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Review: Kinnikinnick Foods Soft Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 1 Comment

When I talk to people who are just first diagnosed one of the first things they mention to me is”how am I going to live without bread?” A huge staple in the diet for many families, bread is one of those items that are on the top of the ‘oh no I can’t eat’ list. It is one of the harder-to-mimic gluten-free items too and gluten-free bread, historically, has been picky, cardboard-like, and not close to the texture of regular wheat bread.

That’s all changed over the last few years as more companies strive to have the best gluten-free bread. The market has been filled with some great options for gluten-free bread that has a very similar texture, is a good sized loaf, healthy and affordable. The same is said for other bread products like hotdogs and hamburger buns — both important when you have kids and even more now when it’s peak BBQ season and everyone else will be enjoying burgers and dogs.

Kinnikinnick Foods released its new product line a few months ago that has really upped the market for gluten-free bread products. The new “Soft” bread and buns hit the market and people have been buzzing ever since. Kinnikinnick Foods believe that you can have good food that is also good for you — keeping that in mind when developing these products.

To highlight each product’s nutritional benefits, Kinnikinnick Foods provided an easy-to-read and understandable Nutritional Summary on the front of each package.

  • At least 5 g of Fiber per serving
  • Zero Cholesterol
  • Zero Trans Fat
  • 1 g or less sugar per serving
  • Fortified with 5 essential nutrients
  • Lower in sodium than our existing bread products and many other bread products on the market (even non-gluten-free bread)
  • No Artificial Colours, Flavours, or Preservatives
  • first gluten-free Bakery Products to qualify for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada TMHealth Check TM Program.

But how do they taste?:

I tried both the hamburger and hot dog buns and if you know me, you know that I am very picky about the texture of gluten-free foods. Both the hamburger and hot dog buns passed my texture test with flying colors. They are soft on the inside — do not need to be toasted, and the outside texture reminds me a lot of gluten-containing products. The buns did not fall apart and crumble which happens with some other gluten-free products and they were both the perfect size.

:: Have you tried their new soft bread yet? What do you think? ::

Review: Gluten-Free at The Macaroon Company

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

I recently had the opportunity to try the new (to me) gluten-free treat from The Macaroon Company, which is located in Woodstock, GA, just outside of Atlanta. Brian Murray, the company’s founder, and the owner was extremely generous and personally brought me some samples to try of their company’s namesake, the macaroon.

The Macaroon Company’s macaroons are not like the trendy macrons with a cream filling. These macaroons are old-school, the ones traditionally made with coconut, and these macaroons, in particular, are gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free, as well as being vegan and raw, with no baking involved in the process.  Agave is used exclusively as a sweetener.  The ingredients are simple and pronounceable and include most if not all organic ingredients.

These macaroons work very well for people on restricted diets such as gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or diabetic.

I was given samples of the Lemon Pound Cake, Amaretto & Orange, Fudge Brownie, Pina Colada, Mint Chocolate, and Chocolate Raz.   They also have seasonal favorites, so be sure to visit the website for what is currently available.  The packages include 15 pieces and retail at $5.  I absolutely love coconut, so I was not sure which one to dig into first.

The individual pieces are small, but they pack in the flavor and are extremely satisfying and fulfilling.  As their tagline states, “Taste Like More” and it is true!  My husband, daughter and I loved being macaroon taste testers.  My husband and I were in agreement and our favorite was the Lemon Pound Cake, my daughter loved the Fudge Brownie, and couldn’t get enough.  While we did have our favorites, they were all delicious.  Whichever flavor you choose you will not be disappointed. They make a great fiber-rich sweet treat!

Brian started making his macaroons several years ago as a way to make extra cash, but after realizing their popularity with his friends, he began to sell them, and viola!  The Macaroon Company does not have its own storefront but is available online and at area farmer’s markets, such as the Alpharetta Farmer’s Market and Sweetapple Village Market.  To find out exact locations, check out their Facebook page, or email Brian directly, brian@themacarooncompany.com.

