Product Faceoff! Amy’s Soy Mac & Cheese vs. Stouffer’s

This week I compared one of my favorite staples, macaroni & cheese. I’ve just tried about every mac & cheese out there (boxed and frozen), and as the sole lactose-tolerant writer of this blog, I couldn’t wait to see if soy mac & cheese could stand up to my regular lineup. Below are the results!

Price
Amy’s - $2.79

Stouffer’s - $2.00

Winner of Price category: Stouffer’s… and bonus, you get 12 oz with Stouffer’s vs 9 oz in Amy’s

Taste
Amy’s – Could definitely tell this was not the real thing. It had a very sharp, odd taste to it. It had a very strong smell to it as well, and it wasn’t a nice one…

Stouffer’s – the regular stuff didn’t disappoint in this category. It had a nice mild taste and it smelled delicious.

Winner of Taste category: This was not a close call – Stouffer’s gets the win

Nutrition Info
Amy’s – 9 oz serving
370 calories, 15 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 500 mg sodium, 42 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar, 16 grams protein, 15% calcium

Stouffer’s – 6 oz serving
340 calories, 16 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 810 mg sodium, 32 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar, 13 grams protein, 30% calcium

Winner of Nutrition info: With the Amy’s soy mac & cheese, you get a 50% bigger portion for similar calories & fat, and much less saturated fat & sodium. With Amy’s you’ll also save on sugar and gain some fiber instead.

Accessibility
Both were from your neighborhood grocery store

Winner of Accessibility category: It’s a tie

Texture
Amy’s – Although the taste was very disappointing, the texture was alright. It was pretty similar to the regular stuff. The cheese melted well and the pasta cooked well in the microwave.

Stouffer’s – the cheese sauce was slightly thinner than the soy cheese version, but overall a great texture – better than the soy cheese

Winner of Texture category: Stouffer’s wins again

Final Results: This is no surprise – I couldn’t get past the taste and smell of Amy’s soy mac & cheese. It just had a very fake, strong taste and smell to it. If you have another dairy-free mac & cheese option, we would love to hear about them. Leave your comments below!

A Perfect Cold Day Meal - Stew like braised beef shanks over creamy polenta

Braising is one of my favorite methods for cooking.  You cook something long and slow and at the end you are rewarded with a warm bowl of goodness, perfect for a cool fall or cold winter day.

These braised beef shanks were originally inspired by an Emeril recipe I read and experimented with. Overtime I have “beefed” (pun intended) it up to make it stew like now though.  For this particular recipe, I like to cook the shanks just a little extra so the meat has fallen off the bone and has become part of the stew like mixture.  This is perfect then served over our lactose free creamy polenta.  Try this recipe and make it your own – you will not regret it.

Ingredients:

4 beef shanks (approximately 3 pounds)

2 large onions, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

2 large carrots, diced

¾ of a leek, sliced (make sure it’s thoroughly washed)

5 slices of bacon, chopped

2 rosemary sprigs

8 fresh thyme springs, leaves removed

½ cup of basil

9 garlic cloves, diced

3 ½ cups of red wine

2 cups of beef stock (I prefer the unsalted kind if you see it)

1 15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes

3 Tablespopons of tomato paste

“Stew” vegetables of choice – I prefer about 1 package of button mushrooms, ½ pound of boiling onions (peeled), 2-3 parsnips cut in ½ inch pieces and about 2-3 carrots also cut into ½ inch pieces

Pinch of crushed red peper

Pinch of sugar

Canola Oil & Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 bay leaves

Emeril’s Essence (can also use a little salt & pepper, smoked paprika and/or a little dried oregano)

Directions:

1.       Heat about 3-4 tablespoons of canola oil in a large dutch oven.  Sprinkle Essence (or choice of dried herb) over the beef shanks.  Add shanks to the oven and brown on each side – approximately 3-4 min per side, set aside.

2.       Turn stove heat down to medium- low and add onion, cerlery, carrots, bacon, and leeks. Cook and stire until veggies are soft

3.       Add garlic, bay leaves, rosemary and cook for another 2 minutes then add 3 cups of the red wine and stir well.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan.  Cook until wine has reduced by about 1/3. 

4.       Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef stock, basil, crushed red pepper, sugar and the remaining ½ cup of red wine and tire to combine. 

5.       Return shanks to the Dutch oven and increase heat to bring sauce of a boil.  After boiling, reduce heat and let simmer with the cover on for about 30 minutes on the stovetop.

