Gluten Free Noodles: Kajino Buckwheat Soba Noodles

PRODUCT NAME:                   Buckwheat Soba Noodles

COMPANY NAME:                  Kajino

COST:                                    $6.99

SIZE:                                      8 oz

COST PER OZ:                       $0.87

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:     Unknown

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      N/A

ORGANIC:                              No

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      N/A

VEGAN:                                 Yes

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:       Unknown

LOCATION OF FACILITY:       JAPAN

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:

When I first discovered my gluten intolerance I was admittedly disappointed, but I thought to myself:

“Oh well, at least I still have buckwheat soba.”

WRONG.

99% of Buckwheat soba is indeed chock full of regular wheat. The noodles tend to have a blend of buckwheat (no gluten) and wheat (a whole lot of gluten) - thus making them un-digestible to me and, ostensibly, all of you.

There are a few gluten free noodles out there but they are very expensive and mostly, you must order from abroad to get the real goods. Today’s noodles indeed come from the soba wonderworld that is Japan and while this fact incurred its own difficulties (no English anywhere on the package, to start!) the experience was definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

So, because there were no cooking instructions in the language that I speak on the package I had to do a bit of research on how exactly to cook these. Apparently there is a ton of specificity around the “right’ way to make soba. Here is what I found:

The Japanese do not stir fry these noodles a la chow mein, in fact they tend to eat all their noodles wet. Soba is often in hot soup, or covered in a wet sauce and quickly slurped up. Traditional Cooking Instructions for Japanese Noodles involves a bold combination of boiling and cold water, vacillating the noodles between the two up to three times. There is no exact set right amount of times to go from boiling to cold to boiling again and one must periodically check the noodles for done-ness. You check them by cutting the noodle in half. If the center of the noodle strand is white and the outside is darker, the noodles are not done. When the center of the noodle is the same color as the outside, and the noodles are firm yet tender to the bite they are done. Rinse Japanese noodles under cold water to prevent clumping.

The noodles do tend to stick together, but adding a little peanut oil helps. I personally ate my noodles clumped together, because I sort of like that kind of thing. (It reminds me of my super all - American macaroni and cheese love affair as a kid perhaps?)

Taste:

On to the taste. Like any pasta, there isn’t exactly supposed to be a super stand out flavor to buckwheat soba noodles. The texture is really the major factor of enjoyability for most noodles and these puppies turned out just lovely in terms of texture. I followed the cooking rules above and added a bit of stir fried cabbage and miso broth to the mix and I was delighted at how authentically delicious this simple dish turned out to be. The slight flavor of the buckwheat is nutty and toothsome. It soaked up the miso and left the real flavor up to the seasonings.

Unfortunately, the only English I did see was that my single sized serving (which actually was fairly small) packed in 350 calories. While that is not a huge amount for the whole meal, it is a bit more carbohydrate calories then I tend to put into one meal. Every once in awhile I don’t mind the indulgence but I was surprised that it seemed to have a lot more calories than any other gluten free pasta I’ve tried.

Labeling:

Labeling of this soba was in Japanese , so I could not read it. It is my preference to have the label be in English but I guess I can’t exactly say that the labeling was “bad” just because I couldn’t understand it.

Packaging:

This product was wrapped in a sealed plastic wrapping. It was quite sufficient for the freshness of the product.

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 Lacy D.

Gluten Free Raw Macaroons: Food on Purpose Choco Roonies

PRODUCT NAME:                   Food On Purpose

COMPANY NAME:                  Choco-roonies

COST:                                    $6.50

SIZE:                                      3 oz

COST PER OZ:                       $2.16

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:     NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      NA

ORGANIC:                              YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      USDA Organic

VEGAN:                                 YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:       Unknown

LOCATION OF FACILITY:       Santa Fe, NM

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:

Food On Purpose is a newer company, one that was constructed by a woman working to create sweet treats to support her cleanse and a gourmet food brand consultant. Paired together, they are making delicious and delectable snacks with a focus on both health and satisfaction. The product up for review today is a wonderful example of this company’s healthy treats.

I’ve said it before- I am not exactly a sweet treat  or snack type of person.  Food On Purpose’s Choco-roonies manages to over ride this fact and bring me a treat without all the unhealthy baggage of most snack foods. These palatable little gifts to my mouth not only impressed me, they *delighted* me- with none of the guilt that normal desserts can produce.

