Category: Gluten-Free

Product: Mediterranean Snacks Gluten-Free Rosemary Herb Lentil Crackers – $3.99+

Lentils are one of the healthiest foods on the planet.  They are packed with protein, iron, and vitamin B1, all of which are essential to a healthy diet.  So, when I spotted these gluten-free crackers on the shelves of my local natural foods store…I was eager to give them a try.

As a vegetarian on a gluten-free diet, I need to make sure I get plenty of protein from the foods that I eat.  One thing I did like about these snack crackers was that they came fortified with 5 grams of protein in each serving (which is about 18 crackers).  The serving size only sets you back as many calories as a large banana (110 calories) with only 3 grams of fat in each serving.  Not so bad when looking at those stats, right?

I just wish…they tasted better on their own.  While they aren’t horrible and inedible in any way, Mediterranean Snacks failed to boost the flavor of these crackers.  Despite having the Rosemary Herb variety, they were quite bland (especially after coming off of the cracker powerhouse that Crunchmaster delivered prior to sampling these).  These crackers do pack a crunch, but the flavor seems lost.  Despite Mediterranean Snacks claim on their Web site of a rustic taste, these crackers need a flavor boost in my opinion.

Yet, perhaps I am catching them at an unfair advantage.  What goes better with crunchy crackers than a hearty dip.  And I do believe that these crackers were specifically designed by Mediterranean Snacks to accompany a hummus, guacamole, tzatziki, cheese, or any flavor dip than eat on its own.  However, I do believe the value of a product is best gauged when it is eaten without adding flavor to it.  So these lightly salted crackers, while fine on their own, seem better suited for dipping.

Maybe the next time I eat them, I’ll pack a protein-rich hummus dip to pair them with.

On their own, these crackers don’t pack a wow factor as far as flavor.  The crunch you would expect from a cracker is there, yet there is little else to sing praises over.  These, however, would pair fantastically with a dip of choice.  So, if you miss pita bread and hummus, simply substitute these gluten-free crackers and enjoy!

Product: Health is Wealth Gluten-Free Mozzarella Sticks – $4.49+

Mozzarella sticks.  Breaded cheese fried to a crispy perfection so that the outside is crunchy but the cheese inside is gooey.  It was one of my favorite comfort foods to have at restaurants.  But that all changed when I went gluten-free.  These breaded sticks of cheesy goodness were no longer on my menu plan.  Probably a good thing for my waistline, but not for the cravings every time they turned up on pub and restaurant menus.

In fact, giving into the thought that I would never again see mozzarella sticks on my plate, I pushed them out of my mind.  I stopped looking for them.  I passed them over on menus without batting an eyelash.  They were a food-non-grata with me and it was just the way it had to be.

And then…my journey to the natural food store once again took an unexpected plot twist.

I had gone inside for one thing.  A gluten-free baguette.  Which…they were sold out of.  To quell my rising anger at not being able to get what I intended, my roommate suggested I pick out something else to try…for blogging purposes, of course.  I was reluctant, but the more I lingered, the more I wanted to try something else.  So, I was scanning the shelves and finally went over to the freezer section.  There, as if a beacon of light from Heaven itself shown down upon them, sat a box of gluten-free mozzarella sticks by a company known as Health is Wealth.

Health is Wealth is more known for their vegan and vegetarian frozen foods.  I think I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.  But right there on the front of the box in big and bold letters were my two favorite words when it comes to my favorite foods that I thought were forever nixed from my diet – GLUTEN FREE.  I snatched these off the shelf as if they were a lifeline.  For real.  And when I took them home, they were the perfect side item to a gluten-free stuffed shells meal I also picked up.

These little nuggets of mozzarella cheese are breaded in gluten-free corn and rice breading.  This gives the outside a nice, crispy texture when baked up in the oven.  In addition, they breading tastes quite sweet so it pairs well with a marinara dip or just fine on its own.  I immediately put these in the oven to cook up.  No disappointment.  Crispy on the outside and ooey-gooey on the inside.  The cheese melted to perfection in the oven.  So often, these frozen, pre-packaged appetizer and sides never quite reach the proper cheese melting expectation.  More often than not, the cheese is still a solid lump of warmth, not stringy when you bite into it.  But not these.  Oh, no.  I bit into one and the cheese stretched between the breaded stick and my lips.  I think I rejoiced aloud at that.

