Be Free For Me Blog

This week’s Friday Favorite is all about keeping things healthy… even when snacking.

Let’s face it – snacking gets a bum-rap since it is synonymous with high-fat, high-calorie, and high-guilt foods. But all of you healthy-snackers out there can now rejoice thanks to Naked Edge Snacks.

Gluten-free Naked Edge Snacks are like snacks of no other. Their Veggie-Go snacks are similar to tradition fruit strips or fruit leathers, but made from whole, organic fruits AND veggies. The fruit and veggies combos are unique and will have your taste buds happy. Some of the varieties are: Carrots, Apples & Ginger;  Beets, Apples, Sweet Potatoes, Flax Seed & Cinnamon; Sweet Potato Pie and my favorite, Berries, Spinach, Apples & Sweet Potatoes.

They are also made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. According to their website, “No gluten ever enters our doors!”

The Veggie-Go’s are also organic and non-GMO, have less that 1/3 of the sugar of leading fruit strips (with no added sugar either!), and have a 1/2 serving of fruit AND 1/2 serving of veggies in every strip.

For all these healthy reasons that give snacking a good rap, Naked Edge Snack’s Veggie Go’s are this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com. Congrats!

If you love to bake, but hate the mixing and blending of different gluten-free flours, starches, and gums you need to check out Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend.

This flour blend is all-purpose flour that you can substitute for “regular” flours cup-for-cup. This means that you can bake that traditional family favorite recipe that you loved before going gluten-free with no worries.

Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend is also not only certified gluten-free, but also dairy-free too.

No mixing, no fussing and the ability to substitute this gluten-free flour mix cup-for-cup is why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Pamela’s for their fabulous Artisan Flour Blend.

Congratulations!

Want to try Pamela’s Artisan Blend Flour? Get it on Amazon.com! It’s only $11.37 for a 4-pound bag (as of 5-29-14) and qualifies for FREE Shipping on orders over $35!

This week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Spiru-Tein Gold, a great tasting high protein meal replacement that I have been counting on for years.

After working out in the morning, I love to blend-up a spoonful or two of Spiru-Tein Gold with some coconut or almond milk, and sometimes even some fresh fruit. With 12 grams of complete protein, Spiru-Tein Gold gives you the much needed energy replacement that your body needs right after a workout.

Spiru-Tein Gold is gluten-free, sugar free and soy free. It is also non-GMO, vegetarian and the protein is derived from whole food sources: chia, rice, pea and flax.

I love the way that Spiu-Tein tastes too. The flavors are great. My favorite is the Banana Berry Blast, but other flavors include Chocolate Cherry, Tropical Fruit, Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry.

This week’s Friday Favorite gives the energy I need, any time of day. Congratulations for Spiru-Tein Gold!

If you love fruits, but you’re looking for a portable and compact way to bring them wherever and whenever  you go, you need to check out Stoneridge Orchards.

Stoneridge Orchards features dried fruits that are wholesome and delicious. They are grown by third-generation family farmers in Washington State.

Their items are gluten-free and also have no artificial colors or flavors, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup or sulfites.

My favorite is the Montmorency Cherries, but other varieties are Sliced Peaches, Raspberries, Pomegranate & Berries Blend, Blueberries, Strawberries and Berry Blends.

Providing fun, convenient and portable ways to enjoy fruit on the go are the reasons why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Stoneridge Orchards. Congratulations!

P.S. Check out the recipes on the Stoneridge Orchards website… so delicious!

Everyone needs Vitamin D3 for healthy bones, good moods, and immune system functions, but many of us (including me!) have a deficiency when it comes to this much needed vitamin.

I was surprised when my doctor told me I had to start taking a Vitamin D3 each and every day. But after chatting with him I found out that wearing my sunblock religiously, being indoors for most of the day, and these cold, dark drab New England never-ending winters play a huge factor in my Vitamin D3 deficiency.

This is when I discovered Nordic Naturals Vitamin D3 Gummies. These gummies give me 1000 I.U. of the vitamin (the recommended daily amount), along with a great wild berry taste. These vitamins also contain no artificial coloring, flavoring, or preservatives and are pectin based and gelatin free. They are also manufactured in a facility certified to be free of allergens derived from milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soy. They are also gluten-free (in fact, all of the Nordic Natural vitamins are gluten-free!)

