Why all the fuss about gluten-free foods ? How does one find out if they need to go gluten-free? Read on and learn.. and learn about a great line of products that will give you foods that you can make that will create a bridge between being gluten-free and help your body handle the dishes you love to eat.
Did you grow up with baking and food mixes? I did. I thought mashed potatoes came out of a box for a long time. It does make me wonder since4 I did know how to make fried chicken from scratch but still, I was in the age of easy to prepare foods. These days, boxed, frozen and canned foods that are quick and easy to fix aren’t exactly the best thing for you. Whether it’s non-labeled GMO or other ingredients that add corn syrup and other things you don’t need like preservatives, it’s not the healthiest way to eat.
Until NOW.. why now? Two words: Simple Mills!
Disclosure: I was given a couple of products to review this line . One can’t review what one can’t try, so Simple Mills was kind enough to provide me a couple of things to try. It does not impair my ability to be fair or impartial.
Now for those who are gluten-free by choice or by necessity OR want mixes that don’t have the myriad of “mystery” ingredients, Simple Mills is a great line of mixes of fast fixings for waffles, cookies, pizza dough, muffins and more.
I was offered a couple of different mixes to try and see how they compared with what I regularly ate. I am not a gluten-free person necessarily. I don’t have celiac disease. I like gluten-free things in some cases because there is a reduced amount of sugar and a taste or texture that I like.
I was given the Simple Mills Pancake and Waffle Mix
8 Simple Ingredients:
Almond Flour, Arrowroot Powder, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Coconut Flour, Cream of Tartar, Aluminum-Free Baking Soda, Sea Salt
Free of: gluten, grain, dairy, soy, refined sugar & emulsifiers / gums
Paleo-friendly, certified Kosher, Gluten-Free, and Non-GMO
This was the first thing I tried. I like waffles. I made sure to do this one correctly since the requirements are a little different.. you mix the wet ingredients together and pour those into the dry ingredient.
I used my waffle iron but I forgot to look at the ingredients and figure that this was not the same waffle texture or mix that I usually use. When I make waffles — whether from a mix or scratch– I expect to see the waffles rise in the waffle iron.
Gluten-free waffles don’t rise. I kept waiting for something to happen that was never going to happen. I left them in the waffle iron a bit too long so that one size was perfectly beautiful and the other side was darker. The color and thus the texture were different from what I expected. I thought I would get a crispy crunchy waffle with some lift and air in it. That’s not what I got. I got waffles and when they first came out of the waffle iron, they were crispy (and very hot!). I had to wait — for them to cool a bit before I could eat one. Whatever crunch they had was gone by then.
It was not the fault of the mix, it was my expectations that it would cook exactly like a regular gluten mix.
** Do expect the preparations to be different and the results may taste a bit different than what you might usually expect.
It wasn’t a bad waffle. It had a pretty good flavor but it was a bit bland.
**I would suggest that if one makes this that you look at the suggested additions like cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate chips or berries to boost the texture and flavor a smidge. It’s worth the effort.
** They do toast up pretty well for a crunchy effect.
Would I buy this mix again? Yes and I would pay attention to the additions and experiment too with other flavor additions.
By this time I was smart. I read everything. This is a great mix with some interesting info on the package:
6 grams of sugar per 2 cookie serving,
4 grams of protein per 2 cookie serving. (When was the last time you saw that much protein in two chocolate chip cookies?)
Simple Ingredients:
Almonds, organic coconut nectar, organic chocolate chips (organic cane juice, organic cocoa liquor, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla), organic coconut flour, arrowroot powder, baking soda, sea salt
Cookies are also gluten-free, dairy-free, low-glycemic, soy-free, and non-GMO
I liked this because the chips were in the mix and I knew from the package that this was not going to be as sweet as other cookies I have made.
Here are some photos I took of my preparation to bake.
This is the prepared dough before baking. These cookies don’t spread and the package tells you that.
BAKED cookies with the box.
These cookies are crispy and a bit chewy which is good. They have a bit of cinnamon-y taste and I have no idea what or how it tastes like that. I added nothing more than the required ingredients. They are not as super-sweet as regular gluten cookies. I liked that part about the cookies. Just sweet enough and with 2 cookies being a serving and the ingredients having serious satiety value, I was happy with 2 cookies. You can add more things to them should you choose and those items are on the package.
More about Simple Mills and why it’s such a great product line:
I would recommend this line for anyone. There are differences in preparation, texture (more in some products, less in others) and a bit on the taste but nothing major! This is a line of simple, easy to prepare mixes for those times you want muffins, cookies, cupcakes, pancakes or other baked goods!
One can buy SIMPLE MILLS online or find it via the online store locator .
I found that my local Whole Foods store has the line!
More 411 on Celiac Disease and How to Treat It!
_______________________________
What is Celiac Disease? (*read this and you will find out)
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. Two and one-half million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications.
When people with celiac disease eat gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley), their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body.
Celiac disease is hereditary, meaning that it runs in families. People with a first-degree relative with celiac disease (parent, child, sibling) have a 1 in 10 risk of developing celiac disease.
How to treat Celiac Disease:
Currently, the only treatment for celiac disease is lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. People living gluten-free must avoid foods with wheat, rye and barley, such as bread and beer. Ingesting small amounts of gluten, like crumbs from a cutting board or toaster, can trigger small intestine damage.
Read more at http://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/#Z1F0IYzuUitQRviR.99
Read more at http://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/#Z1F0IYzuUitQRviR.99
Do you know why eating gluten-free is important?
Follow Simple Mills on these social platforms:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/simplemills
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimpleMills
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/simplemills/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/simplemills/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user39482113
Thanks to Simple Mills for the sample products. I now know that gluten-free doesn’t mean it takes a lot of work or means a loss of flavor.
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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this is such a good idea! I am not gluten intolerant but I have friends who are…so I like the idea of being able to buy a simple solution when they come round
I experimented with gluten free, and decided gluten light is about right for me. These mixes are a good choice for those who want to try it without doing too much research.