Gluten-free sweets next to the coffee machine

Update (5/29/2012): I scanned a pack of M & Ms with the application Shopwise that tells me if a product contains gluten. If you are in doubt, I advise you to check them as well as your other favorite goodies. Feel free to leave me a comment with your suggestions.

I found a very interesting article: here.

I have not seen a medical validation and the recipes may have changed since.

Therefore we need to ask the manufacturers for a new validation.

According to this article, all M & M’s (except the pretzel-flavored ones) and Snickers….should therefore be gluten free, but Mars bars are not!

You can see the list on the relevant page.

When you are choosing products you can still treat yourself and stay gluten free!

What is gluten sensitivity?

Because my father is gluten intolerant I have undergone all the necessary tests but they have come back negative.
Obviously this does not in any way mean that I will not be affected because the problem can arise later in life.

On the other hand many people who are gluten intolerant have negative test results.
Some researchers would go even further. A large section of the population could be sensitive to gluten without being intolerant. The little ups and downs of everyday life (such as digestive trouble, tiredness, etc.), could be linked to this sensitivity, although of course we should not generalize.

This is why I’ve decided to undertake this experiment, knowing my hereditary background and having read several first-hand accounts, scientific papers and feedback.

Gluten free for everyone ?

A person who is gluten intolerant has no choice. At the moment, there is no other solution for them apart from cutting out gluten entirely and adhering to a strict diet.
For someone who is allergic to gluten, it’s the same: there is no alternative.

Do you ever suffer from digestive problems? Chronic fatigue? Minor ailments that you put down to the stress of everyday life or a nervous temperament?
If your answer is “yes”, then you might be gluten intolerant. Serious digestive troubles aren’t always present so an underlying problem may be hidden. To try and find out, there are several blood tests available as well as intestinal biopsies. It must be said that these aren’t 100% reliable. Some people who are gluten intolerant have perfectly normal results over a greater or lesser period.

But that’s not all…Gluten has adverse effects and some people have enormous sensitivity to this substance without actually being intolerant. According to researchers, these people could make up a large percentage of the world’s population.
Of course we can’t put all the ills in the world down to gluten. On the other hand it might be a good idea to eat less of it to improve one’s quality of life.
Many top sports people have adopted a gluten free diet to improve their performance.

Gluten-free pasta Bolognese

Ready-meals are not off-limits to those who don’t eat gluten.

In fact, there are several gluten-free ready-meals on the market.
I’m going to tell you about the pasta Bolognese made by Les Recettes de Céliane.
I’m a lover of this dish and until now I have only eaten it as part of a normal diet, so I was a bit worried about how well this gluten-free version would turn out.
Having opened the packet, I began by smelling the pasta. I still had my doubts ;)
Then I mixed the sauce with the pasta and put it the whole thing into the microwave for 3 minutes.

I sniffed the dish again and I must say that it smelled more than appetizing.
Having cleared my plate, the result was very satisfying. The flavors were really good and it’s very likely that this new dish will become one of my favorite products when I’m looking for a meal in a hurry (at the office, for example).
Big eaters might need to add a bit extra to this meal but it was quite enough for me.

The +
- easy to prepare
- flavor

The -
-not quite enough for big eaters

Pâte à la bolognaise sans gluten

Mini chocolate marble cakes gluten-free

I tried some of Valpiform’s mini marble cakes for breakfast.

They are moist cakes, light and airy and of good quality.
One needs to count two pieces per person for breakfast.

The only criticism that comes to mind is that there is a slight lack of chocolate which I need to fulfil my chocolate needs.

the +

- Practical size / format
- light
- tasty

the -

- Not enough chocolate

Strawberry/apricot centre gluten free fondants

These fondants are proposed by “Les recettes de Céliane“.

You will find 9 freshness sachets per packet.
I tasted 2 different flavours : strawberry centre and apricot centre.

Light, these small treats have a very pleasant taste.

Have two or three fondants for breakfast if you do not eat very much when you get up. If the opposite is true, they are perhaps not the ideal choice, as a packet would not last very long.

Do not hesitate to keep one of these fondants in your pocket, in case you have hunger pangs during the day.

The +
- light
- pleasant taste
- very handy format

The -
- limited timespan for big breakfast appetites (should you wish to have them for breakfast)