>U Mom Knows Best: Discovering Allergy Friendly Foods At The Online Nourished Festival

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Discovering Allergy Friendly Foods At The Online Nourished Festival

Discovering food that is safe for me to eat

      I received samples of the mentioned food to facilitate this post.

 A couple of weeks ago I attended an amazing online allergy-friendly festival and it was the perfect way to discover food that I can enjoy with my food allergies. Many brands came together and showcased their allergy-friendly foods at the Online Nourished Festival so people like me could discover food and other products that are safe for them. This online event was created since the real events of the Nourished Festival had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Yes, you read that right, I said events as the Nourished Festival has several expos throughout the United States at different times of the year. If you have never attended a Nourished Festival event, you need to as it is the best way to discover and taste foods that are allergy-friendly, gluten-free, and made for specialty diets.

 The Online Nourished Festival was three days of discovering new foods, gathering new information and recipes, and meeting with brands that understand folks who have to avoid certain foods and follow special diets. This was an incredible event and the only part that was missing was being able to sample the foods. 


Discovering my food allergies

 In the past, I have attended a Nourished Festival and I enjoyed sampling the foods that were allergy-friendly and learning new information about how to manage your diet when you have food intolerances and food allergies. When I attended the Online Nourished Festival in 2018, in Phoenix, Arizona, my purpose was to learn about how I could better serve my readers who had gluten intolerances but little did I know that the conference was going to help me manage my own food allergies. It was a month after I attended the expo that I discovered that it was a dairy allergy that was causing my severe asthma flare-ups. My food allergy elimination diet and a food allergy blood test confirmed that I was allergic to dairy, soy, and mushrooms. 

  All my life I thought I had a dairy lactose problem but was really a dairy allergy. It was my use of a whey protein powder that triggered my dairy allergy to go from moderate to severe. What I thought were bad symptoms from seasonal allergies and things like mold and dust were in fact being made worse from my food allergies. Once I eliminated milk, soy, and mushrooms from my diet, I was better able to manage my asthma naturally without prescription drugs. Of course, I had to learn how to eat dairy-free, soy-free, and mushroom-free. That meant a trip to the grocery store meant reading labels. Eating out meant I had to speak up about my food allergies as one bite of the food that I was allergic too would cause me to have a bad asthma attack and leave me feeling sick to my stomach. 

Attending the Online Nourished Festival as a blogger

 So I was excited to be able to attend the Online Nourished Festival as a blogger so I could discover not only new products that I could safely eat but also learn new information about serving my community that had food allergies and food intolerances like gluten. It also meant that I could sample new allergy-friendly food and let others know about how they tasted. I was more than happy to have packages of dairy-free and gluten-free foods arrive at my house. While I don't have gluten issues, I like eating gluten-free foods as they can be healthier, and that way I can give my readers my opinion about how the food tastes when compared to food that has wheat in it. 


Checking out the allergy-friendly food

1. So Delicious ice cream

~ So Delicious was not at the Online Nourish Festival but I included them as they are my favorite dairy-free frozen treat. This frozen treat tastes just like ice cream as it is so creamy. I love that So Delicious comes in many delicious flavors and varieties so even those with nut allergies can enjoy a dish of yummy deliciousness. 

I recently tried Snickerdoodle Cashewmilk and I love that it has real bits of cinnamon sugar cookies in every bite.

~ I also tried So Delicious Sandwiches made from coconut milk and I was so happy to enjoy a dairy-free ice cream sandwich. I can't remember the last time that I ate an ice cream sandwich since eliminating all dairy from my diet. These frozen treats are so yummy and they only have 100 calories per serving. 






2. Grab The Gold Bars

~ Grab The Gold Bars are amazing! They taste like oatmeal peanut butter cookie dough before you bake the dough. The best part is they are healthy and dairy-free. They are also gluten-free.









3. Immune Boost Shot - Berry Drink Mix

~ Grab The Gold Immune Boost Shot is a delicious way to boost my immune system this winter, It was sweet and had a nice berry flavor. I like that it was loaded with vitamin C, Elderberry, and other immune-boosting nutrients.











4. Barilla Red Lentil Pasta


~ I am excited to try Barilla Red Lentil Pasta as it is loaded with protein. I also like that it is gluten-free and the color is so pretty!











5. Wasa Gluten-free Crispbread

~ I have always been a fan of Wasa Crispbread and I am happy that they make a gluten-free option for my friends who can't have gluten. They have always been made without milk products and this gluten-free crispbread tastes just like the original Wasa.












6. Flax4Life muffins and brownies


~ Flax4Life muffins and brownies were amazing and it was hard to believe that they were gluten-free and made without dairy. These treats were moist and full of sweet flavor. The chocolate ones were my favorites.








7. Metta Gluten-Free Flour


~ Metta Gluten-free flour is made from healthy ancient grains and promises to work in all my baking goodies like cookies and pancakes. I will be using this flour when I make gluten-free treats for my friends.








8. Path of Life Quinoa Blends 


 ~
These quinoa blends were so delicious and I loved the big pieces of kale that were blended in.










9. Hungry Harry's Baking Mixes


~ I just love the bright yellow bags that Hungry Harry's makes. This company sent me lots of yellow goodies with their baking mixes. I can't decide which baking mix to try first. They are all dairy-free and gluten-free so now I can enjoy cake and muffins from mixes instead of having to make it from scratch. All the baking mixes are allergy-friendly and free from 16 food allergens.







10. Josie's Best Gluten-Free Mixes 


I loved that these gluten-free mixes baked up like real waffles and they tasted so good. They were fluffy and crisp like how a waffle should be.