To start: these puppies are made from from Raw Cacao and organic Raw Coconut. They are dense, satisfying and perfectly rich with pure chocolate decadence. The product is Raw, Organic, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan and a SUPERFood. This food is not only tasty, it is fuel.

Like many staples of my diet, the ingredient list in this treat is extremely short (Maca and coconut oil were the only ingredients not already mentioned) but the taste of the sum of its parts is so much more. In fact, it is completely divine. The blend of cacao, maca and coconut creates a beautifully nuanced flavor that hits the tongue in tiers of deliciousness. There is complexity in each bite and as you chew you delve further and further into the bursts of each taste experience.

Building on the deliciousness of the taste, is the excitement of the texture. The amalgamation of coconut oil and dried coconut gives way to incredible windows of textural decadence. I could not pick a more perfect combo of creamy and rough to dip in chocolate. Each morsel is tiny, and I am glad for that fact! One bite was truly enough to last me a good long while

Sadly, there is not nutrition information with this product. As much as I know the ingredients are healthy and love the taste, it really irks me when companies leave this out! I am a calorie watcher, through and through so not knowing drives me a little bit nuts

Labeling:

Labelling of this product was insufficient, in my opinion. Nutrition facts are a must!

Packaging:

Packaging for this product was a thick plastic ziploc style bag,  which I deem to be quite sufficient for the freshness of the product. I am, however, surprised that such a health focused company doesn’t have more environmentally friendly packaging.

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 Lacy D.

Gluten Free Bar: Kind Bar Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio + Antioxidants Bar

PRODUCT NAME:                 Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio + Bar

COMPANY NAME:                 KINDbar

COST:                                  $1.99

SIZE:                                    1.4 oz

COST PER OZ:                      $1.42                     

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:   No

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:    Unknown

ORGANIC:                            No

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:    N/A

VEGAN:                                Yes             

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:      No

LOCATION OF FACILITY:      N/A      

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: 

Ah, the fruit and nut bar. As an extremely busy lady I often rely on such items for a quick pick-me-up and when I travel I find them completely indispensable. These little treats run a gamut in terms of quality. While some are weird fiber bricks that simply get the job of taking the edge off of hunger done, others are delicious treats that feel more like dessert then a bland belly filler. Its tricky to find a bar with taste quality that also has sound nutritional value but time and time again I find that KINDbars get the job done. These puppies are really delightfully delicious.

This week I had the wonderful experience of dining on my KINDbar en route from San Francisco to New York City. My flight was scheduled to ascend at an ungodly hour (6:30AM!) and even if I had been able to find a vegan and gluten free item to dine on (what are the chances of that in the first place?!), the overpriced restaurants and kiosks were not even open by the time I boarded my flight. I was armed with an arsenal of snacks to try and I was perhaps most excited about my KINDbar. Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio?! I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that amalgamation of flavors would turn into in my mouth and I was pumped to figure it out. As four AM hit and the night darkness lingered I took my first bite of KINDbar and let the dissection of its flavor began.

First, lets talk about pomegranate. In the past decade or so many MANY items have claimed this to be a main ingredient and aside from straight up 100% pomegranate juice I have never really been able to identify the actual flavor of pomegranate in most products. While my late night/early morn breakfast bar was indeed delicious, I felt the flavor of pomegranate was lost in the abyss of the more dominant blueberries and almonds. (You may be wondering why I said almonds and not pistachios, as those are the bar’s highlighted nuts and honestly, I was wondering that as I chewed as well. This bar is much more notably almond then pistachio). The bar was quite sticky, which is no problem for me, as it evoked a sort of healthy candy apple vibe for me. There were a lot of textural components in this bar - The ingredient list includes almonds, blueberry pieces, cashews, honey, raisins,  glucose, pomegranate, crisp rice, chicory fiber, pistachio, and soy lecithin. and the variation between sticky, crunchy, and chewy is quite palatable. Additionally this bar boasts that it includes high doses of vitamin A, C, D, and E.

