Enjoy Life Soft Baked Bars: Chocolate Sunbutter & S'mores

Enjoy Life is one of the most prominent food brands designed for people with food allergies.  Its products are free of the 8 most common allergens (wheat, milk, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish).  They are also gluten-free and contain no genetically modified organisms (non-GMO).  

Get Allergy Wise was recently invited by Enjoy Life to try out their 100% Natural Decadence Bars, the company's newest line of allergy-friendly snacks.  These soft-baked bars come in boxes of five, perfect for sampling among Get Allergy Wise's collective brood of five kids.

The Natural Decadence bars are made in a dedicated facility that uses none of the top 8 allergens.  Most of Enjoy Life products are made in dedicated top-8 allergen-free facilities though you should double check your ingredient label (we always do anyway, right?) for specifics.  I say this because in the process of contacting Enjoy Life reps to verify the "freeness" of the bar-making facility, I was surprised to learn that the company's Plentils chips are made in a facility that also produces containing dairy.  The Plentils are made on a dedicated dairy-free line in a separate area of the facility but milk is handled elsewhere within the same facility.  I appreciated getting a prompt explanation from one of EJ's reps.  Batches of Enjoy Life products regularly go through testing for allergens to ensure that cross contamination has occurred.

We have our kids try two varieties of decadent bars, the chocolate sunbutter and the S'mores.  Oh, the sacrifices our kids make in the name of blogging!  We recorded their sometimes random comments below:

Our five Taste Testers:
T: 8 1/2 years old
R: 8 years old
L: 6 years old
C: 5 years old
A: 4 years old

First up: Enjoy Life Natural Decadence Chocolate Sunbutter Bars

How did the bars taste?  Did you like the flavor?
T: They were very chocolaty and melty.  The flavor was kinda too sweet for me.
R: They were sweet.  It was good and bad at the same time.  It was too sweet on some parts, and just right on others.
A: A little salty and sweet.  I liked them.
C: I liked it because the taste.  The taste means chocolate!
L: It's too good for me.  I like it very much!

What was the texture like?
T: It was sticky and they were very hard to chew.
R: It was bumpy and rough. 
A:  A little crunchy.

Where would you eat them?
T: Somewhere very cold like Antarctica because I didn't like the chocolate melting.
R: Anywhere.
A: At the playground.

When would you eat them?
T: At night because it is very cold and I like cold weather.
R: For dessert.
A: When would I eat what?  [The Sunbutter bars we were just talking about] Oh, lunch.

How do they compare to other snacks or bars you've eaten?
T: Compared to fruit, I didn't really like them.
R: Compared to Trader Joe's crunchy oats and honey granola bars (Irene's kids love these), I like the Enjoy Life ones.  They are 50/50 (meaning he likes them equally).

Would you recommend them to a friend?
T: I would tell some of my friends that are allergic to nuts that they might like it instead of having something else for a snack for lunch, breakfast, or a dessert at anytime.
R: Yes, cause they are very good.  

Next up: Enjoy Life Natural Decadence S'mores Bars

How does this S'mores bar taste compared to the Chocolate Sunbutter flavor?
L: I think I like the S'mores one more than the Sunbutter one because it's more chocolaty and I like chocolate.
T: I like this one better.  It tastes less chocolaty.
R: It tastes like chocolate.  I like it better, but both are good.
C: Good.  It's crunchy.  It's less chocolaty (than chocolate sunbutter bar).  It feels better.  The taste -- it feels better than the sunbutter bar.

Does it taste like a real (dairy-free) S'mores that you've had at camping?
C: Well, yes, it tastes a little bit like it.  It tastes like the graham cracker part.  It tastes pretty much like the marshmallow part.

Do you prefer the S'mores flavor, Chocolate Sunbutter flavor, or another type of bar?
C: I like the S'mores.

If we went to a birthday party, let's say I didn't bring you a safe cupcake.  How would you feel about eating one of these instead? 
C: Good!  I would eat it.


Irene also had a chance to sample the cinnamon bun flavor.  She liked the soft texture and the fact that there was no chocolate that might quickly melt all over her hands.  (Really, she's more concerned about chocolate all over her active boys' hands!)  While it didn't have the burst of cinnamon that one might expect from its name, the cinnamon bun bar was still tasty.  It had the most natural taste and reminded her of apple cinnamon oatmeal.  Although it contains slightly less sugar (11 grams per bar), the cinnamon bun bar didn't taste as sweet to her as the S'mores had.  The S'mores was a little too sweet for the grownups but the kids sure liked them!

