I used to loathe hot cereal. With a passion. I didn’t like the texture or the taste. I didn’t like how it would thicken if you let it sit for a moment. None of it appealed to me.
And then, as I got older, my palate changed. Now, every day for lunch I have a bowl of oatmeal. However, since having to adopt a gluten-free diet, I’ve had to carefully watch the ingredients in some of the oatmeal I buy. So, to bypass this precautionary step, I opted to spend a little extra money and purchase gluten-free oatmeal. My grocery store doesn’t carry much that is gluten-free, but they did have the variety pack of gluten-free oatmeal by Glutenfreeda. The flavors didn’t sound too scary, so I gave in, opened my wallet, and paid the high price for gluten-free reassurance.
During the course of that week, I would bring in a pack with me to the office to have as lunch. For my first taste of Glutenfreeda oatmeal, I chose the Banana Maple with Flax. Cooking it up in the microwave, I couldn’t even smell anything that resembled banana or maple. This was unusual to me, because the oatmeal I had previously would smell amazing as it was heating up. Not wanting to cast judgement too quickly, I gathered the bowl out of the microwave and returned to my desk to eat while I finished up some of my work. Giving the cereal a bit of a stir, I immediately noticed that I couldn’t spot any banana chunks. I stirred it again, then gathered up a small spoonful of it, blew across it, and then took my first taste. It tasted like it smelled…like nothing. I gave the oatmeal another stir, then lifted a bigger spoonful from the center and tried again. Same problem. It was bland. No flavor. No hint of banana or maple. Just this strange cardboard-like flavor that was everything oatmeal should not taste like. I was highly disappointed and already regretting my decision to give this brand a try. Convincing myself to give another flavor a try the next day was going to be difficult, because getting this one down was a challenge in and of itself.
The following day, however, I braved the pantry and plucked out a packet of the Maple Raisin with Flax. I was a bit reluctant to head into the kitchen to cook it up that day at lunch, but I did…hoping that it would at least have more flavor than the banana version from the day prior. This time, I detected a hint of maple in the air as the microwave cooked it together. And I was thrilled to actually be able to find the raisins in this one when I stirred it together after it finished heating. With a little hesitation, mostly out of concern that it would be a repeat of the day before, I took my first bite of it. This one was much better. There was flavor. It was subtle, but it was there…the sweetness of the raisins and the maple did come through on this one. And I had an easier time eating this one down before it got cold. I was pleasantly surprised by the Maple Raisin version.
So when it came to trying the last flavor in the variety pack, I had mixed feelings. Banana Maple had been a fail; Maple Raisin a win. Where would Apple Cinnamon with Flax fall in the scheme of things? I was hoping it would be an even further step in the right direction. At lunch, I didn’t hesitate when I poured the dry package into a bowl and added the water. I noticed the chunks of dried apple and could spot the cinnamon throughout. This already was a good sign. I heated it up and was delighted by the smell wafting from the microwave. Returning to my desk, I stirred it together and took a bite. And it was good. I actually preferred the Maple Raisin to this one, but this was a close runner-up in the pack. It was blander than it smelled, but the flavor was there. So, it was palatable to say the least. The apple was now soft and the cinnamon was stirred throughout…but it lacked something other apple cinnamon oatmeal I had previously had. The flavor just wasn’t up-to-par.
Since I had two packets of each, I made sure I used up the Banana Maple one first. This time, however, I came more prepared. I chopped up a ripe banana and added it to the oatmeal…which gave it the flavor it had been lacking the previous try. I still couldn’t spot any dried banana, but with the real fruit now infused in it, I could easily stomach the taste. It made a much easier lunch the second time around with my addition to it.
I’m glad the variety pack for the Glutenfreeda oatmeal was what my store had available. Had the Banana Maple with Flax been the only available flavor, I never would consider purchasing this product again. But since I know that the Maple Raisin and Apple Cinnamon versions have flavor and don’t need to be doctored to be enjoyed, I might consider trying Glutenfreeda again…just in the individual flavors so as not to waste my lunch on a flavor I don’t enjoy.
So, it was a mixed bag with Glutenfreeda’s variety pack of oatmeal. Avoid the Banana Maple with Flax and you have a decent product. But, I’d stick with something you know to be good if it doesn’t set off any food allergy…then don’t spend the extra money on a product you might not enjoy.
The Celiathlete 