Calorically speaking this bar has 170 calories and 8 grams of fat. In the realm of bars on the market, this is actually relatively low and did seem to quiet the rumble of my belly for a few hours. While I would not use this bar as a meal replacement (At only 3 grams of protein and a high naturally occurring sugar content it doesn’t exactly scream balance) I did find it to be a super sufficient snack. KINDbar hasn’t disappointed me yet and the pomegranate blueberry pistachio bar was no exception to that fact.

Labeling:

Labeling of this product was clear and concise. It was very sufficient.

Packaging:

KINDbars are wrapped in plastic sealed sheaths. Although it is not the most environmentally sound way to wrap these treats, it seems appropriate for the freshness of the product.

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:             4

Value:            4

OVERALL:      4.5

Reviewed  by Lacy D.

Gluten Free Hummus: Wildwood Roasted Red Pepper Probiotic Hummus

PRODUCT NAME:                  Roasted Red Pepper Probiotic Hummus

COMPANY NAME:                 Wildwood

COST:                                  $2.99

SIZE:                                    10 oz.

COST PER OZ:                      $.0.29    

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:    No

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:     N/A

ORGANIC:                             Yes

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:     USDA organic

VEGAN:                                 Yes                    

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:       Unknown

LOCATION OF FACILITY:       Grinnell, IA      

SHELF LIFE:                          3 weeks unopened

*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:  

So, hummus. Everybody loves hummus, right? Maybe I am generalizing here, but it seems to me that this food is not just a staple in the diet of the vegan or the gluten free anymore. Hummus is in the most mainstream of grocery stores these days, and even my mom has tried it. Hummus, the once exotic Mediterranean treat, has now become America’s darling.

Because hummus has become so ubiquitous, it has become a bit challenging to make it notable. While I am quite happy that I am generally able to find this little diamond-in-the-rough even in the tiniest towns it does seem that many versions of this beany, creamy, garbanzo spread are a bit bland, or use canola/vegetable oil to blend with. (I am going to be honest here. Hummus is just *supposed* to use olive oil. It is simply tradition!) Wildwood’s Roasted Red Pepper Probiotic Hummus seems to be trying to jazz it up. While the roasted red pepper flavor doesn’t seem so outlandish- its pretty standard to add such kicks to the beans these days - the probiotics really surprise me. These little enzymes are added to the hummus, supposedly to aid in the promotion of healthy digestion of the product.

For those not in the know, probiotics are actually bacteria, but not the kind that makes you sick. These little buggers are healthy and help line your intestinal walls in order to aid in proper nutrient absorption and digestion. Probiotics are found in fermented products naturally. This is one of the reasons that yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and kimchi have a reputation for keeping us well.

I am a tad thrown off by the probiotic addition to Wildwood’s hummus, as it seems an effort to stand out on the shelves that I am not totally convinced by. That being said, (probiotics or not) the hummus is a cut above many of the others out there. It does use canola oil instead of olive, but the amount used adds to a perfect creaminess that is almost velvety. The red pepper zing adds just a touch of pep to the flavor and nicely compliments the more base-flavors of tahini and bean. I did notice that tomato puree was present in the hummus, ostensibly to make it redder in a way that is cheaper then using more red pepper. Like the inclusion of probiotics, I am a bit suspicious of this move, but it doesn’t seem to affect the flavor so I suppose its okay.

A few other nice things about Wildwood’s hummus: I found it literally in the middle of nowhere when I desperately needed a healthy and protein-y treat. It cost me 2.99, which is drastically lower then many of the hummuses out there that tend to hover much closer to five bucks then three. A two-tablespoon serving is sixty calories, which is in the moderate range. Adding the dip to salads, sandwiches, and rice cakes enhances the flavor of these things as well as making them sate hunger for a bit longer. While I am not totally sold on the motives of the folks at Wildwood, I would say my tub of hummus was still a pretty solid investment.

Labeling:

Labeling of this product was clear and concise. It was quite adequate in displaying information about the nutrition of the product.

Packaging:

This hummus came in a recyclable plastic tub, which seemed appropriate for the freshness of the product.

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:           3

Value:          4

OVERALL:    4

Reviewed by Lacy D.

