Gluten Free Milk: Blue Diamond Unsweetend Original Almond Breeze Milk

PRODUCT NAME:                    Almond Breeze Original

COMPANY NAME:                    Blue Diamond

COST:                                       $1.99

SIZE:                                        32oz

COST PER OZ:                         $0.06

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:       NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        NA

ORGANIC:                                NO

 

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        NA

VEGAN:                                   YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:         UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:         UNKNOWN

SHELF LIFE:                            1 Year +

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.               

REVIEW:

Taste:

Blue Diamond has brought us a milk replacement that is, in my opinion, unparalleled in value for a number of reasons. I am so excited to be reviewing this product, as I use it on a daily basis and find that the results of adding it to my meals to enhance my culinary world exponentially.

Blue Diamond’s Almond Breeze has a simple flavor of almond that is just basic enough to add nuance to any dish it is used in. In a sugary bowl of granola, the nutty liquid neutralizes the sweetness and creates a perfect yin-yang of balance for your palate.  In a bitter cup of coffee the natural sweetness of the almonds adds depth to the beverage without detracting from the craft of the brew. In mashed potatoes, homemade vegan ice cream, non-dairy “cream” sauces, and smoothies, the thick and creamy textural quality of the beverage enhances the final product without stealing the show from the main ingredients.

I cannot sing enough praises for Almond Breeze in terms of taste, but texture varies depending on the context in which it is used. This product further silkens already creamy products, but when it is asked to create a silky quality all on its own, it doesn’t exactly always do the trick.  I mentioned that the flavor enhances coffee drinks, and I stand by that claim. Unfortunately, texturally, it is a bit of a different story. Sometimes the Almond Breeze blends seamlessly with the drink and sometimes separation occurs. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to what the differentiating factor is, and it seems to be totally dependent on the batch. Additionally, it leaves some baked goods a bit flat. For whatever reason, the fluffy quality often enjoyed in muffins, cakes, and cookies is much harder to obtain with this almond milk.

Nutritionally, Unsweetened Almond Breeze is a dream. It packs in about forty calories per cup (as opposed to the 100 calories per cup commonly present in other non-dairy beverages). It contains as much calcium per cup as milk does, and has 50% of your daily vitamin E. There is no sugar whatsoever, and additionally it is vegan, gluten free, and soy free. The only identifiable drawback is that although it is low in calories, it is higher in fat (3.5 grams per cup means that ¾ of the calories present are from fat) and that the protein content is much lower than other milk alternatives. Despite these facts, I think this product is well worth your while, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Labeling: Labeling of this product was clear and concise. I deem it to be very sufficient.

Packaging: Blue Diamond’s Unsweetened Almond Breeze is packaged in the standard milk replacement containers we see in grocery stores. It is recyclable and makes it so that the product may be left unrefrigerated until it is opened.

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:           4

Taste:               5         

Value:              5

OVERALL:        4.75

Reviewed by Lacy D.

Gluten Free Meals: Roland Mediterranean Quinoa

PRODUCT NAME:                    Mediterranean Quinoa

BRAND:                                   Roland

COST:                                      $3.49              

SIZE:                                        5.46 OZ

COST PER OZ:                         $0.64/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:       NO      

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        NA    

ORGANIC:                                NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        NA    

VEGAN:                                    YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:          NO

LOCATION OF FACILITY:          New York, NY

SHELF LIFE:                             1 YEAR+

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:

Quinoa is considered an ancient grain that has been harvested for thousands of years originally by the Incas. Known as the Mother grain to the ancient South Americans who founded it, this cute little grain is rich in immune system supporting amino acids like lysine. It also provides important vitamins and minerals like calcium and iron. Each small round kernel is full of protein and is a great alternative to white rice because it is more nutritious than rice and has a similar cooking time. It can be cooked exactly like rice and can easily be used as an alternative in any dish, providing more and different textures and flavors to people who already have limited diets due to gluten sensitivities.

Roland’s Quinoa was savory and tasty, flavored with garlic, bell peppers, onion, spices, and lemon. Different than rice, quinoa is a nutty and chewy grain. This flavorful mix contains no preservatives and was all-natural. It also was extremely convenient to prepare; all I needed to do was add water, heat it up, and wait fifteen minutes for an appetizing, healthy side dish. Quinoa is usually very delicious unflavored, with nothing but a little bit of butter and salt; by adding spices and veggies to an already easy to prepare grain, Roland accentuated the taste of the quinoa, transforming it into a gourmet treat. The manufacturer recommends serving Mediterranean Quinoa as a side to chicken or lamb. Since I am a vegetarian, I enjoyed my quinoa alongside sautéed peppers, onions, and mushrooms, a small leafy raw salad, and a handful of fancy olives for a light dinner.

Quinoa naturally contains saponin, a bitter tasting substance which coats the quinoa grain, protecting it from being eaten by birds and insects. Because of this, quinoa usually has to be rinsed before cooking, which can be a huge nuisance since this ivory grain is so tiny. Roland’s quinoa was pre-washed, which made preparing dinner much faster.

Taste:  This quinoa was savory and tasty. It has a nice garlic flavor, but was not too strong. Leftovers were also very delicious for lunch the next day because the flavors had more time to develop.

Labeling: The front of the package stated that the quinoa was all natural in addition to being gluten free. The back had nutrition facts, cooking instructions, and an ingredients list.  It also had some information about the origin of this ancient food.

Packaging:  Three ¼ cup dry servings were inside a plastic pouch.

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:         4         

Taste:             4         

Value:            3

OVERALL:      3.7

Reviewed by Jennie L

Gluten Free Cookies: Blessing's Alive & Radiant Foods Luscious Lemon Swirl Cookies

PRODUCT NAME:                   Luscious Lemon Swirl Cookies

BRAND:                                  Blessings Alive & Radiant Foods

COST:                                     $6.00

SIZE:                                       4 oz. (7-8 cookies)

COST PER OZ:                        $0.66/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:      NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:       NA

ORGANIC:                               YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:       UNKNOWN

VEGAN:                                   NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:        YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:        Emeryville, CA

SHELF LIFE:                           1 month, longer if frozen

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:
These lemon cookies are certainly luscious. Their name does not lie. On first bite you get the rich, chewy and satisfying texture we all hope for (but rarely get) out of a raw cookie. The ingredients are cashews, lemon, raw honey, and coconut, all organic in this case, and each of the flavors blend together extremely well. The coconut is finely grated so it’s not overwhelming, the cashews provide a wonderful nutty balance, the honey is present but blends nicely with the coconut and the lemon is the element that ties everything together. It’s a strong and bold lemon cookie, but it definitely holds up with coffee or as an afternoon snack.

The serving size for these on the nutritional info is 2 cookies, weighing in at 150 calories. Not bad really, and taking into account you are eating nuts and other tasty-but-good-for-you ingredients, you can feel good about eating them. They even have a decent amount of vitamins and minerals so, in a sense, I like to look at these as decadent health food (ie. You don’t want to live on them, but if you’re having a cookie or two, you don’t really have to feel bad about it). Blessings Alive and Radiant Foods, who were so kind as to give us these tasty samples, has a wonderful website. They go into great detail about the care and thought that goes into making their foods, as well as the high quality ingredients they use. Bravo.

For more information about this product and other Blessings Alive and Radiant: http://www.blessingsaliveandradiantfoods.com

Taste: Zesty, bold, chewy, nutty and not too sweet. These cookies are extremely delicious.

Labeling: The label is somewhat hard to read because it is small, but it does say “gluten free” and lists out the ingredients.

Packaging: Somewhat re-sealable plastic bag has all 7-8 cookies

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:
Texture:          5
Taste:              5
Value:             3
OVERALL:       4.3

Reviewed by Krisztina L

Gluten Free Cookies: Blessing's Alive & Radiant Foods Mega Chai Raweo

PRODUCT NAME:                 Mega Chai Raweo

BRAND:                                Blessing's Alive & Radiant Foods

COST:                                   $3.50

SIZE:                                     3OZ

COST PER OZ:                      $1.17/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:    NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:     N/A

ORGANIC:                             YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:     N/A

VEGAN:                                 NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:      YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:      EMERYVILLE, CA

SHELF LIFE:                          6-8 MONTHS

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:

Blessing’s Alive & Radiant Foods sent us another great flavor of their Raweo cookies. Like the a classic sandwich cookie, The Mega Chai Raweo featured two cookies made of dehydrated cashews sandwiched with a creamy, soaked almond filling in the middle. Infused with Chai Essence and made with all organic ingredients like coconut and honey, these large cookies would be suitable as a small meal on the go. 

Soft and flavorful, the Mega Chai Raweo is packed with 3 grams of protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, making these tasty cookies an incredibly healthy alternative to an Oreo cookie. If you are on a low-calorie diet, watch out! This cookie has a whopping 360 calories. According to the nutrition facts, which are available on their website, a serving size is a third of a cookie. However, I found it difficult to stop eating the cookie until it was fully consumed because it was so sweet and delicious. It also made me feel really good and full of energy after snacking, even though I ate beyond the recommended serving size.

While, the name Raweo is a cute, and clever pun (and boy do I love puns!), the name Raweo may be a misnomer, because the consistency and moistness reminded me more of a coconut macaroon than an Oreo cookie. A really healthy, power packed coconut macaroon. Alive and Radiant Foods is a really nice business and the products they create meet every check on my list of ideal companies which I am proud to support: they are strictly gluten free, vegetarian, organic, and local to the bay area.

For more information about Blessing’s Alive and Radiant Foods’ unique products, visit their website at http://www.blessingsaliveandradiantfoods.com/

Taste: Aromatic and fresh, these cookies tasted delicious and had a similar consistency to a macaroon cookie.

Labeling: The label did not have as much information as I would have liked. While they stated their ingredients and an allergy warning, they did not provide Nutrition Facts. However all of this information was available on their website.

Packaging: The single cookie was packaged inside of a plastic bag.

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:           4

Taste:               4

Value:              3

OVERALL:        3.7

Reviewed by: Jennie L.

Gluten Free Snacks: Nutty Bean Co. Honey Roasted Chick Pz

PRODUCT NAME:                       Honey Roasted Chick Pz

BRAND:                                      Nutty Bean Co.  

COST:                                         $3.75

SIZE:                                           3oz (Net Weight)

COST PER OZ:                            $1.25/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:          NO        

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:           N/A       

ORGANIC:                                   NO                        

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:           N/A       

VEGAN:                                      NO                        

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:            NO        

LOCATION OF FACILITY:            SAN JOSE            

SHELF LIFE:                               12 Months         

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.            

REVIEW:
The deliciously understated chickpea has been given a makeover with Nutty Bean Co’s Chick Pz snacks.  These unique snacks were the result of a husband and wife team trying to create a snack that was both healthy, full of flavor, and a fusion of different elements from many cultures around the world. They discovered that roasted chick peas were already a popular snack in the Mediterranean, India, and Latin America. After figuring out how to roast chickpeas themselves, they were also challenged with the task of creating recopies that would make these crunchy snacks flavorful and healthy. From the encouragement of family and friends that were  the initial guinea pigs to these unique snacks, Nutty Bean Co. launched in early 2010.

With the company still in its infancy, each package is hand-made, and served in small portions. The mission of the Nutty Bean Co. is to, “provide the healthiest all natural products by using the freshest highest quality ingredients that meet or exceed the needs of today's health conscious consumer”. I fully believe this is a testament they hold true, as their products are simple, yet high in quality which makes for a delicious and nutritious snack.

For more information about Nutty Bean Co. products and locations to buy this delicious snack, visit www.nuttybeanco.com.

Taste:  The honey roasted flavor has the taste and texture comparable to that of a honey roasted peanut.  With only dry roasted chickpeas, sugar, honey, corn starch, sea salt and xanthan gum as the ingredients, this snack offers a healthy solution that is also appetizing. The chalky consistency provides the right amount of earthy, savory flavor to balance out the sweet coasting of honey and sugar used to season the snack. Though not as crunchy or hard in texture like that of a peanut, these chickpeas provide an alternative to such when snacking. For the adventurous ones that do not want to stray too far from the popular honey roasted flavor used in various nut medleys, these chickpeas are a great substitute. 

