Gluten Free Chips: Late July Multigrain Snack Chips - Product Review #108

Gluten Free Chips: Late July Multigrain Snack Chips

PRODUCT NAME:                         Multigrain Snack Chips

BRAND:                                        Late July

COST:                                           $3.39

SIZE:                                             6oz        

COST PER OZ:                              $0.57/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:           YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:            GFCO

ORGANIC:                                    YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:            QAI

VEGAN:                                        YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:              UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:              USA

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:

On a recent trip to the supermarket, we ran across Late July Organic Snacks’ multigrain snack chip in a flavor called Sea Salt by the Seashore.  Seeing that it was certified gluten free, we knew that we had to try it.  Digging around on their website, we found out that these chips are organic, certified gluten free, 100% whole grains, has 280mgs of omega-3s, contains no GMOs, no trans fats, and no artificial colors or preservatives.  On top of that they donate 10% of their profits to summer camp scholarships.  What more can you ask for?

Looking at the chip, the first thing that came to mind was that these were tortilla chips.  Take one bite into them and you will quickly see that it is more than that.  They may be in the shape of tortilla chips, but they are so much better.  These chips are made with a mix of seeds and a blend of whole grains like ground whole corn, quinoa and brown rice.  They taste great.  They are very light and crispy and have a nice light flavor.  The variety we purchased was just seasoned with sea salt so you can really taste the flavor of the grains.  The sea salt flavor was very mild and is not something we would eat on its own, but it would be great with your favorite dip. 

Nutrition Facts and Ingredients

These chips have a lot going for it.  They taste great, have great texture and they’re actually pretty good for you.  We had the Sea Salt by the Seashore variety and the serving size for these chips is about 13 chips.  Those 13 chips contain 120 calories (40 from fat), 4.5 grams of fat, no cholesterol, just 70mg of sodium, 2 grams of dietary fiber and 2 grams of protein.  These are pretty good numbers considering many of the alternatives on the market have much higher values.  Combine that with the fact that they are certified gluten free and peanut and tree nut free, and you have yourself a great snack

Overall, we liked these chips a lot.  They are light, have good natural flavor and are pretty healthy for you.  It’s the perfect snack to enjoy with your favorite dip.  These chips are also available in Mild Green Mojo (green chilies with cheese and a hint of lime) and Dude Ranch (tangy sour cream and a perfect blend of herbs and spices).  These are definitely a snack we would buy again.  For more information about these chips or about Late July Organic Snacks, visit their website at: www.latejuly.com. 

Taste: These chips pack a great natural whole grain flavor in a light and crispy chip.  These would be perfect for dipping. 

Labeling:  The graphics on the package were very bright and fun.  The text is easy to read and all of the certification labels are on the bag. 

Packaging:  Sealed chip 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:                 5             

Taste:                     4             

Value:                    3             

OVERALL:              4

Reviewed  4/15/11 by Calvin C.   

Gluten Free Pasta: Lundberg Brown Rice Spaghetti - Product Review #91

Gluten Free Pasta: Lundberg Brown  Rice Spaghetti

PRODUCT NAME:                      Brown Rice Spaghetti

BRAND:                                     Lundberg

COST:                                       $3.95

SIZE:                                         10oz                      

COST PER OZ:                           $0.40/oz  

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:         NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:          N/A

ORGANIC:                                  YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:          CCOF

VEGAN:                                      YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:           YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:           California

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:
The Lundberg Family Farms have been producing high quality rice products since 1937.  It’s no wonder they make some of the best rice products around today.  They have a large variety of products including rice, rice cakes, rice chips, risottos and pastas.  Recently, we picked up their Organic Brown Rice Pasta Spaghetti that just happens to be gluten free. 

Cooking this pasta is as simple as just boiling it in water.  I tested the cooking directions on the box and the cooking times were accurate.  The directions called for bringing 4 quarts of water in a large pot to a boil with the option of adding 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of oil.  The salt is to flavor the pasta a little and the oil is to prevent it from sticking together.  There are plenty of arguments for and against, but it’s really left up to you to make the final decision.  I will recommend that if you are on a low sodium diet, leave the salt out.  I decided to add the salt and oil in my cooking process.  The box directions say to boil the pasta for 9 minutes, or 8-9 minutes for al-dente, making sure to keep a rolling boil throughout the cooking process.  Following these directions, we ended up with perfectly cooked spaghetti. 

The important part of pasta is its texture.  If it’s too hard, it doesn’t absorb the flavor from the sauce enough and if it’s too soft, it falls apart and makes your bowl of pasta mushy and watery.  Lundberg’s Brown Rice Pasta is perfect.  It is soft enough so it chews very nicely and it absorbs the flavor from the sauce just right and it is firm enough that it maintains its form.  We tossed this pasta with some chicken pesto sauce with some parmesan cheese.  It was delicious. 

Overall, we thought that this pasta was great.  It is definitely something we would buy again.  It’s gluten free, whole grain and vegan.  What more can you ask for.  The only drawback to this pasta is that it is a little on the pricier side at $3.95 for a 10oz package, but you have to remember that this is a high quality product that is gluten free, kosher, non gmo, vegan, and organic; all of which are makings for a great pasta.

Lundberg Brown Rice Spaghetti Nutrition Facts and Ingredients

Taste:  The taste and texture of this pasta was great.  It was the perfect consistency to toss with pesto sauce, but I think it would do great with marinara or any other sauce you want to toss it with.   

Labeling:  The labeling on this package is great.  The graphics are nice and the font is easy to read. 

Packaging:  The pasta is sealed in plastic and then placed in a 100% recycled paperboard. 

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:                    2

OVERALL:              4

Reviewed 031611 by Calvin C.  

