Check Your Chicken for Hidden Food Allergens!

As I’m sure every person with food allergies and/or intolerances know, it’s the hidden allergens that make life difficult..it’s the unexpected allergens that cause the problems. Once upon a time in Canada a friend of mine asked me to go out with her for chips (french fries) and then said: ‘Oh wait! Is there milk in potatoes?’ ... of course we heartily laughed at the time at this silly question but what she didn’t know was that she wasn’t too far off the mark with this seemingly ridiculous question. It would be like saying ‘Wait! Is there Milk in Chickens?’ But the truth is God only knows how many added ingredients are included in Macdonald’s french fries and likewise, no matter how much like ordinary chicken it looks like, it’s most likely not just chicken.

After the injecting and soaking and who knows what else, chicken (and ham) become pretty toxic on the unexpected allergen scale. So the purpose of today’s post is to draw your attention to the ingredient lists on processed meats.

 Some brands to beware of are

- Flynns Premium Turkey Breast contain: Milk and Potato
- Tesco’s Finest Irish Butter Roast Turkey obviously contain: Milk
- Any Crumbed Ham is obviously Gluten Containing
- Shaw’s Turkey Breast contain: Milk in the form of lactate
- Glenlough Deli Style Chicken Slices contain: Whey Protein, Dextrose and Sodium Lactate
- Glenlough Roast Chicken Breast Slices contain: Milk, Gluten, Wheat and Soya

A safe ham to check out is
- Shaws, un-crumbed Ham which is Dairy Free and Gluten Free.
- The Brady Family Ham (un-crumbed) is both Dairy Free and Gluten Free
- Denny Deli Style Roast Chicken Slices are Dairy Free and Gluten Free but contain: Sugar

 Note: Be especially aware when ordering meat fillings in delis where the ingredients are not readily available and the meat is often (almost always) processed.

Don’t you just hate the crazy things ‘they’ do to food?!

Free From Food Awards: And The Winners Were...

That’s right, the Free From Food Awards took place during the week and all the top class winners were announced and from the looks of it everyone had a brilliant time! Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get over to London this week to attend the awards (whimper whimper and woe is me’s!) but I can’t WAIT to try out all of the winning, running up and commended products from the categories that I didn’t get to judge myself!!




 So let’s get right into it.... The overall best in show number one winner in this year’s 2012 Free From Food Awards was none other than

... drum roll please....

  Vegusto Mild Aromatic Dairy-free cheese!!!!
You might remember me gushing about a fabulous nut based cheese after the judging was completed so you can imagine how thrilled I am that this manna from heaven swiped the top prize! -so deserving and I just simply can’t wait to start finding Vegusto in some Irish shops!!

The runner’s up for this very prestigious #1 award were:
- The Gluten Free Kitchen’s Ovencrust Chicken &amp
- Bacon Pie (Winner of the Pies, flans and ready meals category)
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (Joint winner of the Ingredients category)
- Anila’s Sauces Goan Green Sauce (Joint winner of the Ingredients category)
- Daas – Ambre Beer (Winner of the Gluten-free Beer category)
- inSpiral’s Raw Dehydrated Kale Chips: Cheesie Purple Corn (Winner of the Raw food category)

...and the Innovation Award went to:
Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. for their Lemon Ice Cream.  


The rest of the categories and their marvellous winners are listed below but if you would like to see all the fun award winning pictures, see who the very generous sponsors were and read some of what the judges had to say about the winners please see the links at the following links!
http://www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk/winners-12.html

http://www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk/index.html http://www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk/winners-12-

pics.html


Dairy-Free Animal Milk, Butter, Yogurt:
Woodlands Dairy Gooseberry & Elderflower with Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt (would love to be able to try this one out!!)  


Plant 'Milk', Spreads & Cheese:
Joint Winners!
CoYo Natural yoghurt (TOTALLY amazingly yum!!!!)
Vegusto Mild Aromatic Dairy-Free Cheese (I think you already know how I feel about this one!)  


FreeFrom Breakfast Cereals:
Sainsbury’s – FreeFrom Oaty Granola  


Gluten-Free Breads and Bread Mixes:
Fria Grova Dark Seeded Sliced Loaf

Gluten-Free Pasta and Pizza Bases/Mixes:
Farabella Acini di Pepe/Pasta Grains  


Freefrom Foods Manufactured for Food Service:
Joint Winners! 
Red House Foods - Gluten Free Chicken Bites
Sauces of Choice - Sauces for Kids Tikka Sauce  


Freefrom Ingredients:
Joint Winners!
Anila’s Sauces Goan Green Sauce
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour  


Raw Foods and Superfoods:
inSpiral Raw Dehydrated Kale Chips: Cheesie Purple Corn  


Savoury Pies, Sausages & Ready Meals:
Meat-based meal centres: Co-operative Truly Irresistible Minted Lamb Burgers

Pies, Flans & Pizzas: 
Gluten Free Kitchen Ovencrust Chicken & Bacon Pie  


Gluten-Free Savoury Biscuits and Snacks:
Joint Winners: Darling Spuds Tomato, Olive & Oregano Juvela Crostini Bites  


Gluten-Free Scones, Sweet Tarts, Bakewells, Muffins, etc:
Joint Winners!
Sugargrain Almond, Apricot and Tahini Flapjack
Sweetcheeks Almondies  


Gluten-Free Cakes and Mixes:
Joint Winners!
Sweetcheeks Maple & Pecan Cupcakes
The Cake Crusader Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Carrot Cake   (I saw these guy's van in Dublin! yum yum yuuummm)


Gluten-Free Puddings, Desserts & Cheesecakes:
Food Heaven Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake  


Dairy/Gluten-Free Chocolate and Snack Bars:
Booja Booja Rum Sozzled Sultana Chocolate Truffles (which I personally LOVED!!)  


Dairy/Gluten-Free Christmas Foods:
Foodamentalists Frangipane mince pies  


Gluten-Free Beer:
Daas Ambre Beer  


whew!

 ....Now all that’s left to do over here in Ireland is for all of us to start hounding our local suppliers and health food shops to please please please start stocking some of these amazing Food Allergy Friendly products!!! so get out there and get begging! ;)

New Allergy Free Finds in Dalkey's Select Stores

Last Saturday I finally took the trip out to Dalkey Select Stores. I’ve been meaning to do it for aaaaages but something always came up which left me wondering just what does go on down in Dalkey in the famous Select Stores?... So last Saturday I was happily educated with the answer! Select Stores is like a Health Food Shop but is more Food than Supplement... And as all we Food Allergic and Food Intolerant know, where there are ‘healthy’, 'alternative' foods there are sure to be Free From Allergy Friendly products to try! Dalkey Select Stores have a juice bar, a salad bar and savouries (courtesy of Blazing Salads), teas, some warm foods and a few tables amid the piled high shelves and massive windows which come together to make a really comfortable and positive ‘wholefood’ feel. Afterwards I was daydreaming about having my morning porridge in Select Stores, looking out into the waking village (the powerful nut filled porridge comes highly recommended by staff!).

