Trader Joe's Gluten Free Granola - Loaded Fruit and Nut

I am pretty sure Trader Joe's gluten free granola is the same thing as the Bakery on Main's gluten free granola. The TJ's "loaded fruit and nut" flavor was very reminiscent of the Bakery on Main's "extreme fruit and nut" granola. I don't have a picture of TJ's granola but if you go to this website you can see some pictures. There is something about the TJ granola and the Bakery on Main that just taste the same to me. Maybe it is the corn flour and evaporated cane juice. The distinct taste is pretty sweet, almost too sweet for me. It's good stuff, but pretty calorie dense (270 calories per 57 grams which is about 3/4 cup). You can eat the bigger chunks by hand but it also crumbles a bit so you'd probably want to finish the bag over some yogurt or in a bowl with some sort of milk.

Nutritional information and ingredients for the Bakery on Main version is available here. The nutritional info is the same and the ingredients would be identical but for some varied word choices (i.e. coconut vs. dried coconut; dried cranberries vs. cranberries and sugar; etc). The Trader Joe's version is cheaper by a few bucks. A 12 oz bag of the Bakery on Main's granola runs about $6 or $7 and TJ's is closer to $4.

Gopal's Italian Power Wrap

Since I really love the Gopal Vegan Curry Power Wrap, I decided to venture into other flavors of Gopals wraps by trying an Italian flavored wrap. Thumbs down. At first bite, the wrap gave me a sense of Italian flavored salad dressing. Something I usually like. But after a few bites, there was an overpowering flavor. I couldn't quite identify it until I read the ingredients. Lemon was the culprit. The wrap tasted too acidic and too lemony. I was really surprised just now when I read the description on the Gopal website. "It’s hard to beat the Italian Cuisine. This ‘cheesy’ wrap without the cheese is mild and loaded with valuable B-vitamins." I am guessing they describe it as cheesy because of the nutritional yeast. A lot of people say nutritional yeast makes things taste cheesy. I love nutritional yeast on a variety of things (pasta, popcorn, cauliflower, etc), and that ingredient is actually one reason why I assumed I'd enjoy this Italian wrap. But I couldn't even tell there was nutritional yeast in it. 


Eating this Italian wrap while I was on the go also reminded me about how much they stick to the teeth. I still love the Vegan Curry wrap but definitely do not eat these nori wraps on the way to the dentist or a job interview unless you've got chewing gum, floss, and a toothbrush.


Ingredients: Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Sesame Seeds, Organic Sun Dried Tomatoes, Organic Raw Nori (Fish Free), Nutritional Yeast, Organic lemon, Celtic Sea Salt ® and Organic Spices.
Nutritional Facts: Serving size: 16g, Amount per Serving: Calories 80, Fat Cal. 60, Total Fat 7g (10% DV), Sat. Fat 0.5g (4% DV), Trans. Fat 0g (0% DV), Cholest. 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 125mg (5% DV), Total Carb. 4g (1% DV), Fiber 2g (fiber_DV% DV), Sugars 0g, Protein 4g, Vitamin A (2% DV), Vitamin C (4% DV), Calcium (2% DV), Iron (6% DV). Present Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2.000 calorie diet.

NuGO FREE Carrot Cake bar

NuGO FREE bars are gluten, soy, and dairy free, and are certified OU Pareve (whatever that means). Who doesn't love carrot cake? My mom's carrot cake is the best on the planet, so I'm usually disappointed when it comes to carrot cake, but I thought I'd give this a try when I saw it on display at my local Raley's grocery store. It's not very good. It's kind of like a stale, dry gluten-free rice krispie treat with a hint of carrot cake overtones, plus a smidgeon of icing on top. I miss Rice Krispie treats - gluten free imitations of Rice Krispies are just not that good. Something about the flavor just tastes off.  In the carrot cake bar's defense, what can you expect from shelf stable gluten free "healthy" carrot cake in a foil wrapper? It's definitely not a dessert substitute, and it's not much for a satisfying snack either. I wouldn't buy this flavor bar again, and the other NuGo FREE bars have dark chocolate, of which I'm not a fan. So unless NuGo FREE gets some new flavors, I won't be buying their bars again.