6.       Preheat oven to 300F degrees

7.       After 30 minutes, give it a stir and put Dutch oven covered in the oven, cook for about 3.5 hours, string lightly occationalyy

8.       Add “stew” vegetables and cook for about 1 more hour

9.   Service over polenta and enjoy

Polenta:

1 cup of polenta

4 cups of chicken broth

1/2 cup of Veggie Soy Cheese, mozerrla and about ¼ cup of Veggie Soy Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.       Bring chicken broth to a boil and slowly whisk in the polenta. 

2.       Continue whisking and then stir in the cheese. 

3.       Make sure to keep whisking slowly so it doesn’t burn and get s a nice creamy texture to it.

Pumpkin Muffins with Buttercream Frosting

Pumpkin Muffins are a really great fall breakfast, but paired with a nice lactose-free buttercream frosting they make a very nice dessert.



Pumpkin Muffins:
Mix a can of pumpkin with a box of spice cake mix in a large mixing bowl. Do not add any other ingredients. The mix will be a bit thicker than an average cake or muffin mix, so don't worry. Add the mix into the muffin or cupcake tray as you normally would and bake as directed on the back of the cake mix box. Viola!



Buttercream Frosting:
Ingredients -
1/2 c. butter
2 c. powered sugar
1/4 c. of milk
2 tsp. vanilla



I replaced the milk with vanilla Silk and I used actual butter. Butter is made mostly from butter or cream fat and therefore has no lactose or trace lactose.

Soften the butter and beat until smooth. Be careful not to melt the butter.

Beat in the remaining ingredients for about 2 minutes slowly adding the milk until desired consitency.

I usually put the frosting in the fridge to firm it up a bit.

Then spread on the muffins!

Product Faceoff: Dark Chocolate

Jaclyn here bringing you this week’s product faceoff.
I decided to review dark chocolate. Since I’m minorly lactose-intolerant I figured I could handle with something with traces of lactose in it. Dark chocolate typically has little to no lactose in it, so it is generally safe for the lactose intolerant. The general rule for dark chocolate is: the higher the percentage of cocoa (or cacao) the less lactose traces in the chocolate. Chances are 70% cocoa and higher will have minute or no traces of lactose, while below that the greater the chance of lactose. Kosher Pareve chocolate will have no lactose in it whatsoever. To test the Kosher versus non-Kosher I bought 2 bars, both organic. I could not get the Kosher Pareve and regular to line up on cocoa percentage so, I got one the non-Kosher at 85% and the Kosher at 80%.

Green and Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate (referred to as G&B)
Vs
Equal Exchange Chocolates, Kosher Pareve (referred to as EEC)

Price

G&B: $3.69
EEC: $2.99
Winner: EEC

Nutrition Info (both have a serving size of 40 grams)

G&B: 250 calories, 20g fat, 12g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol,
10mg sodium, 15 g total carbs, 4g dietary fiber, 8g sugar, 4g protien

EEC: 230 calories, 20g fat, 12g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 4mg
sodium, 15g total carbs, 5g dietary fiber, 7 g sugar, 3g protein

Winner of the nutritional information is EEC!!

Accessibility
Both were found in the candy or bakery aisle of your local grocery store.

Winner – it’s a tie!

Texture
Again, a tie. Both taste like semi-sweet chocolate and have the same
texture. They’re hard chocolate bars that slowly melt in your mouth. No
difference in sweetness even though the cocoa percentage varies. Had the cocoa
percentage been more like 15% difference I think there would be a difference in
sweetness.

Final Results
Overall EEC is the winner due to the price and the nutritional value
and you are sure you will be completely safe from lactose!

Halloween Candy Ideas

With Halloween fast approaching people are sticking up on candy, but what about lactose intolerance? There’s plenty of candy that doesn’t even include chocolate, but the candy bars are Halloween candy staples. Luckily, many of the most popular candy bars are now available in dark chocolate.- Snickers Dark
- Milky Way Midnight
- Kit Kat Dark
- Twix Dark

- Hershey’s Special Dark

Pumpkin Sausage Pasta

Fall is my favorite time of year…weather turns a bit chilly, football season is in full swing and canned pumpkin hits the shelves in droves.  This delicious dairy free pumpkin pasta dish is the perfect Fall recipe… it may sound a bit odd, but the taste is a seasonal great.  It also works as a quick weeknight meal!