What makes Dalkey Select Stores different and worth the trek, is that rather than being a ‘health food store’ they give me the impression of being more of a ‘lifestyle’ store. Sure, they have a few supplements in stock such as Higher Nature and Patrick Holford but they also have a very large Fruit & Veg section. People really gather in and happily chat away while sipping their smoothies (I got the Miller Mix-up Super Smoothie which I’ll tell you about later!) and munching on their salads and savouries.

image courtesy of F.

The shelves are made for browsing and rambling. Every corner contains something new and even though each section is not extensive, ie: I didn’t see Gluten Free Pizza Bases, but I did see a cross reference of Gluten Free and Spelt based pastas such as Doves Spiral Brown Rice pasta, Brown Rice Udon noodles and Spelt Spinach Tagliatelle. Tucked away in one corner were Health related books, another corner housed a healthy stock of Eco cleaners and up the front was a small natural cosmetics section containing brands such as Trilogy, Faith in Nature, Dr. Haushka, Burts Bees, Green People and Weleda. There were food brands and flavours that I'm yet to elsewhere in Dublin yet like Stevia Sugar Substitute sold by the jar and Ecomil Sesame Milk! There was even a little tasting table set out on the day we arrived with cheeses, bread, crackers and chorizo for sampling different oils and pestos. Of course I couldn’t try any but it all added to the overall happy, content vibe.

Top of the Pops was the cake table up front with Gluten Free Foodie and The Gluten Free Bakery goods (many of which are Dairy Free+ and otherwise Food Allergy Friendly). And of course the Smoothie Bar was a big hit too (see the Juice/Smoothies menu. Note: Many of the smoothies contain yoghurt which can easily be omitted but beware before ordering or accepting any taste testers - I had to abandon the taste tester which was offered to us filled with something pineapple and smelling amazing due to yoghurt ingredients. I was recommended to try the Miller Mix-Up Super Smoothie which sounded horrific but was actually quite tasty, albeit very green.

The Miller Mix-up contains:
Lime
Pineapple
Avocado
Ice
Apple
Cucumber
Wheatgrass
and Spirulina

Like I said, it doesn’t read well and if it hadn’t been recommended I NEVER would’ve ventured that direction but it was surprisingly better than expected and a massive size for it’s €5 price tag.

I would definitely recommend Dalkey Select Stores to locals, to day-trippers from the city looking for a resting spot and anybody looking for some unlikely or off the beaten track Allergy Free food products that you won’t find everywhere like the Curry Sauce Co. 9 which I’ll review next!), Jarred Clams, Cottage Cookies Ltd and Gertie’s squares/bars all of which I can’t vouch for other than their newness to the market! Obviously Select Stores isn’t bursting at the seems with Free From foods but there is a nice selection and you are bound to find something you haven’t tried yet.

The only downfall I could say, and it’s a very noteworthy, and somewhat serious one, is that the ingredients listings on the muffins and squares at the smoothie counter can’t be trusted. I almost bought the most amazing looking Spelt muffin only to find out that the ingredients taped to the cover were not what was inside... So do remember to ask the staff to confirm the ingredients before purchasing and eating!!! Other than that F. wanted me to mention that the aisles and definitely not buggy/pram-friendly being very narrow and twisty... which we noticed as we sipped our massive smoothies and watched a family of 5 maneuver themselves through the shelves and tables...

Have you been to Dalkey Select Stores? What do you think? What is your favourite smoothie!?

Dalkey Select Stores
1 Railway Road
Dalkey, Co. Dublin
Tel: 01 285 9611
web: www.selectstores.com
opening Times: Mon - Fri 07:30 -18:30; Sat 08:00 - 18:00; Sun 10:00 - 17:00; closed Bank holidays. Juice bar closes 1hour before closing

The Best Gluten Free Bread on the Market?

So now that the mad rush of a new Allergy Free product has died down and the pop up shop is gone I thought it high time to review what was advertised as the best Gluten Free and Wheat Free bread on the market, BFree. But guess what? BFree contains Milk and Egg! ... How very annoying ... so I was forced to make a panel of taste-testing friends and family to tell me what it was like.

My panel tried the BFree Brown Seeded Loaf. The loaf is actually quite heavy but looks lovely, fluffy and dry when sliced and the over-bounding response was ‘Yes! It really is good!’ M. said that it tasted great and was just like real bread (she has recently given up Gluten and Wheat based breads). P. also said that it was nice and had a few slices but was a bit more reluctant to give indepth criticism (he is more of a traditional bread and butter, meat and potato kind of guy). And B. said it was definitely good but still contained the trademark ‘Gluten Free’ aftertaste albeit to a fainter degree (Gluten free eaters everywhere will be familiar with the slightly ?dry? aftertaste common to almost all Gluten Free products) but even despite this gave it thumbs up.

Despite everybody liking it and confirming that BFree really is a top notch Gluten Free, Wheat Free bread, there was some comment on a slightly ‘caky consistency’ (also common to Gluten Free breads) but this caky-ness was not so caky as to discredit its wonderful bread-like attributes!

So, it looks like BFree really is the bees knees in terms of taste and wheat bread simulation. In terms of Allergy Friendliness it's a bit of a mixed bag: The Brown Seeded Loaf is amazingly Potato Free and Soya Free (!!) but then goes and ruins it all by containing both Milk and Egg (!!!!) which eliminates all Gluten Free Vegans, Strict Vegetarians, Egg Allergic and Dairy Allergic from it’s bready goodness. But I guess you win some and you loose some.

- Gluten free
- Wheat Free
- Nut Free (note: cannot guarantee Nut Free environment)
- Potato Free
- Soya Free

BFree is available in a ‘Soft White Loaf’, a ‘Brown Seeded Loaf’, ‘Brown Seeded Rolls‘ and ‘White Demi Baguette’ in Dunnes Stores. The loaves are approx €3.00 each.

It took me a while to find it because it isn’t located with the Free From and Organic produce as expected, but actually lives alongside the Wheat based breads in the mainstream bread section.

Have you tried it? What do you think??



BFree Brown Seeded Loaf
Ingredients: Water, Tapioca Starch, Corn Starch, Maize Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Buckwheat Flour, Sunflower Seeds (4%), Dried Egg White. Rice Bran, Whey Protein Isolate (From Milk), Treacle, Linseeds 2%), Thickening agent: Xanthan Gum, Cellulose, Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Yeast, Sourdough (Fermented Quinoa and Rice Flour). Psyllium, Apple Fibre, Flour Treatment agent : Ascorbic Acid, Thickening agents: Guar Gum, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Raising Agent : Sodium Bicarbonate.

