Gluten Free at Flamingo Road Nursery and Farmer's Market

I visited the Flamingo Road Nursery & Farmer's Market in Davie today for the first time in many years and was so surprised to find a designated gluten-free section in their market. They had some brands that I am familiar with but others that I was finding out about for the first time including Get Fresh Bakehouse gourmet cookies, brownies, and blondies. I bought the Midnight 2X Chip cookies and they were delicious (with a hefty price tag at $7.99 for 6 cookies)! The nursery itself is great with tons to look at and a large variety of plants, but even if your aren't looking for plants you need to stop by and check out the scenery and visit the market. It's a great spot!

Glutino's Gluten Free Bagel Chips

I recently discovered Glutino's Bagel Chips when I had a chance to try them at the South Florida Gluten-Free Expo a few weeks ago and loved them. Today I ran into Whole Foods to pick up some cookies and just happened to notice these on the shelf. I was so excited!! They come in 3 flavors: Original, Parmesan & Garlic, and Cinnamon & Sugar. I opted for the Parmesan & Garlic. They have great flavor and taste like regular bagel chips I had many years ago, making them hard to put down!

Brown Rice Crisps

I found these today while walking through Target.  They were giving out samples of the Sweet Chili brown rice crisps by riceworks.  The Sweet Chili crisps are full of flavor, yet not too spicy at all!

Some of the benefits listed on their website include:

Natural Ingredients

No Preservatives or Artificial Flavors

Wheat and Gluten Free

No Trans Fat

33% Less Fat than Potato Chips

No Cholesterol

They come in 6 flavors:

Sweet Chili

Sea Salt

Salsa Fresca

Parmesan and Sundried Tomato

Wasabi

Baked Cinnamon

They are sold at Target, Walmart, Jamba Juice, and Costco in South Florida, but check their website for a retailer near you.

KinniKritters Animal Cookies

I have been purchasing gluten-free products from Kinnikinnick Foods for several years now.  I am a huge fan of their donuts, chocolate chip muffins, and the KinniToos sandwich cookies (the closest thing to an Oreo cookie that I have been able to find).  However, today while browsing the cookie aisle at Whole Foods, I came across their KinniKritters Animal Cookies.  I haven't had animal cookies since I was a kid and thought I'd give them a try.  I opened them as soon as I got home and ended up eating half of the box.  They were delicious and tasted just like the regular ones I remember eating so many years ago. Kinnikinnick Foods is right - Gluten Free Has Never Tasted So Good!   

Kozy Shack Pudding

I don't buy pudding all that often, but I have had Kozy Shack chocolate pudding many times. Along with chocolate, they also have tapioca and rice pudding (all labeled gluten-free). Their website also lists some seasonal flavors for their regular pudding including Key Lime, Country Peach, and Pumpkin.

This past weekend I received a coupon for their new Simplywell pudding so I thought I would give it a try.  The Simplywell flavors (all listed gluten-free as well) include Dark Chocolate, French Vanilla, Green Tea Chai, Lemon Ginger, and Pear Mangosteen.

They are all available in a 4 pack (4 - 100 calorie cups) and list the following health benefits:

> Good source of Antioxidant Vitamin E

> Good source of Calcium and Vitamin D

> Good source of Prebiotic Fiber to Help Promote Digestive Health

I bought the dark chocolate Simplywell pudding from my regular grocery store and tried it last night.  It was delicious!  I have 3 cups left before I have to run back to the store to get some more.  I may have to try the French Vanilla next!

Kozy Shack also sells Flan, No Sugar Puddings and Soy Puddings.  While these are all listed as gluten-free as well, the Soy Puddings include organic wheat starch.  According to their website, the protein fraction (where the gluten is contained) is separated from the carbohydrate fraction during processing and only the part without gluten is used.  Please visit their website for more information on the Soy Puddings.

If you haven't tried Kozy Shack puddings before, I would definitely recommend checking them out.  Enjoy!

 

 

Don't Forget Your Snacks

Whether you are traveling, going to a long business meeting, or just going to run some errands, always make sure you take a snack along.   While there are plenty of gluten-free snack options out there (not necessarily labeled "gluten-free"), sometimes they aren't always available when you need them. It is best to plan ahead and be prepared so you don't go hungry! Your snack could be a bag of chips or a candy bar, but some fresh fruit is a great healthy option. 

I usually always have some type of snack in my purse because I am always hungry, but I actually didn't follow my own advice today and ended up starving.  I was attending a CEU course in a conference room of a local hotel. The course was from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm.  I had a small gluten-free roll with some orange juice before leaving my house at around 7:00 am.  I just assumed (not a very good idea) they would have some snacks at the course so I didn't bring any food with me.  When I arrived I saw that they had breakfast set up for everyone just outside the conference room. There was a long table set up with tons of bagels and muffins, and one small tray of fruit.  With close to 200 attendees, there was very little fruit left by the time I made it through the line. At about 10:00 am, they brought out cookies for the mid-morning snack, so I was out of luck again. By 11:45 am I was starving, so I made my way to the other side of the hotel to the gift shop and bought some M&Ms from their limited selection of snacks. Clearly this wasn't a life or death situation, but it did make for an unpleasant experience.

The moral of my story is to always be prepared and not assume you will find something to eat right away, wherever you are.  Always bring a snack with you because you never know when you may need it.