GF/CF Friday Review - Nana's Lemon Dreams

TGIF and time for GF/CF Friday

Since it is back to school time, I'm going to be focusing on lunch box 'treats' that my son likes to take to school. These are a 'new' favorite for him.

I recently found Nana's brand cookies at my local healthfood store and picked up a couple of different varieties including some bar cookies and these Nana's No Gluten Lemon Dreams Cookie Bites to give them a try.

I liked that these cookies were individually wrapped for freshness as well as for "take along" purposes. I also thought that because the packaging said "Nana's" on it that my son would love it. Nana is what he calls one of his grandmothers - and she can do no wrong in his book.

Nana's Lemon Dreams Facts:

• No Gluten
• No Wheat
• No Dairy
• No Casein
• No Refined Sugars
• No GMOs
• No Trans Fats
• No Cholesterol
• No Egg
• No Cane or Beet Products
• Fruit Juice Sweetened, All Natural!
  

Ingredients (from package): rice flour (brown & white), fruit juice(pear, apple, grape), rice dextrins (a natural & un-modified starch), non-GMO expeller press canola oil, tapioca flour, lemon, natural flavorings, non-aluminum baking powder (leavening), natural vanilla extract, xantham gum, seal salt *Nana's will never knowingly use GMO's in any of their products

How do they taste?
Like any soft lemon cookie would be expected to, I thought. They aren't overly lemony and the texture is that of a sugar cookie - soft not crunchy but without all the sugar. To be honest, I wasn't sure that my son would like a lemon cookie. I do not believe he had ever consumed a "real" gluten laden lemon cookie - not that I remember and he tends to like foods that don't have any strong flavor or scent. These cookies smell heavenly by the way (like lemon cake).

Whatever I send in for school lunch & snack, the school will send me back any uneaten or partially eaten items so I know what's going on at school with regard to his diet (yes - what a treat at the end of the day in his lunch box... Yuck!). Needless to say, these cookies never came home this week when I sent them in every day. I also caught my son making a play to open a new box of them, which I did allow but have since hidden the box. I know that he could (and would) eat the entire box in a single sitting.

These Lemon Dreams cookies were indeed a bit pricey at close to $4 for a box of 5 cookies, but they looked 'normal' and that is half the battle with trying to get my son to eat and try new foods. I've found that I'm OK with spending a bit more at the local store to try something and then if he likes it I can go online and order it in bulk and get a savings. As it turns out, they are equally as pricey when ordered directly from the manufacturer website at http://www.healthycrowd.com/ $43 for a case (of 12) which is a total of 60 cookies or 72 cents a cookie. 72 cents a cookie doesn't seem "too bad" except they are not real large - about the size of a traditional bar cookie. Amazon.com has one of the best prices for these cookies and is currently selling a case for $29 which is more than 30% off - not to mention you can get free shipping. Woot! Run don't walk!