This is a continuation of last week’s post on different products I’ve recently tried. My last post focused on purchased foods – the good and the bad. Today’s post will again, focus on purchased foods.
“Herdez” Guacamole Salsa (Mild): Saw it, it was on sale and I picked it up on a whim. Really good, with just a little bit of bite. I will be buying this again.
“So Delicious Dairy Free Coco Whip!” Coconut Whipped Topping: So excited to find this in the freezer section! The guy at Whole Foods told me they’ve carried it for a few years now. Who knew?? Its’ just like Cool Whip – only without the dairy. It is a coconut milk product and every once in a while I could taste the slightest hint of coconut. Kevin (who is not a fan of coconut) said he never picked up the coconut taste. Glad I bought two tubs of this, we already ate one.
“Kirkland Signature Nut Bars”: Very good. They reminded me of a “Kind” bar. Our friend Lerry had these. He said he bought them at Costco. I’m not a Costco member, but I did find I can order them online.
“365 Everyday Value” Strawberry fruit bars: These are a Whole Foods brand product. They reminded me of the “Outshine” Fruit Bars. I’ve not compared ingredients between the two. I do know; I could only eat ½ of the bar because it was really sweet. The jury is still out on these. I need to do a little more research.
“Albanese” brand gummy candies: Our nephew, Hennace, recently stayed for two weeks with us. It bothered him that my dairy, egg and wheat allergies greatly limited my candy options. He made it his mission to find a candy I could eat and also buy locally. (Small town = three gas stations/party stores and a dollar store – no grocery store). He found the Albanese candy at the Dollar General here in town and bought two bags for me. Towards the end of his visit with us, Hennace bought one more bag of the Albanese candy – at an “AGO” gas station we stopped at while driving north for a camping trip.
While camping; we stopped at the Tubb’s Lake Resort camp store, which was near our campground. We picked up the usual things and Kevin and Hennace both ordered hot fudge sundaes before we left. While waiting for their order to be completed, Kevin looked in their little frozen treats freezer. He found individual “Outshine” frozen fruit bars and one pint cartons of “Almond Dream” Cappuccino Swirl ice cream. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Woohoo!! I bought the Almond Dream ice cream. The fact that they actually carried 2 different dairy-free individual treats made my day. I let the girl working there know how much I appreciated it. Positive feedback will hopefully convince them to continue carrying these items.
What I’ve discovered while writing these last two posts, is that not only do I need to look around a little bit more while buying groceries, I also need to look in places where I’d least expect to find food items I can safely eat. Places like Rite Aid, the Dollar General, a gas station and a small camp store. If stores are making the effort to carry some food allergy friendly foods, we owe it to them to not only buy these products, but also thank them for selling these items. They need to be made aware that what they are doing makes a difference to us. They also need to know that the extra effort they are making to provide these foods is worth it.
Thanks for stopping!
Brenda
Disclaimer:
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels! Do your research!)