Go Picnic Hummus & Crackers

www.Gopicnic.com

I have heard about (in fact I've even blogged about), but never actually seen Go Picnic products near me... let alone try them... until recently. I have to admit I was giddy to find these in the Houston airport. Knowing I was going to be traveling for a while, I grabbed one to keep in my bag.

Here's what I like about these snack boxes, they're compact, nutritious, and they list all the possible allergens clearly on the side of the box. I tried the Hummus & Crackers. It comes with individual packets of gluten free Multi-Seed Crackers, Wild Garden Hummus, Power Play (roasted edamame, pumpkin seeds, and watermelon seeds), Baja Blend fruit & nut mix (habanera almonds, sweet & salty peanuts, and mango cranberries), and a piece of dark chocolate with sea salt. 

                          






The crackers are tasty and the hummus was delicious. I shared with my brother and sister during my trip and they were both impressed with the hummus. I had never had watermelon seeds and am not a fan of edamame, so I was skeptical of the Power Play mix. Soy beans just have the tendency to leave a gritty texture in my mouth, but these were toasted nicely and I found them at least tolerable. I was pleasantly surprised by the watermelon seeds. They were like delightful little puffs of toasted goodness. Overall, I preferred the Baja Blend to the Power Play. The habanero almonds were spicy but not overpowering, and the peanuts and cranberries balanced out the heat with some sweet. Now, I'm a huge fan of chocolate and of course I loved the dark chocolate with sea salt. It is a very rich chocolate so I wasn't disappointed that there was only one piece. It was just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

I appreciated GoPicnic's easy to stow packaging, and their products are high quality & worth the $5-$6 price tag. I would have easily spent more buying little bags of comparable components. I will definitely be seeking these out again!

Go Picnic - Gluten Free Snack Packs

GoPicnic

I'm really excited about these little gems. I have not yet tried them, but they look promising. GoPicnic have a few different combinations (they also offer non-gluten free products, or "fully leaded" as I like to call them). When eating gluten/allergy free takes so much planning it's nice to know there are products out there for those "grab-and-go" moments. The price ranges between $3 and $5, which isn't much different than the cost for Lunchables. From what I've found on their website, they are mostly carried in Target stores. I'm hoping to find some soon so I can give my opinion on their taste! Please comment if you have tried these!

Fruit Pouches

I am in love with these little guys! My husband and I found Buddy Fruits this summer while preparing snacks for vacation. I wanted to have healthy options available that were hassle free. Since then we've tried a few different brands, and I have to say, they're all really good! The most surprising flavor favorite was Mashups' Orange, Carrot, Mango. The beautiful thing about all of these products is they're not only easy & hassle free, but more importantly, they're made with a conscience! They are all 100% real fruit... no added sugars, colors, flavors, or fillers. Each of these companies believe in providing healthy alternatives without the added "yuck" that some other products use. They're obviously marketed towards kids, but my husband and I keep them on hand to throw in our lunch. They travel well and do not require any utensils. Oh yeah... and they're allergy free (provided you do not have a specific fruit allergy). These little gems are a keeper!

Buddy Fruit

GoGo Squeez

Mashups

15 Allergy Friendly Snack Ideas

I'm gearing up for a trip in a few weeks, which has my search engines working in overdrive trying to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. I plan on bringing snacks with me to have on the plane, but what exactly? Here are some ideas for allergy free snacks that travel well!

1. Make your own bag of allergy free trail mix with your favorite allergy free cereals, dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, or yogurt drops. 
2. Fresh fruit
3. Apples or celery with peanut, almond, or sunflower butter
4. Rice crackers
5. Lentil chips
6. Potato chips
7. Jerky (be sure to read the ingredients)
8. Pumpkin seeds
9. Popcorn
10. KIND nut and fruit bars
11. Breakfast Bars (get the recipe here)
12. Rice or popcorn cakes (caramel is my personal favorite)
13. Wasabi Peas
14. Cherry tomatoes (believe it or not, they're pretty travel hardy & don't need to be kept cool)
15. Roasted Chickpeas (get the recipe here)

Black Bean Cakes

Adapted from Mia's Domain. This site has some WONDERFUL recipes! Check it out!

Crispy Black Bean Fritters:

3 cups black bean, cooked

1 large yellow pepper, remove seed, chop into small pieces

1 small white onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 large tomato, chopped into small pieces

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons gluten free flour (see recipe here or use your favorite store bought version)

2 eggs, room temperature (1/2 cup Egg Beaters or equivalent amount egg replacement product)

Sea salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil (for frying)

"I like celery... it's like crunchy, green water."