This September Portland hosted the “Gluten-free Food Allergy Fest (GFFAFest).” Not only was this eye opening event for me being a naturopathic doctor but also as a gluten-sensitive food snob. The GFFAFest was a two day expo with everything you can imagine “Gluten-free” and a wide vary of seminars focused on gluten-free cooking and living with food allergies.

For those of you gluten-free foodies that did not attend, I thought I would give a quick guide to some new great products out there.

• Kember’s Gluten-Free Breads

Kember’s offers several varieties of breads and baked goods. My favorite was the pumpkin bread and bought a few to try at home. All their products are also dairy-free and soy-free and include an egg-free substitute option on the label. See my previous post on how easy it is to make the pumpkin bread. Very tasty!

• Scratch and Grain: as seen on Shark Tank!

Scratch and Grain is up and coming company that was recently selected to be on Shark Tank! They sell cookie kits that really make baking easy! They use the best organic ingredients, and each kit has all ingredients needed to make the recipe measured out and packaged individually, so you can make homemade cookies in a fun, quick, convenient way. Excellent idea! They have several gluten-free kits and they can be purchased on their website.

• Cappello’s: Gluten-Free and Grain-Free

Stopping by the Cappello’s booth was another highlight of the expo. Cappello’s offers gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo options to cookies, pastas, and even pizza crusts. Since the cookie dough is also vegan (has no eggs), you don’t really have to even bake it, its just that good. They can be found in Portland natural foods stores and also in select stores in Washington or you can purchased products on their website.

• Groove Ice Cream Sandwhiches, can I say more?!

This gem was worth the wait. It is often hard for those with multiple food allergies to find delicious gluten-free and vegan ice cream sandwiches. Groove hits the spot! They make gluten-free and offer some vegan options made with coconut milk ice cream. They currently are only available in Portland but are working towards offering an online store. If you are in Portland, stop by New Seasons Market and pick up some Groove ice cream sandwiches, it will be worth the drive!

We visited over 50 dedicated gluten-free booths and sampled many tasty gluten-free items. These were just a few of the top places that made the drive to Portland, definitely worth it!

Give me a call today (425) 686-4498 to learn more about how acupuncture can help you get your health back on track!

Dr. Ellie Heintze, ND, LAc, is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist specializing in IBS, migraine relief, and digestive health. For more information about the clinic, visit: startingpointacupuncture.com