Celiac Disease

Official Website of Celiac-Disease.com

You are here: Home / Archives for Foods & Products / Groceries

Groceries

Review: Udi’s Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

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

I love portable food.  It was just a couple of months back when I first found and tried Udi’s gluten-free Soft & Chewy Granola bars.  At the time I was unable to find the Chocolate Chip variety, but have since had the opportunity to try them.

I wasn’t the only one who quickly fell in love with these – Jon did too!  He isn’t typically a fan of granola bars, so these must be extra-special good if Jon approved them!

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_7154In addition to being certified gluten-free and non-GMO verified, these bars are also rich in antioxidants Vitamin E and Zinc.  The bars are a decent size and don’t leave you feeling hungry for more.  Perfect for a quick bite before heading to the gym, work or school in the morning or to hold you over until dinner.

Udi’s gluten-free granola bars can be found on the Udi’s gluten-free website or in stores across the US.  To find the store closest to you, check the store locator on the left side of this page.  Have you had an opportunity to try Udi’s gluten-free granola bars?  What do you think?

*These bars were provided 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.

Review: Donato’s Gluten-Free Take and Bake Pizza

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 5 Comments

Columbus is a great city to live in. In addition to all of these reasons, Columbus has a plethora of gluten-free options –  grocery shopping or dining out.  I don’t think I fully appreciated all that Columbus has to offer until visiting other cities and having trouble finding my staples.

Donato’s Pizza has been a Columbus fixture since 1963 when Jim Grote opened his first pizzeria on the South side of Columbus with only $1,300. Earlier this year Donato’s debuted the very popular Gluten-Free Sonoma Flatbread Pizzas.  The pizzas can be purchased in many Kroger stores and select health food stores in the Columbus area.  It was only a few months later when select Donato’s Pizza locations began to carry gluten-free pizzas.

IMG_7008Donato’s Pizza locations offer a couple of different gluten-free pizza options:

  • Take & Bake – Prepared and sealed in a certified gluten-free facility.
  • Create your own choice of toppings or signature pizza combinations on Udi’s Gluten-Free crust.

I didn’t realize there was a difference in the pizzas sold at the Donato’s Pizza locations other than the size of the crust until yesterday.  I stopped by Donato’s to pick up a couple of gluten-free Take & Bake pizzas for a quick dinner.  My Kroger location frequently sells out of the Sonoma Flatbreads, so I figured it would be easier to just stop at Donato’s.  The first difference I noticed was the price.  The pizzas are $13+ each at Donato’s compared to $8.99 each at Kroger.  While the circumference of the pizza is the same, the box is different and there were a lot more toppings.

In traditional Donato’s fashion… ”Edge to Edge” toppings.  Another bonus to picking up the pizzas at Donato’s is the Cheese Pizza option.  The gluten-free Sonoma Flatbread does offer a Three Cheese Pizza, but I have yet to find it on the shelves of Kroger.

IMG_7017Both Jon and I agreed that the pizza crust tastes the same, but the toppings take this pizza to a whole new level.  This is the Donato’s Pizza I remember!  Any feelings of the pizza being too expensive quickly went out the window once we sat down and had a slice.

Pizza perfection!

I still plan on continuing to buy the gluten-free Sonoma Flatbread Pizzas offered in the grocery store, but it is nice to have this new option at Donato’s Pizza for special occasions.

Well done, Donato’s, well done.

Review: Nature’s Path Gluten-Free Homestyle Waffles

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

Waffles are a staple in our house, especially the frozen variety.  Mornings are often hectic and making waffles from scratch isn’t always an option.  There are many gluten-free waffles on the market now and while I have tried many of them, I just found the Nature’s Path Homestyle variety recently.

I have been a long-time fan of the Nature’s Path Buckwheat Wildberry and a recent fan of the Chia Plus, so I couldn’t wait to try the Homestyle.  I also figured this would be one of the products Jon would like, making it easy for him to prepare his own breakfast or snack.

