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Are Keurig K-Cup Coffees Gluten-Free?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 12 Comments

Do you start your day out with a Cup-O-Joe? I do. There is nothing better than sitting down to catch up on email & blog posts while drinking my first cup of coffee of the morning.  Even when I am only drinking decaf, there is something about the hot coffee that makes it all okay.  Of course coffee itself is gluten-free. Where complications may arise is with the flavored coffees.

IMG_0374After receiving a new Keurig for my birthday last week, I couldn’t wait to dig into my sample pack of K-cups. While most of the K-Cups were just different brands of coffee in the cups – such as Caribou, Green Mountain & Tully’s, there were a few flavored varieties in the box.  I went to the Keurig/Green Mountain website to see if there was any information on the flavored coffees and didn’t find any, so I sent an email.  This is the email I received back:

Our Coffee, Café Escapes, hot cider, cocoa and teas are gluten-free. Each of the Perfect Iced Teas, Hot Cocoa and Café Escapes items has specific nutritional information under ?Tasting Notes?. The Nutritional label can be viewed in the product images. Please let us know if you need anything further. If you have any questions, or if there is anything else we can assist you with please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Care Team.
Sincerely,
Lauren
Consumer Direct Web Associate
GMCR Specialty Coffee Business Unit
customercare@gmcr.com
Tel: (866) 639-2326 Mon.-Fri., 8a.m.-6p.m. EST

I did write back to confirm that this included the flavored coffees and was assured that it did.  I was thrilled to hear this and couldn’t wait to get to sampling! Keurig has a wide variety of coffees, teas and cocoas that can be purchased on their website, and select retailers.

Do you have a Keurig?  What is your favorite K-Cup variety?

Review: Red Robin’s Gluten-Free Buns

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 15 Comments

We have dined at Red Robin many times since following the gluten-free diet.  In fact, it was one of the first places where I felt comfortable eating gluten-free.  Despite the fact that the gluten-free buns were just recently added to their menu, they have always had a nice selection of menu items without gluten.

It was just announced in November that Red Robin would be adding Udi’s Gluten-Free buns to select locations across the US.  Our local Red Robin just recently started serving them, so I knew I had to get over there to sample them as soon as I could.  I know it may sound a little silly, as I have eaten many of Udi’s gluten-free buns/products in the past.  However, just the idea of ordering a burger or chicken sandwich in a restaurant and having it come on a bun that is safe for me to eat is too exciting for me to pass up.

We headed out last night to meet up with my dad, stepmom, and sister for a belated birthday dinner for me.  When they asked where I wanted to go to eat, Red Robin popped into my head immediately.  I went in with the intention of having a burger but ended up ordering the chicken Caprese sandwich.  I had ordered the same chicken sandwich protein-style (wrapped in lettuce) the last time I had been to Red Robin and fell in love.  Having the bun option certainly made the choices harder, but that was something that I was thrilled about.  If you have been following the gluten-free diet for any amount of time, especially before it became so mainstream, you know what I mean.  It used to be that there were few options if any.  There were many times when I felt lucky to get a plain burger, baked potato, and salad with oil & vinegar.IMG_0372

Doesn’t that look amazing?  If you have previously dined at Red Robin, you know that the baskets that the food comes in are typically red.  The yellow baskets are for orders that are gluten-free or have some other kind of allergen red flag.  Red Robin does a wonderful job of catering to those with all kinds of sensitivities, not just gluten-free.  The allergen lists are updated frequently to ensure that any changes in procedures or manufacturers are noted to the best of their abilities.

My sandwich was outstanding! The bun was toasted perfectly and held up to the many items that were stuffed inside –chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, and tomatoes. I ordered the pesto aioli (also gluten-free) on the side and ended up dipping my fries in it. I was full about halfway through this meal, but couldn’t help but finish my sandwich because it was so good!

The one thing that Red Robin is missing from their gluten-free menu is dessert. Of course, I don’t usually have room for dessert, but it would add to their already great options for those who are gluten-free. Red Robin has locations across the country, though not all of them may be serving the buns yet. Make sure to call ahead if you are going in specifically to try the buns, as I would hate for you to be disappointed.

Have you had a chance to try the buns at Red Robin yet?  What did you think?

Review: Katz Gluten-Free Doughnuts

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

Just a few weeks back I wrote an article about Katz’s gluten-free debuting a few new products, specifically, doughnuts.  I am pleased to tell you that I have been able to sample all three varieties and can’t wait to share my thoughts with you!  When I got up this morning I was less than pleased to find out that our warmer-than-normal January temperatures were on their way out and snow was on its way in.  That set the mood for the day right off the bat – gloomy. I tried to focus on all of the nice weather that we have had up until now, but that didn’t work.

Just after lunch, my doorbell rang and I found a nice package from Katz gluten-free waiting for me my day instantly brightened!  How could I continue this gloomy mood with gluten-free doughnuts to be sampled?

No need to wait for breakfast, right?  They practically jumped out of the package onto the plate.

 

I have to admit that I was shocked at the size of the doughnut holes!  They are just about the size of my fist!  Okay, well maybe not quite that big, more like a racquetball size.  As much as I wanted to eat them as is, I knew I had to cut them open to inspect the insides.  I also knew that it was in my best interests to share these with Jon.