Look for Enjoy Life Natural Decadence Bars in your local grocery and natural foods stores.  We have spotted them in Target stores, too.  We have seen them on shelves for roughly $5.00 per box of 5 bars.  These bars are not cheap --- but you are paying for the safety of snacks that are made in facilities completely free of the top 8 food allergens.  If you are a food allergy parent, you know from personal experience that feeding your family safely comes with a high price tag.  (If you are interested in more concrete figures, read a recent article about the cost of food allergies.)

My biggest hope for Enjoy Life bars is that they can find a way to fortify them with more vitamins, fiber, or protein without sacrificing their commitment to being safe of the top allergens.  I would love to see allergy-friendly bars that have the nutritional powerhouse of an energy bar!  Until then, our family will add Enjoy Life Natural Decadence Bars to the list of safe special treats to share with our other friends with food allergies or when I can't make a safe dessert myself.

The Pure Pantry Saves Valentines Day

Until this year, I think the kids still truly believed that Valentines Day was all about spending a few weeks creating lovely tokens of friendship for their classmates, and not about candy.  We thankfully still had the homemade cards, which I was so grateful for.  In fact, it was Addi's first year exchanging Valentines cards, and when the morning came, she got a bit teary-eyed over the thought of parting with her 30 painted and glittered hearts.

Who can blame her for not wanting to part with her creations?

 

 

 

 

She begrudgingly brought her Valentines cards to school, but quickly had a change of heart--yes, a change of heart--when she realized she had received 30 lovely cards, many with candy attached. 

Back at home, with all of her cards scattered in front of her, some ripped open envelopes (why is it so difficult for children to open envelopes?), and a pile of lollipops, chocolates, and other confections, I finally relented and gave her a lollipop. 

And then there were two.  Two holidays she now associates with getting a piece of candy.

She's the lucky one without food allergies, but it was heartbreaking after so many years of a strict 'no candy rule' to see the kids wanting it more and more.

As for my MFA (that would be Multiple Food Allergic) boys, I was rushing around the kitchen at 8 am on Valentines Day trying to whip up chocolate cupcakes, only to discover I was low on pantry staples like flour and sugar. 

In a pinch, I dug out one of the mixes I'd picked up at the Gluten & Allergy Free Expo last weekend.  We are not gluten-free, but we do avoid egg, dairy, and all nuts (except coconut), and it was really eye-opening to sample lots of products that were free of the top 8.  I am a gluten-free novice, but found the cake at this booth so incredibly rich and delicious that I had to buy a bag to see for myself.

The Pure Pantry Mixes at the GFAF Expo were beautiful to look at but are even better to bake with.

 

In a blind taste test, I would've never guessed that the Pure Pantry Wholegrain Dark Chocolate Cake Mix was anything free.  How they managed to get such a moist, rich, and delicious cake with a true dark chocolate taste out of this mix is beyond me.  To prepare it without egg, I used Ener-G Egg Replacer according to the directions.  I also opted for coconut oil, as I had used it in Irene's brownies, and was impressed by the results.  I liked how the directions included dietary modifications, and some recipes for frostings.

I topped the cupcakes with an egg and dairy free cream cheese frosting that I made with soy cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, but quickly found that the frosting wouldn't hold up without remaining chilled.  Nevertheless, frosting-less cupcakes were a hit with the boys, as well as with my littliest sweets monster.  We've been frosting them and gobbling them up for dessert in the last few days.  I've managed to eat my fair share of the two dozen I baked, telling myself I'm doing it for the good of the team.  :)

In the end, I think the spirit of card-making and giving still won out over the candy.  Addi's lollipop was never even finished before it was dumped into the compost bag, and, even after the candy came and went (into the compost bag alongside a half-eaten lollipop), the cards and memory of a day filled with love remain.

I hope you and yours had a fabulous and safe Valentines Day.

Product review: Plentils Crunchy Lentil Chips

Allergy-friendly company Enjoy Life Foods was one of our generous sponsors from last year's Food Allergies Rock concert event.  Recently the company reached out to us to see if we would be interested in trying out a new chip.  Would my milk-allergic, nut-allergic kids like to try some new snacks?  Um.  YES!!