11. Love Corn

~ Love Corn was a big hit with my teenager. He kept sneaking the sample packs that came with this cool looking box of samples. He also liked the winter hat that was in the box. I liked that these corn nuts were made from corn and had a crunch that was not super hard. This was a healthy vegan snack. The flavors were so delicious and I loved the barbecue one along with the habanero flavored corn nuts. 






12. Homefree Cookies


~ Homefree cookies were bite-sized and delicious. They were dairy-free and gluten-free as well as nut-free and soy-free. They came in many flavors like chocolate chip, lemon, ginger snap, and many more. I loved all the cookies and enjoyed them with my coffee. It was nice to enjoy a cookie that I did not have to bake myself.






13. The Good Crisp Company


My boys have enjoyed The Good Crisp before and were happy to see samples of these chips. They love all the flavors and that they come in a can that keeps them from breaking. I had to hide a can so I could enjoy one as my boys can eat these up quickly.


 





14. Sauce Goddess Gourmet



~ I am excited to try these sauces and seasonings from Sauce Goddess Gourmet. I love that they are made with real ingredients and that the allergens are clearly listed on the label. These are dairy-free and contain no gluten. The products also have no additives or preservatives. The Big and Tangy sauce is a delicious tomato-based sauce that has a kick of heat. While the Jamaican Jerk seasoning is perfect to sprinkle into recipes and on my veggies.






15. Olive Your Heart®, Lemon


~
A delicious way to add heart-healthy nutrients to your diet.  This premium Greek extra virgin olive oil is loaded with omega-3 marine oil and provides 1,480 mg of omega-3s per serving.  It’s mild and smooth and makes it easy and promotes cardiovascular health.









  I was amazed at all the delicious allergy-friendly food that the companies, that had exhibitor booths at the Online Nourished Festival, sent me. While I only spoke of the snacks and products being dairy-free and gluten-free, they were also soy-free. Many of the foods were also free of the top 8 common allergens. I was happy to sample them and I liked that I did not have to worry about my food allergies as all the food was vegan. Of course, I still read the labels of all the food products that were sent to me to make sure they did not contain soy or mushrooms, common ingredients in vegan food. While I can trust that vegan food does not contain dairy it can contain mushrooms and soy which can make managing my food allergies hard, especially when eating out. To get more information about the products that I sampled and other allergy-friendly products, make sure to visit this link

 I felt like a kid in a candy store as I had so many healthy snacks and foods that tasted so good. I enjoyed having treats like brownies and cookies that I did not have to bake myself. My boys who don't have any food issues helped me sample the goodies and they quickly discovered some new snacks like Love Corn and Good Crisps. When my teen tried the waffles that I made from Josie's Best Gluten-Free Mixes, he could not believe that they were gluten-free as he reached for a second waffle. Discovering new foods that are safe for people with food allergies means my time at the grocery store is easier. I can now select foods that taste good and are safe for me to eat. I still have some brands sending me some items and I will update the list as I receive them. I am very thankful for companies that make allergy-friendly food so those, like me, can enjoy food without having to worry about an allergic reaction.

Which allergy-friendly/gluten-free are you excited to try?


   



17 comments:

AiringMyLaundry said...

Yum, everything sounds tasty! I don't have any allergies, but I am always eager to try new things.

Julia Hess said...

I do not have food allergies but this looks like a tasty list of allergy free food. This would be really great for parents who have kiddos who have allergies. Especially the ice cream and the brownies.

Lisa @ Midwest Glam said...

It must be difficult discovering such an allergy. I’m lactose intolerant so I try to stay away from dairy as much as I can. I love the So Delicious products. I make my own ice cream out of coconut milk when I can. So good.

MamaLad said...

These are great dairy-free, soy-free, and mushroom-free options! I'd like the try the "Love Corn" snacks. They look so good!

melissa said...

Wow I had no idea there are great options for food allergies. I bet it would love the icecream sandwiches

Celebrate Woman said...

It's a beautiful post with all the foods from different brands. Enjoyed the post a lot.

Toni said...

This is so helpful!! Such a great resource! Thank you so much for sharing!

Ryan Escat said...

Love this post, I don't have allergies but this is so informative and I love the products you shared.

Chin chin said...

I'm allergic to some seafood and some medicine. So, it's important for me to choose foods that won't cause unwanted reactions. But the food you shared are all okay for me.

Gervin Khan said...

Great article especially to every people who have allergy in some kind of food. This is very important as allergy can be as life threatening condition if we're not serious about it.

Nyxie said...

It's always so difficult to get food when you have allergies. I couldn't imagine going out to eat or buying a deli and not knowing if you'll take a reaction or not.

Priya|how to be a positive parent said...

All the food looks delicious. I don't have any allergies but it must be so hard for people with allergies to eat all these delicious treats. Its good now there are options available for them as well.

Kita Bryant said...

Some foods have so many things jam packed into them these days. Having a list like this can actually be life saving.

Y The Wait said...

Thanks for sharing this awesome content for me.

Ivan M. Jose said...

Those all sound delicious! Good to know for all those who have dietary restrictions.

Eloise said...

so happy there are more choices out there for people with food allergies. I have a certain diet I have to follow as well, it can be a bit more expensive but hopefully with more options the competition will lower the costs some day ; )

Hannah Marie said...

That's incredible and yummy. I'm glad that you found your safe non allergy foods. Those looks delicious. I hope you have a great time and learn many things through Online Nourished Festival!

data-matched-content-rows-num="2" data-matched-content-columns-num="2"
Mom knows best