February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 by jenny loves that
Make it Gluten Free Ltd v. The Fussiest Eater in the World!
A rather peculiar title for my latest blog post, I know.
Since The London Wellness Centre hired me as their freelance social media manager (a job I adore, thanks Digital Mums for recommending me!) I’ve become even more interested than before in the issue of health and wellbeing. So when Make it Gluten Free Ltd asked me to try out their range of gluten free baking mixes I thought, great timing!
I was given the following products to test:
- Simple Mills pancake and waffle mix
- Simple Mills pizza dough
- 1.2.3.gluten free divinely decadent brownies baking mix
1.2.3 Gluten Free products are made from a traditional gluten free flour mix, and are also dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free and sesame free.
Simple Mills products are made from almond flour, use coconut sugar as a natural sweetener and are low carb, soy free, dairy free, grain free and Paleo-friendly.
Since my two young daughters love all of the above, albeit the traditional versions using refined wheat flour and sugar, I thought I’d see if I could get away with serving them these healthier options instead. I say ‘get away with’ because my eldest is the fussiest eater in the world! She will only eat three or four meals, has never eaten vegetables or fruit (unless the fruit is in the form of an Innocent smoothie) and won’t eat anything sauce-like (so no using the Nutribullet to hide anything!).
The girls wanted to get involved in the baking process, which was great. I had to be careful not to let the eldest see the packet because she would read that the main ingredient in the 1.2.3. Gluten Free mixes was almond. I’m delighted about this because we three are vegetarians and nuts are a fantastic source of protein.
First we tried the pizza. Well, my 4 year old demolished it and said it was delicious, hurrah! The eldest ate half – yes, she did! Even though while mixing the dough she noticed that ‘it’s a bit of a different colour, ins’t it?’.
So, she ate half and then said, mm, I’m not sure about it now because the dough is a bit doughy! We decided that next time we’d try and make the bases a bit thinner and she agreed she’d give them another whirl. This is a major result for this child!
Our after school treat that day was the pancakes. Really quick and easy for the girls to whisk up and they really enjoyed these. I think the addition of Nutella enhanced their experience but, hey, my fussy eater tried yet another food that ‘doesn’t look quite the same as the pancakes we usually eat, mum’, so I’m one happy bunny!
We saved the best for last – the brownies. I was a bit worried I’d bigged these up and the girls would be a bit disappointed but … they were delicious! The back of packet reassures you not to worry that the mix produces so many (approx 24) brownies because you can wrap them individually and freeze. I’m rather embarrassed to say that my hungry family of four demolished them in three days flat!
The verdict:
All three mixes tested were quick and easy to prepare, produce larger quantities than rival brands’ mixes and are healthier versions of foods that families with children traditionally enjoy. Moreover, it’s not a bad idea to reduce the gluten in your diet. But most important, everything we tried was tasty! So, much as my eldest in particular hates to lose anything, on this occasion the winner is: Make it Gluten Free Ltd. Congratulations to you!
- An update on the fussiest eater in the world: last night she tried one slice (circle) of cooked carrot and one 1cm-sized piece of broccoli. To be fair, I did say TV would be banned for a week if she didn’t try. Which may seem harsh but remember, I have been going through this food nightmare for almost seven years! So, just to give parents of fussy eaters some hope: your child may surprise you. They might take years and years to surprise you, but it could happen and you just need to hold on to that hope. Good luck and, in the meantime, why not try out these mixes just to change their diet up a bit and make your life just that little bit more interesting!
Our colleagues at Mumsnet Havering are currently running a competition to win some Make It Gluten Free Ltd goodies – the comp ends at midnight Monday 8 February 2016). Good luck!
Good to know:
Make It Gluten Free Ltd mixes are produced in a dedicated gluten free facility (important to know for coeliacs), are certified gluten free, are non-gmo and free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.