Ingredients:

1 pound of sausage, cut in ½ inch pieces (you can use any type here, I like hot Italian in this dish)

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 shallots, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 2oz package of sage leaves, chopped

1 cup of white wine

1 cup of chicken stock

1 can of 29 ounce pumpkin (be careful not to grab the pumpkin pie mix!)

¾ cup of Silk Soy Creamer

1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon

½ teaspoon of nutmeg

2 cups of mushrooms sliced (any variety works, I like a mix of shiitake and cremini)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Steps:  

1)      Add a few turns of EVOO to a large pan and on medium high heat.  Brown the sausage and transfer to plate.  Drain most of the fat from the pan and return to the stove, reduce heat to medium.

2)      Add as needed EVOO and add onion, garlic and cook for approximately 5 minutes, until tender.

3)  Add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have given off their water

4)      Add bay leaf, sage and wine and reduce wine by about half (approximately 3 minutes).  Add stock and pumpkin and bring sauce to a bubble.

5)      Return sausage to the mixture and add cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. Reduce heat and let dish simmer together from about 5-10 minutes so sauce thickens up. Taste and season more if you prefer.  Serve with pasta.

Product Faceoff! Amy’s Soy Cheese vs. Regular Cheese Pizza

This week I compared Amy’s products. After the experience I had last week with the Trader Joe’s soy creamer, I was pretty nervous to try the soy cheese pizza. Below are the results!

Price
$5.99 for both kinds

Winner of Price category: It’s a tie

Taste
Amy’s soy – I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the soy pizza tasted very similar to the regular version. I couldn’t even tell the cheese was dairy-free.

Amy’s regular – This was delicious - everything about it was great, from the cheese to the sauce to the crust

Winner of Taste category: Both pizzas had the same crust and sauce, just the cheese was different. I’m going to give Taste to the dairy-free version simply because it was so close to the real thing, I was extremely impressed.

Nutrition Info
Amy’s soy – 290 calories, 10.9 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 590mg sodium, 37 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 12.1 grams protein

Amy’s regular – 310 calories, 12.1 grams fat, 4.1 grams saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 590 mg sodium, 38 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 4.1 grams sugar, 12.1 grams protein

Winner of Nutrition info: Soy pizza is the winner here since it doesn’t contain saturated fat or cholesterol. Calories, fat, fiber, sugar, and carbs were all pretty similar.

Accessibility
Both were from the neighborhood grocery store – most sell Amy’s products

Winner of Accessibility category: It’s a tie

Texture
Amy’s soy – Although the soy pizza rocked in the taste category, the texture will still slightly off from the regular version. The soy cheese didn’t melt as well as the regular version. The sauce and crust were still just as good as the regular stuff. The end result was still a tasty pizza, but it was very easy to decipher which pizza was soy and which was the regular version.

Amy’s regular – The cheese melted perfectly in the regular version. The crust was delicious too.

Winner of Texture category: Due to the soy cheese melting (or lack thereof), the regular version wins out here

Final Results: I was pleasantly surprised with the soy cheese pizza and it wins this week’s product faceoff. Even though the cheese didn’t melt like regular cheese would have, Amy’s still managed to make a tasty dairy-free pizza that rivals the original. Sometimes you just need to eat some pizza, and if you are lactose-intolerant, Amy’s should be your go-to brand.

Tips for Enjoying Asian Food Restaurants

Want lactose free foods? Think East Asian: Thai, Chinese, Korean, Japanese.  Why you ask?  The answer is simple, because lactose intolerance is common amongst people of Asian descent, the ethnic foods of the area typically don’t contain dairy.  The key term there however is “typically” .  Some Asian restaurants in the US have adapted to the audience and have developed some foods with dairy in them – they’re not plentiful but they’re out there.  As such here are some tips when dining out…

… Stay clear of the cream cheese filled Crab Rangoon; instead get your crunch from an egg roll or spring roll.

….When ordering sushi, avoid anything labeled “Philadelphia” style or “Cream cheese.” If you want something extra added to your roll, go for a little spicy sauce which is mayonnaise based.

….In Thai foods, coconut cream and coconut milk are common ingredients – these are dairy free, so feel free to enjoy. 

….Desserts are always problematic and that is true even in Asian restuarnts.  Be on the lookout for dairy filled desserts including ice cream and baked items that could have milk. Your best bet if you’re looking for dessert is sorbet and/or consulting with the chef on your options.

….The ginger salad dressing commonly found in Japanese and Korean restaurants may look creamy, but it’s dairy free –

…and as always, use common sense and consult with the chef on any questions or concerns you have.