Enjoy Life's newest addition, Plentils, is a line of snack chips that uses lentil flour as a key ingredient.  Like their other products, Plentils are free of the top 8 allergens -- milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts.  It is also gluten-free and free of any artificial flavors.

We received a sample of four Plentil flavors: margherita pizza, sour cream and dill, garlic & parmesan, and light sea salt.  Now, my kids have never tried a lot of the popular chip brands and flavors.  This is in part due to their food allergies and in part because I try to avoid buying a lot of junk food.  Never have the boys eaten Doritos or Pringles' or Lay's Sour Cream and Onion, snacks that were standard munchies in my husband's and my own teenage and 20-something years.  My kids were pretty excited to try Plentils.  Heck, I was pretty excited to try them!  I wanted to know if it was possible to have a healthier and allergy-friendly chip that was a flavor substitute for the usual party snack. 

The first two flavors we tried were the Dill & Sour Cream and Margherita Pizza.  Why these two, you ask?  Well, if you must know I used to love Sour Cream & Onion chips as a kid and my husband is a recovering Doritos addict.  My well-trained and ultra-cautious (bless his allergic heart) son, Ryken, kept asking me, "Mommy, are these safe?  It says 'cream' and 'pizza'...'parmesan'?!?!"  I read and reread the labels twice and gave the bags to him for his own inspection.  I have been having Ryken double check labels since he is a proficient reader and want to reinforce his responsibility in ensuring his own safety.  No milk, no nuts.

Sorry for the shirtless chip models.  It's been a sweaty September!

The safety check out of the way, we broke open the bags and away we munched.  The lentils were crisp and light although definitely thicker than a typical corn-based or potato-based chip.  Both varieties were flavorful without being too overpowering.  Ryken, who usually doesn't like most beans, was surprised that these contained lentil flour.  He rechecked the label in disbelief.  Plentils definitely didn't leave the same powdery residue that I remember from bright orange Doritos or flavored Pringles.  Overall, the kids liked the dill sour cream and the margherita pizza but, without question, they liked the pizza-flavored chips best.  My husband and I agreed that the pizza flavor was reminiscent of Doritos!

Incidentally I also sampled the Garlic & Parmesan flavor just before posting this review.  My first reaction: Funyuns.  And that's a good thing in my book!  

The seasonings made these Plentils looks like Cool Ranch Doritos.

Enjoy Life's product website discusses the use of lentils to create a more nutritious snack.  The company touts lentils as an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals including folate, thiamine, and iron to name a few.  However, in checking out the nutritional information on the Plentils packaging, there was very little listed about the mineral and vitamin content.  The standard calcium, iron, vitamins A and C are listed but there is only 4 percent of iron per 1-ounce serving size.  I was surprised to see that the chip doesn't have a lot of fiber (1 gram per serving) and it contains 6 grams of fat and roughly 130 calories per 1 ounce serving.  Each serving contains 3 grams of protein compared to 2 grams in Dorito's or Lay's Potato Chips.  It is true, as Enjoy Life's website states, that the fat content is roughly 40 percent less than that of potato chips.  However, Plentils' calorie count and fat are only slightly less than Doritos.  Just because it uses lentil flour does not mean Plentils should be regarded as a health food; but they are a bit healthier that the other chips out there in part because of its natural flavors.

Overall, we liked Plentils and think Enjoy Life succeeded in creating a safe and appealing snack chip.  Subtle and tasty, Plentils will be a nice option for a special treat or party food for my kids.

Product Review: Trader Joe's Fresh Noodles, Egg-free and Preservative-Free

Going to a Trader Joe's grocery store sometimes feels like opening the prize chest at the dentist's office.  You already know there are tons of fun things you like but every now and then you're surprised by some new treats!

The latest of these new treats for me is Trader Joe's fresh noodles which I found near the tofu and veggie meats.  One of the notable things about these noodles is that they do not contain egg, an ingredient that is fairly common in Asian noodles.  Flat and about as wide as fettuccine, the post-cooking texture is a cross between the dry, wheat-based noodles sold at Asian supermarkets and fresh Chinese-style egg noodles.  What got me most excited about these noodles was their simplicity.  The noodles you find in Asian supermarkets are all made with preservatives and artificial colors.  The ingredients of Trader Joe's fresh noodles are straight forward:  "wheat flour, water, salt, and corn starch."  Hooray!  No guesswork involved.

