Review: Gio Gluten Free – Harvest Gold

The Gio Gluten Free range from Harvest Gold

When Novak Djokovic began his gluten free diet it helped his game and as a result, catapulted him to the top of the world rankings. Personally, it was then that I actually began to think of gluten-free as an option in eating habits.

What exactly is gluten? It’s a natural protein found in various grains like wheat, rye and barley. For people who are allergic to gluten, life can get tough. Harvest Gold has brought out a new range called Gio Gluten Free to cater to such customers who can indulge in different types of breads without having to worry about getting an allergic reaction.

I recently tried out four of Gio Gluten Free products – Regular Bread, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Sweet Buns and the Masala Roti.

Personally, I love gluten because the taste the protein gives to bread is delicious. The texture stays moist and chewy. But for a person suffering from gluten allergies, the Gio Gluten Free range is really great. It’s also dairy free so one can indulge to one’s hearts content.

The Regular Bread is more crumbly than chewy but hey, that’s science. Toasted and with some butter spread on top, the Regular Bread goes great with eggs during breakfast. I had it along with Shakshuka (try this delicious recipe) and the bread really complimented the taste of the eggs.

Toasted Regular Bread with butter, to be devoured with Shakshuka and juice

The Sweet Buns are tasty and with some butter (you can never have enough butter), goes well for a snack. Again, do remember it has no gluten so it will taste different than a regular sweet bun.

Just a dab of butter to compliment the sweetness in the buns

The Masala Roti needs to be heated and once it fluffs up, have it while it’s hot with vegetables or meat for an Indian meal. It can also work well for wraps because of the gluten-free texture.

A hearty lunch of Roti, veggies and cucumber

I don’t have a sweet tooth per say but when I do eat sweeter breads, I have a pet peeve of making it even more sweet. The Cinnamon Raisin Bread has a wonderful flavour because the combination works really well. The hint of cinnamon and the sweet raisin compliment each other and one can just eat it on it’s own as a snack. Me, I like to put jam on them. I tried one with strawberry jam and the other slice with homemade marmalade. Really really good, finger licking good!

Just a bit of jam on the Cinnamon Raisin bread

Over all, the gluten free range is well worth it for those who need it. Though the products are slightly priced on the higher side, it’s worth the money.

Check out their website here

Product rating: 3.5/5

Review: Dr Oetker FunFoods

The whole lunch spread

Dr Oetker Funfoods products have established themselves firmly in Indian households. Their mayonnaise bottles can be found in almost every fridge across the country while their various sauces and dressings are must-haves when cooking up a storm. I personally have used plenty of Dr Oetker FunFoods products for creating dishes in half the time needed. Just slather on some pizza spread with some vegetables and cheese on the base, and voila – your weekday Italian feast is ready in a jiffy! Or their pesto sauce which I often use for extra flavour over grilled vegetables during a working day meal.

I recently had the opportunity to review three of Dr Oetker FunFoods products – the Mayonnaise Tandoori, the Chocolate Milk Shake Mix and the Lite 1000 Island Salad Dressing.

With the soaring summer temperatures hitting the country, these three products immediately brought to mind a light lunch. What better than grilled cheese, a healthy salad and chocolate milkshake right?

I first spread some Tandoori Mayonnaise on brown bread, added cheese and a bit of seasoning, and then grilled it in a sandwich toaster. For the salad I roughly chopped up some lettuce, cucumber, tomato and gherkins. Tossed in some Lite 1000 Island Salad Dressing and we were ready to go. Lastly, mixing two tablespoons of the shake mix into a glass of cold milk and adding some ice, just a quick blend and the shake was ready.

Grilled cheese with Tandoori Mayonnaise

I found the Tandoori Mayonnaise to be slightly overpowering. It worked in the grilled cheese sandwich but it’s better suited to more Indian recipes. Maybe a tandoori chicken wrap or as a dip with grilled vegetables and meat. It could even work with grilled paneer (cottage cheese).