Allergy Advice:
Contains Egg, Milk
Recipe: No Nuts
Ingredients: Cannot guarantee Nut Free environment
Factory: No Nuts



Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 949kJ/226kcal
Protein 6.2g
Carbohydrates 30.5g
of which sugars 2.8g
Fat 6.2g
of which saturates 0.7g
Fibre 12g
Sodium 0.52g
Salt Equivalent 1.32g

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Organic and Speciality Foods Found at The SuperNatural Food Market

There are so many parts of town that I don’t get to unless I have specific business in the area... so last Saturday I made it my business to get to the SuperNatural Food Market to check out the Food Allergy Friendly goings-on. Where is this ‘SuperNatural Food Market’ you ask? Well, basically if you keep heading down Pearse St until you’re only 3 blocks away from Grand Canal Dock you will find a lovely little park and across the road, inside the St. Andrews Resource Centre (114-116) is the market with the best name in town. Here, every Saturday, you will find a food market with all things nice inside.

Of course, if you are a regular reader you will know from Monday’s post that Antoinette’s (Gluten Free) Bakery is sometimes found in the SuperNatural Food Market serving up her ever popular Gluten Free baked goods as well as Vegan, Potato Free and Refined Sugar Free creations.

But Antoinette’s Cakes are not the only thing to draw you in, there is also a baker who has many Dairy Free breads, a few Spelt based breads (including a Spelt based soda bread) and a Gluten Free loaf made with Chickpea Flour and by the time I got to the market at about 2pm there was only 1 Gluten Free loaf left!

Also in the market is an organic butcher who cooks up some sausages on site and also sells his own home-made Gluten Free sausages.

There is the regular fare such as Organic Veg, a flower stall (who is selling custom pots for mothers day - March 18th), a Whole Foods dealer with a quite a nice selection of products on offer, a fish stall and a natural cream/brush/soap type stall too.

There is also a really interesting stall selling Gluten Free and Dairy Free meringues and all sorts of jarred goodies such as pesto, jelly and tapenade. The ingredients are all foraged or home grown so the products change with the seasons. The only down side is that there are no ingredients listed but the maker is right there so you can ask her anything...

And if you are looking for something a bit more hearty to chew on you will also find a hot dish table selling indian styled food such as samosa’s and curry (ingredients are listed but I would advise to ask to be sure, as the lists aren’t very detailed)...

The SuperNatural Food Market is a great little spot. It’s not crowded to the gills so you can actually get a chance to look around at your ease and the atmosphere makes you want to take a seat and linger over your lunch or tea. The market runs from 9:30am to 3:30pm and there are definitely reasons a plenty to make it your business to head out to this little pocket on Pearse St next Saturday.

The SuperNatural Food Market
Location: St Andrew’s Resource Centre
114-116 Pearse St
Dublin 2
Web: www.supernatural.ie
Opening Times: Saturday 09:30 - 15:30

Antoinette's Gone Gluten Free: Let Them Eat Cake

If you are a market-goer then you may have already stumbled upon Antoinette’s Bakery who is the new kid on the block and has been making some of the rounds. Found at Stillorgan Shopping Centre Food Market on Wednesdays, Leopardstown Racecourse Farmers Market on Fridays, and sometimes at either The Supernatural Food Market (Pearse St) or the Ha’Penny Flee Market (The Grand Social) on Saturdays, Gluten Free and sometimes Vegan and Refined Sugar Free sweet treats are never too far away!

I met Sinead (the founder of Antoinette’s Bakery) last Saturday at the Super Natural Food Market on Pearse St. and bended my sweet free rules ever so slightly in order to try out one of her many tempting items. I love markets because the portions are usually closer to my ‘home sized’ slices so I happily tucked into a thick slice of slightly sweetened cornbread.

Everything looked beautiful but I had to go with the cornbread in hopes of it being the least like a forbidden sweet... This cornbread is definitely not a savoury bread as it sweetened with ‘Sweet Freedom’ and although the sweetness was definitely present, it was gentle and not overpowering which helped with my guilty pleasure. The slice was thick and a bit crumbly but not without moisture and by the time I had savoured each bite I was quite content.

F. chose one of the technicolour pink coated doughnuts which contained traditional sugar and definitely blew the sweet tooth off him.

On the menu are giant Chocolate Chip Cookies for only €1 each (which had one little boy coming back multiple times), Banana Bread Muffins, Peanut Butter Brownies, Victoria Sponge Cake, Lavender Shortbread, Quiches, Lemon Squares, Apple Cake Slices and more!

The best news, in my opinion, is that for once the Gluten Free treats (all made in a dedicated Gluten Free Bakery) are made with a Potato Free blend! Sinead’s personal flour blend is made up of Rice flour, Gram flour and Corn flour. Most items are Soya Free (just ask for direction). The Banana Bread Muffin, the Doughnuts and the Cornbread are all Vegan and the Apple Cake Slice is Dairy Free (but contains Egg).

Outside of the market circuit Sinead will whip of a batch of whatever you fancy for direct sale, See the contact details below.
Warning: For Nut Allergy eaters you should be aware that Antoinette's Bakery use coconut, almonds and peanuts in the bakery.

Antoinette’s Bakery
tel: +353 (0)857 361387
email: antoinettesbakery@gmail.com
facebook: www.facebook.com/antoinettesbakery

Delicious Chocolate Brownies - Gluten, Wheat & Dairy Free

I don’t know if you remember but shortly before Christmas I spontaneously posted about the best Food-Allergy-Friendly mince pies ever. (If not you can see the review here). They were made by the aptly named ‘Delicious Gourmet Foods’ and were found in Fallon & Byrne on Exchequer St. These mince pies were the first product I tried from the Delicious range until a few weeks ago when I got my hands on a tasty Delicious’ Chocolate Brownie (before I quit the sugar and all things sweet!) which claims to be Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free and Yeast Free (also in Fallon & Byrne). There was a little bit of mystification regarding the ingredients due to a temporary printing error which meant that Sugar and Margarine were mistakenly excluded from the ingredients list. I had a brief and very excited moment where I thought that my coming Sugar and Sweet Free lent had just gotten WAY easier but after company contact and the discovery of the printing error the ingredients began to make more sense...

- Gluten Free
- Wheat Free
- Dairy Free (note: made in a factory that handles milk)
- Yeast Free (note: contains sugar)
- Potato & Nightshade Free
- Recipe does not contain Nuts (note: made in a factory that handles nuts)
- Vegetarian

My official opinion is that the Delicious Chocolate Brownie would taste really great with some Dairy Free and Gluten Free ice cream or cream substitute. I enjoyed eating it out of it’s individual paper pot with a spoon (which is essential as the sides have some serious stickage to the tray) and although I thought that it tasted nice (great Gluten Free substitutions from the traditional recipe) I did feel like more sugar, or another form of natural sweetener wouldn’t go astray. Texture was brilliant and if you are looking for a more subtle brownie in the sweetness category then Delicious is the brownie for you.