Budget Gluten-Free Food Shopping Tips

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

One of the first things people realize when they start following the gluten-free diet is that if they want to enjoy gluten-free replacement items like bread, pizza, doughnuts, etc., they are going to pay a lot of money for the privilege. Leaving those items out of your diet will save a lot of money, but that isn’t a reasonable thing for most people to do unless they didn’t eat those types of foods when they ate gluten.

Shopping on Amazon.com is one of the best ways to save on gluten-free food, but since you have to buy most things in bulk, it’s only feasible to purchase things you know you like. Keep in mind that you need to be careful when shopping on that site because they always have non-gluten-free items listed in the gluten-free section. The company isn’t trying to dupe anyone into buying products that will make them sick. Things just slip by like vegan or sugar-free items at times, by mistake.

To save money at your local grocery store, take advantage of specials like 2 for deals on items that are gluten-free but not replacement-type foods. Various pasta sauces and Progresso soups that are labeled gluten-free routinely go on sale for 50% off at Publix stores. Kroger, Ingles, Hy-Vee, Food Giant, Winn-Dixie, Safeway, and other chains all offer ways to save money in various ways. You can get frequent shoppers cards at many of them which give you lower prices on tons of items throughout the store. Some might be gluten-free so stocking up on them can save a lot of money over time.

Lately, there have been discounting coupons (the kind you cut out) in circulars for various gluten-free items like Food Should Taste Good chips, Chex cereals, and Swanson broths. As always, diligence is needed when shopping as many coupons are good for both gluten and gluten-free products from the lines. Some health food stores have their own coupon books – or industry coupon books which offer savings at those stores.

Vitacost presently offers over 500 gluten-free items and free shipping on orders over $49. They also sell many items by the unit there so case purchases are not required for all the items they offer.

Your local dollar store might be worth checking out for great deals too. Even though you’re not likely to find frozen gluten-free waffles in the freezer at such stores, they often have simple items like beans, olives, and other shelf-stable foods. Some are gluten-free even if not labeled that way. Please note that shopping for food at those stores requires one to be very proficient in deciphering food labels.

As I’ve said time and again, shopping with gluten-free friends for items you can only purchase only online can really cut down your shipping costs. In the past, I’ve done this for everything from bagels to doughnuts to buttermilk biscuit dough. The more people you can order with, the more money you’ll save. Just like learning the gluten-free diet takes a lot of time, so does saving money on gluten-free food. With the current economic situation, it definitely pays to spend a little time finding the best deals out there for both natural and specialty gluten-free foods.

Review: Rhythm Chips

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

There are so many tasty gluten-free snacks on the market today, we definitely don’t lack from choice. However, many of these snacks are processed and made with refined flours where a good piece of fruit would be the healthier option.  Plain fruit, nuts and vegetables are great, but when a new snack comes out that is naturally gluten-free and made up one of the world’s healthiest vegetables, I have to try it!

The company Daily Juice, based in Austin, TX, was kind enough to send me some samples of their raw all natural Rhythm Chips, which are made out of kale.  Kale is in the same family as cabbage, collard greens and broccoli and is full of health benefits, an excellent source of vitamins and packed with fiber, but kale is not something we usually come across as much as its family members.

Rhythm Chips are raw, vegan, gluten-free, cholesterol-free and GMO-free.  They are available in Bombay Curry, Kool Ranch and Zesty Nacho.  Each flavor uses natural and raw ingredients to create the flavors, and note that some do contain nuts.

