If you read our blog, regularly, or follow us on social media, you will know that I am always looking for good gluten free substitutes because we have family members who cannot tolerate gluten in their diet. I also find that I feel better if I don’t eat a lot of gluten based products, so I find it easier to buy gluten free food all round, where possible.
The world of gluten free eating has improved vastly, since LSH and I got married and I had to figure out how to make rice cakes appetising for his lunch-box, because they were often the only thing that worked for his diet, but thankfully there are now many options out there.
Snack times are still a bit tricky, because many gluten free foods will make up for lack of gluten with sugar or other things to make their products taste better, and because I am trying to feed my family healthy foods, most of the time, I look for products that fit my criteria. Sugary treats are ok, as a rare treat but I want better options for lunch-boxes, snacks for LSH to take to work, or for me when I want something to nibble on without over loading on unhealthy things.
I like to put a cereal bar in the kids lunch-boxes and LSH likes to have a stash of them at work, for when he is hungry but it’s not quite lunchtime. He often goes to meetings where biscuits or cakes are served and he can’t eat them, due to the gluten content, so having something he can eat is handy.
We have found something we like and that works….
Geo Bars are a perfect gluten free solution and the kids love them just as much as the adults in the house, which makes it much easier to slip them into their lunch-boxes or have them handy as a snack. We have thoroughly enjoyed trying their new Fruity range, which are 70% raw fruit and nuts, made with FairTrade ingredients and are totally gluten free. We particularly like the Cocoa & Beetroot bars, LSH likes the Carrot & Stem Ginger.
The children were slightly sceptical when they saw that the bars were made from beetroot, but when they tried one, they were all “oh, this is yummy, you can’t tell it has vegetables in it” which is like music to this mum’s ears. There is no added sugar, the sweetness of the fruit does the job. This means we can happily send them off to school, knowing they get a snack they like, but not extra sugar that they don’t need.
I myself love their new Geo Bar Trail Cocoa Crunch bar. I have now started to keep one in my bag, for when I need a sweeter snack whilst trying to stick to my lower sugar, refined carbs kick. They make a nice treat and really are chocolatey without all the added ingredients that make up your usually sweet snack! They also have soya crispies added, so they are higher in protein than your average cereal bar snack, which is great for when I need an extra boost.
We like these bars, not only because they are a better, healthier option and are gluten free but because their ingredients are sourced ethically. The brand being owned by Tradecraft, which has been pioneering Fair Trade for more than 30 years.
So, these yummy cereal bars get the thumbs up from the residents of the Mad House of Cats & Babies and we would recommend them if you are looking for a gluten free cereal bar, for lunch-boxes and snack-times.