Gluten Free Cereal: Vigilant Eats Organic Superfood Oat Based Cereal

PRODUCT NAME:                    Organic Superfood Oat Based cereal

COMPANY NAME:                    Vigilant Eats

COST:                                      $4.15

SIZE:                                        3 oz

COST PER OZ:                         $1.38                     

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:       YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        NFC Gluten Guard

ORGANIC:                                YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        USDA Organic

VEGAN:                                    YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:          Unknown

LOCATION OF FACILITY:          Bloomington, IN

SHELF LIFE:                             18 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:

I came to my Superfood Oat Based Cereal very much in need of something super. I had just finished my third semester of Graduate School and my throat was thick with mucus. I was exhausted, sick, tired, and - lets be honest - lazy. It seemed a perfect moment to try a product that had a primary focus of making life easy for consumers.

Vigilant Eats provided me with a product that was a cup with just-add water instructions. When I first got my container I thought that I was going to be trying a grab-and-go hot oatmeal product. I sleepily put my kettle on the stove to heat some water and upon closer inspection I noticed something I thought a bit strange. I was supposed to fill my to-go cup halfway with *cold* water. “Um, okay. So this is *cold* oatmeal?” I thought. Despite my initial inklings to ignore that particular instruction I turned my kettle off and filled my container up to the line with cold water. Here goes nothing.

Taste: I was initially surprised to find that the taste of this, although not the piping hot oat comfort I expected, was actually not so bad. The texture was a cross between oatmeal and granola, with a smooth creamy backdrop and crunchy little surprises lightly interspersed. (I would later find that these little crunchies were a mix of goji berries and cacao nibs.) I looked into the ingredients more as I chewed and found that in addition to the afore mentioned crunch bites, oats, and oat flour, there was hemp milk powder present in the mixture. Ostensibly, one was supposed to add water and have a product that was suddenly like cold cereal with milk. Although this was not exactly what happened, I still couldn’t complain about the results. The flavor was infused with maple and cinnamon and the cup provided the perfect amount to fill me up.

One caveat about this product is that it was very, very sweet. Although the container bragged about the low-glycemic index of its chosen sweeteners I couldn’t help but notice that there was not one, not two, but three forms off sweetener present (palm nectar, yacon, and maple powder) in addition to the goji berries and cacao nibs. Although I do enjoy a sweet morning treat (I usually add stevia and cinnamon to my own morning brews) it seemed a bit like sugar-y overkill to have so many sweet things added to this tiny cup. I imagine that this company’s aim is to get healthy foods to on-the-go folks who have a more standard American diet then myself and so perhaps all the sweetness makes sense, but for me it was just too much.

There are 300 calories in this cup and a pretty whopping eleven grams of protein. I found this to be appropriate for a morning meal, and it definitely kept me full for a couple of hours. Some mornings I rise at 8AM and don’t have time to eat lunch until 1PM and it is my opinion that the quick cook oats in this product would probably not keep me full for that amount of time. HOWEVER, this was a late wake up Saturday, and I didn’t have a tight schedule to follow, so it was okay to have a breakfast that would really only last me a couple of hours.

Labeling:

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

Packaging:

Packaging for this product was a cardboard container, which seemed appropriate for keeping the product fresh and having the grab-and-go component. I was surprised that the box and the plastic spoon provided within the box were not recyclable. This company seems to emphasize the holistic nature of their products, and it seems having environmentally sound packaging would fall into this ethos.

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:       3.5

Taste:           3

Value:          3

OVERALL:    3.2

Reviewed  by Lacy D.

Gluten Free Granola: Glutenfreeda Cranberry Cashew Honey Granola

PRODUCT NAME:                       Cranberry Cashew Honey Granola

COMPANY NAME:                       Glutenfreeda

COST:                                         $5.49

SIZE:                                           10.5 oz

COST PER OZ:                            $0.52/oz         

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:          YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:           GFCO

ORGANIC:                                   NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:           NA

VEGAN:                                       NO                 

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:            YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:            Burlington, WA           

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: 

Granola is a thing that many folks living with a gluten free diet necessarily opt out of. While oats themselves may not be glutinous, they are often processed in facilities with wheat flour flying through the air and coating all the machinary. Thus, our little friend the oat becomes one big contamination station: something cannot at all be called gluten free when it is, well, covered in gluten.

Gluten free granola and oatmeal lovers have to trust the absolutely wonderful companies that take painstaking time to not only ensure the gluten free nature of their PRODUCTS but also their facilities. It is companies like Glutenfreeda that take on this very task. Without such folks, breakfast might be sequestered to the meat and egg-fest that just doesn’t work for a vegan like myself. Let’s just say, the effort here does not go overlooked.

 

The ingredients list of Glutenfreeda’s Cashew Cranberry Honey granola is short (oats, cashews, dried cranberry, sugar, oil, honey, and flax) and I consider this a major plus of the product. Glutenfreeda starts with super clean ingredients and doesn’t bring in any funny preservatives, chemicals, or high fructose corn syrup to muck up the natural nature of the product.

Despite the absolute appreciation I have for all of this effort, the granola itself doesn’t totally hit the ball out of the park texture wise.  To me, the absolute most important component of granola is the chunks. Sugar and oil (both present in this product) should, theoretically come together when baked and create little crunchy clusters of deliciousness for a consumer to delight in. I am well aware that the absence of gluten (a well known binding agent, especially in baked goods) could easily create problems in this area but from what I know about making my own granola at home, it isn’t actually very difficult to just add a bit more oil and sugar to obtain the desired result. (It’s blasphemous to those on a diet, I know, but the only way!)  Glutenfreeda’s granola has NO chunks, whatsoever. I am unsure if the product became jostled and broke apart in shipping, or if this is simply the nature of the granola. Either way, this is a disappointment to the consumer.

Despite the textural mis-step the taste is quite all right. There isn’t much about it that blows my mind, but the cashew and cranberry combination is nice and its just sweet enough without being too sweet. As unsatisfying as the texture was, the flavor itself was just as wonderful as all the glutinous granolas of yesteryear.

Labeling: Labeling on this product really hyped the fact that the product contained Omega-3 fatty acids. While the product DOES include flax seeds (a major source of fatty acids) it is the last fat source listed in the ingredients. Each serving of this granola has only 4 grams of fat. Because cashews, sunflower oil, and canola oil come before flax seeds on the list, and because flax is the only fat source listed with Omega-3’s, it seems logical to deduce that very few omega-3’s actually exist in each serving. I know Omega-3’s are a popular thing for the health conscious these days, but it seems sneaky to make that a major claim of a product that it plays a minor role in. Other then that, the labeling was sufficient. All nutrition information was clear and present and easy to understand.

Packaging: The packaging of this product was a cardboard box with four individually wrapped plastic bags dividing up servings. I found this to be sufficient for keeping the product fresh, but also a little sneaky. While four bags were present in the box, the box was identified as having ten servings. So each bag was about 2.5 servings. At first this product seemed to have a very low calorie count at 120 calories per serving but the reality of the serving size makes it just about average.

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:               3.5       

Value:              3

OVERALL:        3.2

Reviewed  by Lacy D. 

Gluten Free Cereal: Enjoy Life Foods Crunchy Flax Cereal

Gluten Free Cereal: Enjoy Life Foods Crunchy Flax Cereal

PRODUCT NAME:                      Crunchy Flax Cereal

BRAND:                                     Enjoy Life Foods 

COST:                                       $3.99

SIZE:                                         10 oz

COST PER OZ:                          $0.40

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:        YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:         GFCO

ORGANIC:                                 NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:         NA

VEGAN:                                     NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:          YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:          Shiller Park, Illinois

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:

Nutrition Facts and Ingredients

Flax has become a popular ingredient lately. It provides omega-3 fatty acids and fiber to your diet. Enjoy Life Foods took flax one step further by creating a flax cereal. The box claims that the cereal contains 425mg of omega-3's and 6g of fiber. The product brands itself as being a healthy cereal and is only sweetened with honey and fruit juice to avoid artificial sweeteners.

