Category Archives: Health

Free Gluten-Free Classes to be Held in North Spokane

Posted in Events, Food/Cooking, Health, Shopping, Travel by

Spokane, WA — April 24, 2018 — Award-winning writer and gluten-free blogger K.S. Brooks will present a free 45-minute “Introduction to Gluten-Free Living” class on the third Monday of each month at Cole’s Bakery and Café, 521 E. Holland, Suite 20, Spokane, WA 99218. The first class will be held May 21, beginning at 6 p.m.

The class will cover the basics, and will take the guesswork out of eating, shopping, and traveling gluten-free.

“Cole’s Bakery and Café is the perfect location for this,” Brooks, who teaches “Gluten-Free Living 101” for Community Colleges of Spokane, said. “It’s the only dedicated gluten-free restaurant within hundreds of miles.” Almost immediately after being diagnosed with wheat intolerance in 2006, Brooks began blogging about it to help others struggling with their own journeys. In 2016, she began recording video tutorials to help newbies shop gluten-free.

Jeanine Smith, who opened Cole’s Bakery and Café back in 2014, was diagnosed with celiac disease nearly 15 years ago. “We wanted to put together a free class to provide folks with some guidance. There are a lot of people out there having difficulties with going gluten-free. Hopefully this will make it easier for them,” Smith said.

For more information on the free classes, contact Cole’s Bakery and Café at 509-413-1739. Learn more about Cole’s at http://colesbakeryandcafe.com. K.S. Brooks’s gluten-free blog is at https://glutenfreegusto.wordpress.com.

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coles GF class brought to you by

 

Oscar Mayer Gluten Free Delifresh Honey Smoked Turkey Breast & Recipe

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health, Recipes by

oscar-mayer-deli-fresh-cold-cutsFinally. Cold cuts that actually say they are gluten-free, right on the package. Yay! And keep in mind, I have coldcutslimeophobia. YES, that is a REAL thing! And that means if the cold cuts are the least bit slimy or sweaty or what-have-you, they turn my stomach and then go in the trash. So when I tried this Oscar Mayer Delifresh Honey Smoked Turkey Breast, I was not only pleasantly surprised, but extremely pleased. They’re not filled with gristle or fatty pockets. They have excellent texture and flavor, and they keep in the fridge for a surprisingly long time after you’ve opened them. Much longer than cold cuts you get at the deli counter. Those are usually over the top of my slime-meter within three days.

And the news gets even better. Continue reading →

Good Foods Gluten-Free Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health by

chicken-salad-img_20161128_172455171Thank you, Costco, for this delightful chicken salad. (I found it at Costco, not sure where else it might be available.) It’s chock full of high-quality white meat chicken, and is conveniently packaged into eight single-serving cups so they’re easy to take along on picnics or travel, and there’s no measuring for portions if you’re on a diet. I normally don’t eat food with almonds in it (salicylate sensitivity), but this is too good to pass up. It’s clearly marked on the packaging that it’s gluten-free, too. So yay for that!

The taste? Well, the cranberries are not bitter (they’re prepared with sugar…), and the celery seems slightly pickled – and sweet. I’d definitely consider this on the SWEET side. If you like that kind of thing, then this is for you.

chicken-salad-img_20160821_095444494But, can chicken salad be healthy with all that mayonnaise? Good Foods doesn’t use mayonnaise – they use low-fat Greek yogurt. One four ounce serving-size cup contains 140 calories, 4g fat, 12 carbs, 1g fiber, and 14g of protein. Not too shabby. And, it’s affordable, too. I am pretty sure the last time I purchased it, it went for $9.99 for all 8 servings.

If I know I’m going to have a particularly busy week, I’ll buy a package of these and put them in the fridge so I can grab a quick lunch that is as complicated as putting lettuce on a plate and opening one of these cups. Pretty easy.