IMG_0323First and foremost, all three of these doughnuts tasted amazing!  I honestly wouldn’t have known they were gluten-free if I hadn’t seen the package.  I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more jelly in the jelly version.  It did appear that some of it soaked into the doughnut rather than remaining in the middle where it should be.  The custard didn’t seem to have the same issue, probably due to the consistency of the custard.  The powdered sugar doughnut reminded me of the packaged doughnuts my mom used to buy me as a child, only better!  Jon instantly fell in love with all of them, too, so I see some fighting going on around here soon.

Katz gluten-free Doughnuts can be purchased on their website and are on sale currently!  There is also a gluten-free sample pack available for free (only pay the cost of shipping – $4.99).  The sample pack includes:  “1 Slice each of Whole Grain Bread, Sliced Challah Bread, White Bread and Wholesome Bread. Also included are 1 Dinner Roll, a sample Cookie and Rugelech, and 1 Sample Slice of Marble Cake“.  Free shipping is available on orders over $30 to certain locations.

***The products reviewed in this post were sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  The opinions stated here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything. 

Tim Horton’s Gluten-Free Menu

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 38 Comments

If you have ever been inside a Tim Horton’s, you know that there don’t seem to be a lot of gluten-free options to choose from.  I happened to meet a friend there the other day and was discouraged when I was really hungry, yet the employees on duty didn’t have any idea if they had any gluten-free choices other than fruit.  I made a mental note to not only check into the gluten-free options when I got home, but to share what I found with you all as well.

Upon browsing Tim Horton’s website, I found that they do indeed have an allergen list.  I knew that there wouldn’t be any magically appearing gluten-free doughnuts, but I wanted to be better prepared the next time I was at Tim Horton’s, as I really like their coffee. I hadn’t made Tim Horton’s one of my priorities in the past because they weren’t on any of my daily routes.  With a new location in my gym parking lot, I see that changing in the near future.

After perusing the allergen list, I found that the following items don’t contain any gluten (USA):

  • Iced cappuccino (with milk, chocolate milk, or cream)
  • Iced cappuccino supreme
  • Mocha iced capp
  • Iced coffee
  • Iced mocha
  • Iced chill mocha
  • Strawberry Banana Smoothie with yogurt
  • Strawberry Banana Smoothie without yogurt
  • Mixed Berry Smoothie with yogurt
  • Mixed Berry Smoothie without yogurt
  • Frozen Lemonade
  • Real Brewed Iced Tea
  • Coffee
  • Decaffeinated Coffee
  • Hot Chocolate
  • White Hot Chocolate
  • French Vanilla Cappuccino
  • English Toffee Cappuccino
  • Café Mocha
  • Caramel Café Mocha
  • Apple Cider
  • Caramel Apple Cider Supreme
  • Steeped Tea
  • Specialty Teas
  • Hot Smoothies (all flavors)
  • Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
  • Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
  • Caramel Hot Chocolate
  • Hashbrown
  • French onion soup (broth only)
  • Hearty potato bacon soup
  • Turkey and wild rice soup
  • Chili
  • Creamy Sundried Tomato with Roasted Garlic
  • Yogurt & berries

As always, ask questions before ordering.  Iced beverages and smoothies may be made with the same blender as versions that contain gluten, so ask for a new one.  Ask about the hashbrown preparation to see if they are cooked with gluten-containing foods.  Some locations may have different procedures in place, so it is necessary to do your due diligence.  I was pleased to learn the yogurt & berries were on this list, as  I had asked about it yesterday, and since nobody had a definite answer at the time.   I ended up settling on an XL coffee and a bar from my emergency stash.  Tim Horton’s has locations across the US and Canada.

Have you eaten at Tim Horton’s gluten-free?  What did you have?

Review: Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 8 Comments

I headed to Trader Joe’s the other day to pick up some necessities and found that they now had gluten-free crispy crunchy chocolate chip cookies. One of my favorite places in the store to check out is the end cap which has a variety of new product offerings on it. Of course, I picked up a pack, even though I had many cookies already at home.

The cookies are $3.99 for a 7 oz. the package which has roughly 14 cookies in it.  Each serving (2 cookies) contains 140 calories, 7g fat and 1g protein. The ingredient list is as follows:

Semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin vanilla, natural flavor), rice flour, butter (cream), brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, and water.

IMG_0232These were probably some of the most unique packaged gluten-free cookies that I have tasted.  They were super crispy and had a wonderful butter flavor.  If these had been on a plate and not in a package, I would not have been able to tell that they were not homemade.  Each cookie had a decent amount of chocolate chips in it, which is not always the case.  The front of the bag says “buttery and rich chocolate chip cookies that melt in your mouth” and I have to say that I completely agree!

These cookies join a long list of gluten-free foods available at Trader Joe’s.  Our location just recently started carrying some of the Udi’s Gluten-Free product line.  It is nice to pick up my bread, bagels and buns at the same place that I get a lot of my other groceries.  I have also noticed the pricing on the Udi’s products seems to be a little lower at Trader Joe’s than some of the other stores in the area that carry their products.  Trader Joe’s maintains an extensive list of their gluten-free products.  The list is updated frequently can can be found online or in store locations.

Have you had a chance to try the new cookies from Trader Joe’s yet?  If so, what did you think?