Plus these vitamins are so easy to remember to taste since they taste so good! It’s funny how they have actually become my mid-afternoon treat! =)

Nordic Naturals Vitamin D3 Gummies are this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com because they are good tasting, mood boosting, and help keep my bones and immune system strong! Cheers and congratulations Nordic Naturals!

Want to buy Nordic Naturals Vitamin D3 Gummies now? Check out this link on Amazon.com and take advantage of FREE SHIPPING on orders over $35.00!

If you’re a lover of the half popped kernels of popcorn at the bottom of a bucket of popcorn, fret no more – you can now enjoy these little curious and crunchy nuggets of joy… handfuls at a time.

HalfPops are fun little crunchy popcorn snacks that are full of flavor. Being the traditional gal that I am I love the  Butter and Pure Ocean Sea Salt flavor, but the cheesy-ness in me loves the Aged White Cheddar variety too.

HalfPops are also gluten-free, nut-free, and contain no corn syrup, Trans fat, artificial flavors, hydrogenated oils or preservatives. So they are good for you and full of fiber, as well.

All of these curiously & crunchy reasons are why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to HalfPops! Congratulations!

I know that many of you have allergies to color dyes that are included in foods that we eat. Yellow #6, Blue #1, Green #3… And even for those that don’t have an allergic reaction to these dyes, who wants them anyway?

The synthetic ingredients in these food dyes has become a major concern when it comes to health issues.

If you’re looking for a good old fashioned cookie you have to check out Pamela’s Product’s Figgies and Jammies.

Fashioned after the old standby cookie – the Fig Newton – this gluten-free version will knock your socks off. But with one difference… this cookie is far, far better. I love that the “cookie” portion of the Figgies & Jammies is soft, chewy and sweet. One bite and you’ll know what I am talking about!

I also am loving the size of this cookie. An extra-large version of a traditional fig cookie, you’ll need only one to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Figgies & Jammies (I just love the name… so cute!) come in four flavors: The traditional Mission Fig, Blueberry & Fig, Strawberry & Fig, and my favorite, Raspberry & Fig.

Super-sized cookie goodness, which brings you back to days long ago, are the reasons why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Pamela’s Figgies & Jammies. Congratulations!

Want to try a new spin on chips? Try Eatrageous baked chip! This all-natural, extra crunchy gluten-free snack is like no other.

How do I love these chips? Let me count the ways.

I love the shape of Eatrageous chips… which is a penne pasta like shape. It’s tube shaped, fun, quirky and packed with a big crunch which is perfect for snacking and dipping.

I also love that that these chips are baked, all-natural, non-GMO, vegan, and of course, gluten-free.

And the flavors! I really do have a hard time choosing my favorite since they are all so original and full of flavor: Wasabi Ranch, Crunchy Mac & Cheese, Sweet & Smokey BBQ , and the all-time favorite Original Sea Salt.

And the best part? These chips are only 100 CALORIES PER SERVING!

All these reasons are why I am so thrilled that this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Eatrageous chips. Crunch away…. And Congratulations!

Sometimes you try a new product and you just know it was made with love. A product that is made for a reason.  A product that has heart, soul, and compassion as ingredients.

And when I first tried My Dad’s Cookies I felt that love.

These gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free cookies are made by a Dad (Elan) for kids with food allergies.  Starting his company in New York City in 2010, Elan’s goal was to simply create cookies that look and taste like the “real ones” that people with celiac (young & old) miss eating; and the product must be made of great ingredients, that are dairy-free, nut-free and kosher.

Well, Elan… you nailed it. Yes… You. Nailed. It.

I have tried a lot of cookies in my gluten-free days, and these cookies are at the tippity-top of my favorites list. Why? Theingredients are top-notch and the varieties are a dream come true those concerned with gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free products.

Some of my favorite cookies are the Black & White (Shhhhh… I know, I know… these cookies are are a NY thing and I’m from Boston, but I love them anyways!) Coconut Chocolate (Yup.. coconut anything is a good thing, but add in chocolate and it’s even better), Vanilla Graham (I love the chocolate drizzled on top!) , and my absolute favorite… the Raspberry Linzer (melt in your mouth raspberry love) YUM! YUM! YUM!

Thank you, Elan for making cookies full of love… without the gluten, dairy and nuts. And for this you are awarded this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com. Congrats!