Tag Archives: gluten free

And For Breakfast: Lizi’s Granola & Nature’s Path Gluten Free Porridge Review

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It is the most important meal of the day and without it I get rather grumpy. So with that in mind I reviewed some breakfast options.

First up is Lizi’s Granola.

The press release calls it ‘the UK’s healthiest and most tasty breakfast cereal’. Lizi’s Granola is not new but has a new low sugar variant. It has less than 4% sugar. Impressive and definitely a plus with the amount of bad press sugar gets now. It is just not good for you. When I first tasted this granola I wasn’t sure if I liked it but as I finished I did. It is tasty and has just a touch of sweetness. It is nutty and oaty and also makes you feel healthy. It is high in fibre and all of the ingredients are natural. It is really good granola with less sweetness. You could also add more sweetness by adding fruit or yoghurt. Tasty and healthy.

Lizi’s Low Sugar Granola retails at £3.89 for 500g. Low Sugar available in Asda, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.

lowsugargranolaglutenfreeporridge

Nature’s Path Gluten Free Hot And Steamy Porridge Oats have the advantage of not having that other things people hate at the moment: gluten. The box has three flavours: original, spiced apple and maple. They are convenient, you can put them in the microwave after adding water, or just add some milk or water and cook for two minutes on the hob. They are high in fibre, suitable for vegans, kosher and made with natural, organic ingredients. But how do they taste? Amazing. High quality, even with water instead of milk and keeps you full until lunchtime. They are far too healthy to taste so good. Available from Waitrose, Ocado, eBay and Amazon.

Kent & Fraser Fig & Hazelnut Crunchy Cookies & Toasted Almond Shortbread

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Whether Coeliac or living wheat-free as a lifestyle choice, gluten-free sweet treats don’t come any better than this! Kent & Fraser have introduced two fabulous new flavours to their award-winning range of all-natural, gluten and wheat free biscuits, cookies and shortbread.

kent&fraserbiscuitscookiesshortbreadreviewtoastedalmondshortbread

The ideal partner to tea or coffee or simply on their own as a snack, Kent & Fraser’s Fig & Hazelnut Crunchy Cookies are bursting with flavour. Inspired by an Italian classic where figs pair perfectly with roasted hazelnuts and flavours are set duelling with a touch of Madagascan vanilla and a pinch of warm cinnamon, these deliciously new crunchy cookies are temptingly delicious and in a class of their own when it comes to gluten-free perfection

We really loved these. They are crunchy, different and delicious. The pack was polished off pretty quickly. 

Kent & Fraser’s new Toasted Almond Shortbread, are again based on an Italian almond cookie classic but with a contemporary British twist. Packed full of chopped, toasted almonds and ‘bigged-up’ with a hint of pure almond extract, these mouth-wateringly tempting biscuits give the perfect balance of buttery, rich sweetness and subtle, sophisticated almond heaven.

These were also brilliant. So tasty and amazing. We love the two new flavours from Kent & Fraser. We recommend them highly. Both the texture and taste is sublime. 

Deliciously natural and bursting with flavour, Kent & Fraser’s products have led the way in gluten-free greatness for over five years. As good as, if not better than, conventional wheat-based offerings, Kent & Fraser are wholly dedicated to delivering ground-breaking products that continue to challenge perception and set deliciously new and higher standards in the world of gluten free cookies, biscuits and shortbread.

Fig & Hazelnut Crunchy Cookies and Toasted Almond Shortbreads are available to purchase through purchase from Harrods, Selfridges, scores of independent delicatessens and farm shops nationwide, and Ocado from the end of June, RRP from £2.29.

 

 

Kent & Fraser Gluten Free Biscuits And Cocio Chocolate Milk Review

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We were pretty happy when Spicy Ginger Crunch Cookies and Lemon Butter Shortbread from Kent & Fraser arrived hot on the heels of Cocio Chocolate Milk.

cociochocolatemilkRight, let’s start with the chocolate. Cocio is the new chocolate milk from Aria. This Danish chocolate milk has only three ingredients: fresh milk, luxury cocoa and natural sugar. It is best served ice cold and drunk straight from the bottle after giving it a gentle shake to mix the three ingredients. For those watching their waistlines there is Cocio One which only has 1% fat and 1% added sugar. It’s only 130kcal per bottle and is as delicious as the classic.  We love Cocio chocolate milk and would buy it. It goes on sale this month nationwide priced at £1.39 for 270ml.

glutenfreebiscuitsThese were amazing. They are gluten and wheat free but are just as delicious as ‘ordinary’ biscuits. The lemon butter shortbread is light and zingy. The amount of lemon is perfect and they are very moreish. They melt in your mouth. The spicy ginger crunch cookies are superb. Not too spicy that they are not enjoyably, just a good kick which is not uncomfortably hot. They are crunchy and delicious. We polished both packets off worryingly quickly. These biscuits taste too good to be natural, but they are, so even better.

