Udi's Gluten Free Products - Review

Disclosure - I received free product to facilitate this review all opinions are my own

My One Little Word for 2013, is "focus". Part of my focus for the year, is on improving my healthy lifestyle. While none of us have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or a sensitivity to Gluten, I have heard that reducing your Gluten intake can help you "feel" better.

In thinking about this, I wanted to know what Gluten actually is. . .and I discovered that it is a protein found in wheat that gives elasticity to dough, helping is to rise and keep its shape.  So, is this "bad" for us if we don't have a known intolerance or Celiac Disease? My research tells me no . . .however, it is not substantially "healthier" either, but if it makes me "feel better" (meaning less bloated), then it could be a win.

Udi's sent us a package of goodies to try out and see if we could substitute some of our regular (WITH Gluten) products with their Gluten Free varieties. Udi's products are counter stable for 5-7 days, good in the fridge for 21 days and good in the freezer for 6 months. To start off with, I froze the breads, tortillas and pizza crusts.

I put the muffins in the refrigerator; however the Blueberry ones were gone within 24 hours. My kids said they were comparable to a Dunkin Donut Blueberry Muffin. I had to agree that they are soft and fluffy, with a great consistency and taste. I made strawberry shortcakes with the Double Vanilla Muffins, slicing them in half, adding cut strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream on the top. Delicious!

The pizza crusts I put in the freezer, but they only made it a day, as my kids asked for personal pizzas for lunch the following afternoon. These were perfect because the directions say cook from frozen. I added some sauce and some cheese, popped them in the oven, and in a matter of minutes the kids had personal pizzas that they enjoyed outside on the patio. There have already been requests to buy more of these, and personally, I think they make a great lunch or even an after-school or camp snack.

A few nights later we grilled up hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner, and I tried out the classic Hamburger and Hot Dog Rolls. Everyone ate them and said they had a great taste. My husband thought it was a bit "too much bread" (which could mean I needed to make bigger burgers - lol). I have heard people say that the rolls and bread taste "stale", but I put the rolls (wrapped in a paper towel) in the microwave for about 30 seconds prior to serving, and no one mentioned staleness!

We were not fans of the tortillas. . .but I think it was a consistency issue more than a taste issue. I made some ham and cheese pinwheels for the kids and the tortillas ripped very easily, and my kids thought they had a "dry" taste to them. I still have the small size in the freezer and I'm going to try making quesadillas with them and see if we have better results.If we do, I'll update here and you can check me out on Instagram.

Where do I start with the cookies? My mother's favorite cookies are Snicker Doodles, so I brought them down to share with her. She thought they were delicious. We (ok, probably me) ate all the Double Chocolate Brownie Bites in about 36 hours. They are the perfect size and dose of chocolate for a mid-day or after-dinner pick-me-up. I think they would be great as a lunchbox treat as well. The kids are picky about Chocolate Chip Cookies, and prefer homemade to any brand of store-bought ones. These were no exception for them; however I think they are great with a glass of milk or cup of tea.

I still have two loaves of bread and the whole wheat burger buns in the freezer to try out, but overall I would call our Udi's experiment a win. The Muffins, Cookies and Pizza Crusts will have a regular place on our shopping list.

Udi's is an American made food, hailing from Colorado. They were started in 1994, and have a strong online presence, helping consumers with finding product, preparing product, recipe ideas and more.

Have you tried Udi's? What's your favorite product or recipe?

catch you soon -

Disclosure - I received a box of free Udi's product to facilitate this review. All opinions are my very own (or that of my family) and I will always be honest with you, my reader.