Sunday, May 13, 2012

Orgran Itsy Bitsy Bears - an allergy friendly giveaway.


Edit: 20 May 2012 at 11pm. This giveaway is now closed and has been won by Marybelle, who has been advised by email. Thank you for entering.


I heard on the radio today that 1 in 10 children these days have some form of food allergy. That's a massive 10% of kids that are restricted in what they can eat. That's a pretty alarming statistic. With three kids of our own we were fortunate to not have any allergies. I know plenty of kids who do though. I know how to use an Epi-pen.

I know our primary school is nut free. And foods that are primarily egg are discouraged. Like mini quiches or meringues, due to egg allergies. I know there are other allergies around the place too. We have photos of the kids near the serving window inside the canteen so we can reduce the risk of the kids being served something they are allergic to. Although I tend to find that the kids with allergies bring their own food, or some of the Mums have even checked out the canteen & let us know what their kids CAN buy. Thanks Mums!

Wouldn't it be great to have a lunchbox treat that was allergy friendly?

Well now you can! Or, your kids can lol!

Orgran is a brand I see a lot, being one who packs supermarket shelves for a living & all.

We received a box of their Itsy Bitsy Bears in each flavour (choc berry and choc chip) to taste and review. Being a label reader, I was curious about their nutrition info as well as their taste.

Here's where I sound like a commercial, but the info is important:

* Each 175g box is equal to 10 servings, at only 70 calories per serve (that's snack happy in my book!)

* Oven baked, not fried. (I must not eat fried food, I must not eat fried food.......)

* Rich in complex carbohydrates (from my own untrained dietary knowledge, this means longer lasting, slower released energy, rather than a quick burst that would lead to cravings)

* Contains psyllium for added fibre. (my kids are not vegetable fans, so this helps avoid constipation).




So, what did we think about them?

CHOC CHIP FLAVOUR:

Liam (9): "Delicious". Came back for seconds.

Zac (16): "Average. A bit powdery. Missing something". Ah, yes kids, I didn't tell you they are gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, egg free, yeast free, soy free, nut free & vegan.

Megan (4): "Yep", when asked I asked if she liked them.

Me (old enough lol): they are biscuits, they taste like biscuits. (Which is probably what Orgran want them to taste like).


CHOC BERRY FLAVOUR:

Liam: "These are delicious, I'm having more."

Zac: "These ones are better."

Megan: "These ones are yum."

Me: "Back away from the box. These are mine."


So, now you know what we think of them, why not give them a try for yourself? You can find them in Woolworths/Safeway, Coles, IGA, Foodworks, Franklins and leading health-food stores. (I know in Woollies that are in the health food section). RRP $3.75 for a 175g box in either flavour. Break that down to your 10 serves per box & it's only 37.5 cents for a lunchbox snack. Cheaper than some of the other snack foods out there.

BUT, if you can't bear to buy before you try, enter my giveaway. One lucky reader will receive a box of these deliciously allergy free Orgran Itsy Bitsy Bears in choc chip AND a box of choc berry flavour too. Winner!

Now, for you App Happy people out there, here is some great news:
A Free App!  Orgran Gluten Free Foods Recipe App. There are over 300 recipes, making catering for gluten free eaters easier. Simply select an Orgran ingredient or two, tell it if you want sweet or savoury & voila! A selection of recipes using those ingredients at your fingertips. Stress be gone! Save the recipes you like in the favourites section. A handy app when shopping too, nothing worse than getting home & finding you have forgotten a crucial ingredient. Now, I have to tell you this app is iPhone and iPad friendly, so I haven't actually tried it because I have Android. But if you have an iPad you could sit it on your kitchen bench to make it easy peasy to follow the recipe whilst you are cooking. And it has a photo of the finished product (a MUST for culinary challenged people like myself), shareable on social media (Facebook & the like). You can download the app free from iTunes.

To enter my giveaway, tell me if you have any experience with food allergies, it could relate to yourself, your kids or someone you know.


Giveaway is open to Australian residents only & will close at 7pm on Sunday May 20. So get your entries in quick smart!

Karen xx


Disclaimer: We received a box in each flavour for review purposes.



2 comments:

Mary Preston said...

My daughter is on a strict Gluten Free diet.

It's wonderful that there are now more products out in the market.

Mostly though, I make everything from scratch. It's cheaper, I can make big batches to freeze & I know exactly what she is eating.

It's not impossible & it is necessary.

Jasmine1485 said...

I'm a Coeliac myself, and have been on a gluten free diet for the last couple of years. It's been a steep learning curve :) I'm glad to see more fun foodie products coming out, it can be very depressing when you're first on a GF diet, all you can think about is what you can't eat anymore!

kate1485 at hotmail.com