I recently received coupons from the folks at the Celestial-Hain Group, asking me to sample and review their new line of Gluten Free Cafe All Natural Frozen Entrees. Out of the 4 available varieties I was only able to locate the Gluten Free Cafe Fettuccini Alfredo in my local grocery store; it is that which I will review today.
I was impressed with the fact that the Gluten Free Cafe frozen entrees boasts the following benefits:
Fortified 3 Ways for Your Health
1. B Vitamins & Iron The absence of enriched wheat flour or whole wheat flour in gluten free food products results in a loss of valuable dietary nutrients, including B Vitamins and Iron. Our Gluten Free Cafe items are enriched according to the FDA’s nutritional requirements for enriched flour and provide a good source of Iron and B Vitamins and also include Vitamins Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, and Folic Acid.
2. Fiber Since the gluten free diet relies on the replacement of fiber-rich wheat flours with other “digestive-friendly” grains, you may experience some dietary fiber loss. But not with Gluten Free Café entrees! We’ve taken care to ensure that you don’t lose the all-important benefits of fiber by adding Inulin, a non-digestible carbohydrate, to each of our delightful entrees. Since they contain Inulin, all Gluten Free Café meals provide you with the valuable qualities of fiber, while also functioning as a prebiotic to support the growth of “good” digestive tract bacteria. Plus, Inulin helps improve your body’s ability to absorb calcium – another valuable plus.
3. Vitamin D and Calcium If you have gluten intolerance or celiac disease, there’s a 30% chance that you are also lactose intolerant…which means you may not be getting sufficient Vitamin D and Calcium in your diet. Deficiencies can also be caused by poor nutrient absorption, a common effect of your condition. Due to these factors, it is generally recommended that patients with gluten intolerance be screened for osteoporosis. To help ensure against deficiencies, we’ve fortified each of our Gluten Free Café entrees with Vitamin D and Calcium…in amounts equivalent to those found in an 8-ounce glass of whole milk!
All Gluten Free Café products are certified by the GFCO.
In fact, we are proud to be the only line of all natural gluten free frozen food entrees that are certified by the GFCO.
What is the “GFCO”?
The Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO), a program of The Gluten Intolerance Group®, supervises gluten free food production according to consistent, stringent, science-based standards to ensure safety and instill confidence in both consumers and manufacturers. Certification is rigorous, involving annual on-site facility inspection and product testing.
The Gluten Free Cafe Fettucini Alfredo entree was perfect for my young child with Celiac Disease; she is very picky and prefers simple foods, especially pasta dishes. I prepared it for her for lunch and she really enjoyed it, finishing nearly the entire thing!
Will I purchase frozen Gluten Free Cafe Fettucini Alfredo in the future? If the price point becomes a bit lower, I would definitely keep it on hand for my child for the occasional quick weekend lunch. I do appreciate the convenience that the frozen Gluten Free Cafe entrees offer my busy family.
The other Gluten Free Cafe varieties available are: Asian Noodles, Pasta Primavera (meatless), and Lemon Basil Chicken.
If you would like to try any of the Gluten Free Cafe entrees for yourself, click here to receive a coupon from their website.
I really like the Fettuccini Alfredo as a quick meal when I'm by myself. But I always add a little something in it, some left over broccoli, assparagus, or chicken. I just pop in in during the last minute while it's cooking and it's great. I agree it's a little bland by it's self.
ReplyDeleteI also think the cook time on the package is a little too long, if you don't cook it quite as long they aren't as mushy. After stirring and putting it back for the second time I don't cook it as long as it says, just long enough to get it hot through.
I do think the price point is a little high. It's lower at Kroger than at other stores I've found it. So I buy a few when they go on sale. The Lemon Basil Chicken isn't bad either, I haven't tried the others. I really like that I can make the Alfredo the way I want it.