Ingredients: Rice Protein Crisp (Rice Protein Concentrate and Rice Flour), Crisp Rice (Rice Flour), Crystalline Fructose, Tapioca Syrup, Walnuts, Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Agave Syrup, Chicory Root Fiber, Icing (Sugar, Invert Sugar, Tapioca Syrup, Water, Flaxseed Oil, Salt, Microcrystalline Cellulose), Raisins, Rice Protein, Water, Dried Carrots, Organic Acacia Gum, Cinnamon, Natural Flavors, Baking Soda, Salt, Almonds. Allergen Statement: Contains Walnuts and Almonds. Manufactured in a Plant that Uses Tree Nuts and Peanuts.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS: Serving Size: 1 Bar, Servings Per Package: 1, Calories 160, Calories from fat 30,
Total Fat 3g 5%, Saturated Fat 0g 0%, Trans Fat 0g 0%, Cholesterol 0mg 0%, Sodium 85mg 4%, Total Carbohydrate 27g 9%, Dietary Fiber 3g 12%, Sugar 13g, Protein 9g, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 2%, Iron 2%,

Oskri Bars

The Oskri bars are thin, flat, crunchy bars that stick to your teeth. I picked one up a year or so ago because it was made with quinoa. The nutritional information is a little odd. There are 3 thin crunchy slices per package in the Quinoa bars and the Sesame bars. Some packages say a serving is 1 slice, some say it's all 3. Sometimes I eat all 3 slices, sometimes I share them with other people, or save a slice or two for later. Be ready to have this sticky bar stick to your teeth with whichever one of these you choose. I usually need to wash my fingers off after eating these too. It's a dry-sticky, not a gooey-sticky though. It's easy to draw out this snack since it takes some time to chew through, and there are 3 bars to get through.

Quinoa Bars:  I like the Quinoa bars the best. They are good, nothing fabulous, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy these, unless I was on my way to the dentist.

Ingredients: Rice Syrup, 10% Quinoa, Sesame Seeds, Date Syrup.
Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 bar (53g), Servings per package 1, Amount per serving: Calories 230, Total Fat 12g (18% DV), Sodium 61mg (4% DV), Total Carb. 26g (9% DV), Sugars 14g, Protein 6g, Calcium 8%, Iron 10%, % Daily Values (DV) based on a 2000 cal. diet.
 
Sesame Bar with Date Syrup: I don't really like the Sesame Bar with Date Syrup. I think it's just the sesame flavor is too powerful for me. This is one of those items I've bought a few times because it sounds like something I would like. I love dates. But I just don't like this flavor that much.
 
Ingredients: 49% sesame seeds, 26% date syrup, 25% rice syrup.
Nutritional Facts Serving size: 1 slice (18g), Servings per package 3, Amount per serving: Calories 89, Total Fat 5g (7% DV), Sodium 2mg (0% DV), Total Carb. 10g (3% DV), Sugars 8g, Protein 3g, % values based on a 2000 cal diet.
 

Gopal's Vegan Curry Power Wrap

The Gopal power wraps are essentially a snack bar wrapped in nori - novel and delicious concept! I've only tried the Vegan Curry flavor, but I love it. Each package has two wraps. They are soft which surprised me, but sinking your teeth into a curry flavored snack on the go is a pretty nice feeling. Like most snack bars, it's a little pricey, but what a nice change from the typical prepackaged snack food!

Price $1.99 at Gluten Free Specialty. 

Ingredients: Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Almonds, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Raw Agave Nectar, Organic Raw Nori (Fish Free), Celtic Sea Salt ® and Organic Curry Powder.

Serving size: 16g, Amount per Serving: Calories 80, Fat Cal. 60, Total Fat 6g (10% DV), Sat. Fat 0.5g (3% DV), Trans. Fat 0g (0% DV), Cholest. 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 135mg (6% DV), Total Carb. 4g (1% DV), Fiber 2g (fiber_DV% DV), Sugars 2g, Protein 3g, Vitamin A (2% DV), Vitamin C (2% DV), Calcium (2% DV), Iron (6% DV). Present Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2.000 calorie diet.

New Blog

I'm starting this blog so I can keep track of what gluten free snacks I like. I buy a variety of prepackaged gluten free snacks to keep on hand and I like trying new flavors and new brands, but sometimes I don't like a certain flavor or a brand, and I can't remember which ones I've tried. Everyone has different tastes, so this might not be helpful to anyone other than me, but this might be a useful blog for someone who finds he or she has similar tastes to me!