I do have a slight concern about Yeast Free claims because although the recipe doesn’t contain any added yeast, if you are following a Yeast Free diet due to candida overgrowth, etc it is very important to refrain from all sugars as well as 'actual' yeast. Therefore I think that it’s important to highlight that the recipe for Delicious’ Chocolate Brownie does contain Sugar... but considering that we are actually talking about a brownie I doubt that the sugar content will come as a huge surprise!...

Delicious Gourmet Foods can be found in the Fallon & Byrne Foodhall on Exchequer St. Word on the street is that Delicious products can also be found in some SuperValu shops and Avoca. All of the products are Gluten and Wheat Free and are made in a dedicated Gluten Free bakery. Not all of the products are Dairy Free but many are so keep an eye out. Also, if you are in Cork (Carrigaline) call round to the factory on Fridays from 10:00 - 14:00 for ‘Factory Friday’ days where you can buy freshly baked Gluten Free treats that aren’t available in the stores or pre-order your favourite items on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and then collect your pre-ordered items on the following Friday.

Have you tried Delicious’ Brownie, or any other Delicious products? Or maybe you have seen them available in other locations or maybe even cafés... If so, do please share your finds and what you thought of them! Their mince pies are seriously the best ever, in my humble opinion!

Delicious Chocolate Brownie
Ingredients: Flour (maize starch, soya flour, rice flour, modified maize starch, raising agent: (acid calcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate), egg albumin (contains acidity regulator: citric acid, foaming agent: triethyl citrate), salt, calcium carbonate, anti-caking agent (tri-calcium phosphate) stabiliser: (methyl hydroxypropyl cellulose), vitamin (B1, B2, niacin, C), Emulsifier (E741, E435), Flavouring, Colour (E100, E160b)), free range eggs, cocoa powder, glycerine, sugar, margarine. (note: some packages do not state sugar and margarine in the ingredient list due to a printing temporary printing hiccup but it is in fact present)
Nutritional Information per 100g: Unavailable
Allergy Warning: Made in a bakery that handles nuts, eggs and milk

Delicious Gourmet Foods: The Gluten Free Bakery
Location: Unit 6 Carrigaline Industrial Park, Carrigaline, Co. Cork
Tel: 021 4919583
Web: www.delicious.ie (check out their tempting little recipes too!)

February: The Food Allergy Month in Review

Another swirling month done and dusted. February was filled with upheaval but sometimes upheaval can be good. I moved house and am trying to get my teeth into the Food Allergy Free pockets of the northside - If you have any tips I’m all ears for your favourite haunts! As always, I would LOVE to hear about them (north or south, as the case may be). During the month we had the Free From Food Awards judging as well as the release of the invaluable Shortlist for 2012. There was also the food show, Edible, at Trinity’s Science Gallery (Did anyone get to take part in any of the Feeding Times?) - I’ll be sharing my Vegan Custard Tartlette recipe after the exhibition is finished so watch this space...
Elsewhere in Survival Guide we added two new restaurants/cafés to the directory and put out a whole slew of Food Allergy Friendly product reviews (including Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Nightshade Free finds) and so this, along with the Free From Shortlist, means that the Food Allergic/Intolerant community should be far from going hungry over the next few months!

And what is there to look forward to in March you ask? Well, I’ll be trying to uncover some social venues which stock Gluten Free beers as well as trying out Woodstock Café in Phibsborough, which I think I spied as carrying ‘Gluten-Free Foodie’ products!... I’ll also try to get some recipes in too, to keep us happy at home as well as out and about :)

p.s. Good luck to any girls taking up the Irish tradition of proposing to their boys today, on the leap year - I hope you get the YES you are hoping for!!!


RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS
Feb 20: Gluten & Dairy Free Galette Crepes from Heaven! - Fafie’s
Feb 27: A Trip to the Botanic Gardens - Is there anything Food Allergy Free?

FREE FROM PRODUCTS
Feb 1: Imported Gluten Free, Dairy Free+ Confectionary in the Local Centra: Les Recettes de Céliane
Feb 6: Snacks for the Nightshade Sensitive (aka: Potato, Tomato, Pepper Free Snacks)
Feb 15: Dairy Free Fudge: What It’s Like & Where to Get it
Feb 17: Dairy Free Creams: Which to Choose?

WHAT’S GOING ON (FOOD ALLERGY-WISE)
Feb 8: Judging at the Free From Food Awards 2012!
Feb 10: Edible: Allergen Free at the Science Gallery
Feb 22: The 2012 Free From Food Awards Shortlist is Released!
Feb 24: What I’m Reading February: Food Allergies, Side-Effects, Being Sugar-Free & A Lot of Eye Candy

A Trip to the Botanic Gardens - Is there anything Food Allergy Free?

The weekend was just bursting with spring so F. and I decided to take the sunny opportunity to explore my new north-side neighbourhood and see what charms are in store. I think that this last Sunday was extra special because it was forecast as a rainy down day but thankfully for all Sunday pleasure-seekers, the rain held off until Monday. Of course, it wasn’t long before I steered the ship to the National Botanic Gardens which is a favourite of mine, but one that gets experienced far too seldom, so in we strolled to drink up the atmosphere and beautiful grounds...and check out the Garden Tea Room of course! - to see if there was anything Food Allergy Friendly on offer.. The answer is a dubious: ‘Sort of’...

Tourist tea rooms and the likes are tricky places to eat when you have food allergies. You want to go to the beautiful locations but as is inevitable, you will work up an appetite in the ‘far away’ location. The National Botanic Gardens have a nice enough tea room called ‘The Garden Tea Room’. It is set up in a canteen style and there is quite a lot of food on offer but it’s SO busy (at least on a Sunday) that it’s easy to be pressured to keep moving along the rotary belt and feel unable to ask the frazzled staff all the questions that you need.

The desserts are by far the best labelled of the menu items and are first in the line to pick up. Unfortunately, this being Ireland, and the Garden Tea Room being a traditional attraction, everything is ladened with butter, cream and eggs but the minor glimmer of hope amid it all is that there are two stunning looking desserts which are Gluten Free...

The Chocolate Roulade (chocolate, eggs, sugar, Coffee, fresh cream, fresh berries) and the Meringue (egg whites, sugar, fresh cream, fresh berries)

The desserts each have a little card (some of them can be found bunched up at the end of the section) which label all the ingredients. They all seem to be baked in a very traditional homemade manner with plain flours, sugar, eggs, cream and butter being the primary players but that also means that nightshade sufferers, corn allergies and soya allergies are very likely to find some unadulterated beauty of a cake to indulge over (however, do beware of mysterious ingredients like ‘chocolate’ which most likely contain added extras!).

