gluten-free – Page 2

Gluten- Free Puppy Chow

Published on September 13, 2015January 25, 2016 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

By Danielle Leavitt’ 17

This summer I welcomed a new brother into my home. Adorable, furry, curious, and smart, my new puppy won my affection instantly. Always on the go, he made me think of a quick and easy gluten-free snack that I could make at school. “Puppy Chow” is usually a staple, eaten at holiday parties and snacked on anytime and anywhere. This easy treat can be made entirely in a microwave with very simple ingredients. The ingredients can all be found at Broadway Market and at Whole Foods. Sweet, crunchy, gooey, chocolaty, and delicious, “Puppy Chow” is an easy-to-make, satisfying snack that even my new puppy would love to try.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. butter

10oz marshmallows

5 tbsp. Peanut Butter

Chocolate chips to taste (Enjoy Life brand are gluten, soy, and dairy free)

4 cups Chex cereal (all flavors are Gluten free, but this was made with Rice Chex, which you could totally poach from the d-hall…)

Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

Microwave butter, marshmallows, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. Stir every 2-3 minutes. Add Chex cereal. Mix together.

Additions: you can put some powdered sugar on top, and mix thoroughly

Enjoy!

Squash is the New Spaghetti

Published on April 2, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Danielle Leavitt ’17

As someone who eats gluten-free, spaghetti squash is one of my favorite vegetables. With its noodle-like nature, this yellow member of the squash family is the perfect substitute for pasta for gluten-free foodies! Not only is it delicious, but spaghetti squash can also be prepared in a variety of ways, is extremely healthy, and easy to make in a microwave. Compared to pasta, which has 200 calories and 40 grams of carbohydrates per cup, spaghetti squash boasts only 42 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates per cup!

The easiest way to prepare spaghetti squash is to cook it in the microwave.

Cut spaghetti squash in two halves.
Place side by side with the seed side down into a microwaveable pan with about 1 inch of water in it.
Set microwave for 6-8 minutes depending on size of the squash.
Remove from pan and turn squash over seed side up (Be careful! Squash will be very hot!). Using a fork, loosen the seeds and squash strings attached to the seeds and remove them from the squash and discard.
Scrape gently along the inside of the squash, loosening the strands of squash and place into a bowl.

And that’s it. You can eat it plain or add your favorite toppings: parmesan cheese, pesto, tomato or meat sauce, butter, olive oil…be creative! Enjoy!

That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles! A Review of Gluten-Free Girl Scout Cookies

Published on March 1, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Danielle Leavitt ’17

Watch out Thin Mints! There are new cookies in town, and they are not only supporting the Girl Scouts of America, but are also gluten free and incredibly delicious!

This year the Girl Scouts of America introduced not only one, but two new gluten free cookies. The first ever gluten free Chocolate Chip Shortbread cookie made its debut in select markets in 2014. Next up is Toffee-tastic, a buttery cookie with toffee bits distributed throughout the soft dough. Trios have a peanut butter base with chocolate chips and whole grain oats added.

Before the Girl Scouts started selling gluten free cookies, I was not able to enjoy the delectable treats that everyone raved about. Now, I am able to indulge in the delicious cookies. My favorite new gluten free cookie is Trios because the peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate combination is amazing. The gooey chocolate chips melt in my mouth and are the perfect bite size snack.

These addictive gluten free Girl Scout cookies are available for purchase online through a Girl Scout who has her own smartphone app, individual scout sales, and at various locations around Harvard Square. Finding cookie sale locations is quick and easy by downloading the Girl Scout Cookie Finder app to locate the nearest cookie sales booth, which is usually a temporary location set up near a business or store.

So gluten-free eaters, rejoice! And go grab a glass of cold milk and a gluten free Girl Scout cookie.

Guilt-Free Cupcakes: Coming Soon to Lamont Café

Published on February 5, 2015August 26, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

By Dana Ferrante ’17

There’s nothing like going from HUDS café to HUDS café and realizing that each one, as you feared, is serving the same assortment of lackluster pastries. With the integration of Hi-Rise Bread Company items on its menu, the reopening of the Barker Café seemed promising, yet the jury is still out on whether or not the Barker Café is really worth one’s precious Board Plus.

For these, and many more reasons, I am excited to announce: there’s a new pastry on campus. Better yet, pastries.

2015-01-24 13.50.53 — The Holistic’s Orange Chia Muffin with Chocolate Ganache

It’s called Feel Good Cake, and it comes in two equally tempting flavors: Chocolate and Orange Chia. Not your average cupcakes, these creations are completely guilt-free, meaning no matter if you’re gluten free, paleo, vegan, or just generally concerned about what you put into your body, you can enjoy the cupcakes without a second thought. Despite the common misconception that healthy versions of desserts never live up to original recipes, these muffins are rich, moist, and full of real flavor. Best of all, they are convenient, and will soon be available in Lamont Café, Cabot Café and Sebastian’s Café at the School of Public Health.

