Product Review: Qrunch Foods Cinnamon-Vanilla Toastables

Product: Qrunch Foods Cinnamon-Vanilla Toastables – $3.99+

Ah…back to one of my favorite things to talk about.

No.  Not food.  Although I do like to talk about food.

Nope.  What I’m about to introduce you to is yet another way that being Celiac/gluten-free doesn’t have to detract from what options are out there for breakfast.  Aside from the natural gluten-free goodness of real foods, such as eggs, potatoes, vegetables, and fruits…there are a plethora of gluten-free breakfast mixes that can help you bake up pancakes, muffins, and scones.  There are frozen waffles, pancakes, French toast sticks, bagels, muffins, cinnamon rolls…the list is endless.

But what really caught my eye a couple of months ago when I randomly dropped into my local Meijer was a new product from a company that I trusted.  The company being Qrunch Foods.  The product – something they call Toastables.

Qrunch Foods set out with a mission, and have since worked hard to carry it out – to create great-tasting, gluten free foods.

Those of us who have made our way through the gluten-free foods out on the market know that gluten-free foods have come a long way.  No longer do you need to fear something tasting like cardboard or wood pulp (although…there are instances this still holds true).  But finding something that stops you in your tracks and makes you go, “Damn…I’d never guess this was gluten free!” is a rare find at times.

Qrunch Foods came out with their line of Toastables back in 2013.  Prior to this, you might have seen and tried (and loved, like me!) their gluten-free and vegan/vegetarian Qrunch Burgers.  LOVE me those Qrunch Burgers.  So, that’s why I didn’t hesitate to pick up one of the two varieties (of four!) of the Qrunch Foods Toastables from my grocery store.  A trusted brand can speak volumes.

My choice: Qrunch Foods Cinnamon-Vanilla Toastables.

Qrunch Foods Toastables are made from ancient whole grains (organic quinoa, organic amaranth, and organic millet) which provides a unique and filling breakfast.  They are, as always, 100% natural and 100% gluten-free.  The idea behind the Toastables is that they are lightly sweetened and go great with any sort of breakfast topping you might enjoy…from syrup to honey to nut butters to jellies to cream cheese.  Whatever floats your breakfast boat.  They look like a mix between a cereal-coated French Toast stick and a hash brown.  I’m okay with this.  And making them is easy too.

Simply pop these into your toaster for a couple of cycles and they are ready to eat.  I was eating these after going to the gym and heading into the office.  This meant that I didn’t have a gluten-free toaster to use.  Other options include cooking over medium-high heat in a skillet for 3-4 minutes per side…except I didn’t have a stovetop.  Luckily, my office does have a taster oven, so I baked these for about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees until they were nice and warm throughout.  I served these up with a little bit of maple syrup.  Yummy.

I bet you’re wondering how they taste.  Well, they were nothing like I anticipated.  I loved the crunchy outer shell that I got from baking it (and you would too if you baked, used the skillet, or toasted it in the toaster).  If you microwave it, you will lose that aspect of the Toastable itself.  The Qrunch Foods Cinnamon-Vanilla Toastable had a grittiness to it, which comes from the various grains that are used to comprise it.  I’m on the fence on whether I liked that aspect or not.  It tasted a little dry…but the maple syrup I topped it off with helped with that.  The flavor was subtle, but I could definitely catch hints of the cinnamon and vanilla that were incorporated into the Toastable.  It was a quick bite, but quite filling.  Sort of like a dry, crunchy French toast or waffle…which isn’t a bad thing.  I just sort of expected a little more tenderness on the inside.  Although, overall, not bad.  Not bad at all.  Thank goodness for maple syrup!

Let’s discuss ingredients.  The Qrunch Foods Cinnamon-Vanilla Toastables are made from water, organic millet, organic quinoa, organic amaranth, organic refined coconut oil, organic arrowroot starch, organic cane sugar, organic apple cider vinegar, organic vanilla extract, sea salt, organic cinnamon, and organic non-GMO canola oil.  They are not only made with ancient whole grains, but also 100% gluten-free, soy-free, wheat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and corn-free.

As far as nutrition goes, a serving is 1 of the Qrunch Foods Cinnamon-Vanilla Toastables.  There are four Toastables in each box.  This one serving will give you 120 calories and 4 grams of fat.  This will also give you 135 mg sodium and 1 gram of sugar.  Loving that.  These are cholesterol free and free of trans fat.  You will also be taking in 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.  So don’t let the size of them make you think they won’t fill you up.  These will hold you for the morning.

So, not an astounding find, but one that does make for a different and tasty breakfast for sure.  It’s easy to prepare…just takes a little time if you are toasting it up in the toaster oven or toaster, but as long as you aren’t famished, that’s not a problem at all.

Qrunch Foods Toastables are available in four flavors: Cinnamon-Vanilla, Blueberry-Lemon, Rich Maple and Original.  Look for them in your grocery store freezer.