With the exception of the two Gluten Free desserts listed above, I tried to ask about savoury, main course Gluten Free items. The line behind me didn’t rejoice at my questions but the staff, despite their time restraint did ask each other and ran to the kitchen for a moment to confirm but the final response was ‘the roast, the potatoes and the soup’. To Dairy Free they said: ‘nothing’ with an empathic face.

My final verdict: If you are Dairy Free and don’t want to eat chips for your lunch, then definitely don’t go to the Botanic Gardens hungry! For Gluten Free eaters and other Allergen Free options I think that there may well be choices for you but be sure to NOT go during rush hour such as midday on a Sunday, or similar. Aim at a quieter off peak time and be extra, extra careful of cross-contamination because the kitchen and the waiting staff are very busy and the desserts counter is self-serve!

Have you tried the Garden Tea Room Meringue or Chocolate Roulade? I would LOVE to know what it tastes like because it, along with all the desserts, look truly Divine.

The Botanic Gardens are a glorious location in the later spring, summer and autumn. Sunday’s visit was nice, and although the crocuses were up and some of the tulips were peaking out, a lot of the foliage had yet to bud. But a walk by the ponds and river are always lovely, not to mention the toasty palm house and cactus house!

See below for some more pictures of the Botanic Gardens during during Autumn.

The Garden Tea Rooms
The National Botanic Gardens
Botanic Rd
Glasnevin
Dublin 9
Tel: (01) 804 0300
Web: www.botanicgardens.ie
Opening Times of the Gardens:Winter (Oct 31 - Feb) mon - fri 09:00 - 16:30; sat, sun, public holidays: 10:00 - 16:30 Summer (Mar - Oct) mon - fri 09:00 - 17:00, sat, sun, public holidays 10:00 - 18:00

The 2012 Free From Food Awards Shortlist is Released!

Yesterday the Free From Food Awards Shortlist came out. What does that mean? That means that there is a wonderful list of almost 170 quality Food Allergy Friendly foods and products just waiting to be tried, be it Gluten Free, Nut Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Soya Free, Egg Free, etc, etc. I find that one of the biggest problems with the food allergy market is that some of the products can be a bit pricey which makes taste testing a gamble because nobody wants to fork out big bucks for something that might not taste worthy...but now, with the Free From Food Awards, our woes are behind us because the Shortlist is almost like a key to the food allergy friendly world! As one of the judges I can assure you that the tasting is rigorous and that although there can be split camps from time to time, all the products which get shortlisted are definitely worth a try...and of course the winners (which will be announced in April) are like gold dust - the stuff food allergy free dreams are made of, and therefore DEFINITELY worth a try!

The thing about judging is that there are at least 9 other judges all with different taste buds and different agendas, be it health, versatility, etc, so even if I absolutely loved something, that didn’t mean that it was going to win because the whole group had to agree... Therefore the below product comments are my opinion only and not a clue to any of the winning products - for that you will just have to wait until April 17th!!

The three categories I judged were:
Category 3: Plant Milk, Spread, ‘Yoghurt’, ‘Cheese’ & ‘Ice Cream’
Category 6: Pasta & Pizza Bases
Category 15: Chocolates, Snack Bars & Petite Fours

The most exciting of these categories, for me, was Category 3. There was an amazing Coconut-based Yoghurt from CoYo which blew my socks off! So, I definitely recommend trying that one!! (queue praying to the heavens that CoYo gets wide release in Ireland!) The wonderful thing is that it’s completely Soya Free but doesn’t taste like coconut (happy days!) making it a plain, reliable and versatile yoghurt with the perfect hint of tangy yoghurt sour making it ideal for cooking into savoury recipes or for flavouring to your own sweet desires. For me, this was the best thing in the yoghurt market since the pea protein yoghurt I tried once, but without the sugar!!

The category also made me re-think my stance on plant milks, previously I was not an oat milk lover but after having to taste them all side by side I actually had to praise Oat Milk for it’s top class taste... and of course I still think that Kara Coconut milk is an amazing substitute, despite my life-long love of sweet, light, refreshing Rice Dream rice milk! ;)

And then there were the cheeses.... Vegusto Melty Cheese was the first Dairy Free cheese that I have come by which actually melted nicely! It still didn’t loose it’s shape like traditional cheese but it didn’t shrivel into a dry lump, there was no overbearing taste of vinegar and the consistency was really nice and managed to keep it’s ‘softness’! It’s only downfall was that it tasted like average soya-based Dairy Free cheese when it wasn’t melted)... And then there was the nut based Soya Free Vegusto cheese made from Cashews and Rice Milk - YUUUUUUUM!!! I LOVED it, if you hadn’t already guessed... Unfortunately, it didn’t melt well at all, but who cares! It tasted REALLY nice. In fact I would even recommend dairy cheese eaters to eat it! It would be right at home sitting on a cheese board among the stilton, chevre and aged cheddar. Yum Yum Yum Yum... Savoury and hearty with an ‘I can’t stop eating it’ lure. Note: Vegusto’s packaging was a bit of a let down but don’t let that ward you off because by all signs they seem to be an awesome company with a tasty Dairy-Free cheese sauce too!

Category 6 was a joint category with Gluten Free pastas and pizza bases. The pastas disappointed me a bit because they were almost all corn based, which is not my cup of tea. I can’t understand why manufacturers keep making the same thing!? In my opinion, a mix of flours, is WAY better and corn based pastas tend towards being a bit rubbery and ever so slightly tangy in taste, not to mention the amount of people who actually have a corn allergy/intolerance!... but then again, I guess that that’s just my opinion. However, there was a cool little product from Farabella which were Gluten Free Pasta Grains intended for use in soups such as minestrone, but also a really neat product to use in place of bulgar. Cook it up, cool it down and make into a salad for a satisfying, healthy lunch! If I see it on the shelf I will definitely pick up a pack...despite it’s corn base ;)

On the topic of pizza bases I was more impressed. I like a thick base (my Canadian roots I suspect) and I quite liked the ciabatta-like thick oily pizza base made by Amisa, reminiscent of take-away pizza (which sadly didn’t make it to the shortlist). It was a bit crumbly but reminded me of the thick ciabatta squares of cheese-less pizza slices available from the bakery in Marks & Spencers. I have always felt that a lot of sauce and a thick base is essential for a cheese-free pizza...but I was alone on that one...
There were some other good products too, but what struck me most is how much the bases changed when tomato sauce was added! One of my favourites was the pizza base dough mix from Bob’s Red Mill which made a fresh Gluten Free Wholegrain pizza base of top quality...but then again, this probably isn’t surprising as Bob’s Red Mill products are the bees knees!

