I approached Woolworths and suggested we put together a post for them highlighting some ideas for Christmas for those who have gluten issues in either their immediate or extended family, because it can be hard to come up with ideas, let alone ideas which taste good. We know because we have five kids at different rungs of the ladder when it comes to their stomachs and gluten – from ‘makes me feel doughy’ to ‘MY STOMACH HURTS’.
All these products were tested mid-week. On the bright side, it gave me an idea of the products they really, really liked – and which ones to leave out of this list.
Whether you’re an old gluten-avoiding-hand or have recently boarded the no-gluten train, I’m hoping this list of thirteen treats will help fellow gloriously glutenless gluttons to have a Merry Christmas.
1. free from gluten Iced Fruit Cake Slices
First cab off the rank. I accidentally bought two boxes of these.
2. free from gluten Fruit Cake
After sampling a little bit of the iced fruit cake above I thought this might not go down as well, but if anything, despite probably being the same recipe only without a coat of icing, the exclamations after trying a piece “This is really good,” were even more enthusiastic.
3. Woolworths free from gluten Buttermilk Pancake Shaker
We’ve been making these since the first of our mob were diagnosed with gluten issues. We love them and they taste no different to normal pancakes. Plus the kids can make them themselves. Just be aware, if you have a gluten free guest coming for Christmas and you aren’t used to catering for their issues, you mustn’t cook gluten free stuff in the same pan or with the same utensils as the gluten full stuff. You can’t even deep fry in the same oil. Trust me, it’s a thing and it’s important.
4. Woolworths Butter Flavoured Microwave Popcorn
Another old favourite here in Devereaux-ville, and proof again you don’t have to spend a lot to have snacks ready to go. We usually have a few packets in the pantry for special events (like I want some peace and quiet so I can watch Netflix in a different room).
5. free from gluten Fruit Mince Pies
I chopped one into five so the kids could try them.
6. Macro Certified Organic Original Corn Chips
Couple of surprises with these. The first was before I even got to the checkout: the price. Usually having someone in the family who is ‘gluten free’ translates to being ‘not-mortgage free’. I think they were a couple of bucks. Tasted just like corn chips and are shaped just right for dipping.
7. Macro Certified Organic Spicy BBQ Corn Chips
Of the two corn chip options, these were the favs. I know because I asked exactly that and five fingers pointed at this packet. But then the plain ones are more suited for dips anyway.
8. free from gluten Fruit Pudding (with custard)
If I’m honest, having the kids do taste tests on three lots of what are essentially fruit cakes in the one session might not have been the best idea. But they did willingly dig into bite-size pieces and grunt appreciatively. Especially Miss7, who beat the others to the blackberry on top. I will say this was an easy pudding to prep: one and a half minutes in the microwave and dribble on some custard. Better yet, it comes in a couple of sizes meaning you can give this to the gluten free guests, even if just one person with the mini-pudding, and have the gluten full puddings for everyone else.
9. Woolworths Pavlova + Cream + Fruit
The kids absolutely loved trying this!
Pavlovas were our birthday ‘cakes’ for virtually my entire childhood. I didn’t even realise how the rest of the planet revered them until I started to notice how excited our friends got at parties.
So that’s it: these are our nine suggestions for Christmas if you’re entertaining a gluten free glutton or simply looking for some fresh ideas. If you have any others you might like to suggest please do, because I’m not claiming to be the expert here: I’m just trying to make the best of a pain-in-the-tush situation like everyone else working their menus around this annoying, but ultimately manageable, affliction.
Thank you again to Woolworths for agreeing to work with us on this post. My kids were extremely impressed.
It is important to always check the label to ensure the product is right for your needs, particularly if you have a food allergy
~ raising a family on little more than laughs ~