Ingredients:

Water, brown rice flour*, potato starch*, corn flour*, canola* and/or soybean* oil, tapioca starch*, cane sugar*, potato flour*, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), soy lecithin*, pear juice concentrate*, natural flavor, sea salt. *Organic. Contains soy.

IMG_6863The waffles toasted easily in my toaster oven and weren’t the least bit crumbly like I have found with some other brands recently.  The flavor was good and reminded me of a home-cooked waffle.  I prefer to top my waffles with peanut butter and strawberry preserves, while Jon prefers butter, syrup and chocolate chips.  I was lucky to find these on sale for $2.49 right now at Raisin Rack in Columbus, Ohio, where they will remain on sale through June 30, 2013.

Nature’s Path has a nice variety of gluten-free products in their line-up.  I have sampled most of the products except the newer cereals and gluten-free bread.  I have been keeping an eye out for both when I shop, but haven’t had much luck yet.

Have you tried any of the Nature’s Path gluten-free Waffles?  Do you have a favorite?  My favorite is the Chia Plus, but I won’t turn any of them down.

Review: Vanilla Gluten-Free Chex Cereal

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

It was just last week that I learned that Chex cereal added a new variety to their line-up: Vanilla Chex.  Once I found out about the Vanilla Chex, I began to look in every grocery store around me for it.  I went from not being able to find it, to finding it in several stores in a matter of days.

I wasn’t surprised to instantly fall in love with Vanilla Chex!  I am already dreaming up different breakfast cereal combinations…Cinnamon + Vanilla Chex like a Snickerdoodle cookie, Chocolate + Vanilla Chex like a chocolate vanilla swirl bowl of ice cream and Apple Cinnamon + Vanilla Chex like apple pie with vanilla ice cream!

 

IMG_6857Our Meijer store had the Chex cereals on sale this week for $2.50, while Target had the sale price at $2.99.  Make sure to check out the recipes section of the Chex website for inspiration with all of the varieties of Chex cereals.  Please note that Wheat and Multi-Bran Chex are not gluten-free.  Check the store locator to see where to find Chex close to you.

Have you tried the new Vanilla Chex?  Which Chex cereal is your favorite?

Review: Gluten-Free Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Puffs

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

When I first heard that Pepperidge Farm had made a gluten-free goldfish cracker I thought it was too good to be true. Then I found out that said cracker was being carried at Target, so I made sure to stop by when I was out running errands the following day. Sure enough, right there next to the regular Goldfish was this bag of gluten-free goodness:

The new Goldfish Puffs come in three different varieties:

  • Buffalo Wing
  • Mega Cheese
  • Cheddar Bacon

IMG_6847My Target store only had the Buffalo Wing and they just happened to be on sale.  I am not sure if my store only carries the one variety because it isn’t a Super Target or varieties differ by location.

I couldn’t wait to dig into these to see how they taste! The Goldfish Puffs are larger than the original Goldfish and they are like a cross between a cracker and a cheese puff.  I really liked the flavor and don’t think they are too spicy, which is something I was afraid of when I first saw the variety.  I do appreciate the other two varieties being milder for gluten-free kids who just want to be like their friends and classmates.

Unfortunately I was unable to find any information on the Pepperidge Farm or Goldfish website regarding the new Goldfish Puffs. Here is a photo of the ingredient list on the Buffalo Wing variety:

Have you spotted or tried the new Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Puffs?

*Please note this product has not been certified gluten-free.  It is a processed food product made without gluten ingredients and like any processed food product that isn’t certified gluten-free, there is a potential for cross-contamination.  Consuming this product, or any processed food product that isn’t certified gluten-free, is an individual choice.  Since this post went live a few hours ago, I have received some negative comments about this product.  My job is to report Celiac Disease and gluten-free diet news to the readers and share our opinions on the taste and/or quality of said product.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that I, or any other author on this blog, endorses a product for daily consumption.