Product Review: Ian’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Onion Rings

Product: Ian’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Onion Rings – $5.99+

If there is a food indulgence that I miss the most…it’s being able to eat onion rings.  I mean, there are few things as amazing as biting into a savory, salty, fried ring of vegetable goodness.  Sure, it’s not healthy, but it’s been ages since I’ve had good onion rings.

I have, on occasion, made a batter, thick-sliced an onion, poured oil into a pan and made my own…but that’s a lot of hassle.  And I always make way too many and my roommate and I eat them all and then feel like we just ate the entire State Fair afterwards.  Needless to say, I haven’t made gluten-free onion rings in a very, very long while.

Then, while out at Raisin Rack this past Halloween weekend, I was filling up a basket with gluten-free treats, when my roommate comes skipping over and drops a sack of something into the basket.  Lo and behold…it was gluten-free onion rings.

The gluten-free angels sang and a heavenly light shown down from the fluorescent lights of the natural food store.

Ian’s Natural Products is the creator of the Gluten Free Onion Rings.  I was a bit hesitant, however, as things have been pretty hit and miss with Ian’s Natural Products gluten-free (basically allergen-free) selection.  I love the French Bread Pizza…but disliked the French Toast Sticks.  Go figure.  But, I’m never to turn my nose up at trying a product I haven’t had before.

Especially when it’s onion rings.

And especially when there is an option to bake them instead of frying them (there is a frying option too…but…I went the healthier, more hassle-free, less clean-up route).

Ian’s Natural Foods was created in 2001, when the founder wanted to be sure his son, Ian, received natural and nutritious foods – ones that didn’t contain artificial ingredients, clors, preservatives, and other unacceptable and unhealthy ingredients.  Frustrated with the lack of options, he took matters into his own hands and decided to do something about it…for everyone.

The primary focus of Ian’s Natural Foods was to provide tasty, all-natural and organic foods, which expanded to gluten-free foods for kids.  It began with kid favorites, like chicken nuggets and patties.  Then…grew from there.

Today, Ian’s is part of the Elevation Brands’ family and has grown into a national brand with 35 products sold throughout the United States and Canada.  This brand makes it easy for families to manage food allergies by providing a wide variety of allergy-friendly meal solutions, all of which are made with simple, honest ingredients and no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, no trans fat, and no added hormones or antibiotics.  Everything you need to know is summed up in the motto of Ian’s Natural Foods: “Trust made simple.”

So, it was Sunday afternoon and after a morning spent swimming and wrapping up a few errands, my roommate and I returned home and needed a small bite to eat to tide us over until our dinner that evening with the downstairs neighbors.  I have been trying to clear a few things out of the pantry, fridge and freezer, and after she mentioned tater tots (we didn’t have any), I reminded her we had the Ian’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Onion Rings in the freezer.  That made her happy…and so I set out to prepare them.

I got out a baking sheet and poured the contents of the bag onto the pan and spread out the onion rings so that they weren’t crowded and all were in a single layer.  Then, I put them into an oven (which I preheated to 450°F).  I then baked the onion rings for 10 minutes before flipping them over and letting them back another 5 minutes to get them nice and crispy.  And then…I served them up.

The Ian’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Onion Rings are the answer for anyone one who has been craving a gluten-free take on a classic diner food…the onion ring.  The onions are sweet and delicious, and coated with their special homemade batter, which comes out perfectly crispy…yes…even when baked.  I loved the flavor.  It had this sweet yet savory flavor to them.  The cornflake crumbs bring this amazing flavor, and give the onion rings a great crunchy texture and they even golden up slightly in the oven.  These are a perfect, simple, hassle-free product that will satisfy your onion ring craving.  You don’t even have to be gluten-free to appreciate these.  My roommate has had great onion rings (she doesn’t have to eat gluten free) and she said these were fantastic…especially since they are a frozen product.

Let’s talk ingredients.  Ian’s Natural Foods stands by their promise of using real ingredients.  The Gluten Free Onion Rings are made from onions, coated with batter (water, yellow corn flour, corn starch, sea salt, gralic powder, baking powder) and breaded with cornflake crumbs (milled corn, sugar, salt).  These are cooked in non-GMO expeller pressed canola oil.  The Ian’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Onion Rings contain no wheat or gluten, no milk or casein, no eggs, no nuts, no soy, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, and no artificial colors.

As for nutritional information, the Ian’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Onion Rings make for a good side or snack, especially if you opt to bake them in the oven instead  of deep fry or pan fry them.  A serving size of the Gluten Free Onion Rings is 5 rings (70 grams) and there are 4 servings per bag.  This serving will give you 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 115 mg sodium, 18 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams sugar, and 2 grams protein.  They won’t fill you up, but you will love every single bite of these.

I think Ian’s Natural Foods has won my heart back again with their Gluten Free Onion Rings.  What a great product that definitely helps with any of those longing cravings that strike for this delicious treat.  Bake it up and help yourself.  You’ve earned it.