Gluten Free Products to Avoid

Gluten Free eating is a fad for some.  It is not simply Celiac's that are avoiding gluten in their diet anymore, but a whole range of folks, from those trying to be more healthy, to those who want to do what everyone else is doing, to those doing a dietary cleanse.  Whether it is trendy or physiologically necessary, my feeling is the more avoiding gluten the merrier. 
 
There are a few ramifications to this increase in consumer resistance to gluten.  One, there is a larger demand, therefore (presumably) a larger supply and (we hope) more amazing products to choose from at (we pray) cheaper prices.  I have yet to see cheaper prices, though I have seen quite an abundance of newer products in a short period of time.  New products are flying onto shelves, some stay and become gluten free staples in kitchens nationally, and some fly off of shelves as fast as they flew on, becoming nothing more than a blink in the evolving gluten free market's eye.
 
Another ramification, a less desirable one, is in the haste to join a growing economic trend some companies (restaurants, and food producers) do not follow good cross contamination practices; therefore, the menu or label might say gluten free, but it is always prudent for someone with Celiac Disease to dig deeper and behave defensively.  However, this is another post.
 
Thirdly, because many allergies go together companies often clump allergies - creating gluten free, nut free, soy free, dairy free, egg free etc. products.  Well, for the savvy Celiac this is not a good thing.  We need products that have protein and fibers we are missing in our already vastly restricted diet.   I want my children to have diary, nuts, eggs etc.  So, yes I want the convenience of buying muffins, instead of making them on occasion, but not at the cost of all that is nutritious in the world!  That being said, I respect that is it hard to cater to individual dietary restrictions - but suck it up and do it anyway.
 
Lastly, and unfortunately, another negative consequence of the growing gluten free consumer base is an abundance of products that are crap.  The old quantity does not necessarily mean quality conundrum.  And speaking of which... a product I am going to slam today, happens to be some "cookies" I picked up at Whole Foods for my kiddos.  There is a Whole Foods near us.  It is pricey to get anything there; however, this Friday we had a tight schedule between school getting out, group violin lessons and a play date, before of course getting home and having Friday gluten free pizza and movie night!  Thus, a new routine on tight schedule days is for us to grab a gluten free snack at Whole Foods Market.  Usually this works out great, we get fruit and a muffin/cracker/cookie snack.  Well, this Friday our snack fell drastically short of expectations.

 

 It is hard to "review" these "cookies" - in short they are probably best described as gloried, dry dirt with a little vanilla in the middle.  I blame the health gluten free market trend on this product.  I think certain gluten free products want to appear health conscious, so they make a product that tastes so bad it must be good for you!  What BS.  Dear Jovial Inherently Good please do not make anymore cookies, you are slowly disheartening gluten free children everywhere, and consider changing your name.
 
Thank you,
A Mom who spit your cookie out in a parking lot.  
 

 

Happy Sunday! 

Eat Cookies that Don't Taste like Dirt!