Whether it be for ethical, political, or medical reasons, more and more people are adopting specialized diets that exclude certain foods or ingredients in order to stay healthy, feel better, and live richer, more productive lives.
Chances are you know someone with a sensitivity to gluten, a kid who can’t go near nuts, or a parent who has found some relief for their autistic child through diet. Writer Debra Bass shared some compelling profiles of folks like this in her beautifully written, Food To The Rescue piece in our Winter 2019 issue.
I’ve not been diagnosed as lactose intolerant, but it’s undeniable that as I’ve gotten older, dairy products and my body just don’t play well together. (I miss you, Ben, Jerry, Haagen, and Dazs), thus reading Debra’s story inspired me to do some exploring of my own.
Enter the Nourished Festival (formerly the very-in-need-of-a-new-title Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo), which celebrates what you CAN eat, not what you can’t. There, I was thrilled to discover that we’re happily living in a new era of allergen-free foods, a far cry from the olden days (can you even remember 2006?) when the marketplace had few options, most of which had boxes tastier than their contents.
According to market research, gluten-free (GF) products alone are a nearly $5 billion industry, and it’s expected to grow to nearly $8 billion by 2024. Since 2007, Nourished Festival has been supporting the growth of this industry with a special diet consumer event, with this year’s weekend at the Del Mar Fairgrounds featuring over 100 allergen and gluten-free brands.
There was no Sharks-versus-Jets-style rumble between the vegan and paleo crowds, as I had been secretly hoping. Instead, the environment was festive and supportive, with a selection of delicious treats that I would gladly eat again regardless of dietary needs.
The following are seven edible highlights. And since you can’t throw a free-range crystal in San Diego without hitting a Whole Foods, Sprouts or Jimbo’s, you can happily try them for yourself.
Snack Time
This was a snack-rich environment (not a ton of entrée or “meal” offerings), so if chips are your thing, but gluten is not, I highly recommend Rise Buddy Baked Rice Snacks in all flavors, with an especially tipped-hat to the ‘pizza’ option. Salted crispy things are my weakness, and these were so good you’d never think to look at the ingredients list to see what isn’t there.
Honorable mention goes to RW Garcia’s 3 Seed Sweet Potato Crackers, made with Flaxseed, Sesame and Chia. Like all the best crackers, these are plenty good with nothing on them.
If you have dairy issues or are vegan, I found that many GF crispy snacks in their “original” flavor (not sour cream, BBQ, etc.) were dairy free as well.
A Reimagined Childhood Favorite
It breaks my heart that some kids will never know the joy of a Jif peanut butter sandwich on bright white Wonder Bread (68% of my caloric intake until age 18), but thanks to WowButter they can come close. Made from soy, cane sugar, palm oil and salt (hey, nobody’s perfect), it has the look, smell, texture and taste that scratches the itch, while being safe for school—a win/win.
Smear some on Rotella’s Gluten-Free Homestyle Deli White bread. You may already be familiar with Nebraska’s Rotella offerings, as their rep told me they make bread for Trader Joe’s (scoop!), as well as the hamburger buns for the Red Robbin and Shake Shack chains. Their GF offering is the sandwich bread of our youth, with a texture and taste that won’t leave you wondering where the gluten went.
Something Sweet
I have a sweet tooth (truthfully, 32 of them), so I was excited to see more than a few delectable offerings, especially OCHO Organic Candy.
The Caramel and Peanut Butter flavors were immediately addictive and are not only GF, but non-GMO and fair trade. The Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter and their top-selling Coconut bars are also certified vegan. I tried one or two or eleven of all varieties, and will again (you can grab ‘em at Target).
To Wash it all Down
All this sampling was thirsty work, so I decided to stop by the Glutenberg Craft Brewery booth. Three times.
Based in Montreal, their IPA, APA and Stout were all outstanding, and there were four more varieties I didn’t get to try, all seven being GF. This wasn’t just good gluten-free beer, it was good beer…hell, a great beer.
Allergen-Free Food & Support
Undoubtedly my favorite booth at the entire festival was showcasing the Pamper Me Pantry from the Autism Hope Alliance. I had no idea just how many families have found a gluten and dairy free diet essential in helping improve many behavioral symptoms of Autism.
The Pamper Me Pantry is a quarterly subscription box where you receive full-size products from across the natural products spectrum, all gluten and dairy free, and 100% of the proceeds benefit children with autism. Each box is $34.99, and has a retail value of over $125. It’s the perfect way to stay in the new product loop while helping those who truly need it.
I’m very grateful and extremely lucky to be able to eat and enjoy most foods without restrictions (Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch, I’m looking at you), but were I forced to make serious changes to my diet, it’s good to know there are delicious options available, sweet and savory alike.
And I’ve just scratched the surface—the Nourished Festival opened my eyes to just what a huge, generous, and inclusive community is out there, ready to satisfy any craving.
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