The Celiathlete

Product: Amy’s Kitchen Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup (Light in Sodium) – $2.89+

What is more comforting after a long day than a nice, piping hot, bowl of soup.  It’s one of those things that I find comforting, warming me from the inside out.  It’s like a blanket in food form.  I love soup.  I always have.  And it’s so versatile and varied.  Even the same type of soup can vary in flavor when it comes to brand or, in my favorite scenario, who made it.

Being a strong believer in homemade soups, I’ve been testing the waters again when it comes to the packaged and canned stuff.  The thing I have to watch for, however, is soups that might have gluten in them.

Thankfully, there is Amy’s Kitchen.  While not all products are gluten-free, they are clearly labeled on the products.  I like that.  I’m more likely to buy something that is labeled gluten-free than take a risk by just guessing by looking at the ingredients.

Well, tonight I came home.  And since I’m packing up to head down to Birmingham, Alabama for a a gluten-free expo this weekend (and 5K race), I wanted something quick and easy for dinner.  The other day, my grocery store was running a sale on soups by Amy’s Kitchen.  So, being the intrepid grocery shopper I am, I snagged a few different varieties.

Tonight…my pantry grab brought out Amy’s Kitchen’s Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup (the light in sodium variety).

Upon opening the can and emptying the contents into a pan on my stove, the first thing I realized was just how much the soup resembled the picture on the front.  You got to love a company that is very straightforward about what their product is.  No gussied up, photoshopped, images on the cans that look nothing like the slop you poured out.  No…with Amy’s Kitchen, what you see is truly what you get.  I admire that in a company.

As the soup was heating through, it smelled fantastic.  I was prepping my gluten-free table crackers and giving an occasional stir every now and again to help keep the heating process even.  It was ready within five minutes.  You can’t complain when dinner is served within minutes of opening the can.

I am a huge, huge fan of Amy’s Kitchen.  I’ve yet to have a product I dislike yet.  And that’s still the case.  That being said, while I liked this soup, I didn’t love it.  It was loaded with vegetables and protein-packed lentils (the runner in me LOVES that).  However, I found it to be a bit bland.  It didn’t lack flavor, not at all.  The vegetables and the lentils were delicious.  I just felt it lacked a bit of seasoning.  But, I did buy the lighter in sodium variety of this soup, because I am a heart healthy individual and find that the sodium levels in soups and frozen meals can be rather ridiculous on sodium content.  So, I give this one a pass on the seasoning thing.  I do appreciate a company that puts forth the effort to slice sodium levels in their products for the masses.

This soup was definitely filling, despite only being 160 calories per serving.  The lentils, I’m sure, had something to do with that.  I did enjoy dipping my crackers into this soup and scooping up the vegetables and lentils to enjoy.  I just wasn’t over-the-moon with this soup.  I would probably buy it again, but it’s not at the top of my list for soups I just have to stock in my pantry for lazy supper nights.

I admire Amy’s Kitchen and the foods that they provide.  It’s one of the few companies out there that caters to the gluten-free vegetarian.  Perfect.  And I still have yet to find a product that I don’t like.  I just happen to like others a little more than this one.

But in the end, it filled me up, warmed me up, and satisfied my hunger.  And that’s the important thing.

Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse Pizza Crust – $6.49+

Pizza.

It’s America’s comfort food.  It’s a tradition.  It’s saucy, cheesy, laden with a variety of toppings.  You can make it however you like, whenever you like.  Even better, now you can simply buy pre-made pizza crusts (often in a freezer) instead of pizzas that are already loaded up with what the company thinks is your choice of toppings.

Pizza is a fantastic treat.  Even more so when you have a gluten intolerance.

Over the last few months, I’ve gotten to try pizza crusts from Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery and Udi’s Gluten-Free Foods.  I could top them however I liked, and often made a variety of options with these pizza shells.  What I loved about them was that for only 150 calories, I could consume half of the pizza.  Which means, I didn’t feel bad about the toppings I chose to add to it.

And then, one day while out at Whole Foods, I spotted the Whole Foods Bakehouse Gluten-Free Pizza Crust in the freezer.  Without even looking at anything else, I grabbed it, tossed it into my shopping basket, and happily made my purchase.  I had pizza on the brain and some delicious gluten-free tomato sauce and some fantastic vegetarian and gluten-free toppings to throw on them at home.  A couple nights of pizza were heading my way.