The masterminds behind these muffins are none other than two Harvard students. A little over a year ago, juniors Alice Han and Nina Hooper launched their company, The Holistic, in Harvard’s Innovation Lab, and have been perfecting their recipes ever since. Substituting avocado and ground chickpeas for the traditional butter and flour, Han and Hooper are committed to using organic, nutrient-dense ingredients in all of their products. Instead of sugar, the muffins are sweetened with agave nectar, meaning they are free from refined sugars, and have a lower glycemic index than normal cupcakes. In this way, Han explains, The Holistic products are also a good transition food for those with diabetes as they try to cut out foods that will raise their blood sugar too quickly. And the icing on the cake? A creamy chocolate ganache made from avocado, agave and cocoa.

2015-01-24 13.50.59 — The Holistic’s Chocolate Muffin with Chocolate Ganache

Aside from being super-foodies, the duo has traveled around the world, most recently with a portable oven and suitcases packed with more ingredients than clothes, sharing their creations with people all over. Han explains, “we wanted to see how people reacted to our product,” while also trying to figure out “what makes people feel good about the food they eat.” Whether it was Dubai or Finland, Australia or Japan, Han says they spent a lot of time learning how other cultures eat healthfully and alternatively to the stereotypical American diet, with the hope of incorporating this knowledge into their future recipes.

Last year, The Holistic competed in the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business Innovation Competition, making it to the second to last round with their guilt-less treats. They were also recently featured in Boston Magazine and hope to present their product to the regional division of Whole Foods later on in the semester. In the meantime, The Holistic continues to offer catering for on campus events.

As previously mentioned, The Holistic recently approached HUDS about stocking their products, and the muffins will soon be sold in Lamont Café as part of a trial run. Based on their reception, HUDS could begin offering them at more locations on campus — now that would be a sweet deal.

Life Alive: Organic, Friendly, and Fresh

Published on October 19, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

By Katja Lierhaus ’16

It’s 7:30pm on a Thursday,and there is already a line out the door. Located on a street corner in Central Square, Life Alive might not seem like it would be a popular offering, since it serves what some people consider “hippie food,” but meat-lovers and vegetarians alike flock to feast at this laid-back and humble food joint.

The moment you enter the comfortable yet quirky space, you can’t help but feel relaxed. As their menu reads, you truly cross into a “world of delicious, organic, and therapeutic food, created with love to feed your vitality.”The food here is meant to heal, nurture, and strengthen the body. Everything is fresh and wholesome, but also incredibly delicious. With options for omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic, raw, gluten-free and other diets, fantastic taste is never compromised.

Life Alive offer a wide assortment of teas, fresh pressed juices, smoothies (made coconut ice cream instead of milk), salads, wraps, udon noodle bowls, and side snacks.

However, their main dishes and most popular items are the rice/quinoa bowls with steamed veggies, topped with a certain je-ne-se-quoi, kick-ass, unbelievable, out of this world, #yourtastebudswillthankyou sauce. Trust me, I’ve tried to create their bowls at home: I can’t come close to the awesome goodness they somehow incorporate in their sauce.

You won’t find any meat options here, but I am certain anyone can find a dish they are crazy about. I brought my big, Rugby-playing, protein-loving friend here before, and he loved the “Hot and Healthy Bachelor,” which consists of melted cheddar, hardboiled egg, broccoli flowers, dark greens, Braggs and nutritional yeast, all nestled in a soft whole-wheat tortilla. He also downed the “Elvis Alive” smoothie: peanut butter, cocoa, banana, coconut ice cream, and rice milk. I swear, anyone will love this place.

I have tried almost every main dish at this point and I have never been disappointed. All of the veggie bowls offer something different. This time I chose to sit in the basement where they have live music is played every Thursday night. Here people are chatting about the week on couches topped with pillows, against a backdrop of empowering aphorisms and colorful, geometric art.

My thoughts about midterms and p-sets melt away. A waitress brings my “Carrot Cake Alive” smoothie and “Rebel Bowl” and I am in a total bliss. The Rebel Bowl is both juicy and crunchy, oozing with sesame ginger nama sauce with flax oil, enlivening carrots, beets, broccoli, dark greens, legumes and hijiki, which is all over quinoa and short grain brown rice. I slowly devour this beautiful display of food as I sip the not-too-sweet smoothie.