I think these just became a ‘must keep stocked in my freezer’ sort of item.  They were so easy…and so delicious.  Both my roommate and her aunt, who are not gluten-free, raved about them.  As for me…I was just happy to be having one of my favorite comfort foods again.  Life is good when breaded, melty cheese is involved.

Health is Wealth did a fantastic job providing the gluten-free community with a fantastic product.  One that I will continue to rave about and consume.  Because I can.

I think I’m in love.  The delicious kind of love.

Product: Caesar’s Gluten-Free and Wheat-Free Stuffed Shells with Cheese in a Marinara Sauce – $7.99+

The lack of gluten-free large pasta shells is annoying.  And I’m here to tell you why.  I have been craving Italian favorites (stuffed shells, manicotti, etc.), but no one seems to have the noodles for it.  Gluten-free pasta isn’t new by any means, but it does lack variety.  Especially in the larger shell dishes.  With the exception of lasagna, finding something gluten-free on the shelf is nigh on impossible.

So…what’s the second best thing to homemade?  Frozen.

And thankfully, this little company called Caesar’s has a line of gluten-free and wheat-free products in specialty stores.  I found a few varieties of pasta meals in the freezer section of my local natural foods store.  And thank goodness for that.  I was just home from being away for the New Year and wasn’t quite certain what I wanted to make for dinner.  It was getting late as it was…so this would be easy enough to fix.  It was a toss-up between the manicotti and the stuffed shells meals.  But, stuffed shells had been on my crave list longer, so it came home with me first.

The meal is simple.  Bosh it in the microwave for a few minutes.  It really is that simple.

The shells for this meal are made out of rice flour, stuffed with a sweet ricotta cheese and topped off with a delicious marinara sauce.  One reason Caesar’s began offering these types of meals is that not everyone can enjoy authentic Italian food.  As a girl who loves Italian food but can’t just go out and eat it anymore, having a company provide a variety of products (that no other company has pitched yet) means I am a fan for life.  The fact that these products are delicious…is an even bigger plus.

Upon the dinner being completed by the microwave, I peeled back the plastic.  Sure, at first glance it doesn’t look appetizing, but what microwave dinner does?  Inside the package were three fully stuffed shells, packed with an herbed ricotta cheese.  The marinara sauce was a very nice addition and kept everything moist and delicious.  In fact, the red sauce wasn’t runny in the slightest, but a thick, hearty topping for the pasta itself.  I dished it up onto plates (the meal is for one, but my roommate and I were splitting it) and we sat down to enjoy gluten-free stuffed shells.

Amazing.  Honestly, this was packaged food done right.  The microwave didn’t take away from the flavor, nor did it cook the life out of the pasta.  It wasn’t dry or soggy.  It was a perfect conglomeration of sauce, cheese, and noodle.  And one that left me quite satisfied, and my palate pleased.  The craving is gone for the stuffed shells and I owe it all to Caesar’s Pasta.  I think manicotti will be next…

Find these little boxes of joy in your local stores and try them out.  I will warn you…they are quite expensive.  One meal ran up a tab of $7.99, one reason my roommate and I split a meal.  However, they are definitely worth the cost in the end. You won’t even know they are gluten-free.  But because they are, I can savor every last, cheese-filled bite.

Product: Crunchmaster Gluten-Free White Cheddar Multi-Grain Crackers – $3.79+

The gluten-free community has been buzzing over the products put out by a company known as Crunchmaster.  I have read about the various varieties of crackers provided by this company, certified gluten-free, and yet…had never gotten around to purchasing them.  But, with the high accolades from the likes of The Celiac Diva and other gluten-free bloggers, I knew that I had to try them.

While out at my natural foods store one day, my roommate told me to pick out a new gluten-free product to try.  YAY!  I love these little surprises at the grocery store.  There was plenty to choose from in this store, but I decided to grab a bag of Crunchmaster crackers.  I wanted to see what all the buzz was about.

