Five gluten free treats I am loving this week

It’s been a bit of a mental few weeks, and I’ve been really trying hard to get on top of my macros when eating, so my diet hasn’t exactly been the most exciting! However, I’m trying really hard to keep it varied and make sure I don’t get bored. Getting fed up of chicken salads is bound to make anyone fall at the first hurdle, so I’m trying to come up with new and creative ways to hit my macros but really enjoy my food.

So in a bid to round up some of the gluten free foods I’ve enjoyed over the last couple of weeks, here’s an insight into some of the healthy – and not so healthy at all – gluten free treats I’ve tried!

 1. Gluten free Mexican from Calaca Loca

Those who read my blog will know from previous posts what a huge fan of the Barnstaple Real Food market I am. Every time I go I see to find something new, and this time was no different. One of my readers recommended I try out Calaca Loca – a Mexican street food stand, and as soon as I smelt the delicious spices I knew I had made the right choice! They were very clear about what was gluten free (I think they also cater for dairy free too) and I opted for the chilli with the full works – rice, sour cream, salsa and cheese. It was so delicious and a very generous helping too for £5 – I couldn’t quite finish it, which is saying something for me! Highly recommended!

2. Udi’s salted caramel and peanut brownies

Another one on the naughty list, these gluten free cashew nut and salted caramel cookies from Udi’s were so good they lasted about five minutes! These were ‘the last supper’ before embarking back onto my macro plan and they were worth every single bite. I picked these up in Tesco and was pleased to see there were eight cookies in there – more than you normally get from gluten free products! They were chewy and soft in the centre, with an almost oaty texture. So delicious, and SO moreish. Yum!

3. Rude health snack bars (gluten and dairy free)

Rude Health very kindly sent me a box of goodies to try out, and these snack bars were the first thing on the list! I liked the idea of the different flavours – beetroot, pumpkin and peanut. I also loved the funky packaging and wording, and were pleased to see as well as being gluten free they were also dairy free. My favourite was the pumpkin one – this was really sweet and sticky. The beetroot one was great and a delightfully bright pinky colour. I enjoyed the peanut one but it was probably my least favourite – I much preferred the sweetness of the other two.

4. Cherry bakewell Twining’s green tea

Oh my, Twining’s have done it again! I loved their salted caramel and gingernut green teas they released last year, and now they have come out with this amazing cherry bakewell flavour. They also have a fudge melts one which I am desperate to try but my Tesco store had run out! If you’re not a fan of green tea but really want to like it, these are a brilliant way to start. They take off the bitter edge, but are best drunk warm (rather than hot) as this is when you get the best flavour. Too hot or too cold and it’s just not enjoyable!

5. Pumpkin protein brownie with Greek yoghurt and honey

I made this gluten free post-workout pumpkin protein brownie last weekend (recipe available here) and have been so excited to have some after every training session. On Friday I went all out and it was AMAZING! I heated up my brownie and had it with some Fage Total Greek 0% yoghurt (FYI the best yoghurt in the world) and honey and it was so amazing! Like a really naughty treat, but in utilising my post-training time-scale and making my brownies with all natural and healthy ingredients it was brilliant. Just the ticket!

Hopefully I’ll have a bit of time to sit down next week and write some more comprehensive posts. I’ve tried some amazing products and tested some new recipes so should be plenty to come! Watch this space…