I could eat there every day, which is why I am often thankful it is located in Central Square. (It is about a fifteen-minute walk from the yard going east on Mass Ave past Berry Line, and Crate and Barrel.) Any closer, and I would seriously eat there every meal, which would mean I would be broke in no time.

Life Alive. Go, and you’ll never look back.

Gluten-Free Halloween Treats

Published on October 18, 2014October 19, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Danielle Leavitt ’17

Yes, it’s that time of the year again. Fall leaves, apple cider, donuts…and Halloween! To those who eat gluten-free, Halloween may, at first glance, seem like a trick. With so many delectable candy options, how can one know which are gluten-free? You would be very surprised to find out that something that does not look like it has gluten in it— like Twizzlers, for example—actually contains gluten. To make things easier, I have found two lists with the latest updates on Halloween candy on reputable websites. However, remember to use these lists only as a guide as ingredients and formulas can change at any time, and as always, make sure to read labels.

Complete 2014 list of Gluten-Free Halloween Candy:

http://celiac.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/2014-Halloween-Treat-List.compressed.pdf (Celiac.org)

Quick list of Gluten-Free Halloween Candy, including CVS brand items:

http://surefoodsliving.com/2014/10/gluten-free-halloween-candy-quick-list-2014/ (Surefoodsliving.com)

For the “stay at home trick-or-treater,” or for a festive Halloween party, here is a simple recipe for caramel apples that is easy to make, requires very little time, tastes amazing, and is, of course, gluten-free!

Ingredients

3 medium apples, washed, well dried
1 bag (14 oz.) Kraft Caramels* (Kraft Caramels are gluten-free)
2 tablespoons water
Popsicle sticks

Directions

Insert one wooden Popsicle stick into stem end of each apple. Cover a large plate with waxed paper; spray with cooking spray.

Set aside. Place caramels in medium saucepan. Add water; cook on medium-low heat 3 minutes, or until caramels are completely melted; stirring constantly.

Dip apples into melted caramel until evenly coated, spooning caramel over apples if necessary. Allow excess caramel to drop off. Scrape bottoms of apples; place on prepared plate. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Store any leftover apples in refrigerator.

You can roll freshly dipped caramel apples in toppings like chopped peanuts if you’d like. Or melt 2 squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate and drizzle the chocolate over freshly dipped apples before setting them aside to cool.

Halloween can truly be a frightening holiday, but with gluten-free candy guidelines and great make at home gluten-free Halloween recipes, you will still have a ghoulish time!!

There’s an App for That?

Published on September 30, 2014September 30, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

Danielle Leavitt ’17

Wondering whether your favorite restaurant has gluten-free choices? Headed into the city and need to find a gluten-free gastropub? Do you want to buy gluten-free cupcakes for your roommate’s birthday, and are not sure where to find them? Answers to all of these questions, and many more, are right at your fingertips. Gluten-free eating just got simpler, as there are now several apps for gluten-free eaters, finally taking the guesswork out of searching for reliable sources of gluten-free dining.

Gluten-free apps have become the go-to resource when it comes to finding restaurants, products, experiences, community events, and information on the fly. Apps can provide a multitude of information in an organized, user-friendly, and up-to-date way on your smartphone or tablet. Though apps are not foolproof, they can assist with living a gluten-free lifestyle.

Find Me Gluten Free is an app that helps find nearby gluten-free restaurants. Although the app does not suggest places to eat nor does it tell consumers what to eat, it does have reviews of restaurants and local gluten-free establishments. Consumers can view gluten-free menus at fast food restaurants and are provided the directions to the restaurant. It also provides photos and information about local gluten-free events. Travelers find this app very helpful and easy to use, and best of all, it’s totally free!

Is That Gluten Free? is the top rated gluten-free app in the apple App Store. The app does not require wifi for use. It contains a categorized list of items, brands, and ingredients you would find at most grocery stores. It also shows on what date the item was tested and established as 100% gluten-free. Foods or ingredients can be searched individually or can be looked from a list. This app is extremely useful because it takes the time and guessing out of labels and ingredients. Users can also easily look at the latest brands and products added to the system. Unfortunately, not every gluten-free food item in production is on the list, the database requires frequent updating, and the app itself is a bit expensive ($7.99). Nevertheless, it is a worthy investment for those that follow a gluten-free diet.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has, not surprisingly, rated these two apps in the Top Ten Gluten-Free apps for android and iPhone; both have received 3/5 stars from the Academy. However, it is expected that ratings will increase as the databases expand and the number of reviews increase to a more statistically significant value. In the mean time, try them out, and have fun finding new places that you never thought would have gluten-free options. If you ask me, gluten-free never tasted so good!*

*Note: Any app, no matter how up to date, cannot guarantee the safety of your food (this is mostly relevant to those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance). Cross-contamination can occur, so it’s always good to check directly with the server about a restaurant’s food practices before ordering.

