Gluten Free Product Reviews: Glutino Genius Bread & El’s Kitchen Snacks
September 29, 2011 by Amy Leger | G+ Amy LegerSome yummy new products have come my way to try. Both Glutino and El’s Kitchen sent me free samples so I could try them and tell you what I thought! Considering we’re always up for new bread options and El’s Kitchen had a unique spin on a gluten free snack..I said a hearty yes!
Glutino Genius Bread
Photo Courtesy: Glutino
Glutino sent me both the Genius multigrain bread and the white bread they are now creating.
The first thing you notice is that the bread slices are physically bigger than perhaps what you’re used to with Udi’s (which seems to be a fair comparison, because I believe many gluten free folks have considered Udi’s to be the gold standard). The Genius bread is 14.1 ounces (2 ounces more than Udi’s).
As for the taste and texture. I thought it was pretty good. Emma just started eating sandwiches (I know…late bloomer). Her first sandwich was at camp with Udi’s and she really liked it. Her second was with the Genius white bread. She liked it too, but she said she thought it crumbled a little more than Udi’s.
I took two pieces out of the freezer: 1 piece of Glutino Genius Multigrain and 1 piece of Udi’s White Bread I put them into a sandwich baggie as if to make a sandwich. I set the baggie out for about 5 hours and checked both of them for “crumble-ability” and softness. Both seemed relatively soft and yes, I found the Glutino Bread to be just slightly more crumbly than the Udi’s. But it held together WAY better than the homemade gluten free bread I make in my bread machine. My bread crumbles the second it cools down from the microwave.
Overall, here’s my conclusion, I think it’s worth it to try the Genius bread. The taste and texture are good and you get bigger slices at about the same price as other breads. At Glutenfree.com, you can buy the Genius bread for $5.39 for a 14 oz loaf.
El’s Kitchen Gluten Free Snacks
Photo Courtesy: El's Kitchen
In all 11 years of my shopping and cooking gluten free, I have not yet seen a snack like the items El’s Kitchen is now creating. The two products sent to me from the company were the Medleys and the Bagel Snaps.
I liked both of them for different reasons. The bagel chips are a zesty little snack filled with a good kick of flavor, and the Medleys are the closest thing to come to a gluten free Gardetto. The Medleys are also flavorful, but also have different textures including corn nuts, pretzels, and bagel chips.
Only problem is you can’t find them in a lot of places and you’ll have to order them online. See the locations here. A 5-ounce bag costs $5.39 on El’s Kitchen’s website. At that price, I’m guessing you won’t be using these snacks to hand out to a dozen hungry people at your next Super Bowl party. But it would be perfect for a work snack, a treat while you’re driving or something you bring for yourself to an event.
If you like this kind of a snack, you’ll definitely like El’s Kitchen’s selection.
Tags: bread, gluten-free, review, snack
November 29th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
I recently bought a Glutino Genius multigrain loaf as my local store had sold out of my all time favourite brand, Udi’s.
Approximately 3 hours after eating it, I developed the all too familiar cramping, bloating pain that I had come to know whenever I ate wheat or gluten in any form.
I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease 10 years ago and avoid all of the above at all costs.
Strangely, this is not the first time I have noticed the same reaction when I ate a Glutino bagel about a year ago ?
My question is, although the loaf claims it is gluten free, could there be any wheat products in it that are not obviously listed ?
Has anyone else had similar reactions to Glutino products ?
I am very interested to know.
Thanks.
December 20th, 2011 at 8:40 pm
Hello Sharon,
Strangely enough I was looking to see if anyone had reactions to Genius bread by Glutino as I myself get quite severe abdominal cramps usually later on the day following breakfast. I believe it might be the enzymes they add to their bread or perhaps the egg whites, but most likely I’m guessing the enzymes which I have no idea why they would add it.
Also, some Glutino products use Inulin or chichory root extract as a soluble fibre ingredient. It’s awful stuff as it goes right through you and tends to give stomach cramps as well so, I stay away from any GF products with Inulin (chichory root. BTW, I enjoy Udi’s bread as well.
hope this helps,
Derek
June 21st, 2012 at 6:01 am
I was worried the bread might elicit some type of reaction in myself as looking at the ingredients I noticed it contains Psyllium Husk Powder, which I’ve not eaten before. I looked it up and it can certainly have an effect on the stomach. I don’t think it’s necessarily a question of the bread containing gluten, rather, as Derek noted, that sometimes the ingredients can be iffy. This is probably what’s going on.
December 1st, 2012 at 4:55 pm
I’ve hit a new high in my life. I’ve ingested the worst, most strangely spongy, most tasteless bread I’ve ever had. Glutino: sometimes it feels good to know that the worst has already come. Things can only get better now.
April 5th, 2013 at 9:45 am
I just finished an attempt at a grilled cheese sandwich that i made with Glutino GF multigrain…at first I was utterly baffled why my usually yummy grilled cheese was disintegrating in the pan, then I remembered that this was on sale last time I shopped for bread & I got it instead of Udi’s. Big mistake.
Now I see it may’ve been an even bigger mistake than I realized; maybe I have bloating & cramps to look forward to. Yippee. Hope the little birds I tossed the many crumbs to don’t get eaten because they end up with tummy aches!
Yowza. Won’t buy this stuff again, no matter what the price.
April 12th, 2013 at 3:48 pm
The same reactions happen to me when I eat Udi’s bread and bagel’s. I think the Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum is what causes the problems. I researched them and found this to be true for some people. I guess it’s back to making my own bread. I am searching for substitutions for Xanthan and Guar Gum.
April 16th, 2013 at 4:34 pm
I just purchased Glutino’s version of a Poptart. Within 20-30 minutes I had awful cramping & bloating. It is the only thing that I’ve eaten today…one around 8 am and one at noon. 🙁
August 31st, 2013 at 8:20 pm
I got severe cramps and then to ER after Gutino’s Poptart and sunflower seed butter. Interesting comment from Kristin.