I participated in this program on behalf of Udi’s and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.
While gluten free diets or lifestyles seem to new to many, our family has been aware of the struggles of eating gluten free for many years because some family members were diagnosed with Celiac disease before most people had even heard of it. Back then the gluten free options of prepared products was very scarce and to be honest, NOT very good. AT that time we quickly learned that gluten was in so many products you’d never even think of from spices to soda. But the biggest issue was finding GOOD options for your typically gluten filled foods like bread products. This past week, our family has gotten the chance to check out a variety of Udi’s Gluten Free products. Although we aren’t aware of a direct need to eat gluten free, I have heard from many friends how they feel better when they have eliminated gluten from their diet. And it’s also nice to know of some good tasting gluten free options that we can find to have in our home when gluten free friends or family come over.
Here’s a little more info on Udi’s and gluten free living:
In just a few years, Udi’s has become the #1 gluten-free brand in America. You can view Udi’s history here.
“Udi’s changed the way consumers think about gluten free. We made can’ts, cans. We removed the restrictions that made living gluten free a struggle and made the transition seamless. We created a community for folks to share, build and create. We brought joy. “
Understanding Gluten Free Eating
- 78% think others don’t understand what a burden it is to be gluten free
- Only 10% are medically diagnosed
- 37% are self-diagnosing
- They have an avid thirst for knowledge and look to multiple sources for information including friends/family, search engines, websites and stores
- 72% would go without or to another grocery store if they could not find Udi’s
- 87% say that Udi’s made them feel normal again
Understanding Gluten Free Consumers:
- 74% rely on friends & family for information and recommendations
- 70% use search engines or web portals
- 67% use websites
- 49% engage with social media sites
- 56% make their purchase decisions in-store
- 25% rely on cooking shows for food/nutritional information
- 36% think events or organizations are important
Gluten free defines their food choices, not who they are. They want to intersect with information in their everyday lives
What are the benefits of eating a gluten free diet?
Wheat in general is a natural inflammatory so when you eat a ton of wheat, you may feel a little bit bloated, so any reduction in wheat will help alleviate those symptoms. We find that with a lot of people are sticking with the brand or eating gluten free just because they feel better.But if you have celiac disease, your body doesn’t have the ability to process gluten and you can’t actually absorb the nutrients. So that actually has very long term effects! Udi’s is a real solution for those who have celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Will the benefits be seen if a family eliminates gluten products one at a time or do you have to completely go off of gluten to see the results?
If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, then you absolutely have to go off of it all the way! That’s the only way your body is going to heal itself and stay healed. If you are choosing to eat gluten free for your own health reasons then that is up to the individual. Some people choose to start by adopting “Gluten Free Friday.”Are there any tips for families who want to cut back on gluten but not go completely gluten free?
We make simple substitutions in my family. So when we have pizza nights, I started using gluten free pizza crust instead of a wheat-based crust. There are some great gluten free pastas out there, so you can substitute gluten free pasta on spaghetti night. A lot of the time, no one notices a difference!Will going gluten free help my child who has the occasional stomach grumbles?
That may be up to the individual. Simply make those trade-outs for gluten free products and see how your child is feeling before deciding to stick with it. Make a simple substitution like using gluten free bread for their sandwiches.Do you have suggestions for trying to accommodate everyone in the family, when not everyone is gluten intolerant?
We see all the time that it is so much easier when the whole household goes on a gluten free diet together, so that everyone feels they are part of the group. What we try to do on our website is create recipes that nobody in the house would know that they are gluten free and recipes that the whole family can come together and enjoy.How has eating gluten free become a trend?
The way we eat is always evolving! Because we always are traveling and adapting to other types of eating, we as consumers continue to want more and more choices. Eating gluten free is the same; we are hearing more about how processed foods are unhealthy and now we just want another option for taking control of what they are eating and another option for eating healthier. It’s like eating vegetarian. Even non-vegetarians choose to be a vegetarian even if it’s only one day a week, just because it’s another healthy option.Where can we find Udi’s products?
You can find us at national grocery stores. Sometimes it is in the bakery, sometimes it is in the frozen food section, depending on the product. Use our website store locator to find which grocery stores are carrying your products.What new things are introduced to the Udi’s line?
We did just introduce a line of four frozen meals: a Classic Mac ’N’ Cheese with Penne Pasta, a Bacon Mac ‘N’ Cheese, a Sausage Lasagna and a Kale and Broccoli Lasagna! We really tried to make these taste homemade. For example, we used real cream and real ingredients so they would be tasty!What is your best selling bread?
Our best sellers, by far, are two breads: the Whole Grain Bread and the White Sandwich Bread.Are you in restaurants?
We have been working in the food service arena for the past two years. Our hamburger and hot dug buns are at stadiums, Red Robin and most other hamburger joints carry our hamburger buns and we are just starting to get traction with our pizza crust. We are really working hard to make sure that there are gluten free options for people in restaurants!
Our thoughts on Udi’s Gluten Free products:
I’ll be perfectly honest and say I really didn’t anticipate liking too many of the products. The gluten free items I’d tasted years ago ranged from bland to plain gross. But of all the things we’ve tried the boys have loved them all and the only one I didn’t love was the granola bar because it was just a little too crunchy for me. (I have a serious texture issue and they were mostly soft and chewy but some bits would hit into a good crunch so it wasn’t something I’d get for me.)
But the soft and chewy Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites were A-mazing. As were the Soft & Chewy Snicker Doodle cookies. Seriously, none of these sweet treats left you feeling like something was missing or had the slightest hint of after taste or anything but sweet yumminess.
I was really not sure about the bread, especially how the kids would take to it. We regularly do whole grain breads but these loaves just felt heavier when picking them up. I was prepared for the boys to decline this one. But they devoured both varieties. We had sandwiches, toast and even some plain. As I mentioned the loaves felt heavier but the bread its self wasn’t dry. It was denser than a white bread obviously but I thought it was good and definitely wouldn’t mind using it regularly.
While I do know there are some regular chips on the market that are gluten free, some are a cross contamination risk, so be sure to do your research. But Udi’s Gluten Free crips were a big hit here too. They reminded me very much of something else I’ve had but I can’t for the life of me place it. I was a big fan of the Simply Salt Ancient Grain Crisps and the boys loved the cheese varieties.
Find Udi’s Gluten Free products near you!