Now go ahead a share…what’s your favorite Asian food and dish? Do you love all the dairy free options?

Banana Bread

My mother makes some seriously delicious banana bread, not too moist and not too hard with the perfect amount banana flavor. I have taken her recipe and put my own lactose-free twist on it.

Ingredients:
3 Bananas (rotted or very close to it)
1 Egg
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Baking powder
¾ c. Sugar
2 c. Flour
2 tbsp. Melted butter



Mix the first 5 ingredients together until frothy by hand or using a mixer, then slowly add the flour. Blend in the melted butter. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured bread pan and sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.



What did I leave out? I left out a ½ cup of milk (skim and 2% work fine). I found the bread to be no less moist, but if you are looking for a more moist bread, include the milk with a lactose-free version of your choice. The milk should be added before the butter according to the instructions above. Another ingredient that can be added if you so desire, are walnuts. If you’re adding those, fold them in after all other ingredients have been combined and you can even throw some on top with the cinnamon and sugar!

Product Faceoff! Trader Joe’s Soy Milk Creamer vs. Trader Joe’s half & half

This week I compared coffee creamers. As an avid coffee drinker (and the sole lactose-tolerant writer of this blog), I was very interested to find out if soy milk creamer tastes similar to my usual staple, half & half. Below are the results!

Price
Soy creamer - $1.49 – 1 pint, 16 oz

Half & half - $1.29 – 1 pint, 16 oz

Winner of Price category: Although the regular half & half is 20 cents less, I feel the 20 cent markup on soy creamer is worth the price to pay for a dairy-free alternative.

Taste
Soy creamer – unfortunately I was not happy with the taste of soy creamer. It took over the taste of my usually delightful caramel vanilla coffee. Even with the coffee cup sitting on a table far away from me, all I could smell was the creamer. It was very obvious this was a dairy-free substitute.

Half & half – the regular stuff didn’t disappoint in this category. It blended in perfectly with my caramel vanilla and didn’t overpower the coffee taste. It was a perfect compliment to my freshly brewed caramel vanilla coffee.

Winner of Taste category: This was not a close call – regular half & half wins the taste category

Nutrition Info
Soy creamer - 15 calories for a 1 tbsp serving
1.5 grams fat, 1 gram carbs, 0 for every other nutritional category

Half & half - 40 calories for a 2 tbsp serving
3 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, 1 gram carbs, 1 gram sugar, 2% Vitamin A, 4% Calcium

Winner of Nutrition info: Soy creamer appears to be the winner here since it doesn’t contain saturated fat or cholesterol. It is worth mentioning that I needed to use more soy creamer to get my coffee as “light” as I normally take it. I had to use 2 servings to get there, so the calories between the two were practically the same for me.

Accessibility
Both were from Trader Joe’s - Available at any Trader Joe’s location. As of July 2011, Trader Joe’s has 361 stores in 29 states and Washington, D.C.

Winner of Accessibility category: It’s a tie

Texture
Soy creamer – slightly thicker than the regular stuff, also left a slight film in my coffee cup. It also took more soy creamer to make my coffee as “light” as I normally like it.

Half & half – it took less half & half to get my coffee “light”. Thinner than its soy counterpart & doesn’t leave a film in my cup.

Winner of Texture category: Half & half all the way

Final Results: This is no surprise – I couldn’t get past the taste and smell of soy creamer, so half & half is clearly the winner. Although the price is practically the same, I could not overlook soy creamer’s disappointment in the taste and texture categories. Maybe I picked the wrong dairy-free substitute for my Product Faceoff. What dairy-free coffee creamers do you swear by? We would love to hear about them. Leave your comments below!

Tips for Dining Out: Breakfast

What’s the first thing that comes to mind at the thought of breakfast? Eggs and bacon? Muffins? Pancakes? Yum! But, you might forget foods that could contain lactose.

Problem: Scrambled eggs – a lot of people scramble their eggs with a splash of milk to make them fluffier.
Solution: If your less sensitive ask the server if cream could be substituted, if more sensitive either decline the milk altogether or see if there is a lactose-free alternative.

Problem: Waffles and Pancakes – both most likely have milk in the batter.
Solution: If the batter is not already pre-made ask if cream, water, or a lactose-free alternative

Problem: Whipped Cream – although there is less lactose in cream than in milk there are still traces.
Solution: Skip it altogether if you are very sensitive to lactose.

