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Review: Udi’s Soft and Chewy Granola Bars

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

One thing I have really missed since starting the gluten-free diet is a good granola bar. In the past year or so there have been some great strides made and there are some decent options on the market to choose from. Udi’s Gluten-Free has joined the list of companies making gluten-free granola bars with one of their newest products.

The new granola bars are available in three different varieties:

Cranberry Almond with Omega-3 – INGREDIENTS: gluten-free OATS, HONEY, BROWN RICE SYRUP, RICE CRISP (BROWN RICE MEAL, WATER), ALMONDS, DRIED CRANBERRIES (CRANBERRIES, SUGAR, SUNFLOWER OIL), EVAPORATED CANE SYRUP, NON-GMO CANOLA OIL, INULIN, TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN, MILLED FLAXSEED, PALM OIL, WATER, VEGETABLE GLYCERINE, NATURAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS: ALMONDS WARNING: May contain nut shell fragments. Made in a facility that processes tree nuts and peanuts.

Chocolate Chip with Antioxidants – INGREDIENTS: gluten-free OATS, HONEY, BROWN RICE SYRUP, RICE CRISP (BROWN RICE MEAL, WATER), ALMONDS, RAISINS, EVAPORATED CANE SYRUP, NON-GMO CANOLA OIL, INULIN, TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN, MILLED FLAXSEED, PALM OIL, AMARANTH, QUINOA, WATER, VEGETABLE GLYCERINE, Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086, NATURAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS: ALMONDS

Ancient Grain with Probiotics – INGREDIENTS: gluten-free OATS, HONEY, BROWN RICE SYRUP, RICE CRISP (BROWN RICE MEAL, WATER), ALMONDS, RAISINS, EVAPORATED CANE SYRUP, NON-GMO CANOLA OIL, INULIN, TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN, MILLED FLAXSEED, PALM OIL, AMARANTH, QUINOA, WATER, VEGETABLE GLYCERINE, Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086, NATURAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS: ALMONDS

IMG_6163In addition to being certified gluten-free and non-GMO verified, each variety has additional ingredients that are good for you, such as Omega-3, Probiotics and Antioxidants.

I found a single box of the Ancient Grain variety when I was shopping at my local health food store, Raisin Rack, the other day.  I was unaware that they had begun to carry the granola bars and immediately picked up the lone box so I could try them out.  I sampled my first bar after a tough morning BodyPump workout.  I enjoyed the taste and the texture and felt satisfied after eating the bar, which held me over until I was able to eat breakfast a little later on.  The texture of these bars is a little tougher than a Larabar, but not as hard as a crispy rice type bar, if that makes sense.  I would like to keep these on hand and try the other varieties if I can find them.

Each box contains 5 bars and was priced at over $5/box, which is high, in my opinion. They are priced at $.6.39/box on the Udi’s website for a single box, or $17.16 for six boxes.  As I began to think about the pricing, I thought that the bulk price was actually a really good price, so I went to purchase some.  After adding the bars to my cart, the total said “$32.00”, so I am currently waiting on a response to see what the accurate pricing is.  I will update here once I find out.

Have you spotted or tried the new granola bars from Udi’s gluten-free?  If so, please share your thoughts with us.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Lasagna Roll Ups

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We love lasagna! Jon begs me to make it weekly, so when his birthday rolled around, I knew exactly what I was going to make.  As I began to cook the gluten-free lasagna noodles I thought about changing things up a bit.  Why not make roll ups instead of the layered lasagna?

The roll ups would be similar to Jon’s favorite stuffed shell dish, which I haven’t been able to make since I can’t find the Tinkyada Grand Shells any place.  I used Tinkyada Lasagna noodles cooked per the package instructions.

Gluten-Free Lasagna Roll Ups

  • 6-8 cooked gluten-free lasagna noodles (I made some extra in case some didn’t hold up well)
  • 1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
  • 2-3 tsps. Garlic Gold Italian Herb Nuggets
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 jar marinara (I used Prego Three Cheese)
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella (for sprinkling over the top)

IMG_61101.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 8 x 11 inch Pyrex dish with Pam.

2.  Mix ricotta, Garlic Gold, parmesan and 1/2 cup of mozzarella together in a bowl.  Set aside.

3.  Lay noodles out on clean surface or cutting board and spread cheese across in a thin layer.  Drizzle marinara over cheese layer.

4.  Roll up and place seam side down in Pyrex dish that has a thin layer of marinara sauce in it.

5.  Repeat until done.  Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.

6.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

7.  Remove cover and bake another 5-7 minutes to brown a little on top.

8.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

This recipe can make 6-8 servings, depending on how you split the ingredients.

Jon raved about this dish and said it reminded him of his beloved stuffed shells.  I can see this becoming a permanent addition to our weekly/bi-weekly menu.  If I were making this for people with not-so-picky tastes, I would add spinach, Italian sausage, veggies, etc.

