After hearing much about Trader Joe's and their gluten free fare, I decided to make a trek to my nearest store (about 30 miles away from my home). I found it to be much smaller than Whole Foods and a little less expensive. It didn't have as much variety as Whole Foods Market, but the experience is less overwhelming to a new whole foods connoisseur. They even have a gluten free listing on their website and at the service desk. I like it when stores make it easier to find their gluten free food options. I
really liked their produce and meat section. Someday when I am not so exhausted I will check out their frozen options. It is hard to shop at a new store, check out a new list, and attempt to find new products at a new store all while keeping two kids from behaving badly. It just wasn't the best scenario for a succesful shopping adventure. Next time I will go alone and find more things to enjoy. Their gluten free list can be found at: http://www.traderjoes.com/Attachments/NoGluten.pdf
So what's a girl to do when she is gluten free and sugar free? I have been a fan of agave nectar for several years. It is a great replacement for sugar for hypoglycemics, diabetics, or those who just prefer not to ingest so much sugar. The light variety has a very mild flavor and is great for everything including baking. It can be used to replace sugar in recipes the same as honey. The benefit of this over honey is that it has a low glycemic index and doesn't crystallize which lends to a longer shelf life. It is also organic, vegan, and kosher for those who care about that sort of thing.
This is something I found at Whole Foods this week when I was trying to find an old favorite of mine. My former favorite had been a Sugar Free Raspberry Vinaigrette by Maple Grove Farms, but after trying the Balsamic Vinaigrette at Panera Bread I decided to give this bottle of dressing a try. It is called Olive Oil and Balsamic Organic Vinaigrette by OrganicVille. It is very flavorful. The herbs in it are really superb. I did add a little extra agave nectar since it wasn't quite as sweet as I prefer. This dressing on top of organic baby lettuce with grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, shredded carrots, and some toasted almonds, sunflower & pumpkin seeds is like a party in my mouth.
Today I had some free time and decided to head to a nearby town which has 2 Whole Foods Market's. It had been 4-5 years since I had the joy of shopping in one. I just couldn't pass up the chance to go when my husband encouraged me to take the day off and do whatever I wanted while he watched the kids. It was a warm, sunny day, and traffic was great. It is hard to not be overwhelmed when you step foot inside this store. As a person with celiac disease, this store thrills me. There are gluten free options on every aisle of the store. For me, it is like being a kid in a candy store. I spent three hours perusing all the aisles (except the alcohol ones). I was finding new gluten free products I hadn't seen or tried before. It was an exercise in restraint as there were so many things I wanted to try. Many of our gluten free favorites were on sale and I stocked up on the sale items. I am so pleased with my little adventure today that I cannot wait to go back. This is seriously what I believe grocery stores should be like.
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