RECOMMENDED

 

Betty Lou’s “Just Great Stuff” Bars

Posted in Health, Snacks, Travel by

just-great-stuff-1These Betty Lou’s “Just Great Stuff” antioxidant, organic, gluten-free, vegan bars contain lots of servings of fruits and/or vegetables. Fruits? Sure, yum, right? But vegetables? I see some of you making faces out there. Okay, maybe it was just me.

I have to say, the thought of eating the Fruit + Veggie bar, which contains antioxidants equivalent to 11 servings of spinach, carrots, and dates, seemed mildly horrifying to me. And that first, soft bite was filled with spinach flavor. I wasn’t certain this was going to happen for me. But then, I realized it was mostly the consistency that I had an issue with, so I put the bar in the refrigerator. BAM! SO much better, and for some reason, I tasted more dates (and a hint of banana) than I did the first time. I could still taste the spinach, but it blended in nicely with the other flavors. And I enjoyed it! Shush! Please, please don’t tell my mother I actually ate my vegetables. Continue reading →

Chobani Greek Yogurt with Steel-Cut Oats – Apple Cinnamon

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health by

Chobani Greek Yogurt with Steel Cut Oats Gluten Free!How many times do you walk by the yogurt section and see all those cups with granola and chocolate crunchies on top and think “Those jerks! Why don’t they make those gluten-free?” Okay, it’s just me then? Really? Ha! I didn’t think so. Well…Chobani to the rescue.

Chobani has introduced a line of Greek yogurts with GLUTEN-FREE steel-cut oats in them. Yessuh!

I tried the apple-cinnamon flavor – and man, is it good! It’s thick and creamy, and doesn’t have that nasty yogurt tang – so even people who don’t like yogurt will probably enjoy this. The oats have an excellent consistency to them, hearty, not mushy. (And we all know how violently I despise mushy food.) The apples are actual fresh apples, diced up into juicy, crispy bits. And not just a few apples or a couple of oats. There’s plenty of each in every bite. Don’t go expecting some sugary-sweet treat, like those gross syrupy fruit-on-the-bottom type yogurts. This tastes like a homemade, all natural, delicious breakfast.

This little puppy has 160 calories, 2g fat, 28g carbs, and 10g protein. It contains probiotics and live active cultures. AND, Chobani gives 10% of their profits to charity. I’m sold. You can learn more at www.chobani.com.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Quick and Delicious Gluten-Free Breakfast

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health, Recipes by

RANCH SCRAMBLE IMG_3872I have a love/hate relationship with eggs. I hate the smell. I love the protein. I won’t eat them if they’re runny. I love that they’re versatile and easy to prepare. I also do not like ranch dressing. Yes, I know, there is actually one human being alive who doesn’t like ranch. Whatev. But I do like the small company Litehouse, and I do like their OPA dressings which are super low in calories and high in protein. And, two negatives make a positive, right?

In this case, yes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbs OPA Ranch Dressing
  • 1 tbs Cream or Milk
  • 2 slices Udi’s White Sandwich bread

Break eggs into a small, non-stick skillet. Add cream and dressing. Stir with plastic fork or whisk until thoroughly mixed. Cook on your preferred setting until your level of doneness is achieved. Meanwhile, toast bread.

Boom – done. One pan, one plate. Easy cleanup. No nasty egg smell in the house. In less than 5 minutes, you have a delicious, different, protein-rich meal for any time of day – not just breakfast.  Eggs and ranch…I’m thinking a quiche might be next… Nah, too much work. You try it and tell me how it goes. 😉

Click here for more on Litehouse OPA Ranch dressing.

Kozy Shack Simply Well Naturally Flavored Puddings

Posted in Dessert, Food/Cooking, Health, Snacks by

Kozy-Shack-Simply-Well-Rice_Pudding-4Pk-565x245There’s a lot of cheap junk food out there…and there’s a lot of expensive health food out there as well. So finding something healthy that tastes good at a decent price…and then adding gluten-free to the mix is an accomplishment!

Kozy Shack Simply Well puddings are naturally flavored, and state gluten-free not only on the outer packaging, but on each individual serving cup as well. They contain 3 grams of prebiotic fiber per serving, are made will real milk, are a good source of antioxidant vitamin E, calcium and vitamin D, and have no hydrogenated oils or preservatives.