The Trader Joe's noodles are vacuum-sealed, soft and fresh, and only take 5-7 minutes to cook.  Boil them for 5 minutes, rinse with cool water and drain.  Then toss them into a pan and mix with stir-fried vegetables, your choice of protein, soy sauce (for wheat allergies, use gluten-free soy sauce or GF tamari), sesame oil (again, if you are not allergic), and a bit of salt, sugar, and finely ground white pepper. 

If you are wheat-allergic or gluten-intolerant, Trader Joe's also sells fresh rice noodles.  I was shocked to find that the fresh rice noodles offered at my own local Asian supermarket do in fact contain wheat starch, rendering them unsafe for those who cannot eat wheat and gluten. 

The Trader Joe's rice noodles are a little thinner than the wheat-based noodles.  They good for making pho and other Southeast Asian noodle dishes.  One of my favorite Thai noodles is pad kee mao, or "drunken noodles", which can be made spicy with sambal oolek ("Rooster Sauce").  Pad kee mao calls for wide rice noodles but I think the Trader Joe's rice noodles work just fine.  The blog Massive Appetite provides a good recipe.  For shellfish allergies, vegetarian oyster sauce exists.

I recommend trying out these new products.  They cook up quickly and there's nothing like eating fresh noodles!

Kid-Friendly Salads

"I just can't stop eating this salad!" my seven-year-old exclaimed tonight at dinner.

I have waited so long to hear those words.  My kids eating and loving salad--I wasn't sure I'd see the day.  I thought, they'd never eat raw veggies, in a salad, no less.  I had made so many textbook mistakes along the way: introducing fruit based-baby food before veggies, serving exclusively cooked veggies instead of raw ones, giving up on finding tasty salad dressings and dips free of nuts, eggs, and dairy for my food allergic children.

Their newfound love for salad comes in the midst of what seems like a constant barrage of new findings that have induced severe pangs of guilt among parents of small children everywhere (particularly FA moms), such as the connection between triclosan in antibacterial soaps contributing to food allergies, the detriments of feeding soy to young children, the hazards of buying produce that isn't organically grown...the list goes on and on.  And although most of these studies may still be in research stages, there are varying degrees of merit to each of them.  You start checking dangerous foods off your list, minus the food allergies, and what are we left with?

Before we declare defeat, we remember that a balanced diet is what it says it is--a balance, or a variety of foods, to maintain a healthful diet.  No matter how they may alter the food pyramid into something virtually unrecognizable (it's now a plate, by the way), fruits and veggies remain at the top of the list.
 
And that is why I am so grateful for salad.  It is very possible that salad will remain a staple in the diet of my food allergic children, as adolescents, teens, college students (one can hope), and adults.  And that would be great, because they're easy to make, easy to tailor to one's tastes and food restrictions, and always in season.

So without further ado, a few tips about how to introduce and yes, get your kids to love eating salad:

1. Perseverance and patience.  As skeptical (and I was the biggest skeptic of all) as you might be, try try and try again.  You do this when you're introducing food to an infant, you just get a little less optimistic and headstrong as they become picky toddlers.  My mom has almost always served a green salad as a side for Sunday night dinners, and after weeks and weeks (and weeks!) of refusing salad, they now ask for salad on a regular basis.  It started with one tomato, then a few, then many, then a piece of lettuce to go with the tomatoes, and so on.

2. Stick with the familiar, at first.  Create first salads using a few well-loved ingredients, and cook or par-cook or grill some of the veggies if they're accustomed to them that way.  Slowly introduce favorite cooked veggies raw, and new veggies and other ingredients that may be less familiar.  When introducing a new ingredient, place in on the side in a bowl so kids have the option to taste test it before adding it to their salad, and can control its portion before adding it to their plates.

Healthful salads can be customized to accommodate food allergies and picky eaters.

3. Let the children lend a hand.  Start at the farmer's market or supermarket by allowing children to pick a few ingredients, preferably fresh fruits or veggies, to add to their salad.  Teach them to prepare the ingredients--wash, peel, cut, etc., as age appropriate.  The lettuce dryers and salad tossing are always a big hit.