Available from Harrods, Selfridges and Ocado priced £2.29

And a special mention for…

Magnum Marc De Champagne Ice Cream Bars

These were bought in Sainsbury’s because, why wouldn’t you? They are delicious and we highly recommend them. Chocolate, ice-cream and champagne. Sigh. The champagne is subtle but noticeable. £2.99 for three and the alcohol content is only 0.5% so you can have a few….

Magnum Marc De Champagne Ice Cream Bars Review What will you be indulging in?

 

 

 

Snack Attack! Snack Ideas From Frost

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Choc Shot Liquid Chocolate

This is a brilliant invention. This liquid hot chocolate just needs to be stirred into hot milk. However it’s a hot chocolate that is not just for drinking. You can spread on toast, squeeze and shake for a milk shake and drizzle over ice cream, porridge and fruit. It tastes great, like a high quality dark chocolate. Not the bitter ones though, it is very sweet. It is 100% natural, low GI, GM and gluten-free, vegan and only 14 calories per tsp. Wow and wow. I think we just found out how we are going to be getting our chocolate fixes from now on.

snacks brilliant good

Available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado. RRP £3.59

Miso Tasty Spicy AKA Miso Soup

Really tasty, good soup from Miso Tasty, founded by pioneering chef and food blogger Bonnie Chung. Find it in supermarkets.

Cawston Press Cloudy Apple and Rhubarb Canned Drinks

cawstonpressThese sparkling drinks are not only delicious, they are also different. Each is made from pressed fruit juices that are gently mixed with sparkling water. The cloudy apple and rhubarb both taste great and are refreshing. Has no concentrates, artificial sweeteners, preservatives or colourings.

Available from Waitrose, Booths, WH Smith and Whole Foods.

Nature’s Path Organic Nice And Nobbly Granola Bars, Dark Choc Chip and Trail Mix

These are the first granola bars from Nature’s Path, the organic cereal producer. They are gluten-free and endorsed by Coeliac UK. They are a lavish muddle of organic seeds, fruit, wholegrain clusters of golden-baked oats. The dark choc chip one has a healthy dollop of rich, Fair Trade dark chocolate and the trail mix has cranberries, almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, coconut, flax seeds and gluten-free oats.

Available from Tesco.com, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. RRP £2.99 for five.

2014 Trends: Doughnuts

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Big trends for 2014 are set to be pastels, wide leg trousers and cool bomber jackets; but when it comes to food, why are Dum Dum Doughnuts on the rise?

doughnuts

1 – Locally Sourced EVERYTHING

Why ship in ingredients from far-off shores when you support local producers? This is Paul Hurley’s thoughts; the brains behind the Dum Dum brand. Dum Dum Doughnuts is an independent BRITISH company that offers freshly baked doughnuts every day, all of which use natural, locally sourced ingredients.

Dum Dum Doughnuts

2 – Health and Wellbeing

Because Dum Dum Doughnuts are BAKED, NOT FRIED, they offer lower fat, fewer calories and are all round more delicious. Compared to a standard American Branded Glazed Raspberry doughnut, Dum Dum’s Raspberry Preserve

Jam Dum Dum are considerably lower in fat – our enemy of 2014.

US Doughnut  Dum Dum

Fat 14g             6g

Sat Fat  8g        2g

Calories 207     200

Dum Dum Doughnuts1

3 – Gluten Free

Gluten-free cuisine has been identified as a top trend for 2014. Supermarkets and retailers are expanding their range

available. Dum Dum Doughnuts take great care of their customer’s and have listened to their needs and wants. They

have now introduce gluten free members to their mouth-watering range.

 

4 – Handcrafted and Artisanal Design

As a nation, our love for instant gratification and unique experiences has fuelled Dum Dum’s success. Paul and his

team of artisan chefs bake the doughnuts fresh every day, providing unique and delicious treats. They are also

constantly creating new flavours and designs that keep the fans coming.

