Be Free For Me Blog

I love peanut butter. But I don’t like all the fat and calories that come along with this super spread.

That is why I was so very, very excited to find PB2.

PB2 come in two flavors: the traditional peanut butter and, my favorite, peanut butter blended with premium chocolate (can you say yum?!) Both are gluten-free.

The product is made by slow roasting superior quality peanuts and then pressing them to remove 85% of the fat and oil… which produces a fine “peanut powder”. Next they add in a bit of sugar and salt (No preservatives or artificial sweeteners).

And… magically… when you blend PB2 with water (mix 2 tablespoons of PB2 with 1 tablespoon of water) it makes a super delicious, tasty and creamy peanut butter that is only 45 calories per serving with only 1 gram of fat!  This product is perfect for those on Weight Watchers or those concerned with calories.

And if the chocolate variety is your fancy, added into the peanuts are ground cocoa beans … which produces a chocolaty peanut butter deliciousness!!

I love to whip-up a batch to dip sliced apples and pears into… or put a tablespoon or two of the powder into my smoothies, or atop my ice cream. The possibilities are limitless!

85% less calories and fat… superior taste… and endless possibilities are all the reasons why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to PB2. Congratulations!

Want to buy now? Check out this link of Amazon.com! PB2 Premium Bundle: Powdered Peanut Butter + Powdered Chocolate Peanut Butter

This week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to a healthy little snack with big flavor and tons of good!

Fabz Snacks are an all-natural crunchy snack made of Fava Beans. The beans are sliced super thin, and baked to perfection with canola oil and sea salt.

I love that Fabz Snacks are low in calories (only 130 calories for 2 ounces) and are gluten-free, nut-free, Non-GMO, and have no trans fats. They are also packed with iron, fiber and protein.

My new favorite snack  is a great way to get good nutrition while crunching and snacking away!

All of these Fabz-ulous reasons are why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Fabs Fava Bean Snacks. Congratulations!

Want to find out more? Follow Fabz on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

With the Lenten season beginning next week (I know… Can you believe Easter will be here before we know it?) this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Bumble Bee SuperFresh Fresh Frozen seafood items.

These all-natural and gluten-free seafood items can be found in your grocer’s premium frozen seafood section or in the frozen food aisle. The fillets and shrimp comes all cleaned and cut, and it is fresh-frozen within hours.

They are delicious too! Here are the varieties: Salmon with Basil Pesto, Salmon with Garlicky Black Pepper & Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tilapia with Garlic & Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tilapia with Lemon Pepper & Herbs, Lemon Shrimp with Garlic & Herbs and Spicy Shrimp Romesco.

I love that this fresh frozen seafood is so convenient, and has some super tasty varieties.  Plus, it can go from freezer to table in 20 minutes or less! Check out their menu ideas too!

Congratulations to Bumble Bee SuperFresh for being this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com!

Brrr…. Baby, it’s cold outside! That is why I love to have a hot, steaming bowl of soup for lunch on the days were the wind is whipping, the temperature is dipping and my tummy is itching for a tasty and warm gluten-free treat.

I was thrilled to find Panera’s Tuscan Style Chicken Soup at my local BJ’s Wholesale Club this past week. Packaged in two (2) convenient 20-ounce containers per package, this soup was a bargain compared to the prices that you pay at a restaurant.

The soup is packed with chunks of chicken, white beans, spinach and onions… all simmered in a Tuscan-style tomato based broth. Delicious!

Hot and tasty soup all in the convenience of your own home or office is the reason why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Panera’s Tuscan Style Chicken Soup. Cheers!

Looking for a quick gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free snack? Need a quick mid-morning pick-me-up that is vegan and high in Omega-3’s? If the answer is yes… you need to check out Chia Bars from Health Warrier.

These bars are small, about 2.5” x 2”, but don’t let the size fool you. Chia, you see, is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. So these little bars really pack a punch when it comes to nutrition and making you feel full and satisfied.

I love that these Health Warrior Chia Bars are also only 100 calories each, 100% natural and contain 1000 milligrams of Omeaga-3’s. They are also Certified Gluten-Free. The bars come in several  flavors too… Acai Berry, Coconut, Banana Nut, Coffee, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and my favorite, Apple Cinnamon.

Another bonus… Health Warrior also sells their own chia seeds so you can make your own chia-licious recipes. Some of my favorite recipes you need to try include this Chia Banana Breakfast Bowl and these Health Warrior Banana Nut Muffins.

For being a tasty and feel-good- about-yourself snack option is why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Health Warrior Chia Bars. Congratulations!

Note: Want to buy Health Warrior Chia Bars? Check out their link on where to buy on their website.