The last category, 15, chocolates, snack bars and petite fours was a sugar and caffeine attack! But The Booja Booja’s Rum Sozzled Sultana Chocolate Truffles and Tickety Boo Cakes’ Roo’s Crunch were sooooo delicious that I think I’m in love!...sorry F.

Previously I wasn’t familiar with Tickety Boo’s Roo’s Crunch (tongue twister alert!) brand but hopefully it’s shortlisted status will encourage Irish stockists to branch out! In fact, a lot of the chocolates were good but I’m not sure how many dark chocolate bars are necessary in the world. As a dairy free lifer I would like to see more milk chocolate alternatives, like the white chocolate alternatives, or flavoured bars substituting for ‘Double Deckers’ and ‘Twix’ etc... mmmm, I’m salivating at the thought!... Maybe next year!

Anyway, the list is extensive which goes to show how far the FreeFrom market is coming along! It’s so exciting to see really good quality foods available in mainstream shops for we Food Allergy Free shoppers. It can only serve to help people stay away from their poisons and show the world that alternatives sell so please keep making them!!...maybe one day the food allergy world will take over!? whahahha...

After reading the shortlist for the rest of the categories I was surprised by some products, such as Dee’s Omega 3 Vegetarian burgers which I haven’t had success with...perhaps F. is right, and I’m just not cooking them properly.... and boy, do I wish that I had a chance to try out Foodswild Gluten Free Cornish Stinger Nettle Beer!!..Bizarre - and curious! And what about the Mango & Passionfruit Non-Dairy Cheesecake bu Mamma Cucina - hello! that its definitely something that I want to be part of my life! ...and happily the other day I passed by a van marked ‘The Cake Crusader’ in Rathmines only to notice on the Shortlist that the very same Cake Crusader makes a Gluten Free, Wheat Free and Dairy Free Carrot Cake - I will have to put on my scouting suit to uncover this Cake Crusaders stockists in our wee little Dublin!

You can view the full Short-list below and try to remember it or you can keep an eye out for the Free From Shortlist or Free From Winner logos on the various products... And if you want to go to the source of the Shortlist see here which lists all the products with links to the shortlisted companies! www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk/shortlist_12.html

2012 FreeFrom Food Awards shortlist
(listed alphabetically)

1. The Innovation Award
Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. – Lemon
Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. – Chocolate
Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. – Vanilla
BoojaBooja – Banoffee Toffee Truffles
Conscious Chocolates – Wild at Heart
CoYo – Coconut Milk Yoghurt – Natural
CoYo – Coconut Milk Yoghurt – Mixed Berry
Foodswild – Cornish Stinger Nettle Beer
Knead Bakery – Carrot Cake
Provamel Botanicals – Alternative to Yoghurt Apple & Green Tea
The Foodamentalists – Brown Bread Mix
Triano Brands – Tofutti Ricotta Soya Cheese Alternative

2. Dairy and/or Lactose-Free Animal Milk, Butter, Yogurt – sponsored by Swedish Glace
Delamere Dairy – Natural Goats Yoghurt
Delamere Dairy – Semi-Skimmed Goats Milk           
Delamere Dairy – Goats Butter          
Woodlands Dairy – Gooseberry & Elderflower with Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt
Woodlands Dairy – Rhubarb & Ginger with Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt
 
3. Plant 'Milk', Spread & Cheese – sponsored by Pure Dairy Free
Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. – Chocolate
Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. – Lemon
CoYo – Coconut Yoghurt Natural
CoYo – Coconut Yoghurt Mixed Berry
Delamere Dairy – Sweetened Soya Milk
Essence of Eden – Virgin Coconut Oil
Higher Nature – Omega Excellence Organic Virgin Coconut Butter
Its Only Natural – Fruit Freezies Orange and Mango
Kara Dairy Free – Alternative to Milk Original + Calcium
Vegusto – Melty Dairy-Free Cheese
Vegusto – Mild Aromatic Dairy-Free Cheese
Vegusto – Dairy-free cheese sauce

4. FreeFrom Breakfast Cereals – sponsored by Fria Gluten Free
Bob’s Red Mill – Pure Traditional Oats
Groovy Food Company – Corn Flakes
Groovy Food Company – Choco Crispies
Juvela – Fibre Flakes
Morrisons – FreeFrom Gluten Free Oats
Nature’s Path – Maple Sunrise
Sainsbury’s – FreeFrom Oaty Granola
Tesco – FreeFrom Special Flakes

5. Gluten-Free Breads & Bread Mixes – sponsored by Genius Gluten Free
Butterfly Snacks – Gluten Free Rottis (Naan/Bread Wrap)
Crazy Bakers Bundies Brothers – Brown Bread Rolls
Finax – Oat Bread Mix
Fria – Grova Dark Seeded Sliced Loaf
Fria – Grov Minibaguette Dark Seeded Roll
Glutafin – Gluten Free Wheat Free 4 Fibre Rolls
Juvela – Gluten-Free All Purpose White Mix
Sainsbury’s – FreeFrom Soft White Seeded Rolls

6. Gluten-Free Pasta & Pizza Bases/Mixes – sponsored by Tesco
Bob’s Red Mill – GF Wholegrain Pizza Crust Mix
Co-operative Foods – FreeFrom Fusilli
Doves Farm Foods – Organic Tricolore Pasta           
Eskal Foods – Corn Pasta
Farabella – Acini di Pepe/Pasta Grains
Molino di Ferro – La Veneziane Penne

7. Freefrom Foods Manufactured for Food Service – sponsored by Livwell
Costa  – Gluten Free Fruit Cake
Doves Farm Foods – Gluten Free Plain White Flour Blend without Buckwheat
Doves Farm Foods – Organic Brown Rice Penne
Foodamentalists – Golden Batter Mix
Red House Foods – Gluten Free Chicken Bites
Sauces of Choice – Sauces for Kids Tikka Sauce
Triano Brands – Tofutti Grated Mozzarella Soya Cheese Alternative

8. Freefrom Ingredients – sponsored by Juvela
Anila’s Sauces – Goan Green Sauce
Black Farmer – Spicy Muscovado sauce
Bob’s Red Mill – Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
Clearspring – Kuzu Gluten Free Starch Thickener
Finax – Psyllium
Go Free Foods – Pancake Mix
Mesquite Company – Pure Mesquite Pod Flour
Pepper & Stew – Jollof  Sauce
Sauces of Choice – Balsamic & Garlic Sauce

9. Raw Foods & Superfoods – sponsored by Asda
Elements for Life – Raw Chocolate Making Kit
Elements for Life – Spiced Hot Chocolate
Higher Nature – Omega Excellence Raw Organic Walnut Butter
inSpiral – Raw Blackout Tart
inSpiral – Raw Dehydrated Kale Chips: Cheesie Purple Corn
James White Drinks – Beet It Organic Stamina Shot
Mesquite Company – Pure Mesquite Pod Flour
Pulsin' – Beond Organic Acai Berry Bar
Raw Health – Organic Chia & Flax Dippers
The Living Food Kitchen – Raw Hummus