Light crunchy salad for the healthy days!

The salad dressing worked rather well with the simple salad. It’s light, fresh and very tasty. Just a small amount is enough for a big bowl of freshly cut salads. I feel this dressing will even go well with egg salads or a cold salad.

The products reviewed

Lastly, the chocolate shake. It had a well rounded flavour and was chocolatey. There was however, a bit of an artificial aftertaste. To make it more decadent, I feel the addition of whipped cream and ice cream will work fine. Maybe even chocolate shavings to add to the cheat shake!

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the products. Dr Oetker FunFoods products definitely make your food fun!

Product rating: 4/5

Check out their website here

Review: Bagrry’s — Nutritious, Healthy and Tasty

Healthy products from Bagrry’s

I had never been fond of oats growing up. My grandfather would take porridge every morning for breakfast and tried to inculcate the habit in me. My mother would use oats creatively to get me to eat it. I refused every single time and eventually everyone gave up. I don’t know why I disliked it so much really because I can’t pin point a reason. But then, something miraculous happened. I grew up!
As we grow older, our tastes and habits change. Often we find ourselves enjoying things we had never dreamed we could during our childhood. There was a time when my dress code used to be jeans and a tee with sneakers. Never in my wildest imagination could I even think of dressing up in skirts and dresses. 15 years down the line, I can imagine my younger self having a good laugh to the point when tears roll down her cheeks!
Similarly my eating habits have undergone changes and believe it or not, my day starts with a bowl of oats and sometimes, even ends with it when I feel lazy to cook dinner. If the laziness reaches extreme levels then it’s about pouring muesli into a bowl, adding milk or flavoured yoghurt and maybe some additional berries to give it an extra kick! As you can make out, I don’t tend to follow the breakfast rules!

Cornflakes with almond and honey

Oats, the old fashioned kind

Masala Oats, very very delicious

Crunchy Muesli with nuts and cranberries

Last but not the least, White Oats

Bagrry’s have been around in the Indian market for over two decades. I recently had the honour to review some of their products and everything I tasted put a genuine smile on my face. While their Muesli (my absolute favourite) is filled with dried cranberries and nuts which you can taste with every bite, the Masala Oats are delicious and have the perfect balance of spice and mild. Don’t even get me started on the Cornflakes. They make one with almond and honey and the taste is heavenly when doused with milk. It’s sweet, yet not the sickening kind, and there is no scrimping on the almond flakes. The Old Fashioned Steel Cut Oats make one of the best breakfast bowls. Cook with milk or hot water, load up with fruits and nuts, even maybe a bit of jam or jelly for guilty pleasure and voila, a healthy well-balanced breakfast awaits you to power start a day. Oats are so versatile that one doesn’t need to have it the way it’s advertised usually. Use it to make cutlets or even chops, they are beneficial and so much healthier than loading up on empty carbs.

Cornflakes go so well with milk!

Another view of the cornflakes

Muesli served with milk and flowers. It makes any breakfast special!

For muesli on the go, mason jars are perfect.

My favourite way to eat Masala oats – in bed with coffee!

Bagrry’s tagline reads ‘Let’s put health first’. I couldn’t agree more. The pace at which one consumes junk food on a regular basis is scary. Bad eating habits not only affect one’s health but make one lazy and unproductive. Bagrry’s offers consumers all-natural, innovative and extremely healthy products with no compromise in quality. One can choose from 12 different varieties of Muesli ranging from chocolate to dried fruits and nuts. There’s also a wide range of oats on offer. If you don’t like masala, pick up the usual old-fashioned kind. From high-fibre bran to three kinds of cornflakes to the ‘Oats for India’ range that offers oats for atta, suji and poha; Bagrry’s even offers green tea for the health conscious.
Personally, I would definitely choose Bagrry’s during my grocery shopping trips. I’ve enjoyed each and every product I’ve used and would recommend it to every health-conscious eater out there.

For more information check out Bagrry’s. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram