When you have food allergies, trips to the grocery store can
sometimes be frustrating as many foods you see contain allergens or are processed
in a facility where cross-contact can occur. Often times, I pick up a new package intrigued by what I see
only to quickly replace it on the shelf after reading the ingredient list and
realizing that it is unsafe for our family. I had a totally different experience at the Gluten
Free Food Allergy Fest hosted by Living Without’s Gluten Free and More- it
was like an amazing trip to the food allergy friendly grocery store!
The Gluten Free Food Allergy Fest, held in multiple
locations throughout the year, is a public show that brings together vendors,
speakers, chefs and members of the gluten-free and food allergy community for
two days of sharing, learning and tasting! I was at the show in Indianapolis on October 24th
and 25th. Aisles of vendors
touting gluten free and allergy friendly items filled the Indiana State
Fairgrounds Expo Hall. I talked to
so many great vendors dedicated to making safe and tasty products. Here are a few of my favorite finds
from the Fest to help you Thrive On with food allergies.
I.M. Healthy Granola
We love granola at our house and I often make it from
scratch since what I find at the store is unsafe for us. I was so excited to see a nut-free
granola option! We use I.M. Healthy Soy Butter as our go-to peanut butter alternative so I was intrigued when I saw
other products at their table.
They now have granola and it comes in four different varieties:
Original, Blueberry, Apple, and Raisin Cranberry. In addition to granola, they are also making variety of gluten
free cornflake crumbs- just like bread crumbs but gluten free!
I brought some of the granola home and after only a few days
were out! My daughters have been
adding it to yogurt and eating it plain.
It is great to know we have a safe and yummy option for granola!
Living Now Mixes and
Pasta
Now Foods offers a number of food products under a series of
four different names and their Living
Now line is gluten free and free of the top 8 allergens. They offer boxed mixes, grains, flours
and a new line of quinoa pasta. I
spoke to the rep and he said that while they do offer other products that
contain allergens their Living Now line is produced in a dedicated allergy
friendly facility, and their products are non-GMO.
I got to try the new quinoa pasta and it was delicious!
I knew about Freedom
Foods before I attended the GFFAFest in Columbus, OH earlier this year as
they sell their free-from top 8 products at our grocery store. While in Columbus, I fell even more in
love with these products as I learned that they test multiple times throughout
the manufacturing process for the presence of allergens and that they source
locally for ingredients. So in
Indy, I was thrilled to see new cereal options – including All Round Goodness
(think safe maple syrup flavored cheerios) and Fruity Rainbow Rocks (think a
healthy and safe version of Fruity Pebbles). Freedom Foods is now also offering granola bars- a great
safe option for grab and go snacking.
All of their products are free from: gluten, wheat, nuts, dairy, eggs,
soy and sesame.
Brooke’s Mixes
Brooke’s is an
Indiana based candy company that offers a line of cake, cookie and brownie
mixes. All of their mixes are gluten
and rice free. I was intrigued by
this brand because so many people I have met that cannot eat rice often have an
issue finding safe options as a lot of allergy friendly options use rice flour
as an alternative. These
mixes tout a small ingredient list and are so tasty! If you are dealing with other allergens be sure to read
labels as the mixes are produced in a facility where other allergens are
present.
I had such a great time in Indy finding new products and
meeting others in the food allergy and gluten free community! I also had the opportunity to speak at
the Fest on how to celebrate the holidays safely with food allergies and Celiac
disease. I loved sharing tips and
tricks for safely navigating the holiday season. If you missed it, don’t worry! I am offering a special session this holiday season on how
to keep the holidays safe. You get
a 30-minute education session on staying safe during the holidays, a holiday
allergy action plan template, and 2 allergy friendly recipes. Contact me today to
schedule your session and be ready to safely navigate the holidays!
If you find this post helpful learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which helps families and individuals dealing with food allergies at www.thriveonconsulting.net and follow her on Facebook and Twitter