Gluten Free Raw Cookies: Go Raw Lemon Super Cookies

PRODUCT NAME:                   Organic Lemon Super Cookies   

BRAND:                                  Go Raw by Freeland Foods         

COST:                                     $5.49                                    

SIZE:                                       3 oz

COST PER OZ:                        $1.83

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:     YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      GFCO               

ORGANIC:                              YES                        

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      Organic Certifiers       

VEGAN:                                  YES                                  

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:        UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:        Mountain View, California        

SHELF LIFE:                           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:

I really have a taste for raw food.  I often threaten that one of these days I’m just going to plunge into eating totally raw.  But my perception of the work it takes to do all of the research and prepare a complete raw diet keeps me from going whole hog.  That’s why delicious products like Go Raw Organic Lemon Super Cookies are so fantastic.  I can get a raw pick me up with the protein and nutrients from the organic coconut, the sprouted sesame seeds and the organic dates that are packed into each cookie.  The lemon flavor comes from organic lemon oil, which gives the cookies a sweet citrusy zing and the lemon smell that delightfully fills your nose whenever you open the bag.

The cookies themselves are really yummy.  They have a nice crunch to them because of the sesame seeds, but they are also chewy due to the coconut and dates.  It’s a really nice texture combination.  The lemon isn’t a potent sour flavor, but a sweet citrus that picks up the hints of the other ingredients and they all blend together really well.  The cookies are small and bite-sized.  They are surprisingly filling, which is good, because you can’t really finish off the whole bag in one sitting.  They are a nutrient dense healthful snack, something that I would keep in my purse on a busy day or in my desk at work when I need some extra brainpower. 

Go Raw Organic Super Lemon Cookies are 160 calories for 18 cookies, so not quite 10 calories each.  It does have some fat grams but that’s mainly because of the sesame and coconut, which are high in fat that is good for you.  They naturally have some calcium and iron in them as well.  The sprouted sesame seeds mean that they are alive.  Eating raw and live food helps your body become more alkaline and less acidic.  Less acid in your body is healthier and your body is able to get rid of environmental toxins much easier.  Incorporating even a little bit of raw and live food in our diet helps our bodies cope better with stress and if I can do that and eat yummy lemon cookies, sign me up. 

These cookies are available at the Gluten Free Grocery along with all sorts of other gluten free delicacies and staples that are certainly worth a try.  Enjoy! 

Find more about Go Raw organic Super Lemon Cookies on their website: http://www.goraw.com/

Taste: citrus sweetness with a lemony zing, slight coconut and date flavor in the background

Labeling: bright yellow label clearly marked with organic, raw, gluten free, etc.

Packaging: plastic bag with re-sealable top

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 Dumplings: Feel Good Foods Handmade Asian Style Shrimp Dumplings

PRODUCT NAME:                    Handmade Asian Style Shrimp Dumplings

BRAND:                                     Feel Good Foods

COST:                             $8.40

SIZE:                                           10.75 OZ 

COST PER OZ:                           $0.78             

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:        UNKNOWN

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        N/A

ORGANIC:                                  NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        N/A

VEGAN:                                      NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:           NO

LOCATION OF FACILITY:         NEW YORK, NEW YORK

SHELF LIFE:                                UNKNOWN

*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:

After several dumpling dinners my friends have enjoyed and I have had to sit out from, I was excited for my chance to enjoy safe, gluten free shrimp dumplings at home. Feel Good Foods makes their handmade shrimp dumplings with a wrapper made of a blend of sweet rice flour, rice flour, potato starch, and corn starch, these dumplings were savory, chewy, and not too filling. Since my celiac diagnosis, I have been taking steps to wean myself off of an eight-year long vegetarian diet so I can have more food choices instead of less. I am still a bit squeamish about eating any meat or fish, and I found Feel Good Foods’ Shrimp Dumplings not overwhelmingly fishy. They combined the shrimp with vegetables and herbs, like carrot, green onion, ginger, garlic, and cilantro to make a savory, well balanced filling. The provided dipping sauce tasted like tamari with a bit of a kick. It was dressed up with a little added ginger, garlic, and black pepper to dress it up a little bit.

My only gripe with this product was the instructions for preparation. It says the dumplings should be placed in a non-stick pan with 3/4 of a cup of boiling water (which will turn milky in color and texture as the dumplings cook) where they would sit and steam with a lid on, for approximately 13 minutes. The water was supposed to evaporate. However, when I prepared the dumplings, the water never evaporated; instead it turned into a thick, white, glue-like paste. Upon second glance of the directions, I noticed this note, in small font below the instructions:

“For best results dumplings must be prepared in a non-stick pan.”