That was until I got home and as I was putting away the groceries, I flipped over to the nutrition information.  At first, I was quite pleased.  120 calories per serving.  Nice!  And then, I looked at the serving size.  Simply put…1/6th of a pizza crust.  So, where I could eat half a pizza before for only 30 more calories, I was now delegated to one measly, child-size slice of pizza…not to mention the toppings that still needed to be added.  This pizza crust sat in my freezer for a couple of weeks before I came to the only conclusion I could think of to justify the calories in the crust.  Margherita pizza.  No sauce, just a drizzle of olive oil.  Some sliced fresh tomatoes.  Freshly chopped basil.  And a sprinkling of Daiya vegan mozzarella shreds.  Nothing with it.  Just two slices of pizza.

With that in mind, the pizza was thrown in the oven to bake.  I thawed the pizza out in the microwave before topping it with my low-calorie, light toppings.  And then for about 30 minutes, it happily baked, the cheese melting down, the crust browning to a perfect golden color.  Out of the oven and sliced into six small pieces.  To think only one would constitute a meal for an adult is ludicrous in my opinion.

That being said, the pizza crust is actually quite delicious.  It has a soft, chewy texture, that is a bit reminiscent of pan pizzas (back when Pizza Hut was my go-to pizza joint and a gluten allergy wasn’t even on my mind).  I liked it.  A lot.  It was a nice change of pace from the “tortilla-thin” crust pizzas (despite being a huge fan of thin-crust pizza…as it is my favorite after all) that the gluten-free community do normally get handed.  However, despite its great texture and flavor, I still find it hard to swallow the calorie count with each slice.  I mean, really?  Granted, I love a good Margherita pizza (and I must say, I make a damn good one!), but it would have been great to sauce this up, top with a variety of cheeses and not feel the need to honestly stick to just one, small sliver of a slice in order to not go into calorie shock.  I have a fantastic gluten-free baguette which would have been a fine side with the pizza, which remains frozen in my freezer because, yes, it’s really hard to get past the calories in 1/6th of the pizza.

If you don’t care about the amount of calories you consume throughout the day, or if you want to make a light, white pizza like myself, or even just want to treat yourself to a ‘restaurant-style’ pizza…this is a great one to get.  It’s expensive, but it is the closest to an actual pizza crust I have found so far.  And sometimes, that’s really all that matters.  Calories can be burned off in the end, right?

I wish Whole Foods could find a way to make the calorie count on this a little better as far as calories per slice go.  But, if in the end it just means you leave the sauce off, lightly cheese it, and put fresh vegetables on it, well, it still makes one fantastic gluten-free pizza.  And, really, that’s what should matter.

Product: Glutino Gluten-Free Macaroni ‘n Cheese – $5.99+
Glutino definitely has earned its spot on gluten-free brands I can trust just from previous products of theirs that I have snagged and tried.  I mean, so far I have enjoyed every product of theirs that I have managed to sink my teeth into.  I have many more to go, but I found one the other day that was new to me.  It isn’t, at all, a new product.  I just had never seen it before.  In fact, the only reason I found it in the first place was I made a random stop into a natural food store I had never been in before looking for a different product…which they didn’t have…but ended up leaving with something in the end.

The product – a classic comfort food to be sure.

Glutino has a frozen gluten-free Macaroni ‘n Cheese.

Now, the chef part of me wants to condemn it right off.  I mean…it’s frozen!  And, since I make a great gluten-free homemade macaroni and cheese, you might be wondering why scoop up something that’s frozen?  Well, I’ve done some of the boxed varieties out there available to the gluten-free community; it would only be fair to give the frozen variety a fair shake.

And so…one night after a long day at work when the last thing I wanted to do was cook and the budget was not allowing for any sort of dinner out, I reached into my freezer for an easy, comforting meal to split (and when served with two slices of Against the Grain’s Baguette it’s the perfect amount) with my roommate.  Normally, this package holds one serving.  But I have a difficult time consuming 440 calories in just a main entreé of a frozen meal.  Even my homemade macaroni and cheese doesn’t have that kind of calorie count.  So, splitting was definitely ideal.

And after cooking it per the instructions on the box, I stirred it and served it up for dinner.  It smelled amazing.  And, for being a frozen meal, looked pretty good.  It wasn’t mushy, nor was it overcooked, despite the finicky nature of my microwave.  It was heated to absolute perfection.

Glutino’s Macaroni ‘n Cheese uses brown rice pasta and mixes it with a creamy cheesy sauce made up of Monterey Jack, Cheddar and Parmesan cheese.  The triple cheese combination brings out an intense flavor that is just the right amount of richness to make you savor each and every forkful of this meal.  Even the noodles plumped up to perfection.  I was quite happy with this product in the end, despite being a frozen meal.  Hey, sometimes you just gotta take the easy way out and let someone else do the prep work.

