Food Allergy Supermarket's Blog

I attended a Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) meeting today in Portland. Mike and Marie Smith of Bavaria Mills Bakery presented their products and told us how their bakery came to be.

Both of them have multiple food allergies so they geared their bakery accordingly which pretty much means — good news to those of us with food allergies!  What started as a quest to create a full gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner has blossomed into a high-quality, great tasting bakery.

I mean they literally cannot work in their own factory if something is contaminated. In addition to that, they are devoted to keeping their products nutritious instead of replacing products with fillers, preservatives, additives and so on.

Everything about their operation seems to be legit and for the right reasons, they buy quality and are meticulous about checking their suppliers for quality products, they support local farms and vendors, buy non-GMO whenever possible and so on. They even use Chia seeds, which is reportedly nutritious and tasty in their baking instead of Xanthan Gum. I tasted several of their cakes and breads (chocolate, lemon poppy, etc.) and they were soft, springy and delicious.

I took home the only loaf of vegan, gluten-free bread which was pre-sliced (a forgotten luxury). My husband and I devoured a couple of slices right out of the bag, and they were not only tasty, but soft and did not fall apart in our hands. We toasted a couple of slices when we got home which were delicious too and not tough or grainy like other gluten-free and vegan breads. Allergy-conscious, great tasting and good for you.

Don’t forget your Dad!  With Father’s Day around the corner, we got you covered. Try our Large Unscented Veg Valise gift bag from our Body Care section. Or, if you prefer something sweet, nothing beats the Fancy Square box of Chocolates! Make it a sweet day for your Dad.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Here’s a yummy shout out to Slappy Cakes restaurant on Belmont where you make your own pancakes at your table, add toppings, get silly and have fun. They offer a vegan batter or a gluten-free batter and are now (due to my request) working on offering a vegan and gluten-free batter… I am literally holding my breath.

And now, for some gluten-free news hot off the press – Protect Allergic Children (PAC) is a program offered by the national not-for-profit organization Eating & Educating, Living Life (ELL) that advocates for more “complete and accurate allergen ingredient food labeling and manages a nationwide program of training services on food allergy safety to schools, camps, daycare facilities and home environments”.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Food Allergy Supermarket is born!

It’s the beginning of a beautiful thing. After more than 3 years, I am finally on the verge of launching this baby and rescuing the food allergy community!

So now, you can shop to your heart’s content for everything you need at one location and feel safe about it. All our products list the manufacturers’ allergy statements or ingredients, to make your life easy.

I have updated some of the articles, added “10 Easy Tips to Help you Go Gluten-Free” and a looooong list of restaurants that cater to food allergies (granted, most of them are in Portland, OR right now, but the list is growing!)

Although living a gluten-free life as an adult is not so challenging once you get used to it, I imagine it’s a whole other ball game for kids and teens. Did you know the Gluten Intolerance Group has a new section called TAGS (Teen Advocates with Gluten Sensitivities)? It’s a wonderful initiative that can help any parent or adult working with a food-allergic teen to get an insight to their world.

With Father’s Day around the corner, we got you covered! Try our Large Unscented Veg Valise gift bag from our Body Care section. Or, if you prefer something sweet, nothing beats the Fancy Square box of Chocolates! Make it a sweet day for your Dad.