5 gluten-free products I HATED this month (and 5 I loved too!)

After the success of my last, 5 gluten-free products I hated post a few months back, I thought it was high time I did another! I’ve been taste testing a lot of new things recently-for both the blog and my freelance writing-everything from sandwiches to cake to cooking sauce. There’s so much hype about certain products at the moment that I just wanted to be honest about which ones didn’t hit the mark with me. So let’s find out what I am NOT a fan of and the products I do recommend.

5 gluten and dairy free products I hated this month.

1.Promise Gluten-Free Brioche Chocolate Chip Rolls

I’ve never seen something so hyped as the gluten-free brioche chocolate chips rolls by Promise. They were literally all over my Instagram feed; so I was so excited when I was able to nab a pack at my nearest Sainsbury’s (and offer for a £1 too-admittedly that’s a very reasonable price point).

There are not many sweet/breakfast options out there so these sounded perfect-and despite the chocolate chips they are dairy-free too.

However, despite my excitement, these just ended up being a letdown. They tasted stale and dry-and even the chocolate chips couldn’t cover that up! I was told to pop them in the oven, which made them marginally better, but I just can’t get excited about these I’m afraid.

2. Asda Gluten-Free Naan

I must admit, it’s great that Asda has mastered a naan which is also free from dairy. Asda’s one of my favourite supermarkets for gluten and dairy free food (See my ‘loves’ below) so I held out great hope for this one. But, I just don’t think it works. Understandably, it’s most likely because of the fact I haven’t had a naan for years; so I was expecting the soft, buttery alternative of its gluten-full counterpart-and this just was dry as anything and didn’t taste of much in terms of the flavour of a naan. Sorry, Asda!

3. Boots Gluten-Free Sandwiches

It’s fantastic that Boots are even doing sandwiches. So top marks to them! And, let’s be honest, they’re gluten-free sushi is fantastic; so that alone earns them a round of applause. But this sandwich is a no from me. The oaty bread is so tasteless; I felt like I was chewing cardboard. The filling was decent (but unexciting) and I guess if you’re in a hurry, it’s better than nothing. But I’d stick to the Sushi if I was you.

4.Rebellion Bean Crisps

What is everyone’s obsession with making crisps out of beans and peas lately? What’s wrong with potatoes! I have discovered some gems like BEPPS (made of black-eyed peas and taste just like wotsits!) and of course chickpea based Hippies but I was not so enamoured with these Rebellion Bean Crisps. The ingredients are healthy and they certainly offer the ‘crunch’ factor, but they were just flavourless. Perhaps they’re meant to be dipped?

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5.Violife Grated Cheese

I am a massive fan of Violife usually. I recently tried their Mediterranean block and it was hands down the best vegan cheese I’d tried (it’s perfect for BBQs and has the same look/texture as Halloumi.). A bag of grated cheese filled me with excitement (I know other companies already do this but Violife is one of the few brands who doesn’t use carrageenan-which can be problematic for IBD) but it just tasted of NOTHING. I was so surprised as the other varieties taste amazing but this one was just stringy and tasteless.

5 gluten and dairy products I loved this month.

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1. Saccla Mayonaise

This is a gift from the gods if, like me, you can’t eat egg! This mayonnaise is so incredibly creamy-it tasted almost exactly like the real thing. Except there’s no gluten, no dairy,no eggs or no soya. Will 100% keep stocking up on this one- if you do one thing after reading today’s blog post, buy it!

2.Nakd Bars Blueberry

I just don’t know HOW they do it. But these Nakd bars are the best flavour yet. They literally taste exactly like blueberry muffins. Top marks from me (their lemon drizzle flavour is also very yum!).

3. Nush Yoghurt Tubes

I think these are designed for children, but I don’t care. They’re so cute-made from yummy almond milk and no spoon is required! Exactly like those froobes used to taste as a child; except there’s no dairy and no rubbish in them! You can get them from Ocado. These will be so useful for things like commuting, travelling and picnics! Top marks from me Nush!

4.Asda Free From Sandwiches

Asda is back in my good books after Naan-gate with these new free-from sandwiches. I taste-tested quite a few for a feature I was writing and these were by far the best! The bread is incredibly soft and the filling is packed. Extra brownie points to Asda by making the chicken salad option dairy-free too (although the cheese one obviously isn’t. At £2.50, they’re a cheap and yummy gluten-free lunch.

5. The Saucy Affair Terayki Sauce

The Saucy Affair are completely natural, raw sauces made from fruit and vegetables. Meaning they’re not only gluten-free but also dairy-free and nut free! I came across them at the Allergy Show last year but discovered their Terayki version at the Good Food Show last week. WOW! I have missed terayki so much and this tastes exactly like it! At the moment, they’re only at trade shows but I’ve heard they’re coming into Sainsbury’s in the next few weeks so I will definitely keep stocking up!