Making authentic Chinese dishes gluten-free use to be hard for me. Why? It seemed that there was always an ingredient that I couldn’t use in a dish since it wasn’t gluten-free. That’s why I was thrilled to find Joyce Chen’s Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce.

Hoisin Sauce is usually used in Chinese cooking as a glaze or a sauce to add a kick of flavor. This thick, powerful sauce is both sweet and salty. I love the way it adds a boost of flavor when added to homemade Chinese dishes.

Some of the recipes that I enjoy using this gluten-free hoisin sauce in include my Nutty Sesame Chicken Nuggets and my Cashew Chicken.

Joyce Chen gets this week’s Friday Favorite honors for making authentic Chinese cooking at home a snap! Congratulations!

The weather is chilly and it’s a perfect time of year to pop a casserole in the oven and enjoy a piping hot meal at the end of the day.

But many casserole recipes call for a condensed creamed soups… that in the past have been full of gluten and off-limits to those on a gluten-free diet.

But now, those on a gluten-free diet can make casseroles galore… thanks to Pacific Foods and their condensed Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken Soups.

And along with these creamy soups, Pacific Foods makes tons of other products that are gluten-free including gravies, broths, cranberry sauces; and almond, rice and hemp milks.

Need some casserole recipe inspiration? Check out these gluten-free creations: Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole or this King Ranch Casserole (Note: Just be sure that you double check labels and make sure all the ingredients you use in these recipes are gluten-free!)

The reason why Pacific Foods is being selected as this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com is for finally making a product that those a gluten-free diet have been missing! Congratulations and thanks to Pacific Foods for thinking of us gluten-free folks and bringing casseroles back into our lives!

O.K…. I’m back on my popcorn kick! And once again, I am loving some crazy popcorn flavors that have your taste buds singing while crunching and munching one of my favorite all-time snacks.

A gluten-fre snack sensation, Rocky Mountain Jalapeno with White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn, has my heart and, as a result,  is also being recognized as this week’s Friday Favorite.

This all-natural gluten-free popcorn is also nut-free, non-GMO and a whole grain snack – so basically you can feel good snacking on these little gems!

Rocky Mountain Popcorn also comes in other delicious flavors such as Cinnamon Sugar, Southwest Cheddar, Caramel, Kettle Corn, White Cheddar, Naked and Butter… and of course, my all-time favorite, the Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese.

For being a whole grain snack that pops with flavor, this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com is awarded to Rocky Mountain Popcorn. Congratulations!

Any product that is a quick and easy substitute for bread is always a hit with me. That is why I am raving about Suzie’s Whole Grain Thin Cakes.

Made of lightly salted brown rice these all-natural puffed crackers, are perfectly shaped (square!) for a gluten-free “sandwich”. They are also perfect for a quick appetizer. Use your creativity and top them with some flavorful combinations. Some ideas? Goat cheese, basil & roasted red peppers; or  spinach, olives and a pesto drizzle.

At only about 15 calories per cracker, these thin cakes are the perfect way to enjoy all your favorite sandwich stuffings, plus more! I also love that these gluten-free brown rice crackers are fat free, contains no sugar, sodium or cholesterol and are also free of trans fat.

All these reasons are why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Suzie’s Whole Grain Thin Cakes! Cheers and congratulations!

I hate bring sick. But it’s that time of year. And no matter where I go someone is hacking, coughing, sneezing, sniffling, spluttering, wheezing… and whining about “How sick” they are. Ewww.

Cold-EEZE to the rescue!

This time, every year, I stock up on Cold-EEZE Cold Remedy Lozenges. The slightest bit of a sniffle and I pop one of these lozenges in my mouth. Why? Because Cold-EEZE has been clinically proven to shorten the duration of the common cold by almost half, or even prevents me from getting sick at all. And if I needed more proof, the Cold-EEZE website states that, “the efficacy of these lozenges is backed by double-blind placebo-controlled studies conducted at both the prestigious Cleveland Clinic and Dartmouth College.”

All of the Cold-EEZE products (besides the lozenges, they are make an Oral Spray, Daytime and Nighttime Quick Melts, and Quick Melts with Natural Immune Support) are gluten-free, and also free of preservatives and artificial colors. They also come in regular or sugar-free varieties, and have great flavors, such as my favorite, Cherry; or Honey Lemon, Strawberry Cream, Mint Frost, and more!

Cold-EEZE is a homeopathic cold remedy made with zinc gluconate, which is a micronutrient that’s essential to human health and facilitates the effective release of zinc ions which can shorten a cold.

Helping me keep cold-free and healthy is the reason why Cold-EEZE Lozenges is this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com! Congratulations!