Labeling:  Sticker with logo and product name on front, sticker with nutritional value on the back.

Packaging:  small, clear plastic ziplock bag. Serving size is 1oz with 3 servings per bag. 

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:                3                             

Taste:                    4                             

Value:                   4             

OVERALL:             3.7             

Reviewed by

Allison R.

Gluten Free Soup: Kettle Cuisine Thai Curry Chicken Soup - Product Review #105

Gluten Free Soup: Kettle Cuisine Thai Curry Chicken Soup

PRODUCT NAME:                       Thai Curry Chicken Soup

BRAND:                                      Kettle Cuisine

COST:                                         $4.35

SIZE:                                          10oz                      

COST PER OZ:                           $0.44/oz                  

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:         YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:          GFCO

ORGANIC:                                  NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:          N/A

VEGAN:                                      NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:           NO

LOCATION OF FACILITY:           Chelsea, MA

SHELF LIFE:                               1 Year

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.   

         

REVIEW:

 Kettle Cuisine makes a whole line of gluten free soups.  We have tried a few of their soups in the past and liked them.  So a few weeks back when they sent us their newest soup, Thai Curry Chicken Soup, we were eager to try it.

Cooking the soup is simple.  You have 2 different methods to choose from; microwave or stovetop.  For the microwave method, just heat it up in the microwave for 3-4 minutes.  For the stovetop method, just pour the contents into a pot and heat until it’s hot.  The box directions don’t give a time estimate, but in our kitchen, it took about 7-8 minutes.  No matter which method you decide to go with, you will have a nice hot bowl of soup in under 10 minutes. 

The story behind the soups is that Jerry, owner of Kettle Cuisine, makes these gluten free soups for his daughter, Kate, who is on a strict gluten free diet.  His goal is was to make healthy gluten free soups that also tasted good.  To live up to this goal, Kettle Cuisine uses only high quality ingredients in their soups.  They use chickens that are on a vegetarian diet and are raised without antibiotics.  No artificial ingredients are used and it is minimally processed.   

Curry is a strong flavor and can be a tricky flavor to work with.  Kettle Cuisine decided to go with Thai curry which is a lighter and sweeter curry that we think appeals more to the general public.  Thai curry is usually made with coconut milk, which mellows out the strong curry flavor.  We loved the flavor of this soup.  It had a nice mellow curry flavor with just a hint of spice.  We had mixed opinions on the texture.  Some thought it was grainy and others thought it was perfect so it’s all up to preference.  If you’re familiar with Burmese food, the taste reminded me of Burmese Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup, but instead of noodles, there was brown rice in it. 

Nutrition Facts and Ingredients

Kettle Cuisine puts a lot of care into their soups.  All their soups are made without artificial ingredients, are minimally processed and the entire line is gluten free. This particular soup is gluten free and dairy free.  Although I like to think of this soup as completely healthy, it isn’t.  It contains 330 calories, 11 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 560 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbs and 13 grams of protein.  While these numbers aren’t horrible, especially if you compare these nutritional values with those on canned soup, it isn’t the healthiest thing you can eat.  This soup does taste great though.  The key is to make sure you look at the nutritional values on the things you eat to make sure you are within your daily values.  So if you decide to have this soup for lunch and dinner, plan the rest of your day’s meals accordingly. 

Overall, we liked this soup a lot.  We had a unanimous thumbs up on flavor, but mixed feelings on texture.  If you like thick soups and the flavor of curry, this is the soup for you.  For more information about Kettle Cuisine’s soups, visit their website at: www.kettlecuisine.com       

Taste: This soup has great flavor.  The curry is very mellow, which we believe appeals to the average person’s palette.  The soup has mushrooms, chicken, brown rice, peppers, and bamboo shoots so it is a nice blend of different textures. 

Labeling:  The labeling on the package is great.  It is clean and easy to read and has a great picture of the soup. 

Packaging:  The soup comes in a microwavable bowl which is placed in paper box.   

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:                 3             

Taste:                     5             

Value:                    3

OVERALL:              3.7

Reviewed 041211 by Calvin C.