Healthy Pudding? Yes, pudding…you know, like dessert? Yet each cup has only 100 calories and as little as 1 gram of fat, depending on the flavor. Speaking of flavor…they taste great. I tried the lemon ginger; don’t let the name discourage you – it is not biting or tangy. It is a light, mildly sweet, lemony treat, with an occasional tiny hint of ginger. The consistency is smooth like custard. It is great as an in-between meal snack.

The dark chocolate flavor is less sweet, and a little less smooth than the lemon. It is a little heavier consistency-wise, and more resembles the flavor of a chocolate mousse than a pudding. I would love to add some whipped cream on it for a really delectable dessert. However, it doesn’t need the topping to be delicious.

All good things come at a price; I purchased these treats on sale for three dollars per four-pack, which translates to 75 cents a cup – for a yummy, healthy, gluten-free treat. There are five flavors in all.

Simply Well Naturally Flavored Pudding by Kozy Shack can be found in your grocer’s refrigerated dairy section. For more information about Kozy Shack, go to their official website. All Kozy Shack puddings, flans and gels are gluten-free.

 

This article originally appeared on Celiac-Disease.com on March 10, 2010 at http://celiac-disease.com/kozy-shack-simply-well-naturally-flavored-puddings/  Flavors and prices may have changed since that date.

DanActive Probiotic Dairy Drink – Gluten-Free Vanilla

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health by

DANACTIVE IMG_3868Okay, I made a mistake here. I went into this thinking that, because DanActive is manufactured by Dannon, it would be more like a smoothie than a drink. I figured (sorry, this is kinda like math, here) Dannon = yogurt. Yogurt + probiotic dairy drink = thick, smooth beverage.

WRONG.

Sorry, Dannon, but to me, this is more like the liquid penicillin we used to drink as children back in the dark ages. Except I remember that tasting better.

If you like tangy yogurt, then this will be a breeze for you. But I am a big sissy and like the yogurt that tastes like cream. Yes, every meal should taste like dessert. What’s so wrong with that?

In any case, I tried this because it’s a) probiotic; b) certified gluten-free; and c) it was marked down 50% off.  Yeah, I’m cheap. So sue me. I try all this stuff so you won’t have to. You wanna make that up to me? Tell your friends about this blog. Oh, and buy some of my books.

The family pack I purchased has 8 bottles in it. The normal price (at a small, local Safeway) was $4.49. That’s 56 cents per bottle. Now, this is not a meal replacement by any means. It is more like a supplement. It contains L.Bulgaricus, S.Thermophilus, and “10 billion of its exclusive probiotic culture L.Casei Immunitas which no regular yogurt has” according to the package. I checked my yogurt – that contains L.Casei. It doesn’t say anything about Immunitas. Frankly, that sounds like a disease contracted by political refugees.

Each 3 ounce bottle has 70 calories, 1 gram of fat, 11 carbs, and 3 grams of protein.

So, if you want something with a bit of a tang to quiet those between-meal stomach grumblings, this might be for you.

G/F Pizza Steel Cage Match: Amy’s Brand

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health by

Amy's Gluten Free Cheese Pizza IMG_0512I was so very excited when I saw pizza in the gluten-free freezer case at WalMart. Pizza is one of the foods I really do miss from my gluten-mongering days. So when I saw both Amy’s and Udi’s had gluten-free pizza available, I grabbed them.

A few comparison notes:

Amy’s pizza is about one dollar more than Udi’s. The calories, carbs, and protein are about the same. Amy’s pizza is 12 ounces and they expect you to get 3 servings out of it. Udi’s is 10 ounces and they divide that bad boy into two servings. All-in-all, very close. Continue reading →

Healthy & Inexpensive Gluten-free Breakfast

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health, Recipes by

Here’s a quick video detailing a healthy, inexpensive and filling gluten-free breakfast, complete with nutritional information.  Enjoy!