New Gluten-Free Snacks Give Travelers More Options!

"Gluten-free" products have passed “low-carb” in the world economy. Awareness of celiac and the gluten-free diets has hit an all time high! How do we know this? A recent report by analyst Lynn Dornblaser, of the market research firm Mintel, revealed that new gluten-free products introduced into the market jumped 86% last year, surpassing the almighty low-carb craze that has filled the public’s conscience over the last 10 years thanks to Dr. Atkins and his followers. "I can unequivocally say that the low-carb food trend is dead," proclaimed Dornblaser. Instead, the report indicates consumer products companies lately have gone "gluten-free," with the term "no trans-fat" also growing in prominence on food labels around the world.

If that’s the case, where are all of these great new products? If you traveled to sunny southern California in early March, like we did, you would have had an eye...and most importantly, a mouth-full. The Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products trade show, posted 10 percent growth in overall attendance this year, with more than 47,000 attendees and 3,162 exhibits. Of those exhibitors, over 170 were offering gluten-free products; and for the first time ever, we saw an egg-free category with 50-plus booths and a dairy-free category with over 110! It seems abundantly clear that healthy, “free” lifestyles in general are becoming increasingly more common, with industry production finally making an effort to keep ahead of demand.

All of the business talk aside, let’s get down to what we all really want to know: What’s coming soon and how does it taste. Rather than give a 50 page report of everything we saw, which incidentally you may not find at your local health-food store immediately, we want to fill you on some items that knocked our socks off! Before going gluten-free, do remember how much you loved a hot croissant in the morning with raspberry preserves or your first petit pain au chocolat (french for chocolate pastry)? Or, how about a nice big glass of milk for those of you who are living dairy-free?  What once may have seemed a distant memory, never to be experienced again; may now be on its way back into your life, and more appropriately, in your belly!

Another positive trend, which we were very happy to see growth in, was individual packaged portions. For the traveler, whether you’re going on a road trip to see grandma or catching a flight to Bora Bora, conveniently packaged gluten-free products are on their way! Why would you want to take a two-pound bag of cookies with you for a two day trip, when you can take four packs of six cookies to satisfy your gluten-free snack needs?

New Travel-Size Gluten-Free Snacks
We are very excited about being able to open pre-packaged individual-size servings while on the go. Finally, no more putting gluten-free foods in zip lock bags to carry with you! Gluten-free foods are starting to reach the mainstream and the food industry heard our needs!

Some tasty gluten-free travel-size snacks that we sampled at the Expo include:

• Apple pie from Fabe's All Natural (www.fabesnatural.com)
• Baked corn puffs from Snikiddy (www.Snikiddy.com)
• Baked rice crisps from Mr. Krispers (www.mrkrispers.com)
• Cakes and breads from I Can Eat It (www.icaneatit.com)
• Cereals from Nature's Path (www.naturespath.com)
• Crackers from Mary's Gone Crackers (www.marysgonecrackers.com) 
• Pasta in a cup from Heartland's Finest (www.heartlandsfinest.com)
• Rice Cakes from Betty Lou’s (www.bettylousinc.com)
• Rice Chips from Mochi (www.grainaissance.com)
• Roasted corn from Inka Crops (www.inkacrops.com)
• Soy Chips from Genisoy (www.genisoy.com )

There are now more salad dressings and sauces to take with us into restaurants around the corner from our homes and around the world. In addition to Annie’s Naturals (www.anniesnaturals.com), the pioneer in providing us with individual portion salad dressings, we also now have:          

• Liquid amino seasonings from Bragg’s (www.bragg.com)
• Salad dressing from Drew's All Natural (www.chefdrew.com)
• Salsa and chile sauces from 505 Southwestern (www.505chile.com)
• Wheat-free soy sauce from San-J International (www.san-j.com)

Some of the new individually packaged delicious cookies include:

• Andean Dream (www.andeandream.com)
• Arico Natural Foods Co. (www.aricofoods.com)
• Kookie Karma (www.kookiekarma.com )
• Nana's Cookie Co. (www.healthycrowd.com)
• Pamela's Products (www.pamelasproducts.com)
• Sunstart Bakery (www.sunstartbakery.com)
• WOW Baking Co. (www.wowbaking.com)

Many new protein, energy and snack bars were launched at the show made from ingredients ranging from dates, nuts, fruits and coconut, to rice syrup, agave nectar, quinoa, amaranth and even goji berries! Some of these include:

• Betty Lou’s (www.bettylousinc.com)
• Boomibars (www.boomibar.com)
• Bumble Bar Foods (www.bumblebar.com)
• EnviroKidz (www.naturespath.com)
• Heaven Scent Natural Foods (www.heavenscentnaturalfoods.com)
• Lärabar (www.larabar.com)
• Omega Smart (www.omegasmart.com)
• Organic Bar (www.organicfoodbar.com)
• Oskri Organics (www.oskri.com)
• Prana Bar (www.livingforcefoods.com)
• Pure (www.thepurebar.com)
• Raw Revolution (www.rawindulgence.com)
• Smart Monkey Foods (www.smartmonkeyfoods.com)
• Think Organic! (www.thinkproducts.com)
• Tree Huggin' Treats (www.treehuggintreats.com)

We also want to mention that Foods by George (www.foodsbygeorge.com) launched their new individual mouth-watering brownie at the International Celiac Symposium in New York!!

We hope you take the opportunity to try and enjoy all of these new goodies while on the road, anywhere your life may take you! If you are seeking new products to sample in your kitchen at home, many familiar faces, as well as new companies, have introduced some fantastic treats.

For new gluten-free products to cook inside your home, we now have even more delicious options with:

• Breads from Ener-G Foods (www.ener-g.com)
• Chicken nuggets and tenders from Bell & Evans (www.bellandevans.com)
• Cookie dough in individual servings from Glutenfreeda (www.glutenfreeda.com)
• Cookies from Enjoy Life Foods (www.enjoylifefoods.com)
• Cookies from Pamela’s Products (www.pamelasproducts.com)
• Croissants, breads and cookies from I Can Eat It (www.icaneatit.com)
• Frozen foods from Amy’s Kitchen (www.amyskitchen.com)
• Frozen foods from Glutino (www.glutino.com)

Snack Shopping Tip
In our discussions with manufacturers, it became clear to us that the manufacturing community seeking to offer more gluten-free products had their heads spinning due to the new “gluten-free” definition proposed by the FDA and its impact on product labeling. It would have saved us a lot of time and energy at the Expo, as we talked ourselves blue in the face over definitions, labeling and messaging.

Some of the manufacturers new to the gluten-free industry were just a bit overwhelmed and confused. We found a number of products labeled gluten-free, but also had “May Contain Wheat” prominently posted on the package. Talk about a mixed message! Our conversations with most manufacturers cited legal advice because their facilities also processed foods that contain wheat, even though their production lines were sanitized prior to making gluten-free products. While cross-contamination is always a concern for those of us following a gluten-free diet, the appropriate message on these packages should have been, “Processed in a non gluten-free facility.”

Whether you decide to purchase products that are not produced in a dedicated facility is a personal choice. As always, it’s best to consult medical professionals in matters related to your diet and health. Hopefully, the FDA’s proposed definition will clear up a lot of confusion within the product manufacturing community, and we can all eat gluten-free foods sold in the U.S. with confidence. Until then, we remind you to stay diligent when you shop for gluten-free foods by carefully reading labels and using your best judgment.

In the end, we are happy to report that there are more choices, better products and a greater level of social concern surrounding our gluten-free lifestyles. Whether driven by market demand or government regulations, product manufacturers are clearly getting the message. While we haven’t fully realized an equal quality of life, compared with the general public; as celiacs, we are one step closer to having the world recognize the gluten-free diet as a universally understood and supported way of living. Bon appétit!