What Moms Love Weekly: Gluten-Free Favorites

It can be hard for anyone with food allergies, celiac, or gluten sensitivity to find good wheat alternative foods and snack that taste really good. It can be even more of a challenge to find gluten-free food that kids like.  Here is a list of some of our favorite mom & kid friendly gluten-free products.  Some of them are also dairy and egg free too for those of you dealing with multiple allergies like myself.

1. Liz Lovely Vegan & Gluten-free Cookies– Wow!  My sister introduced me to these and they are amazing!  My favorite are the chocolate chip which (to me) taste like chocolate chip cookie dough.  The chocolate fudge are a close second with their brownie-like flavor.  These cookies are the BEST gluten-free cookies I have tried (and I’ve tried a whole lot).  I love that they are vegan as well because they will work for anyone with a dairy or egg allergy.  These cookies can be pricey at $2 per cookie ($3.99 for a pack of 2) but they are really BIG and thick and so good that they are worth it for a special treat.  You can buy a case and save some money on these.

2. Betty Lou’s Gluten-free Fruit Bars–  These bars have long been a favorite of mine and my kids.  They are not only gluten-free but also free of the 8 top allergens including eggs and dairy.  They come in different fruit flavors like cherry, strawberry and blueberry.  These bars are high in fiber.  They are not too sweet and make a filling snack. Check out Betty Lou’s other gluten-free items as well.

3. Pamela’s Products Baking & Pancake Mix– I love the light and fluffy pancakes that this mix makes.  Yes, you can make your own mix and save a little money but in a pinch or wanting a sure thing, this mix will give you great results in recipes.  I like to use it in brownies too.

4. Glutino Pretzels–  Even my wheat eating kids like these pretzels.  They often ask for them and say they are better than the “wheat-filled” kind.  I like them because that are a quick snack that tastes good and they are kid friendly.

5. Chebe Bread– My whole family likes Chebe bread.  The mix is quick to prepare or you can find frozen dough you just pop in the oven.  Chebe is light and tastes so good!  Try the pizza crust too!

6.  Late July Organics Gluten-free Multi Grain Snack Chips– These chips are amazingly good!  I especially like the Mild Green Mojo flavor.  At Late July they do flavor well! These chips are not wimpily covered with seasoning, but rather doused in it.

7. Against the Grain Gourmet Baguettes– Miss eating a good baguette?  These baguettes almost make me forget about wanting the real thing. They have a great crunchy texture on the outside and soft on the inside.  They make an amazing sandwich! You can’t buy these online but look for them at Whole Foods and if you don’t see them ask them to order them for you!

Most of these things can be found in Amazon’s Gluten-free section as well if you are willing to buy them in bulk.

Have any other favorites?  I’d love to hear yours!

Get a $10 Credit to a New Pregnancy & Newborn Deal Site!

There is a neat new deal site in town that will be exclusively offering pregnancy and newborn deals up to 90% off.  Get a $10 credit when you sign up!!  Sign up is by invite only so use this link here to sign up under my invite.  Enjoy!!

Buy NurturMe Organic Baby Food and Give to a Good Cause

I just wanted to update you on a great way to be involved in giving to children in need while purchasing healthy, organic babyfood for your little one.  NurturMe has announced its partnership with charity Feed The Children for their collaborative Open Your Hearts, Nurtur For Nutrition campaign. Beginning February 14th, NurturMe, the first and only quick-dried, organic baby food, is donating one 18-serving variety pack to Feed The Children for every one purchased by a consumer.  

It’s simple.  Visit www.nurturme.com and purchase the NurturMe-Feed The Children Variety Pack.  It costs $20 for an 18 Serving Variety Pack, Peas, Apples, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Bananas. When you make this purchase NurturMe will donate one to Feed The Children.

 
The donations will benefit Feed The Children’s Americans Feeding Americans Caravan with a goal of donating over 100,000 meals to children and families over the course of the six-month campaign. Consumers can also elect to donate their purchase at time of check-out, thus doubling the donation to 36 servings directly to Feed The Children. The NurturMe-Feed The Children Variety Pack is an exclusive item available only online atwww.nurturme.com
The distribution is part of Feed The Children’s Americans Feeding Americans Caravan, which has helped more than 335,000 families across the country since it began in 2009. Feed The Children’s tractor-trailers deliver a 25-pound box of food, a 10-pound box of personal care items and a box of Avon products to pre-identified families. The boxes are designed to help a family of four for up to one week.

Have you tried NurturMe?  What’s your favorite way to use it?

Kids Natural Calm Multi: Healthy & Yummy {and a Giveaway!)

If you could look into my pantry you would see a number of kids vitamin and health supplements that are mostly full and just sitting there.  I know…it’s pretty sad.
We are a family that eats organically as much as we can, avoids artificial colors, processed foods and white sugar.  Along with these standards comes a desire for my kids to get good vitamins and supplements. The problem is that so many of them taste horrible and even if they were good for my kids I could only get them to take them if I strapped them down and forced them.  I am not willing to put them through that.
So forget smoothies to hide the taste or holding their little noses.  I’ve finally found a wonderful liquid supplement that is full of organic fruits and vegetables, Omega-3 DHA & EPA, vitamins, minerals and more that kids need.  It’s called Kids Natural Calm Multi and it tastes really good!
My kids really liked the fruity splash flavor.  We mixed it with equal parts of water but you could also add it to juice.  We didn’t need to add it to juice though because my kids just drank it down by itself. 
Kids Natural Calm Multi is sweetened with organic stevia and organic agave.  Which are better for you sweeteners that don’t spike blood sugar levels.
As I read about why this product has the words “Natural Calm” in the title I was fascinated about the information on magnesium deficiency and how difficult it can be for your body to respond to stress because of it. I wondered why I hadn’t heard much about it before.  We all have stress in life (yes, even kids) and when your body doesn’t have enough magnesium the cells continue to work and not rest. You can read more about it here. Here is a list of symptoms of magnesium deficiency from the Kid Natural Calm Multi product flier:

  • Stress
  • Fatigue & Low Energy
  • Inability to Sleep
  • Muscle Tension, Spasms & Cramps
  • Anxiousness and Nervousness
  • Irritability
  • Headaches
  • Weakness
  • Weakening Bones
  • Abnormal Heart Rhythm
We are planning to use Kids Natural Calm Multi long term to continue to help with these issues.  One of my daughters has had a tough time sleeping and I am hopeful that she will rest better once her deficiency is overcome.  I myself sleep so much better at night when I take a magnesium supplement just before bed (they have one for adults too called Natural Calm).
A 32-page guide to the benefits of magnesium, along with magnesium deficiency symptoms, written by Dr. Dean is available as a free download at the non-profit http://www.nutritionalmagnesium.org/.
To find out more and to find places to purchase Kids Natural Calm Multi visit here.

Would you like a chance to Win a full size bottle of Kids Natural Calm Multi?  Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  It’s quick and easy! If you are reading this in a reader or email click here to access the giveaway entry form.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: A free bottle of Kids Natural Calm Multi was provided for us to try. We truly enjoyed it and it’s benefits and my opinions expressed here were not influenced in anyway.

Win Your Boppy® Registry!

Love Boppy® products?  Right now you can enter to win your Boppy® registry.  Twelve lucky winners will win their registry items (up to a total retail value of $300!) during the Win Your Boppy® Registry Giveaway event from February 14 – 29.
Check out all of the Boppy® products including their prenatal line, the Boppy® Pillow, play gyms and more.  Click here and follow the instructions to enter.

Disclosure: Affiliate links are used in this post.