor were able to prescribe you a medication?  The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) has a seminar coming up in June discussing the drug development process.

Announcing NFCA’s monthly Webinar, “Celiac Disease: Immunology 101 and the Drug Development Process,” on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern/5:30 p.m. Pacific.

With their only treatment found in the grocery aisle and not behind the pharmacist’s counter, celiac disease patients have relied upon delicious gluten-free recipes and cooking tips to navigate their medically necessary diet. As research continues to prove the need for a non-dietary therapy and scientists move closer to developing a pharmaceutical treatment, it is important for patients to learn more about the field of immunology, a critical piece to the celiac disease puzzle but one that is often left out of the patient education, as well as understand the basics about the drug development and approval process.

Join NFCA as Francisco Leon, MD, PhD, Vice President of Immunology Translational Medicine at Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson; and Ken Kilgore, MS, PhD, Director of ImmunoPharmacology in the Immunology Therapeutic Area at Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson explain the basics of immunology and outline the drug development and approval process.

All you need to attend the free webinar is a working computer with internet access.  Register here and follow the instructions that will be sent to you via email. If you are unable to attend, there will be a recording posted along with slides from the webinar posted within 72 hours on the webinar archives page.

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