Review: Katz Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix

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Katz gluten-free has been making wonderful gluten-free products for many years.  We have been fans of their Rugelach, pies, cupcakes and donuts, so when they debuted their cake mixes, I made it a point to order both the Chocolate and Vanilla so that I could try them.  I made the Chocolate Cake Mix a few weeks back into cupcakes for Easter, but had some difficulties.  Since I couldn’t figure out what went wrong with the cupcakes, I decided to make cakes from the Vanilla cake mix, despite not having the right size pans.

The Vanilla cake mix calls for 4 eggs, 1/3 cup of oil and 1/2 cup of orange juice.  After I preheated the oven, I mixed the eggs and oil in my mixer.  While the eggs and oil were mixing, I sprayed my 8-inch cake pans with Pam and set them aside.  I added the cake mix and orange juice and continued to mix until the batter was smooth.  I split the batter between the two cake pans and placed into my oven to bake.  The package recommends baking for 25 – 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.  The cakes were far from done at 25 minutes, but perfect at 30 minutes!  I let the cakes cool on the counter for several hours before frosting.

IMG_6078I used Betty Crocker’s Triple Chocolate Fudge Chip Frosting, marked “gluten-free” right on the package, to frost the cake.

Since it was Jon’s 17th birthday, we gave him the first piece of cake.  He dug in and thoroughly enjoyed the cake!  Even my picky, non-gluten-free child loved this cake!  I was a little concerned that using orange juice in the cake mix would not pair well with the chocolate frosting, but that wasn’t the case at all!  The cake has a wonderful, moist texture and subtle vanilla flavor.  I was pleased to see this cake mix turned out much better than the chocolate mix.  I plan on trying the chocolate cake mix again, but as cake, not cupcakes, to see if that may have been the problem.

Katz gluten-free products can be purchased directly from their website or in many stores across the US.  I am not sure if the cake mixes have made their way to store shelves yet or if they are only available online.  Have you tried either of the new Katz gluten-free Cake mixes?  How did they work for you?

How Do You Prefer to Grocery Shop Gluten-Free?

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With more and more gluten-free specialty products showing up on the shelves of grocery stores these days, it can be a challenge to shop at different stores.  Some stores choose to organize all of the gluten-free specialty products into a “gluten-free” section of the store, while other stores either have a “Health Food” section or place the products on the shelves right along with other like items… bread, baking mixes, pasta, cookies, etc.

There are pros and cons for each method.

“gluten-free” section – Pros – Most specialty items are grouped together making products easier to locate. Cons – Store employees may incorrectly place items that are not gluten-free in this area as seen above.

“Health Food” section – Pros – Again, most specialty items will be grouped in this section, though it probably will be a larger area than a strictly “gluten-free” section.  Cons – Not all “Health Food” products are necessarily gluten-free and it may take a bit longer to find what you are shopping for.

No separation – Pros – If you know the store, things are grouped with other like items and can be found by aisle signs hanging from ceiling.  Cons – A larger store area to cover to find what you are shopping for.  This may also lead to confusion among store employees and communication between them and customers.

Do you have a preferred method?  Do you avoid certain grocery stores because of the way they stock their gluten-free specialty foods?

Review: Uncle Maddio’s in Edgewood, Atlanta

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A year ago, I wrote about my experience at Uncle Maddio’s, and how much I loved it, and it’s dedication to serving safe gluten-free pizza. A few weeks ago, an Uncle Maddio’s opened right around the corner from me.  I was thrilled, now I could enjoy this yummy gluten-free pizza regularly.

As luck would have it, I was invited to the opening night, and while I was super excited to be one the of the first to try their new location, I can’t deny I was also a bit nervous.  I was nervous because I didn’t want to be a guinea pig for people trying to navigate and learning how to prepare a gluten-free pizza with minimal risk of cross-contamination.  In addition to this, the opening night was packed.  A setting I try to avoid when I want to be sure the people in the kitchen and servers are handling my order carefully.  My nerves were eased when I spoke with the owner and she assured me that they have been trained and that the main person making pizzas that night was an experienced pizza maker from another Uncle Maddio’s location.

Logo_Uncle_MaddiosI decided to trust it, and ordered my pizza.  I love how the format is “Chipotle-style”, casual and family-friendly.  You can order from one of the many speciality designed pizzas, or you can go down the line and choose the toppings to make your own unique pizza.  There is a huge menu board that lists the specials and toppings available.  My family all ordered gluten-free pizzas, because honestly they all like the crusts better, even though they don’t have to eat gluten-free like me.

I told the pizza maker I was going to have a gluten-free pizza, and thankfully he changed his gloves without being asked, as well as, alerting the next people in the pizza line to change their gloves as well.  Since I have been to an Uncle Maddio’s before, I was familiar with what toppings were safe, but as we know, ingredients always change, so I asked again.  I was told that all veggies were OK, but he seemed a little fuzzy as to all that was safe after that.   I ordered a pizza with red sauce, broccoli, green olives and tofu. My daughter ordered her favorite of tofu and pepperoni – such a great contradiction!

All in all, it was a great experience, even if I was a little nervous in the crowded, just-opened atmosphere.  The leftovers the next day were just as delicious!

One change I would make, if I could, would be to mark the gluten-free toppings on the menu board rather than leaving us guessing.  The salads are marked, so why not mark the pizza toppings?

I can’t wait to go again!