Problem: Hot Chocolate
Solution: Unless you’re at a super swanky breakfast or brunch joint that offers dark hot chocolate I suggest avoiding it altogether, even with the dark chocolate version I would tread lightly…

Problem: Breakfast Sandwiches – the cheesy goodness that sticks the egg to the meat and bread option.
Solution: Skip the cheese if you’re super sensitive. If you simply cannot do without the cheese, ask for a harder cheese such as cheddar since the harder the cheeses, the more they’ve aged and the less lactose remaining.

Problem: Omelet – same issue as scrambled eggs and egg sandwich.
Solution: Same as scrambled eggs, but you can also ask for egg whites only with no milk or ask for egg beaters which have minimal traces of lactose if any. As far as the cheese goes it’s simply the same as the breakfast sandwich.

Problem: Muffins and baked breads – there’s the potential for traces of lactose to be left in the baked good if milk was used.
Solution: Chances are the lactose is slim; however, to be on the safe side ask if there was a soy alternative or just avoid the baked goods.

Tried and true go-to breakfast or brunch options:
- Eggs: over easy, over hard, sunny side up
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Fruit salad
- Bagels
- English muffins
- Corned beef hash
- Toast
- Cereal: dry or with lactose alternative to milk
- Home fries

The Quiche, Dairy Free and Delicious!

Hello my lactose intolerant peeps!  I’m Erin and  today I'm delivering to you one of my new favorites - quiche! Since I've been lactose intolerant my entire life, I've never quite understood the love people have for quiche, but this recipe changed all that.  Quiche is not only quick and easy - it is delicious and there are endless varieties you can make. Below is my favorite (adapted from Paula Deen from FoodNetwork.com) - the western quiche - all the goodness of a western omelet baked into a hash brown crust. This recipe (and my bonus recipe below) both pass the test for company ... in other words, dairy lovers too will enjoy them. 

Crust Ingredients:

3 cups of shredded hash browns, defrosted and moisture removed

4 Tablespoons of melted Smart Balance (light or regular), Lactose free butter substitute

1t each of onion powder and garlic powder

Western Quiche Ingredients:

½ yellow onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 cup mushrooms, stems removed, sliced thinly

1 cup of ham or Canadian bacon

5 sprigs of thyme

5 eggs, beaten

½ cup of Silk Soy Creamer

1 cup of Shredded Veggie Cheese, Cheddar

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Hash brown Crust Directions:

1)      Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2)      Drain hash browns, squeeze to get as much moisture out as possible

    
      3)      Mix hash browns with the melted Smart Balance along with the onion and garlic powder.

4)      Mold mixture into a nine inch pie dish forming a crust

5)      Bake for about 30-40 minutes- you want to see the crust nicely brown

6)      When browned, remove from oven and let cool.  Reduce oven temperature to 325



Tip: Get  as much the moisture as you can -
this is the key for browning



Western Quiche Directions:



1)    Complete the hash brown crust.      

2)      Heat a few turns of EVOO in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, add onions and let cook until slightly translucent (3-5 minutes)

Tip: Make sure the onions are translucent -
you don't want them burnt -
cook low and slow to get the best taste

3)      Add red pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes until pepper is slightly softened then

4)      Add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have given off their moisture  and have softened

5)      Add ham, thyme and mix together. Cook an additional 5 minutes to meld flavors



Tip: Make sure all the ingredients are are mixed together.
If the pan is looking dry, add an extra 1/2 Tablespoon of Smart Balance
or a few turns of EVOO

 

6)      Mix five eggs and Silk Soy Creamer together. 

7)      Add vegetable and ham mixture along with the ¾ cup shredded veggie cheese.

8)      Pour mixture into cooled crust and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

Tip: Check your quiche often starting around 40 minutes - use a tooth pick to make
sure the egg in the middle is fully baked before removing.

9)      Add ¼ cup of cheese to the top and green onion and cook an additional 5 minutes. 

Tip: If you're making this a head of time,
wait to complete step 9 until right before serving.

10)   Cool and serve. 

Tip: Omit the ham and you have a delicious vegetarian option!

Bonus Recipe - Smoked Salmon Quiche

I love quiche so much - here's a second recipe to experiment with (adapted from Emeril's recipe on FoodNetwork.com):

Ingredients:

Hash brown crust ingredients (above)

2 cups of red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup of smoked salmon chopped

¾ cup of Tofutti Cream Cheese

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

5 eggs

½ cup of Silk Soy Creamer

1 Tablespoon of Smart Balance

EVOO

Directions: 

1)      Complete the hash brown crust.

