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Review: Gluten-Free Quaker Rice Cakes

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 6 Comments

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I was told to stay away from Quaker Rice Cakes due to the high potential of cross contamination. There was never any clear labeling on the packages, either, so I never ate them. I would eat Lundberg, Kroger Brand or Meijer Brand rice cakes instead. I began to hear some buzz not too long ago about Quaker now labeling their rice cakes as “gluten-free”. I started to check labels, but still didn’t see anything. Then, one day, I found it. If it would have been a snake, it would have bit me. The “gluten-free” wording wasn’t below in the ingredient list, but above the nutritional facts in big letters!

I have now tried the Chocolate Crunch & Lightly Salted varieties. I love the Chocolate Crunch with some black cherry fruit spread over the top. I eat the Lightly Salted for breakfast with almond butter, pumpkin butter & raisins. There are so many great possibilities.

What I really like about these rice cakes compared to the others is that they don’t seem to fall apart nearly as easily. Lundberg’s hold up well, but have twice the amount of calories per cake and are over $1 more per package in our stores. Both Kroger & Meijer brands are decently priced, but I can’t tell you how many times I had 3 or 4 useless rice cakes in a package because they just fell apart. The Quaker Rice Cakes are a little more expensive than the store brands, but I am willing to pay that if they are all in tact. The Quaker Rice Cakes have a nice crunch to them. The Chocolate Crunch is a nice way to have a sweet treat without overdoing it.

Many of the Quaker Rice Cakes are gluten-free, but I did see one that was not. It was the Multigrain Cakes – Maple & Brown Sugar. Just make sure to read the label & look for the “gluten-free” label above the nutritional facts.

Review: Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Waffles

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 4 Comments

I have tried many gluten-free waffles over the past 4 years, but I don’t think I have ever tried the Trader Joe’s version. I happened to be at Trader Joe’s yesterday and noticed that their gluten-free waffles were $1.99 for 8 waffles. That is a great price! Nature’s Path waffles run between $2.99 and $5.00/box for 6 waffles. Van’s waffles run between $2.69 and $4.00/box for 6 waffles. I picked up a package to see how they compare to the other 2 brands.

Trader Joe’s Waffles are gluten & yeast free. They have no preservatives or artificial ingredients. There are 230 calories per 2 waffles, which is comparable to Van’s & Nature’s Path. I followed the directions & let the waffles defrost slightly before toasting. They toasted up nicely and evenly. I have had issues in the past with Van’s Waffles toasting unevenly. The flavor and texture were great. They rank right up there with the Van’s & Nature’s Path and you get more bang for your buck. Another win for Trader Joe’s.

I rarely top my waffles with butter & syrup. I am always coming up with new toppings and the toppings usually involve almond or peanut butter. Sometimes I add fruit spread. Sometimes pumpkin butter (another Trader Joe’s product). My newest fascination is heating up fruit with cinnamon & then putting that on top of the waffles & nut butter. I especially like pears & cinnamon. I just cut up the fruit, throw it in a bowl & top it with cinnamon. I microwave them for a minute at a time, until desired tenderness – usually 2.5 minutes in my microwave. Below is a picture with almond butter, raisins & cinnamon.

Another use for waffles is bread for a sandwich. While at my sister’s house in Atlanta, I didn’t have any bread, so I used 2 waffles as bread. Worked like a charm and was really tasty with the pulled pork she served for dinner.

Have you tried Trader Joe’s Waffles? If so, what did you think? I am always interested in hearing opinions from others on the gluten-free products I sample & review.

What are Gluten-Free Manners?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 6 Comments

Like regular manners, the answer to this question is different for everyone. However, when it comes to sharing gluten-free information – likely in an effort to help someone – some people can come off as being rude or imposing their rules for living gluten-free on others. It’s doubtful that people who do this think they are being rude – or pushy – in any way. Their intent is to help someone else out. At least in most cases that is the situation, I would hope.

One of the main problems in our community is that not everyone agrees on what is and is not gluten-free and a zillion other things. Here is the way I see it. If people want to drink potato vodka – so be it. In the “foods allowed” section in Shelley Case’s book, it says “rye whiskey, scotch whiskey, gin, vodka, and bourbon are distilled from a mash of fermented grains. Even though they are derived from a gluten-containing grain, the distillation process removes the gluten from the purified final product.” So, people should drink what they want to and let others do the same.

There are at least ten other such ingredients that this problem applies to. From blue cheese to distilled (not malt) vinegars to vanilla (natural, imitation, and synthetic) – incorrect information swirls about them all. Anyone who wants to avoid blue cheese should do so. I can’t imagine life without it but that’s just me. I like to support brands that will state their product is gluten-free because I’d rather give my money to companies that take the time to find out the gluten status of their products. However, many brands that won’t claim their cheese is gluten-free have been tested and shown to be exactly that.

