The GF Traveller
Gluten Free USA
Enjoy Life Gluten Free
Nov
01
Chocolate granola...yum!
Recently I received a bag of double chocolate crunch granola and a big bag of semi-sweet chocolate mega chunks from Enjoy Life. (more…)
Gluten Free Minneapolis/Twin Cities
Oct
28
Big thanks go out to my good friend and fellow gluten free traveller, Meagan Manning, for writing this post. For anyone contemplating a gluten free trip to the Twin Cities, do not fear. Meagan has provided us with lots of useful tips on where to find safe and delicious gluten free delights! I can’t wait to return to one of my favourite cities in the mid-west to try some of these celiac friendly locations…
Minneapolis may be best known for its cold winters and domed sports arena, but the immense plethora of tasty, locally owned restaurant offerings are not to be ignored. When I discovered my gluten intolerance just over a year ago, I was convinced many of my favorite spots would be off limits—after having worked in the restaurant industry for six years, I am acutely aware of cross-contamination dangers present in industrial kitchens and the potential distractedness of a busy server. Luckily, I was sorely mistaken. A large percentage of the places in my neighborhood already catered to those of us who cannot consume even the smallest amount of gluten. I am continually impressed at the number of restaurants in the Twin Cities with gluten free menus and staff members familiar with the severity of a reaction to gluten. I’ve come up with a list of a few of my favorite places and some tips for those passing through the Twin Cities. While the best months to visit are definitely during summer and early fall, Minneapolis is a great place to be gluten free any time of the year!
Pretty Minneapolis
Gluten Free Pure Bar
Oct
21
Delicious Pure Bars
I recently received some samples of Pure Bars. They have two types of bars, Pure Organic and Pure Natural. I was very impressed by the whole selection. It’s rare when I can say that I enjoyed eating all of the flavours. They are unique and seriously delicious. The Cranberry Orange and Wild Blueberry Pure Organic Bars are two of my favourites. They are a sweet, tasty blend of fruit and nuts. These are some of the best gluten free bars I’ve tasted, full of fruity and nutty flavours and certified gluten free too! My husband was also a big fan. (more…)
Gluten Free Mediterranean Snack Foods
Oct
19
Delicious lentil chips!
These baked lentil chips from Mediterranean Snack Foods are awesome!! They are made from lentils, adzuki and garbanzo beans and they are some of the most delicious chips I’ve ever had…the red pepper ones in particular. I had never come across them before so I was very excited when a few bags came in the mail for me to try. The red pepper and parmesan garlic flavours are my favourites. It’s really difficult to stop eating them once the bag is opened. These are the kind of chips that would work well dipped in guacamole, hummus or salsa but personally I like eating them straight from the bag as I don’t lose any of their delicious flavour that way. In saying that, yesterday I did chop up some very tasty vine tomatoes and used them to top the parmesan and garlic chips. (more…)
Gluten Free Renaissance Hotel, Denver
Oct
16
My delicious salad
Free of gluten
Last week on our way home from Des Moines, our one hour layover in Denver turned into a 12 hour layover when our flight was cancelled out of the blue. With nothing we could do but wait until the early morning flight, due to a strange lack of alternative flights heading in our direction, we took our complimentary vouchers for $15 of food and a room at the Renaissance Hotel. We could spend the vouchers at either the airport or the hotel. We decided to give finding a gluten free option at the hotel a shot. I wasn’t too hopeful but I was happily surprised by what I found. (more…)
Gluten Free The Simply Bar
Oct
14
The Simply Bar
I recently received a box of bars from The Simply Bar. Another bar which is gluten free certified! Yay! They have seven different flavours and I am happy to report that these protein bars (each bar contains 16g protein) do not taste like they contain a lot of protein. This is definitely a good thing in my opinion. Many protein bars are heavy, these ones are very light. They are basically interestingly flavoured gluten free rice krispie treats. I like these a lot more than most protein bars (mostly because they are made with cereal!) and was happy to discover they don’t contain lots of confusing ingredients that I’ve never heard of. I think they would be even tastier if they were dipped in chocolate but it’s probably a good thing they aren’t as they would have double the calories! The way they are they are a light snack at 140-160 calories per bar.
The Peanut Butter Chocolate, Cocoa Raspberry and Lemon Coconut are my favourites. None of the bars are very strongly flavoured but these three are the most flavoursome and they are very tasty. I enjoy anything containing peanut butter, cocoa and raspberry go very well together and the lemon coconut has a great zingy taste to it. Simple yet tasty, another option for gluten free travellers on the go.
Nugo Nutrition Bars Gluten Free
Sep
28
Nugo Nutrition
I recently sampled a few of the snack bars that Nugo Nutrition have to offer. I tried a couple of bars from their NuGo free and NuGo Slim ranges. Both of these lines are Certified Gluten Free. Yay! Some of their other lines are gluten free too but aren’t certified. Personally I’d rather stick with those certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organisation but for anyone interested it sounds as though NuGo are doing their best to ensure their bars are produced safely for celiacs. The following explanation of how they ensure their products are gluten free comes directly from their website: (more…)
Rise Bars Gluten Free
Sep
23
Tasty flavours
Rise Bars
I’d never heard of Rise Bars before but when they contacted me to ask if I wanted to try their gluten free bars I did some research and they come in quite the selection of flavours. They make three types of bars; breakfast, energy and protein. Their breakfast and energy bars are delicious! You may be familiar with Boomi and Prana bars and if so then you will have an idea about what these bars are all about. They just have a new name and a new look now. As the gluten free traveller I’m often on the move so I’m always on the lookout for tasty new gluten free bars that I can pop in my purse when I’m off somewhere. I’m very happy I got to try these ones. (more…)
Eagle Pizzeria Gluten Free
Sep
20
Last weekend I had amazing gluten free pizza in San Francisco and it was completely by chance. This doesn’t happen often so I was pretty excited. John and I were exploring the area around Lake Merced and on heading back towards town we came across Eagle Pizzeria on Taraval Street (between 27th & 28th Ave). Pizza places, more often than not, are the enemy but I spotted a sign in their window saying ‘We are proud to offer gluten free pizza.’ Yay! I thought and went in to inquire further.
Amazing gluten free pizza
Gluten Free Lara Bars
Sep
12
Tasty Lara Bara
Lara Bars are awesome! They are definitely my favourite gluten free bar in the US so far. When I received a few samples earlier this week I was very excited. I’ve been looking for a delicious, safe and healthy substitute for my Eat Natural bars which I adore in the UK (but which sadly aren’t available here in the US) but up until now I haven’t been able to find it. I’ve found plenty of safe bars which is great but many of them are mediocre taste-wise or yummy but filled with lots of bad things which make them yummy. Luckily for celiacs, Lara Bars fill our tummies with lots of good things whilst still tasting great too. They make me happy. (more…)