Gluten Free Bagels: Udi's Whole Grain Bagels - Product Review #77

Gluten Free Bagels: Udi's Whole Grain Bagels

PRODUCT NAME:                    Whole Grain Bagel

BRAND:                                   Udi’s Gluten Free Foods

COST:                                     $6.00

SIZE:                                       4 Bagels (14oz)

COST PER BAGEL:                  $1.50

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:      YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:       GFCO

ORGANIC:                               NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:       N/A

VEGAN:                                   NO

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:        YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:        COLORADO

*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:
We have tried Udi’s Cinnamon Raisin Bagels in the past and we loved them, so when we got a chance to try their Whole Grain variety, we jumped at the chance.  Last time, we went with the sweet so this time we decided to go with savory.  It was a nice sunny day so we decided that we would have lunch by the water.  The perfect lunch to go along with the view was open faced bagel sandwiches using toasted Udi’s Gluten Free Whole Grain Bagels, fresh cream cheese, sliced pork tenderloin and green onions sautéed with garlic.  Everything went together perfectly. 

Udi’s bagels are great.  They have the perfect texture because they have a similar texture to a regular bagel, firm and chewy, but with an even lighter texture.  We received these bagels last week and because we couldn’t get to them right away, we decided to freeze them.  Even after being frozen for about a week, after a quick toast they came out tasting fresh.  These bagels worked especially well for a sandwich because they are firm and can hold piles of toppings.  Bite into the sandwich and you have the perfect balance of textures.  The sandwich was delicious and filling. 

When we wrote our review for Udi’s Cinnamon Raisin Bagel, I expressed concern about the nutrition facts because I thought that the sodium, calorie and fat content were a little high.  Unfortunately I had the same concern with this bagel.  I know these bagels are whole grain and whole grain is supposed to be good for you, but with 280 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 470 milligrams of sodium, these whole grain bagels have even higher fat and sodium content than the Cinnamon Raisin Bagels.  Despite this, I wouldn’t say that these bagels are unhealthy to eat. It just means that you have to pay attention to what you are eating so you can plan your day’s meal accordingly to ensure that you don’t go over your recommended daily values.  It would be a shame to miss out on these delicious bagels because Udi’s makes the best bagels I’ve ever had, this includes regular bagels that contain gluten.

Ingredients for Udi's Whole Grain Bagels

Overall, we really enjoyed Udi’s Bagels.  They are delicious and have one of the best textures I’ve ever had in a bagel.  You get the best of both worlds; the firmness and chewiness we’ve come to expect from a bagel but with a lighter texture that makes chewing this bagel not such a workout.

Nutrition facts for Udi's Whole Grain Bagels

Taste: This bagel has a great texture.  It is chewy and firm like a regular bagel, but lighter.  Toast these up and make a sandwich for a great lunch.

Labeling:  The labeling on this packaging is very simple and strait forward, everything you need to know is stamped right on the front.  Gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free, whole grain, certified gluten free, and kosher, it’s all there on the front.    

Packaging:  You will find your normal bagel packaging here.  It is the typical plastic bag with the bag tie ring to seal it up.  If you decide to freeze these bagels, you might want to put them in a freezer safe resealable 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:                 5             

Taste:                     5             

Value:                    2

OVERALL:              4 

Reviewed 022311 by Calvin C

Gluten Free Crackers: Mary's Gone Crackers Gluten Free Crackers - Product Review #14

Gluten Free Crackers: Mary's Gone Crackers Gluten Free Crackers

PRODUCT NAME:                   Seed Crackers

BRAND:                                  Mary’s Gone Crackers

COST:                                    $5.50

SIZE:                                       6.5oz

COST PER OZ:                        $0.85/oz                 

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:      NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:       N/A

ORGANIC:                               YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:       ICS, inc.

VEGAN:                                   YES

WHEAT FREE FACILITY:          YES

LOCATION OF FACILITY:         USA                    

*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:

Mary’s Gone Crackers…has Mary gone crackers or are her crackers so good that they’re gone?  No matter how you read the name, what really matters are the delicious gluten-free crackers in the box.  It has simple ingredients: brown rice, quinoa, flax seeds, sesame seeds, a little filtered water, and some flavoring like wheat free tamari soy sauce, salt and pepper for the salt and pepper variety.  Other flavors of course will have slightly different flavor ingredients.

So what is Mary’s story?  No backstory on the box, but a little digging on her website and I found that Mary has a gluten intolerance and when she found out, she set out to create snacks that she could enjoy and share with others.  What she came up with, were these delicious crackers that everybody loved no matter where she went.   

Taste: These crackers come in caraway, original, black pepper, herb, and onion.  We had the original, caraway and black pepper and enjoyed all of them.  While many other crackers have to load up on sodium to gain flavor, this cracker uses several different grains to give it flavor.  It’s not to say that these crackers don’t contain any sodium, but at 180mg for a serving size of 30g which is 13 crackers it is reasonable compared to other similar products.  Because this cracker is made up of several different grains, there are many different textures in this cracker, but overall it can be described as crunchy.  Some of the seeds are a little hard though and can spell trouble for people with sensitive teeth.  So if you have sensitive teeth, you might want to stay away. 

Labeling: Good labeling that covers pretty much all the bases; Organic, kosher, non-GMO, whole grain, made with love, vegan-dairy free, wheat-free, gluten-free, no hydrogenated oils, and no trans-fats.  All listed on the side are some of the reasons why you should buy this product.  Would we buy it again? Most Likely

Packaging: The packaging on these crackers is also very good even though it is essentially double packaged.  The crackers come in easy to tear plastic packaging to lock in the freshness and that is put into a 100% recycled paperboard box that is printed with 100% soy based ink.  It’s nice to see a company trying to be more environmentally friendly.   

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:                    4

OVERALL:              4

Reviewed 11/17/10 by CC