Sunday, August 25, 2013

Udi's Gluten-Free "On-the-Go" Sampler


I'm in love with Udi's; they made my day once again when my husband texted me this picture letting me know another box of Udi's goodies arrived at our house! I was having a hectic day at work that day, and this picture instantly brightened my day. It's the little things in life that always do.

The theme of the Udi's sampler pack is "Gluten-Free and On-the-Go." I travel a lot, for business and pleasure. I'm a prepared travel, bringing gluten-free snacks from home and researching restaurants nearby before I leave. When I'm not traveling, I'm often on-the-go in my day-to-day life. I make time for seated meals, but I always snack in between meals to keep me going throughout the day. My snacks are typically when I'm on-the-go, usually in-between meetings at work or plans with friends and family on nights and weekends, so this sampler pack from Udi's fit my busy lifestyle perfectly!

Below is a recap with my honest opinions of all of the "on-the-go" gluten-free goodies Udi's sent me. I just got the package a week and a half ago, so I haven't had a chance to try everything yet. I'll post more over the next few months as I get a chance to try everything.

Gluten Free Sandwich Bread - White Sandwich and Cinnamon Raisin.
I've posted a lot of recipes and reviews of Udi's bread before. I absolutely love it - it tastes As Good As Gluten and I love all of the varieties. This summer I've been enjoying sandwiches as quick lunches or snacks on busy days. I have cucumbers out the wazoo in my garden, so I've been enjoying Cucumber and Herbed Cream Cheese sandwiches or Cucumber and Red Pepper Hummus sandwiches on Udi's White Sandwich bread. The Cinnamon Raisin bread is perfect for a quick snack or breakfast when toasted and buttered.

Gluten Free Muffins - Double Vanilla and Harvest Crunch
I first tried Udi's Double Vanilla Muffins when they sent them to me earlier this summer. They're sweet and I love incorporating them into dessert in place of pound cake. This is the first time I tried the Harvest Crunch Muffins. I grabbed one with a glass of milk for a fast, tasty, and nutritious breakfast after my morning workout before leaving for work. I prefer sweet muffins, so I wasn't sure if I was going to like these muffins. To my delight, the orange zest in the Harvest Crunch Muffins perfectly complements the cranberries, sweet potato, quinoa, and pepitas to give these savory muffins a touch of sweetness. I absolutely love these muffins!

 
Gluten Free Cookies & Brownies - Dark Chocolate Brownies, Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Salted Caramel Cashew Cookies
I have a major sweet tooth, so I was so excited when I saw these cookies and brownies! I learned about the Brownies when Udi's sent them to me earlier this summer, but I didn't get around to trying them until now. As a self-proclaimed chocoholic sweet-tooth, I had high expectations for the Brownie Bites. Unfortunately, they fell flat. The brownies had good texture, but were dry and bitter. Maybe they are supposed to be bitter because they are dark chocolate? Don't get me wrong, they were still good and I had no problem finishing them crushed up in a bowl of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream! In fact, the Brownies were perfect in a bowl of ice cream.
 
I had no idea Udi's had shelf-stable cookies in such decadent flavors until they arrived in my sampler pack. I haven't gotten around to trying them yet, but I'm sure I will soon as my husband asks about them daily (and he's usually not too anxious to try gluten free goodies).

 

Gluten Free Granola - Vanilla Granola and Blueberry Cashew Clusters
This is the first time I tried Udi's granola products. The Vanilla Granola consists of crunchy almonds and oats flavored with sweet vanilla and wildflower honey. I love the Vanilla Granola with skim milk or almond milk for a quick breakfast. The Vanilla Granola is also an easy and tasty on-the-go snack by itself. The Blueberry Cashew Clusters are crunchy and sweet from honey and blueberries. They will definitely be packed in my carry-on later this week when I travel for work.
 

Gluten Free Granola Bars - Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Almond
I saw these granola bars online last month and couldn't wait to try them. I haven't had a chance to buy them yet, so I was super excited they showed up in my sampler pack. I've posted before that granola bars are my daily breakfast with a glass of milk as I commute during the workweek. I was hoping Udi's granola bars would be making their way into my breakfast rotation, but unfortunately only one variety will be. The Chocolate Chip Bar lacked sweetness and flavor, only had about 10 mini chocolate chips in it, and the texture was confusing - hard and crunchy in some bites but soft and chewy in others. The Cranberry Almond Bar was actually my favorite of the two. The texture was soft and chewy and the flavor was sweet with the cranberries. It will be a regular in my breakfast rotation.

 

Gluten Free Ancient Grain Crisps - Simply Sea Salt and Aged Cheddar
I tried the Aged Cheddar Crisps earlier this summer at my parents' house. The bag quickly disappeared because they are delicious. Definitely my new favorite 'chip.' They're crispy, crunchy, and loaded with cheddar cheese flavor. The Sea Salt Crisps are just as good as the Cheddar - crisp with a hint of sea salt flavor. While everything I tried is easy for on-the-go, these crisps are best for on-the-go snacking - easy, tasty, and not messy.


And if all this wasn't enough, Udi's threw in a cute reusable grocery bag and coupons for free products. Thank you Udi's for making the best gluten-free products out there (including plenty to fit a busy lifestyle) and allowing me to share them with my readers!


Disclaimer: Udi’s provided the product for me to review. However, my review and opinions written above are my own.

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