I was incredibly surprised with how tasty these were.  I have never really had much kale before or many store-bought raw veggie snacks, so I was a bit skeptical.  Since I love Indian, I tried the Bombay Curry first and when I opened the package and took a look, I must admit, my first thought was of a college party snack that is not quite legal.  Once I got past that, I was really impressed by these chips and the Bombay Curry flavor.  I am not sure it tasted necessarily like curry to me, but the combination of the ingredients (kale, zucchini, carrot, onion, coconut, lemon juice, ginger, vegan nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, cilantro, spices and sea salt) made it delicious and definitely my favorite of the threesome.  My second favorite was the Kool Ranch, which was interesting to me, because I am not usually a fan of ranch-flavored items, but these were yummy.  The Zesty Nacho was also incredibly good, and all three make a great snack.  My husband agreed and really liked them all, with the Kool Ranch being his favorite.

We decided these make a great nutritional snack on the go, and a nice change from the standard apple or banana. Plus, a much healthier option than standard corn chips or pretzels (even though those taste good too!)

They come in 2 oz bags, which contain two servings at 101 calories, 2g of fiber and 4g of protein per serving. The chips do break apart pretty easily so be careful not to pack them at the bottom of your bag or purse. Also important to note, each bag contains a desiccant packet to keep the chips fresh and crisp, so be sure not to eat it.

Rhythm Chips can be found at Whole Foods, as well as other speciality and local health food stores, and retail for about $5.99 a bag.  They are also available online on their web site for $29.99 for a 6-pack.

Diligence Required when Reading Food Labels

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Those of us that live in the U.S. know how important it is to carefully read food labels. There is no law requiring companies to list when products contain gluten. There is a law covering the eight major allergens, including wheat, but wheat-free does not always equal gluten-free. Some people seem to think that disclaimers such as “Contains Wheat and Soy” are mandatory on product labels, but in fact, they are not.

Wheat and other allergens do have to be listed in the ingredients, but they do not have to be called out in any type of disclaimer. Calling the FDA can confirm that fact. Many people are getting sick because they don’t know how to properly read labels and some of them specifically look for a disclaimer about wheat even though wheat is not the only form of gluten that a product can contain in the first place. Part of the confusion is caused by misinformation about U.S. labeling laws being posted online.

An instructor at a Whole Foods gluten-free cooking class I attended in 2008 stated that all forms of gluten must be listed on labels in the U.S. The law has not changed since then so no, gluten does not have to legally be listed on U.S. products, period. As careful as I try to be, I’ve gotten home with a marinade or dressing that I had to return because wheat was buried in the tiny ingredient text and there was no disclaimer on the label about wheat. It was my own mistake for being guilty of looking for the disclaimer about wheat which doesn’t cover all forms of gluten anyway.

When shopping at Fresh Market recently, I threw a box of Nueva Cocina Mexican Rice Mix into the cart. There are very few such mixes that are gluten and MSG free and I’ve been enjoying that mix for a couple of years now. Imagine my surprise when I went to put up the groceries and noticed the “wheat free” on the front of the box. The lighting at our Fresh Market is a joke and it’s nearly impossible to read the labels even with reading glasses on.  However, I didn’t bother to try and read the label on the box of rice since I’ve bought it so many times before and it’s always been labeled gluten-free.

After checking the Nueva Cocina website and seeing that the rice mix was listed as gluten-free there, I had to call the company to find out if the product had actually changed or if only the packaging had. The ingredients are clear and there do not seem to be any gluten ingredients listed, but the package states that the item is made in a facility that processes wheat and that the product is made with “non-wheat” ingredients. The disclaimer has always been there, but it said “non-gluten ingredients” instead of “non-wheat ingredients” up until recently.

Speaking to a representative from Nueva Cocina made me feel comfortable about eating the Mexican Rice Mix with the text change on the box. The company moved into a different facility and wanted to get everything checked out for safety regarding allergens. The change to the packaging was a temporary measure due to the move. Future packages of items that are gluten-free, including the Mexican Rice Mix, will soon have the gluten-free listing on the box again.

Whew – what a relief! It is almost impossible to find a Mexican rice mix that is free of both gluten and MSG. This mix is not made with animal products, is made with all-natural ingredients, and doesn’t contain any preservatives. The Rice Mix for Chicken is also an exceptional product. I look forward to trying more gluten-free products from this line in the future!