The Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest (GFFA Fest) was held in Columbus, Ohio this past weekend. The event was run by Gluten Free & More magazine and presented by Enjoy Life Foods. If you’ve never been to a gluten-free food expo before, expect a day filled with gluten-free eating and education. There’s also a bit of entertainment (e.g., spinning the wheel for prizes and a photo booth) thrown in for good measure.
A total of 62 vendors and other exhibitors were on hand to display their wares. Booths included everything from gluten-free foods and health & beauty care products to kitchen supplies and other services (e.g., travel agent, chiropractor). Gauging by the crowds on the showroom floor, I’d say the expo was a success.
My Top Gluten-Free Food Picks
While hard to narrow down, below are my top picks from the Columbus Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest.
Sonny Marie’s. I left home without having breakfast and good thing. Sonny Marie’s – the brand whose tagline reads: “Brighten Your Day” – was one of the first booths I encountered. Products available for sampling included white bread, cinnamon rolls and donut holes. How could I go wrong? I’m pleased to say all were quite yummy: moist and tasty. But the mini loaf of white bread immediately won me over. It took me back to the homemade bread my “Gram” used to bake. I purchased some on the spot.
Garden Lites. Garden Lites Chocolate Muffins are to die for. And they’re almost too good to be true. The main ingredients in all Garden Lites muffins are vegetables! For example, the first two ingredients in my favorite, the chocolate muffin, are zucchini and carrots. But you (and maybe more importantly, kids) would never know. They’re delicious, a good source of fiber and only 120 calories each. The product is sold in a box of four and found in the freezer aisle of such stores as Kroger, Meijer, The Fresh Market and Whole Foods.
Delighted By Dessert Hummus. Shut the front door! A dessert hummus that tastes like a heavenly chocolate dip. No joke. I’m not particularly a fan of hummus (gasp!). But I tried and liked both flavors available for sampling: Brownie Batter and Chocolate Chip. Products are all natural, vegan and gluten free. The company is a small startup, just starting to gain traction in the retail marketplace. Delighted By Dessert Hummus can currently be found in select Wegman’s stores on the East coast. The back story about how founder Makenzie Marzluff came up with the idea for a dessert hummus (available on the company’s landing page) is worth the read.
Bake Me Happy. It’s very timely that Bake Me Happy makes my list with Mother’s Day this coming Sunday. Back story: I had my first taste of Bake Me Happy when my son presented me with a “sample pack” of sweet gluten-free nostalgic treats last Mother’s Day. It was one of the most delicious and thoughtful presents ever. One of my favorites from Bake Me Happy is the Oatmeal Crème Cloud. Just like it sounds: Fluffy marshmallow cream smothered between two huge soft oatmeal-molasses cookies. Fortunately for the Columbus GFFA Fest crowd, it was one of Bake Me Happy’s featured products this past weekend. Other nostalgic treats available include: King Dongs, SnoBalls, Spongies (aka Twinkie) and Moon Pies. Try one, try all.
Chebe. I admit it. I have a sweet tooth. I’ll take a sweet treat over savory any day (can you tell from my list so far?). But in the savory category, Chebe stepped up to the plate to win me over. I sampled the original cheese bread mix and pizza crust mix. I must say that the pizza crust is a winner. It’s a tasty gluten-free crust seasoned with just the right blend of Italian herbs and spices. All that with just six ingredients! And Chebe pizza crust is free from most major allergens: gluten; soy; peanuts/tree nuts; lactose/casein; and much more. Products also are non-GMO and Kosher certified. The pizza crust was so good on its own. I can’t wait to taste it with all my favorite toppings.
Honorable mention: Coconut Bliss. Besides being gluten-free, lately I’ve been having trouble with dairy too. So with summer around the corner, I’ve started the search for an ice cream replacement. Eureka! Think I may have found it in Coconut Bliss. I especially liked the Cherry Amaretto flavor available for sampling at the GFFA Fest. In total, Coconut Bliss comes in 15 delectable flavors. The company also offers six varieties of frozen dessert bars. Something for everyone to enjoy and good for you too! As per the brand’s tag line, Coconut Bliss is “The Evolution of Ice Cream.” Products are dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free and certified organic.