4. Create a salad bar.  Give each ingredient its own bowl or plate and allow the whole family to personalize their salads.  Because of cross contamination often found in restaurant salad bars, this could be a unique opportunity for our food allergic children.

5. Have an assortment of allergy-safe dressings for your children to choose from.  The children hosted a salad dressing pop poll tonight at the dinner table, and were tickled to see which dressing each family member liked and disliked.  I especially like a few of the Brianna's Homestyle Dressings, like their Rich Poppy Seed and Saucy Ginger Mandarin.  For you DIY types, pick up a salad dressing bottle with recipe measurements inscribed on the outside--like the Kolder Salad Dressing Bottle--making shaking, serving, storing, and clean-up a breeze.

6. Start with the more kid-friendly leafy greens.  Baby spinach, butter lettuce, and romaine lettuce are all good choices--they've got good crunch, but are easy to chew and on the sweeter end of the spectrum.

7. Keep a few more "exotic" ingredients on hand for salad nights.  I add tortilla strips and bacon bits to salads to help entice little ones.  Irene added quinoa, edamame, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds to her Greens and Quinoa Salad.  Think pomegranate seeds, bosc pears, sliced strawberries, artichoke hearts, olives, and heirloom tomatoes.  You'll be surprised what your kids gravitate to, and they'll be even more surprised!

Add salad nights to your weekly dinner repertoire!  Enjoy!

There's a new market in town...Fresh & Easy

In my perfect world, there is a mall a few blocks away from my house with about 5 different markets, each one with the few essentials I want and need every week.  As it is, I am running between Trader Joe's, Safeway, and Fresh & Easy.  With limited time during the week, it's frustrating that there isn't just one place that stocks everything I need.  

I got a one year anniversary flier in the mail yesterday for a new chain of markets that moved to our neighborhood.  I was excited about something moving in within walking distance of our house, but it takes a while to get acclimated to a new market, especially when you have food allergic children.  After a year and several visits, I am pleased to say that I am impressed by the efforts that Fresh & Easy has made to cater to a clientele with an ever growing list of dietary restrictions and food allergies.

The first thing I like about Fresh & Easy is their coupons.  They are plentiful, and although I know they are a marketing ploy, I appreciate them nonetheless.  They come in the mail and they come with the newspaper.  They're everywhere.

On top of that, the store is always impeccably clean and bright with ample parking and a few spaces earmarked for customers with children.  

Next, the bread.  Sandwiches for 3 kids at least 3 to 4 times a week and toast for breakfast means I buy a ton of bread.  You see that crazy lady buying two loaves of bread at a time?  That's me.  Rainbo bread used to be my go-to for sandwiches.  But since they changed their recipe a few years back to include dairy, we can't buy it anymore.  I am constantly checking ingredient labels on breads at every market I visit, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that Fresh & Easy carries their own brand of white bread without dairy.  Soft and fresh tasting too.  Yippee!

After a bit more searching, I found a number of items that I cannot find at my local TJ's, including a variety of So Delicious frozen treats made with coconut milk instead of dairy.  Our favorites are the dairy free Minis vanilla sandwiches and the Minis vanilla bars.

Other Trader Joe's-less items found at Fresh & Easy include Vegenaise vegan mayonnaise, Daiya dairy-free mozzarella cheese shreds, Aidell's chicken apple sausage, and IM Healthy Soy Nut Butter.

Now, for my biggest con: there are no employees to help you check out.  It's all self-service.  I mean, minus the one who inevitably comes around when your machine stalls.  Which drives me nuts with the number of glitches those machines have yet to work out.

I still fill my cart to the brim at TJ's, and need to make my Safeway stop, but I know that my Fresh & Easy visits are definitely worthwhile too.

Now even though it does require a bit of effort, a new environment can inspire new meal ideas.  Here is my latest inspiration from shopping at Fresh & Easy: chicken salad sandwiches.  An oldie but goodie, one of the things I made pre-allergic children.  Now that I've started regularly stocking Vegenaise in our fridge, I can add these sandwiches to my weekly lunch rotation.  My version includes canned or rotisserie chicken, Vegenaise mayonnaise, chopped celery, chopped green onions, a squeeze of lemon, thawed frozen petite peas, chopped cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add chopped apple or raisins for a touch of sweet if that's what you like.  My hubby and I love having a bowl of chicken salad stocked in the fridge.  Enjoy!