I was using my perfectly seasoned, slick cast iron frying pan, which I cook everything in. I grabbed a Teflon-coated pan from my cupboard, and scooped the dumplings, which had turned into gooey blobs, into the new pan. I fried the dumplings on all sides until they were golden brown, and managed to salvage the meal. I wish Feel Good Foods had explicitly instructed me to use a Teflon pan instead of a cast iron, because I consider my cast iron to be non-stick.

Taste:   These dumplings were salty, chewy, and flavorful. The filling, made of shrimp and vegetables was not too fishy or dense. I found these dumplings to be a perfect appetizer or main course.

Labeling: The front of the package stated that these dumplings were made with all natural and gluten free ingredients. The back has a symbol indicating that Feel Good Foods is part of the Celiac Spure Association, and the package is created with wind power. There is also information about the company, preparation instructions, an ingredients list, and nutrition facts.

Packaging:  

Eight dumplings were inside of a plastic bag housed inside of a cardstock 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 by: Jennie L.

Gluten Free Rice Cakes: Lundberg Tamari with Seaweed Rice Cakes

PRODUCT NAME:                  Tamari with Seaweed Organic rice cakes

COMPANY NAME:                  Lundberg

COST:                                    $3.49

SIZE:                                      8.5 oz

COST PER OZ:                       $0.41                            

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:     YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      Unknown

ORGANIC:                              YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      USDA organic

VEGAN:                                  YES                            

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:       YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:       Richvale, CA  

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: 

Lundberg rice cakes have come to be a staple in my life.  Originally I discovered them when I was sick. My stomach had turned to a churning mess, and almost every food item that I could possibly conceive of made me feel terrible to recall. I needed sustenance and I needed it bland. I tapped all my resources and after thinking long and hard they all came to one conclusion: rice cakes.

I hobbled over to my local health food store and grabbed a (surprisingly dense!) bag of tamari and seaweed flavored brown rice treats. Paired with a hearty vegetable soup I popped them in my mouth, one by one. It seemed no coincidence that the grumble in my gut calmed exponentially and that my taste buds suddenly seemed to smile.

Stereotypes had taught me that rice cakes were gross little hockey pucks, nothing to get excited about. Lundberg seems to have single handedly changed all that. I mentioned before that my rice cakes were surprisingly hefty in weight and there is a reason for this. Lundberg’s website reveals that they imbue each tasty little cake with about double the amount of rice that one might find in your average rice cake. The result is a crunchy and airy denseness that does much more to satisfy a craving for something substantial.

I have a past obsession with tortilla chips and although in my current life I eschew the deep fried I do sorely miss the pizzazz of a crunchy treat. Lundberg rice cakes are baked, which works in delivering that crunch I so sorely miss. While baked chips will simply never do it for me (blech!), these rice cakes tap into a snack-y goodness I thought I had long left behind.

On to the flavor; I mentioned that I was searching for a bland treat, but I simply couldn’t resist the call of tamari and seaweed. Since going gluten free I have truly missed soy sauce’s salty tang and anything with tamari (the gluten free equivalent) peaks my interest. Each cake is gently kissed with the deep rich flavor of tamari and sprinkled with seaweed. The even and careful hand of seasoning provides a bit of nuance without overpowering the earthy flavor of the brown rice. While seaweed and tamari both have the potential to dominate, Lundberg’s careful application is perfect for subtly adding a little something special to each bite.

Calorically, rice cakes are a dieters dream. At sixty calories a piece they are not necessarily as low-cal as one would guess but despite this fact, the density and volume of them fills a belly up at about three maximum, so it becomes nearly impossible to over eat. While I could shove deep fried and heavily caloric chips into my mouth all the live long day, Lundberg’s rice cakes satisfy much more quickly.

Labeling:

Labeling of this product was clear and concise. It included all the nutrition facts, some benefits of brown rice, and a little company history for a consumer to sink their teeth into.

Packaging:

Lundberg rice cakes are wrapped in plastic and then put in a plastic bag. Although it is not the most environmentally sound way to wrap these treats, it seems appropriate for the freshness of the product.

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:             4

Value:            4

OVERALL:      4.3

Reviewed  by Lacy D.