Here is what I really wonder about when I see so much confusion in our community, that doesn’t seem to have improved in the four years I’ve been gluten-free. Why does it matter to anyone what someone else chooses to eat? Unless it’s a mother leading her child through life safely gluten-free, I don’t get why people care what other people are eating. It’s enough for me to keep up with my own gluten-free lifestyle without having to concern myself with what others choose to eat or avoid. You can’t imagine how many people have told me they have never heard of Shelley Case, or bought one (authoritatively proven) book about living gluten-free who think they know everything about what is and is not gluten-free. Unfortunately, what some of these people are doing is spreading gluten-free rumors, which only adds to the problem this community has been facing for decades.

Celiac disease is the number one genetic condition in the world – not this country – the world. Obviously, a big reason that a huge portion of the general population doesn’t know about it, is that there is no medication for the condition. Seeing a gluten-free label in the grocery store doesn’t qualify someone as knowing about celiac disease, of course. When I look around and see the misinformation floating around – even in some new internet articles – it’s clear to me why we have not come farther than we have. Is it fair for us to complain about the FDA (as I often do) not ruling on gluten-free labeling in the U.S. yet? Lately, I’ve been thinking that maybe it is not fair at all. It’s doubtful that the FDA will be able to “do the right thing” for our community since that means different things to so many people living gluten-free.

Donating Blood with Celiac Disease

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 6 Comments

Today I was able to donate blood for the first time ever in my life. I have tried before, but my hematocrit was too low. Having Celiac Disease can prevent your body from properly absorbing nutrients, so I wasn’t surprised when I was turned away a couple of years back. Now that I have been on the gluten-free diet for just over 4 years, I decided to give it a try again. I make sure that my diet is well rounded, concentrating on foods that are higher in iron, like dark leafy greens & lean ground beef. I also take supplements that include iron. When they screened me today, my hemoglobin, while in the normal range, was too low to donate at 12.1. They had another tech come back to get another sample & I passed, but just barely. My hemoglobin was 12.6 and it has to be 12.5 to donate. Phew!

The whole process, registering and all, took less than 1 hour. The actual time I was hooked up was 15 minutes or less. I was really surprised how quick it was. When I was done donating, I was shown to an area with tables & snacks. Of course the snacks were mostly cookies & crackers, but once I mentioned that I had to follow a gluten-free diet, the gentleman that was working opened up a drawer filled with gluten-free options! I had never expected that they would have food set aside that was specifically gluten-free. They had Fritos, Lay’s Potato Chips & peanuts. I liked that all 3 were also dairy-free.  I am not sure if all Red Cross locations have gluten-free snacks available, so you may want to carry your own, just in case.  I usually have a Lara bar or Pure bar in my purse at all times.

I was asked today on Twitter if there are there any special requirements for those with Celiac Disease wanting to give blood? The answer to that question is “no”. The requirements for donating blood if you have Celiac Disease are the same as they are for those without Celiac Disease. You can view more about the requirements here.  What happens if you are not eligible for some reason?  Most deferrals are temporary – you can read more about them here.

There is always a need for blood.  So if you have been thinking about it, just get out there & do it.  The donor centers have flexible hours that can work with most schedules.  You could even go on your lunch hour.   You can make appointments online at the Red Cross or by calling 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.  1 pint of blood can save up to 3 lives!

Review: Crunchy Flax and Crunchy Rice Cereals

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 3 Comments

For many years now Enjoy Life foods has been a great company to work with, both professionally and personally as someone who follows the gluten-free diet. Not only do they offer several great gluten-free products, but their products are often free of several other common food allergens and are created in dedicated facilities to avoid cross-contamination.

Not long ago Enjoy Life acquired the popular Perky’s “Nutty” Flax and Perky’s “Nutty” Rice gluten-free cereal products, which have since been renamed as Crunchy Flax and Crunchy Rice. Like their other products, these new cereals are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization and are also free of the eight most common allergens: wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish and shellfish.

I’ve never been much of a breakfast person before so I hadn’t gotten around to trying these products yet, but recently I was given a box of each to try by Enjoy Life and I have to say that I was pleased with both products, although the rice one was clearly my favorite. If you liked Rice Krispies in the past then this is an excellent substitute, and I found either cereal is quite a bit better when fresh fruits are added.

If you’d like to give either of these cereals a try, they should be available in just about any grocery store or specialty store which carries gluten-free products. Have you tried these before? Leave your review in the comments below!