This gluten-free macaroni and cheese totally surpassed the boxed varieties that I have tried.  Glutino does a lot well.  And this is yet another fantastic product I would be more than happy to add to my list of products I will buy again.  Simple and delicious.  And cheesy.  So…it’s a frozen meal of perfection ready to be warmed in your microwave to warm you up during these chilly winter nights.

Good show, Glutino!

Product: Mother’s Farms White Quinoa Tortilla Chips – $3.99+

Maybe it was for the best.

I had an event to attend on Saturday night, so I needed a light, delicious snack to get me through to the reception.  Not wanting to spoil my appetite for anything that I might be able to consume (and, sadly, I wasn’t able to eat anything that night) I needed a little bite without being too heavy or two much.

After scouring my pantry and freezer, I finally pulled down a bag of Mother’s Farms White Quinoa Tortilla Chips.  I had purchased these, on sale, at my local natural foods store and had been wanting to try them out.  I had some of my infamous gluten-free chile con queso in the refrigerator, so I tore into this bag and dished out a serving to accompany the cheesy dip of awesomeness.

Except…the dip was no longer any good.  SO…I now had an open bag of tortilla chips and nothing to dip them in.  Now, I’m not above eating tortilla chips on their own, but I really love dips.  Really.  Thankfully, I found a jar of salsa in my pantry and the afternoon was saved.

But prior to any dipping, I did have to taste the chip on its own for blog’s sake.  Well, these were fantastic.  Amazing flavor, without a lot of salt, tasting like your run-of-the-mill tortilla chip, which would normally be made with corn…not quinoa.

Well, I’m a huge fan of quinoa, so these were fascinating from the moment I spotted them.  Why Quinoa?  Well, consumer requests were coming into Mother’s Farms asking for better ingredients and the use of ancient grains.  What resulted was a chip made from quinoa, organic sesame seeds, and a hint of sea salt.  What emerged from that was one of the most amazing tortilla chips I have ever bitten into and dipped into a medium salsa.  I would have been delighted to have not dipped these as they were just perfectly seasoned.  They would be great with guacamole, or hummus, or queso, or salsa or…well, you get my point.  But the fact that, on their own, they don’t leave you wanting anything more, speaks volumes.

These chips are not only kosher, and approved USDA organic, but they are also gluten-free and a low fat, low calorie snack to sink your teeth into and savor.  Mother’s Farms has done it again and I am once again blown away by their snacky goodness.  It just goes to prove, you don’t have to stick to the norm to make something amazing with your products.

Product: Terra Chips A La Mexicana – $5.89+

Terra Chips are amazing.

Honestly, these are some of the best chips out on the market.  You may wonder why.  Well, every ingredient is 100% natural in these chips.   Any ingredient listed on the bag is something that you can actually find in nature.  These chips are actually made from their vegetable counterparts.  No additives you wouldn’t even begin to recognize, let alone pronounce.  Just a crunchy taste of vegetables, packed with flavor, and providing a healthier alternative to other lines out there.

Yes…it is a chip.  If you truly wanted the ‘healthy’ benefits, the vegetable would be preferred.  But sometimes, you just gotta have that salty, crunchy flavor of a chip.  Well, when that happens, I recommend reaching for these.

I found  quite a few intriguing flavors in their line-up.  Do mind which you buy though.  Not all of them are gluten-free.  Those that are are kindly labeled on the bag (THANK YOU!!).  So, the winning flavor that got to come home with me was one of their newest in their Exotic Vegetable Chips line-up.  It’s the A La Mexicana flavor, which are chips made from tomato, black bean, and roasted garlic.  It was intriguing.  It sounded amazing.  It was on sale.  It was purchased…and consumed.

One of the main components of these chips that I fell in love with is how colorful they are.  Honestly, it’s a rainbow of red, orange, whites, and purples when you pour them out of the bag.  A serving size is an amazing 14 chips, which weighs in at about 150 calories.  And bite-for-bite, each one packs a fabulous flavorful punch to the taste buds.  These aren’t overly salty and don’t leave an oily residue on your hands.  They have the most amazing crunch that is then followed up by the hints of Mexican seasonings that just make everything blend together perfectly.  They are quite tasty and were a great pairing with my gluten-free (and dairy-free) grilled cheese sandwich that I consumed at midnight the other night after an event.  I had the same thing the next day at lunch because it was so good!

I know, promoting reaching for a bag of chips to snack on isn’t the healthiest form of encouragement, but when they are made from real vegetables, lightly seasoned, taste amazing, and aren’t oily in the slightest, you feel a little better about doing it.  I did.  And I can’t wait to dig into other flavors out there.