 

Following their unprecedented success at Westfield Stratford Shopping Centre during the latter part of 2013,

creator, patisserie owner and artisan chef, Paul Hurley launched Dum Dum Donutterie at Box Park on the 25th

February 2014 – who knows where 2014 will take him and his team.

 

Pudology Banoffee Pie And CHI Natural Chocolate Coconut Milk Review

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We were pretty delighted to review Pudology Banoffee Pie and CHI Natural Chocolate Coconut Milk. Our first thoughts about Pudology was just what an amazing name it was. The design is great too but none of that is as important as the taste. So how was it? Well, before we get to that let me just tell you that the puds are dairy and gluten-free. Because of this we thought maybe it wouldn’t taste as good. How wrong we were. They are amazing. Absolutely delicious. We are converted. Available from Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.

Pudology-banoffee

CHI’s Natural Chocolate Coconut Milk

Coconut milk (and water) is hugely popular at the moment and chocolate is, well, always popular. If you love coconut you will love this. It is also dairy free.  It is delicious and less guilt inducing than other chocolate drinks. Available from Whole Foods and Amazon UK. RRP £1.79 for 330ml

chi natural chocolate cocnut milkBeing healthy never tasted so good.

 

Living Gluten-Free | Book Review

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livingglutenfreeGluten-Free is the new food trend. And while living gluten-free used to be extremely difficult it has gradually gotten better. The need has met the demand. Gluten-free is now widely available and common in the mainstream media. Living Gluten-free is getting easier but it still has it’s challenges. Can these book help? Let’s find out.

Living gluten-free for dummies is a comprehensive guide to eating gluten-free. It talks you through the medical benefits of eating gluten-free, has almost 100 great recipes, and give you guidance on reading food labels.

The book also has great advice on coeliac disease, tells you about tests and lets you know what misdiagnoses you should look out for. Chapter 3 even has an entire chapter on coeliac disease. I don’t have coeliac disease but it would be a great resource for those who do. In fact 10p from every sale of the book goes to Coeliac UK.

The lists of food with and without gluten is also handy. As is the chapter on making sure food is gluten-free. There is also a table on shopping on a budget. This book is a really good resource on buying, eating and cooking gluten-free food. It certainly makes a daunting task much easier and tastier. The recipes are good. There is something there for everyone and not a horrible, cardboard-tasting meal in sight. For those who miss pasta or bread, there are even recipes to make your own. There is also a good amount of dessert recipes. Yum.

If you love eating out or are away from home a lot there is also a chapter to make sure you don’t fall off the wagon. For those with kids, there is a chapter on raising children gluten-free too.

Living Gluten-Free For Dummies

Nim’s Fruit Crisps | Food Review

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I love to snack. I have been trying to eat healthier snacks but I must confess a weakness for crisps. I know they are not good for me, but I love crisps. Can Nim’s Fruit Crisps be a good and healthy alternative? They are certainly healthier. Instead of being made from potatoes these crisps are made from dried fruit. It might sound like it won’t work, but it does.

Nim’s Fruit Crisps are free of additives and preservatives. Fat and gluten free, high in fibre, have no sugar, no added sugar and only between 62-76 calories per pack. They are also one of your five a day. But do they taste nice? Thankfully yes. I try the Apple & Kiwi and the Orange and Melon. They taste good and are also surprisingly filling. Perfect for a snack. The crisps are dried, not fried. I am definitely a fan of Nim’s Fruit Crisps. They are a great delicious, natural snack. Top marks.

This is what Nim’s say about their fruit crisps.

Pining for a packet of crisps without the guilt? Then look no further than delicious Nim’s Fruit Crisps. With only less than 70 calories per pack, Nim’s Fruit Crisps are the perfect healthy snack for every occasion. Whether you’re on the go or relaxing at home, these healthy bags of zesty goodness are the ideal snack to indulge your sweet tooth. Each bag is made from 100% natural fruit, using a unique air-drying process, meaning that each bag retains as much nutritional content as possible.

 

Nim’s Fruit Crisps are currently available online at www.nimsfruitcrisps.com / www.flavrbox.com / www.loveyourlarder.com / www.planet-v.co.uk / www.auravita.com / www.realfoods.co.uk / www.winnaturally.com and at Planet Organic, HealthZone stores and independent delis, health food stores, and farm stores.

£1.25 per mixed pack (20g)

£0.85 per single pack (18g)