2)      In a large non stick skillet add 1T of Smart Balance and a few turns of EVOO and add onions allowing them to slowly caramelize over low heat.  This is time consuming but worth it – make sure they don’t burn though

3)      In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese and lemon juice and add one egg in at a time and mix together completely. 

4)      Add Silk Soy Creamer and combine

5)      Add onions and smoked salmon, mix to combine completely

6)      Pour mixture into cooled hash brown crush and bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes. 

7)      Add green onion to the top and cook another 5 minutes

8) Cool, serve and enjoy!

Product Faceoff! Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free Pancakes vs. Aunt Jemima Homestyle Pancakes

Hello! My name is Alyssa. As the sole lactose-tolerant contributor to this blog, I am excited to perform the weekly product faceoff. Each week, I will taste-test a food product and compare it to a lactose-free substitute. The first face-off is Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free Pancakes vs. Aunt Jemima Homestyle Pancakes. I am a huge fan of Trader Joe’s and was delighted to see the great selection they offer of lactose-free products.

Here is how the two products stacked up (pun intended):
Price
Trader Joe’s - $2.99 - 12 pancakes per box, wrapped in 4 packages of 3 each.
Aunt Jemima - $2.50 – also 12 pancakes per box, wrapped in 1 larger package

Winner of Price category: Although Aunt Jemima was 49 cents less, it is worth noting that their box contained 14.8 oz of pancakes while Trader Joe’s packed a full 16 oz into theirs.

Taste
Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free – these tasted just like a “regular” pancake. If it was a blind taste-test, I doubt I would ever know the difference! These were delicious.
Aunt Jemima – slightly sweeter than its dairy-free counterpart but also a great tasting pancake.

Winner of Taste category: While this was a close call, I preferred the taste of Trader Joe’s product over Aunt Jemima.

Nutrition
Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free - 240 calories for a 3 pancake serving (116g)
5 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 430 mg sodium, 42 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams protein, 11 grams sugar
Aunt Jemima - 250 calories for a 3 pancake serving (105g)
6 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 41 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams protein, 8 grams sugar

Winner of Nutrition: The differences between the two are negligible. Trader Joe’s has 3 grams of fiber compared to Jemima’s 1 gram, so that is the deciding factor in Trader Joe’s taking this category.

Accessibility
Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free - Available at any Trader Joe’s location. As of July 2011, Trader Joe’s has 361 stores in 29 states and Washington, D.C.
Aunt Jemima Homestyle - Available at any grocery store

Winner of Accessibility category: Aunt Jemima has the upper hand in the accessibility category because my local Stop & Shop is much closer than the nearest Trader Joe’s.

Texture
Trader Joe’s Gluten & Dairy Free – They cooked up better in the toaster oven than Jemima. They had a delicious “cakey” texture yet slightly crispy on the outside (I cooked them in a toaster oven).
Aunt Jemima Homestyle: Thicker and chewier than the cake-like TJ’s, these also had tasty, crispy outer edges.

Winner of Texture category: Trader Joe’s!

Final Results: Trader Joe’s takes 3 out of the 5 categories. Aunt Jemima was very good as well, so this goes to show just how great Trader Joe’s gluten & dairy-free pancakes are. As a lactose-eating person, I have no reservations about keeping these pancakes in my freezer. They will definitely be finished up very soon!

Welcome to our blog!

Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
Acrophobia – fear of heights
Claustrophobia - fear of Enclosed Spaces
Lactosephobia – fear of lactose

Okay, okay, you caught us. We made up “lactosephobia”, but to anyone out there that is lactose intolerant you’ve probably experienced a little dread when trying to order food or trying out a recipe for company.

Well today we, the Lactose Free Ladies, are here to cure your lactosephobia. No longer does cooking dairy free have to be time consuming and puzzling. No longer should going out to eat result in ordering a garden salad, no cheese, hold the dressing. No longer will you wonder at the grocery store, “is that tofu/soy/rice/almond milk really going to taste good?”. We’re going to help you out three days a week. On Mondays, our resident lactose tolerant lady, Alyssa, will scout out the grocery stores and give you all the information on popular (and not so popular) dairy substitutes and how they stack up against their dairy counter parts. Wednesdays Erin and Jaclyn, two recovering lactosephobians will give you their favorite dairy free recipes and Fridays we give you our lifestyle tip of the week – what to order when out, some grocery shopping tips, etc.

So enjoy our tips and feel free to chime in. Together we will fear and loathe lactose no more.

- Alyssa, Erin & Jaclyn