Who Knew Gluten Free Tasted So Good!

When Udi’s Gluten Free Foods offered me the opportunity to taste test and blog about their gluten free granola I jumped at the chance.  I LOVE granola.  There just something wholesome and delicious about granola.  I’m a crunch lover.  Crunchy textures really appeal to me – yes, I’m the one eating the overcooked crunchy French fries and the half-popped kernel of popped corn. 

So, first, what is gluten?  Gluten is a protein found in foods processed with wheat and grains related to wheat.  For most of us, gluten isn’t a concern.  However, there are some with Celiac disease that cannot eat products with gluten.  I am surprised how many people have to deal with this issue.

Udi’s is based in Denver, Colorado.  My home state!  They have a whole line of gluten free products including bagels, bread, buns, cookies, muffins, pizza and crust, brownies and granola.  Their website includes tips for going gluten free, living with Celiac disease, recipes and a community blog  where you can connect with other people living gluten free. 

I must say, I was quite excited when the box arrived!  They know how to make a reviewer feel good!  Aces for the presentation – if what’s inside is as good as the package, I’m stoked!

Breaking open the box, I discovered four packages of granola – Original, Au Naturel, Vanilla and Cranberry.

I felt I had to try the Original first as it sets the stage for the others.  Straight out of the package it was delicious!  I kid you not – addictive kind of delicious.  Don’t put it down kind of delicious!  Oats, wildflower honey, raisins, banana chips, walnuts, cashews, almonds and pistachios.  I’m not a banana fan, but eating around the chips is easy!  The nuts are amazing – I’m a nut fanatic.  I go to baseball games just so I can sit there shelling and eating peanuts.  (Ok, for the record, a peanut isn’t a nut, but…  It tastes like one, so there!)  Just look at all this goodness!

The other three flavors include –

Au Naturel – Oats and wildflower honey

Cranberry – Oats, wildflower honey, dried cranberries and walnuts

Vanilla – Oats, wildflower honey, almonds, vanilla

The Au Naturel is almost like a cereal with loads of wonderful oats.  The Cranberry has that wonderful tang from the berries and the crunch of the walnuts that taste wonderful.  (Reminds me of my favorite salad that has cranberries and walnuts.)  Finally, the vanilla is sweeter with a lovely crunch from almonds (my favorite nut) along with the delicious oats.  Yum!

How do I eat my granola you ask?  My favorite ways to eat granola are:

1.  By the handful
2.  Over yogurt
3.  On ice cream

4.  On top of a baked apple (reminds me of apple crisp)

Yep, I keep it simple.  Nothing too fancy.  If you want to get more creative, the website has recipes that sound just wonderful!  How about UdiGooey Granola Bars, or Pumpkin "Pie" Oatmeal Muffins?  Sounds good, doesn’t it?  I may have to try some of these myself. 
As this was my first foray into the gluten-free world of foods, I have to say it was a great experience!  Who knew?  I sort of assumed that gluten-free would be less tasty.  I was totally wrong.  What a wonderful, crunchy snack!

One added bonus – it’s only 120 calories for 1/4 of a cup!  I can put individual servings in small baggies and grab them on the run.  I’m always needing a little extra energy right before taekwondo.  This will serve that purpose perfectly!

A big Thank You to Udi’s Gluten Free Foods for giving me this opportunity.  They’ve earned a new customer in me.  I hope you’ll try them out!  You can get a $1.00 off coupon from their web site to get started, and then go to their store locator to find Udi's in a store near you! 

Disclaimer:  I received this granola package free from Udi's Gluten Free Foods in exchange for my honest review.