Gluten Free Granola: Glutenfreeda Apple Almond Honey Granola

PRODUCT NAME:                         Apple Almond Honey Granola

BRAND:                                         Glutenfreeda               

COST:                                             $5.49

SIZE:                                              10.5 oz

COST PER OZ:                              $0.52/oz  

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:          YES        

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:            UNKNOWN

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:

Oats are tricky for celiacs. Naturally, they do not contain any gluten, but oats are often times contaminated with wheat and other gluten-rich grains during processing. What was once a cheap and easy breakfast staple became a potentially dangerous food, only due to a lack of segregated processing practices. Glutenfreeda understands the risks associated with eating oats and provides granolas made with safe, certified gluten-free oats.

Like many gluten-free companies, Glutenfreeda was developed post celiac disease diagnosis. Founded a decade ago after Yvonne Gifford’s diagnosis, her and her daughter began Glutenfreeda.  Glutenfreeda not only provides delicious, all-natural gluten free products like burritos, granola, pizza wraps, and ice cream sandwiches, but they also have a monthly e-publication about gluten free cuisine.

The nice thing about eating gluten free oats is that they are not an alternative; they are just the same old oats but uncontaminated and clean. I haven’t eaten granola in a long time because of risks of contamination and high prices associated with a much needed gluten free certification on oats, but I knew from first glance that this granola would be tasty. Crunchy clusters filled with bits of dehydrated apple, oats, almond pieces and flax seed, this granola was delicious from first crunchy bite to last. I am not a huge milk fan and choose almond milk as an alternative, which complimented this almond-y cereal nicely. I tend to eat cereal slowly, while checking my email or reading a book in the morning, and was relieved that this granola did not get mushy the longer it sat. In fact, I think the flavor improved with time. The clusters of oats and nuts remained semi crunchy while the apple pieces absorbed the almond milk and became soft and delicious.

High in fiber and iron, as well as Omega-3 fatty acids, due to flax seeds as an ingredient, this granola is as nutritious as it is delicious. Made in a dedicated certified gluten free facility, Glutenfreeda’s apple almond honey granola contained all natural ingredients, like natural brown sugar, almonds, apples, and honey. The granola was packed in four little plastic pouches, making it easy to grab a bag to eat as a snack on the go.

For more information about this and other Glutenfreeda products, visit their website at: www.glutenfreeda.com

Taste:  This granola was sweet, but not too sweet with a subtle apple taste and crunchy nuts. Paired with almond milk, it was delicious and gave me energy to help get me through my morning.

Labeling:  Glutenfreeda made it very obvious that this product is gluten and wheat free. The box states this on the front of the box as well as the side and back. They claim to be certified gluten free, but do not state the certification company which is a little bothersome. The package clearly states nutrition facts, ingredients, and a little information about the product and brand.

Packaging:  There are four plastic bags of granola contained inside of a cardboard 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:               5             

Taste:                    5             

Value:                   3

OVERALL:            4.3

Reviewed by Jennie Lennick

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 Oatmeal: Glutenfreeda Apple Cinnamon w/Flax Instant Oatmeal

Gluten Free Oatmeal: Apple Cinnamon w/Flax Instant Oatmeal

PRODUCT NAME:                   Apple Cinnamon Flax Instant Oatmeal

BRAND:                                 Glutenfreeda

COST:                                    $3.99

SIZE:                                     10.5 oz

COST PER OZ:                       $0.38/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:     YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      GFCO

ORGANIC:                              NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      NA

VEGAN:                                  YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:        YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:        Burlington, Washington

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

Oatmeal is a sad casualty of a gluten-free diet; despite being completely gluten-free on their own, oats are often processed in facilities that also process wheat, which causes contamination. Glutenfreeda has solved this breakfast dilemma by certifying that their processing facility is completely gluten-free. Now, the gluten intolerant community can once again have the option of eating delicious oatmeal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

The concept for Glutenfreeda Foods was developed over 10 years ago after its founder, Yvonne Gifford, discovered that she had celiac disease. Faced with this dramatic life change, Gifford teamed up with her daughter to start the first gluten-free culinary magazine, Glutenfreeda.com, which offers tons of gluten-free recipes After a few years of success for the magazine, Gifford wanted to branch out to reach those that aren't so talented in the kitchen. She produced a line of foods starting with gluten-free cookies. Instant oatmeal was the third food product to be added to Glutenfreeda's lineup.

The instant oatmeal was easy to make, requiring just water and a couple minutes in the microwave. It tastes similar to other apple cinnamon oatmeals I've had before. A nice touch was the addition of apple chunks in each packet. The package lists brown sugar as an ingredient, but the oatmeal is not sweet; I added honey to make it more palatable. It has a great texture and didn't become mushy after it was cooked.

One thing about this product stand out is the addition of flax. The nutrition facts list each serving as having four grams of fiber and six grams of protein, which makes it a great choice for breakfast. Overall, this was a great oatmeal product that could be jazzed up with the addition of fruit or nuts. It would also be great to take camping or on an overnight trip.

Taste: The taste was good and enhanced by the bits of apple in the oatmeal. It was a bit plain, so I added some honey to make it sweeter.

Labeling: The box makes it clear that the oats are "uncontaminated" and that the product has no trans fat. The picture of apples and oatmeal on the front entices customers to buy the product.

Packaging: The oatmeal comes in a cardboard box with six packets of oatmeal in total.

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:            5

Taste:                5

Value:               4

OVERALL:         4.3

Reviewed by Julia L.