Finding The Best Gluten-Free Protein Bar

Published on September 24, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Danielle Leavitt ’17

8 am class? No time for breakfast? One class after another? Vending machines not an option? Then it’s time to enter into the world of bars!! I’m not talking about heading out to Queenshead Pub for breakfast, but hitting up one of the stores on campus and stocking up on protein bars! After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

This year, I have an early morning class. If you are anything like me, then you know how hard it is to wake up early enough to eat breakfast in the dining hall. At the beginning of the semester, I faced a dilemma: I wanted to sleep in as late as possible, but also not have to skip breakfast and be hungry the rest of the morning. I needed a quick and tasty meal to satisfy my hunger. Since I eat gluten-free, this made that task much more difficult. This is when I started looking at protein bars as a meal replacement.

I have always been a proponent of snacking on protein bars after sports and exercise, but it wasn’t until recently that I could find several bars that I really liked. Finding a protein bar that is gluten-free, low in sugar and carbs, and still tastes delicious can be very difficult.

On a recent trip to the Mass Avenue CVS, I found that the store carried various types of protein bars. On closer examination, there were many differences in the number of calories and the protein/carb/fat breakdown, and in some of the ingredients used. The one thing these bars had in common was that they were all GLUTEN-FREE. They had between 15-20 grams of protein and boasted only 200-250 calories, which could substitute for a meal or a snack.

According to WebMD, in choosing the best meal replacement bars, you have to rank your priorities. If taste is the most important, there is usually an increased amount of sugar in the bar. If watching your carbs is important, some bars compensate by increasing the amount of fat. Bars should also contain at least 5 or more grams of protein. Because breakfast is early in the day, you need a balance of protein, carbs, and fat. The Pure Protein bar has the most grams of protein (20), the Clif and Power Bar have the most carbohydrates (44), and the Kind Bar contains the most grams of fat (13). All seven of these bars provide an excellent ratio of protein to carbohydrate to fat that will satisfy hunger and sustain energy.

Do gluten-free protein bars really taste good? I purchased seven protein bars from CVS: Zone Perfect Chocolate Peanut Butter, Balance Yogurt Honey Peanut, Atkins Chocolate Peanut Butter, Power Bar Performance Energy Peanut Butter, Pure Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter, CLIF Chocolate Chip, and Kind Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate. A random blind taste test was performed on 10 students at Harvard. None of the students were told that the protein bars were gluten-free in order to avoid hesitancy in tasting them. After each of the 10 students tasted the seven different protein bars, the overwhelming winner was the Kind Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate bar. This bar is all natural, non-GMO, low sugar, and a good source of fiber. If you have a sweet tooth, but don’t want too caloric of a snack, this is the protein bar for you. The combination of the salty peanut butter with the sweet chocolate is heaven on your taste buds. The response to the Kind Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate bar was amazing. No student thought that the bar was gluten-free. The cost for the bar at CVS is around $3.00. Not only can these bars be purchased at CVS, but they can also be found at Broadway Market. In addition to the vast enjoyment of the Kind bar, each brand of protein bar appealed to specific students, and there are several different varieties to choose from at stores across campus.

So, if you’re ever in a rush in the morning, reach inside your backpack for a protein-filled, gluten-free bar to satisfy your hunger until your next meal!

A New Food Truck in Town: Pasta Flyer

Published on September 22, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Caroline Gentile ’17

Until September 24th, another food truck will join the usual fleet of the Bon Me and Whole Foods trucks. Pasta Flyer offers 100% gluten-free, perfectly al-dente pasta, in the shape of screws, tubes, or elbows, with 3 varieties of sauces (pesto, alfredo, and marinara) and 3 protein options (smokey bacon, truffled poached eggs, and Nonna’s meatballs).

Usually I’m pretty skeptical of anything gluten-free, but this pasta tastes exactly like the real thing. I ordered pasta with marinara sauce and Nonna’s meatballs, and was very impressed. Not only was the quality of my meal outstanding, but their service is by far the quickest of any of the food trucks in the Science Center Plaza.

Unfortunately, pasta flyer is only here for a limited time, but be sure to stop by between 11:30 am and 7pm between now and September 24th! And if you’re interested in how one even makes delicious gluten-free pasta, attend the mastermind behind Pasta Flyer, Chef Mark Ladner’s lecture, “Al-Dente: When Plastic Meets Elastic” on Monday, September 22nd at 7pm in Science Center Hall C.