10. Gluten-Free Savoury Pies, Flans, Sausages & Ready Meals – sponsored by Delamere Dairy
Meat-Based Meal Centres:
Black Farmer – Pork Meatballs
Black Farmer – Pork, Onion & Chive Sausages
Cloughbane Farm – Gluten Free Beef Sausages
Cloughbane Farm – Gluten Free Steak Burgers
Co-operative Foods – Truly Irresistible Pork Sausages
Co-operative Foods – Truly Irresistible Minted Lamb Burgers         

Pies, Flans, Pizzas, One Pot Meals:
Amy’s Kitchen – Gluten Free Vegetable Lasagne
Amy’s Kitchen – Gluten Free Bean and Rice Burrito
Butterfly Snacks – Gluten Free Chicken Spring Rolls
Dee's – Organic Omega Burger 
Dr Schar – Gluten Free Tortellini
Dr Schar – Gluten Free Bonta d’Italia Margherita Pizza
Easy Bean – New Mexican Chilli Fairtrade Red Bean with Sweet Pepper One Pot Meal
Foodamentalists – Pork, Black Pudding & Caramelised Red Onion Pie
Genius – Mozzarella Cheese & Tomato Pizza
Gluten Free Kitchen – Ovencrust Steak Pie
Gluten Free Kitchen – Ovencrust Chicken & Bacon Pie
stewed! – Chickpea, Sweet Potato & Feta One Pot Meal
The Food Resource – Fusilli al Funghi
Worthenshaws – Chicken Tikka with Brown Basmati Rice
Worthenshaws – Thai Green Vegetable Curry with Brown Basmati Rice

11. Gluten-Free Savoury Biscuits & Snacks – sponsored by Genon Laboratories
Amisa – Multiseed Crisp Bread
Conscious Foods – Millet Crackers with Rosemary
Crazy Bakers – Half Pipes Swedish Crispbreads
Darling Spuds – Fire Roasted Jalapeno Crisps
Darling Spuds – Sour Cream with a hint of Mexican Chilli
Darling Spuds – Tomato, Olive & Oregano
Juvela – Crostini Bites

12. Gluten-Free Scones, Sweet Tarts, Bakewells, Cake Bars, Muffins, etc. – sponsored by Tesco
Asda – FreeFrom All Butter Lemon Sicilian Shortbread
Conscious Foods – Ginger Thins
Co-operative Foods – FreeFrom Triple Chocolate Cookies
Co-operative Foods – FreeFrom Fruited Teacakes 4 Pack
Crazy Bakers – Oaties
Heavenly Cakes – Gluten & Wheat Free Millionaires
Molino di Ferro – La Veneziane Coconut Biscotti
Morrisons – FreeFrom 6 Assorted Jam Tarts
Sugargrain – Almond, Apricot and Tahini Flapjack
Sweetcheeks – Almondies
Tesco – FreeFrom Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tesco – FreeFrom Ginger Cookies

13. Gluten-Free Cakes & Mixes – sponsored by Mrs Crimbles
The Brilliant Bakers – Cupcake Gift Cake
Cake Angels – Traditional Cherry & Almond Cake
The Cake Crusader – Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Carrot Cake
The Cake Crusader– Rich Fruit Cake
Cakes Divine – Dairy & Gluten Free Carrot Cupcakes
Cariad Cakes – Gluten Free Orchard Plum & Ginger Cake
Fria – Kladdkaka Chocolate Brownie Cake
Incognito Cakes – Choc Fudge Cake
Incognito Cakes – White Choc Raspberry Muffins
Lewis & Cooper – Gluten-free Fruit Cake
Ms Cupcake – Cupcakes
Sainsbury’s – FreeFrom Chocolate Chip Muffins     
Steph’s Free From Cakes – Lemon Drizzle Cake
Sugargrain – Banana & Chocolate Chip Loaf
Sweetcheeks – Maple & Pecan Cupcakes

14. Gluten-Free Puddings, Desserts & Cheesecakes – sponsored by Hale & Hearty
Food Heaven – Summer Fruits Cheesecake
Food Heaven – Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake
Tideford Organics – Butterscotch Rice Pudding        
Mamma Cucina – Mango & Passionfruit Non-Dairy Cheesecake     

15. Dairy/Gluten-Free Chocolate & Snack Bars – sponsored by Tesco
Biona – Organic Sour Snakes
Booja Booja – Rum Sozzled Sultana Chocolate Truffles
Celtic Chocolates – Choices FreeFrom White Choc Easter Egg & Buttons   
Conscious Chocolates – Essential Orange
Eskal Foods – Chocolate Coated Pretzels
Eskal Foods – Yoghurt Coated Pretzels
Gourmelli – Secret Passion Organic Strawberry Dark Chocolate Bar 74%
Kinnerton – Dairy, Egg, Gluten and Nut Free Bar
Nut Free Chocolatier – Pomegranate & Elderflower Truffles
Pulsin’ – Raw Choc Brownie
Tickety Boo Cakes – Roo’s Crunch

16. Dairy/Gluten-Free Christmas Foods – sponsored by Produced in Italy
Cariad Cakes – Christmas Cake 
Conscious Chocolate – Cherry Christmas  
Christine’s Puddings – Rum and Ale Pudding 
Foodamentalists – Frangipane Mince Pies
Friendly Food and Drink – Xmas chutney
Genius – Gluten-free mince pies  
Lewis and Cooper – Plum Pudding
Livwell – Christmas cake    
Morrison's – FreeFrom Christmas pudding
OK Foods – FreeFrom Mince Pies     
Pyman Pates – Chickenliver with port, brandy and cranberries 
The Heavenly Cake Company – Christmas cake

17. Gluten-Free Beer – sponsored by Asda
Daas – Ambre Beer
Daas – Blond Beer
Foodswild – Cornish Stinger Nettle Beer 
Gluten-Free Shop – Ambar
Green’s – Bottle Refermented Blonde Ale
Green’s – Premium Golden Ale
Wold Top – Against the Grain

And thank you again to Michelle Berriedale-Johnson of Foods Matter, for making the Free From Foods Awards exist!!

Dairy Free Fudge: What It’s Like & Where to Get It

Ages ago I fell upon some Dairy Free Fudge in Holland & Barrett but I was refraining from Sugar at the time so I was forced to just gaze at it for a while and move along, trying to put it out of my mind. From time to time I would see it and try to ignore it but at last I gave in... Dairy Free Fudge, here I come!! I remember having the most amazing fudge (& coincidently the only ‘real’ fudge I’ve ever had) once at the CLE (Canadian Lakehead Exhibition) which was an annual fair that came to my home town every year. It was mouth-wateringly amazing and happily/sadly, it was during a time when we thought my Milk Allergies were ‘outgrown’ (what a mistake)... so I have lived with that glorious handmade fudge goodness in my memory ever since....

When I cracked open the bag of Dairy Free Fudge from the ‘Fabulous Fudge Factory’ I was impressed with what I saw. The bag was generously filled and each square looked yum-town good and in line with my memory of what fudge should be.

- Dairy Free
- Lactose Free
- Gluten Free
- Wheat Free
- Nightshade Free
- GMO Free
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- No Artificial Colours
- No Preservatives

Upon taste I was blown away with the sweetness and the best way I can describe the taste is: it tastes very similar to the soft, coloured bits of bassets licorice sweets - you know, the ‘fudge’ parts.

I love the coloured bits of Bassets licorice (which are naturally Dairy Free, but note a may contain warning) but I was expecting something different from the Fabulous Fudge Factory... something richer. Then again, I am basing this on a childhood memory of the first & only time I had real fudge! F. wasn’t overly impressed either, but fudge isn’t really his thing, he prefers the ‘Indian version’ of fudge, as he calls it, whatever that is!

However, the Fabulous Fudge Factory’s Fabulous Fudge won Gold at the Great Taste Awards so they’ve must be doing something right. I do love the idea of being able to get Dairy Free fudge but the sweetness is full-on and eating the entire bag in one sitting shouldn’t really be an option... I munched on it over the course of a day ;)

The Fabulous Fudge Factory’s Dairy Free Fudge is available at Holland & Barrett (Nature’s Way) shops for approx. €4.55 for a 200g bag.

p.s. Sorry about the lack of a Monday post - moving house took OVER ... all is moved but the organization is insane - Think I’ll be taking a trip to Ikea for some urgent storage ideas!

Ingredients: Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Soya Milk, Vanilla
Allergen Warning: May Contain Nuts
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 352.1kcal/1489.4kJ
Protein 0.4g
Carbohydrate 77.5g
of which sugars 67.5g
of which starch 10.0g
Fat 4.4g
of which saturates 3.6g
of which mono-unsaturates 0.6g
of which poly-unsaturates 0.2g
Cholestrol 0.0g
Fibre 0.0g
Sodium 0.04g

Snacks for the Nightshade Sensitive (aka: Potato, Tomato, Pepper Free Snacks)

If you are Nightshade Allergic or Sensitive than you know all about the ridiculously hard task of finding savoury snacks that are Potato Free, Tomato Free and Pepper Free. It seems that everything in the snack world contains one, if not all three of these devious ingredients. Of course, I use the word devious in jest, but in all honestly, in our Western society we weight so heavily on the nightshades that I truly pity anyone who is sensitive! Sooo, today I want to talk about a few snack options (more in the crisp department) that are somewhat readily available in Dublin/Ireland for Nightshade Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Vegan snackers...

RW Garcia Organic Blue Maize Tortilla Chips

If you have copper toxicity then Blue Maize Tortilla Chips are actually a recommended snack! And to that I say Yay!! Finally something is recommended to eat that I actually love! They are more expensive than yellow tortillas, as expected, but they have a richer lovelier taste that is simply the business. You will find blue tortillas in some gourmet grocers but I got these ones in Holland & Barrett on Grafton Street.

- Gluten Free
- Wheat Free
- Dairy Free (note: Made in a facility that uses Dairy)
- Nightshade Free
- Potato Free
- Tomato Free
- Pepper Free
- Tree Nut Free
- Peanut Free
- Soya Free (note: Made in a facility that uses Soya)
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Organic

Ingredients: Stone ground blue maize* (80%), Sunflower oil*, Sea Salt
Allergy Information: Made in a facility that uses dairy, soy and sesame seeds.


Hale & Hearty Beautifully Barbecues Cassava Crisps

New on the block is Hale & Hearty’s crisps which substitute Potato for Cassava (also called Yuca. More familiarly used in the form of Tapioca). I had read all about attempts at making common Potato products with Cassava which is a long tuberous root with similar qualities, unrelated to the Nightshade family but Hale & Hearty’s Cassava crisps were the first commercial product that I tried (my Nightshade Free Mom and I had previously made a few DIY attempts). The crisps are very crunchy and the seasoning is a bit more sweet than I would ideally want but they have received two Great Taste awards in 2010 and a Shortlisted place in the 2011 Free From Food Awards. If I were to compare them with something I would say Baked Potato Crisps, as available in Marks & Spencers. I got these Hale & Hearty Cassava crisps in Down to Earth on South Great Georges Street.

- Gluten Free
- Wheat Free
- Dairy Free
- Nightshade Free
- Potato Free
- Tomato Free
- Pepper Free
- Soya Free
- Vegan




Ingredients: Cassava (66.5%), Unrefined palm oil, sea salt, sugar, tapioca maltodextrin, natural flavourings, yeast extract, garlic powder, onion powder


Neal’s Yard Toasted Corn Snacks

My sister discovered these little treats a while back in Holland & Barrett. They’re cheap, filling and Allergen Free with only three ingredients to talk about - can a snack get better? The best part for me is that they naturally taste like they’re covered in a seasoning of some sort but there actually isn't anything but salt! Holland & Barrett do sell a spicy seasoned version of these Toasted Corn Snacks but they contain Nightshade ingredients and, although they are nice, the original is perfectly satisfying. Recently I also found a version of Toasted Corn Snacks in the Asia Market on Drury Street (Dublin 2) which are basically the same product although the corn kernels are larger and a bit harder to crunch - but still a great snack!

- Gluten Free
- Wheat Free
- Dairy Free
- Corn Free
- Nightshade Free
- Potato Free
- Tomato Free
- Pepper Free
- Mustard Free
- Celery Free
- Soya Free
- Vegan
- Vegetarian

Ingredients: Maize, Sunflower Oil, Salt
Allergy Information: This product is packed in a factory where nuts, peanuts and sesame seeds are handled.


Tyrell’s Beetroot Crisps

If corn is a problem for you, you should check out Tyrell’s alternative crisps. My favourite flavour is Beetroot, which tastes WAY better than it sounds. Tyrell’s also do a triple Root Veg pack containing carrots, parsnips and beetroot as well as a Parsnip only pack (mind the ingredients on this one, as it’s different from the root veg pack). Tyrell’s also makes potato crisps but I’ve never actually tried them. However, I will say that the packaging is great - especially the salt and vinegar bag! The Allergy Free status on Tyrell’s is a pick finicky because they have a warning stating: Packed in a factory that handles Milk, Soya, Mustard and Gluten and I assume that the same factory also packs their Potato, Tomato and Pepper products so depending on your sensitivity/allergy take care when purchasing/consuming.

Ingredients: Beetroot, Sunflower oil, Sea Salt
Allergy Information: Packed in a factory that handles Milk, Soya, Mustard and Gluten