This store had every flavor around from Crunchmaster, but I finally opted for the White Cheddar Multi-Grain Crackers.

I opened the bag last week to dole out an afternoon snack to take to work with me.  I was pretty excited by the actual size of the crackers.  Most of the time, the bag is deceiving and you end up with a product that is half the size of the picture.  Not the case with Crunchmaster.  Those big squares you see on the front of the package…that’s exactly what you get.

When my tummy got the rumblies around 3:00 one afternoon, I pulled out these crackers and had one of my best gluten-free snacking experiences to date.  You don’t have to be gluten-free to enjoy these tasty treats.  Not at all.  It’s the flavor that hits first.  Not just the addition of, in this case, real aged cheddar.  You taste the cracker too.  It honestly tastes like a tortilla chip.  A healthier tortilla chip, as these crackers have no cholesterol or saturated fat.

They even pack the crunch of a chip.  I was munching quite happily away, very sad to come to the last cracker in my serving I packed for the day.  Now I was hooked though…and the next few days, I continued this snack trend.  Last night, as I was cooking dinner, I staved off initial hunger pangs with a few of these crackers and a slice of dill havarti cheese.  Most epic cheesy combination ever.  The Crunchmaster White Cheddar crackers were the perfect compliment to the soft, sweet cheese I put on it.  I think I could have eaten more of that if I didn’t have dinner going on the stove.

I had to text my mom after trying these so she could seek them out in her grocery store as well.  It’s even harder to find gluten-free items in Alabama than it is here…if you can believe that.  So, if she can’t find them, the next time I visit, I’m bringing her some.  I fell in love with this company and the product it puts out.  At first bite.  Snack time just got exciting again!

Now…to get back over to my natural food store and select another Crunchmaster cracker to bite into.

Honestly…if you see these on the shelves.  Stop.  Pick one up.  Buy.  Enjoy!  It’s a recipe for gluten-free success that even non-gluten-free snackers will love.

And with no bad fats, cholesterol and low calories…it’s a snack worth indulging in.

Product: Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins Barbeque Flavor – $3.79+

Who doesn’t love a good barbeque flavored chip?  They are sweet, tangy, with just the right hint of heat in each bite as it rolls over your tongue.  Yeah…barbeque chips are one of life’s little treasures.  The problem is, in most cases, the potato chip variety adds a seasoning that takes away the gluten-free aspect.  So…what’s left to snack on?

Thanks to Blue Diamond…a plethora of delicious flavored snack crackers called Nut Thins.  I’ve sampled a few of these, loving every kind I’ve had.  From the hint of sea salt to the pecan, these snack crackers have blown me away time and time again.  And just when I think I’ve discovered my favorite flavor, I try another one and fall in love all over again.

How’s that for an endorsement?

Well, it happened again.

I was in need of something with some crunch for an afternoon snack at the office.  I hit up the grocery store for Nut Thins because I trust that they will be delicious.  My local grocery store every flavor in stock, but that day it was the Barbeque Nut Thins that caught my eye.  So, that’s what came home with me.

What I discovered upon first taste was the sweet heat that came on each thin cracker.  These crunchy snacks are seasoned to perfection, without overdoing any spice or becoming overladen with seasoning so as to leave your fingers looking as if you’ve been eating Nacho Cheese Doritos.  Tangy with the sweetness from the almond and rice flour cracker, these are satisfying and so tasty, they have far surpassed every barbeque chip I have ever eaten in my life.

Of course, when your business is working with nuts, specifically almonds, then you steak a lot of claim on your products.  It doesn’t get much better than Blue Diamond.  As they jump into the land of snackage, I applaud their foray into delicious, seasoned, gluten and wheat-free crackers.  Share them with friends.  They won’t even know they are gluten-free.  They won’t care either.  They’ll just want to have more.

A healthy alternative to chips, these snacks leave you without the guilt, but pack on the flavor.  It’s the perfect answer for those afternoon tummy rumblies.

So grab a handful and savor the sweet barbeque heat one Nut Thin at a time.