annie’s celebrates celiac disease awareness month.

October 19, 2011

Here’s the thing about Annie’s products: they stand for something, and they always have.

The classic Annie’s Shells & White Cheddar meal and the BE GREEN bumper stickers are a staple of the brand, something we’ve always counted on as consumers. When Annie’s approached us for a little Taste & Tell of their new products in celebration of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, we didn’t have to do a whole lot of thinking about it. Or a lot of research. We already knew the products would be quality. They would be made with excellent ingredients. They would be organic. They would be healthy. We hoped they would be delicious.

Annies’ venture into gluten-free snacks started with Rice Pasta Shells & Cheddar, a proverbial toe-in-the-water. As the gluten-free food movement took hold, Annie’s bolstered their GF product line and added some fun new snacks that kids (and adults) are certain to fall for.  Here’s our account of what we tried:

organic bunny fruit snacks, pink lemonade
Your typical fruit snack: soft, chewy, fruity. The Organic Pink Lemonade flavor offers a burst of slightly sweet lemon flavor. These take us back to our playground days, although here at the office at snack-thirty? We were racing each other to the last pack. They feel like dessert without ACTUALLY being dessert. Love that. These have one serving of fruit in every pouch and are certified organic.

organic bunny fruit snacks, grapes galore
A typical fruit snack, like the above Pink Lemonade flavor. Organic Grapes Galore Fruit Snacks are enlivened with the taste of juicy grapes. Certified organic, these bunny-shaped fruit snacks are made with real fruit juice and packed with 100% Daily Value of Vitamin C.

organic orchard fruit bites, cherry
More like a fruit leather than a fruit snack: a heartier, juicier fruit snack experience. While the bunny fruit snacks are clear(ish) — like the jelly of the fruit snack world — these are opaque, the jam of the fruit snack world. Like the fruit snacks, though, we always felt just a smidge like we were “cheating” by eating these because they felt so much like dessert. Again. Love that! These have one serving of fruit in every pouch and are certified organic.

totally natural cocoa & vanilla bunny cookies
Some of us are vanilla girls, and some of us are chocolate girls, but we all seemed to “accidentally” pick out the cocoa-flavored bunnies in this box of mini cookies. Made with white and brown rice flour and yellow corn flour, these bunny-shaped cookies are a great addition to lunch boxes or office snack drawers. (WHAT?! We’re definitely not too old for these sweet snackers!)

totally natural rice pasta & extra cheesy cheddar sauce
If your kids (or you) are a fan of Annie’s GF rice pasta & cheddar, this is going to blow. your. mind. No additional ingredients are required for this Rice Pasta & Extra Cheesy Cheddar — just cook the pasta and squeeze in the creamy cheese. There’s also a recipe on the box for how to convert the Rice Pasta & Extra Cheesy Cheddar into gluten-free “lasagna” by adding ground meat, marinara, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and fresh herbs. Perfect for a weeknight meal!

. . .

It’s no surprise (to us), but we will continue to seek out Annie’s products in our local grocery aisles. If any of these goodies look good to you, buy them at the online Annie’s store, or talk to your grocer about carrying some of these new & exciting gluten-free snacks!

Filed under: delicious,kids,on shelves now