No one is on top of their game in the morning. Not even me…the constant early-riser. There are days that I love to stand over the stove and cook up an omelet or some egg scramble, perhaps mix up some gluten-free pancakes, or bake up some home fries. And then there are mornings when the last thing I want to do is spend the morning in the kitchen, draped in my apron, trying to keep my work clothes clean while I attempt to make something edible.
That’s when the freezer section in the grocery store comes in handy for most people. When you have to eat gluten-free…it can be a bit more of a challenge. However, unlike other frozen breakfast food companies, Van’s Natural Foods seems to have embraced the gluten-free community. In my grocery store, I’ve found waffles and the cinnamon French toast sticks. It’s a start for this area, and I have no doubt that soon I will see other options there.
My local grocery store was running a 2/$5.00 special on Van’s products one day when I was in there. Spotting the blueberry waffles and the cinnamon French toast sticks (both clearly marked as wheat and gluten free), I decided to give them a try. Why not splurge a little on the grocery budget for a few more moments of rest on the sofa in the morning with my book? Sometimes it’s worth it.
Thank goodness…Van’s was more than worth the purchase.
Now…the packaging is a little deceiving when it comes to the French toast sticks. The image shows sliced bread sticks, covered in cinnamon and sugar, looking ample and fluffy and…picture perfect. The actual product is a lot different. The actual frozen bread is very thin. There is no sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar on the top. And not even when toasted does it begin to look fluffy and as picture-perfect as the box. But…I try not to judge a product on its cover…meaning, I don’t always give credence to the appearance on the box. What product actually looks exactly like what’s pictured anyway?
So, the bread-shaped slices went into the toaster, long enough to crisp and give me time to warm up the syrup to pour over the top. I tore the sticks apart, drizzled with a bit of syrup and settled in for my quick breakfast…already having my doubts. But when I sliced into one of the sticks, it had the perfect level of crispness. The texture was pleasing to the palate – light, not heavy. That way you don’t feel like taking a snooze immediately following your morning meal. It’s okay that the bread is thin, because instead you get a nice crispy outside, but a soft center. The bread is more cinnamon-flavored than topped with cinnamon. It’s sweet, which the brown sugar that is in the flour mixture plays a roll in, I’m sure. However, it meshed well together.
While they weren’t much to look at, even upon toasting, what Van’s brings to the breakfast table is a gluten-free treat that is not only fun to eat, but also delicious. Food doesn’t have to look just like the box, as long as it delivers in flavor. Van’s product may not look like much, but what it lacks in appearance is quickly made up for in texture, and more importantly, taste.
Gluten-free breakfasts are simple and simply good again. Thanks to Van’s Natural Products.
The Celiathlete 