I tasted this cereal knowing it was going to be crunchy (because of the name), but the actual texture of the cereal surprised me. It was really crunchy. The texture also made me think I was eating a wheat product, which can be good for those of you that miss that feeling. One good thing about the texture is that it helped the cereal stay firm in milk – I hate when my cereal becomes mushy.

The cereal is made into round pellets, which makes you not want to spill it, because it goes everywhere. Unfortunately, those pellets made me associate this product with something similar to rabbit food. The taste didn't dissuade me much either. Take one bite of this cereal and you know it’s healthy.  I added some honey to the bowl to give it a little helping hand. I also think it would be beneficial to add fruit as well (as pictured on the box). Although I did not enjoy this cereal all that much, I do value the nutritional benefits this cereal has to offer.  Add a little fruit and maybe some honey or agave for the best results.  I can also see that it would be a nice crunchy addition to some yogurt or a bowl of fruit.

Even though I'm not a huge fan of this cereal, I am a fan of Enjoy Life Foods as a company. All of their products are gluten-free and free of the eight most common allergens: wheat, dairy, peanuts, eggs, soy, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. The company is really committed to helping people with allergens eat great-tasting food without having to sacrifice a lot by being on a specialized diet. The company seems to be a pioneer in the gluten-free food world, getting certified by GFCO way back in 2006. 

Taste: The taste was a little lacking on its own, but with the addition of fruit or honey it can transform into a great tasting breakfast. 

Labeling: The box is great at labeling the product as gluten-free and allergy friendly. It also emphasizes the whole grains in the product. 

Packaging: The cereal comes in a small box with a delicious bowl of cereal and raspberries on the front. 

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 reviews from the family + friends of the company producing the product…


RATING:

Texture:            4
Taste:                2
Value:               3
OVERALL:         3

Reviewed by Julia L.

Gluten Free Cereal: Nature's Path Fruit Juice Sweetened Corn Flakes

Gluten Free Cereal: Nature's Path Corn Flakes

PRODUCT NAME:                       Fruit Juice Sweetened Corn Flakes

BRAND:                                      Nature’s Path

COST:                                         $4.99

SIZE:                                          10.6oz                   

COST PER OZ:                            $0.47/oz.

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:          NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:           NA

ORGANIC:                                   YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:           QAI

VEGAN:                                       YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:             NO

LOCATION OF FACILITY:             Canada

SHELF LIFE:                                 6 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:

Nutrition Facts & Ingredients

I have been eating Nature’s Path cereals for a long time and I can’t honestly think of any of them that haven’t lived up to my expectations.  The Corn Flakes are no exception.  I have to admit that I have a tendency to avoid corn flakes because they are many times too sweet and never have enough of a real corn flavor.  The texture often is all wrong and I feel like I am eating candy rather than a healthy breakfast so I have to confess my skepticism when I set about trying these.  Wow, was I blown away! The first bite imparts a very satisfying crunch and a burst of intense corn flavor.  Not your ordinary corn flakes by any means, these deliver on all accounts!

With each successive spoonful, I am continually greeted with compounded deliciousness as the hint of fruit juice enhances the flavor of the corn without being overbearingly sweet.  As my breakfast each morning is usually consumed while I am running around getting ready for whatever I am running late for that particular day, most cereals completely absorb and sog out by the time I finish eating the whole bowl.  The sogginess factor is actually something I take into consideration as I choose my cereals and I am happy to report that Nature’s Path Corn Flakes passed not only with flying colors, but maintained their crispiness until the very last bite, not becoming hemp milk logged, but pleasantly carrying the liquid without losing integrity.  Let’s not forget that these corn flakes are certified organic too.  These flakes are simple, with good ingredients, and scrumptious results.  You can’t beat that.  It’s really the little things that make it all worth while.

For more information check out www.naturespath.com.

Taste:   Bold, delicious corn flavor that’s not too sweet and holds up well to milk.

Labeling:  Bright cheerful green packaging that harkens to fields of growing corn.

Packaging:  100% recycled paperboard cereal box with plastic on the inside, basically your standard cereal packaging.  I know it also comes in large 26.4 ounce bags  as well, which is great for bulk buying (or like me, if you eat cereal a lot).

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 5/16/11 by

Kristina L.