Gluten Free Sample Kits

A really great thing to do for the picky gluten free kid, is to order a sample kit of products!  There are many different ways to do this: subscription boxes that come monthly, goggling manufacturers and seeing what they might send you to sample, or like I've been doing recently, getting a sample kit of products from Gluten Away!

Ive been following Taylor Miller for awhile on twitter @GlutenAway   He's a teenager living with Celiac Disease.  What struck me is that he is very passionate about health, wellness and nutrition at such a young age.  This gives me so much hope that Kid X will be the same.  He already knows to ask if something has "gwooten" in it and is not easily upset if he can't eat what everyone else is eating.

What I've found so interesting is that for the past few years, Taylor has organized a virtual gluten free expo called Gluten Away Online Expo which occurs a few times a year.  The next dates are April 1st through 7th.  You get Free Admission, there are virtual booths with over 100 gluten free products and huge giveaways!  Some vendors have great recipes posted with ideas on how to use their products. My favorite thing is purchasing a product sample pass that allows you to get samples from vendors shipped to your house!  Just like if you were attending a live event!  I've found products that KidX really enjoys (thanks enjoylife smores bar!) and even some that I won't pick up again!

Kid X is about to celebrate his birthday and we ordered great gluten free cupcakes in a jar from Wicked Good Cupcakes a vendor that was at the virtual expo! So chocolate birthday cake cupcakes are going to be a great surprise!  I usually make his cupcakes, but I've been really busy with my work and essential oil business, so this year, its cupcakes in a jar!

Also for his birthday, my Mom purchased 3 sampler kits from gluten away. The Top 8 Allergen Free Snack Kit(a kit with Enjoy Life cookies and snack bars)  The 16 Bar Sampler Kit( just as it sounds, 16 snack bars from several companies) and The February Sampler Kit (samples of various gluten free products) These samples came in handy for our impromptu road trip for Valentines Day!  I also love being able to put a different snack in Kid X's lunch box everyday!

Thank you Taylor!  It's so nice to see others caring so much and taking the time to educate others on a gluten free lifestyle especially at a young age!

Ham: Not Always Gluten Free

I love getting e-mails from GlutenFreeGuideHQ.com  because they have great lists of guides and restaurant menus with gluten free items.  I recently got an e-mail on ham, one of KidX's favorite things. Give him Ham or Bacon and he is in heaven!  (well I think he loves chicken nuggets more) We do go at lengths to purchase certified gluten free ham from companies like Dietz and Watson, or Jones Dairy Farm.  But it's really hard in a local grocery store to find some of these hams.  So check the label and if not, you can always call the manufacturer.  Most hams are inherently gluten free if they don't have a glaze on them, but many are processed in plants that could have cross contamination.  So here are hams on the Gluten Free Ham Listing, one of the listings you can find at Gluten Free Guide HQ!  

Armour Meats

Hams are gluten free, there is cross contamination risks at the processing facility.  Not recommended if you are highly sensitive to gluten.

honey ham

Virginia ham

browned Virginia ham

cooked ham

lite ham

cooked ham and water product

spiced luncheon meat

Boar's Head

All of their meats and cheeses are gluten free.  This is a big list! Some I've never even heard of in my grocery store! 

all natural apple-wood smoked uncured ham

all natural uncured ham

black forest brand boneless smoked ham

bold habanero ham

boneless smoked ham steak

branded deluxe ham (and low sodium version)

Canadian style bacon

cappy brand ham

gourmet pepper brand ham

pesto Parmesan ham

porketta

prosciutto do parma

rosemary and sun-dried tomato ham

smoked Virginia ham

sweet slice boneless smoked ham

tavern ham

Virginia brand ham

Bob Evans Grocery

Not my choice by a long shot, but the company says there are two safe varieties they manufacture. 

cubed or diced ham

ham steaks

Butterball

It's not pork based, but they have gluten free turkey ham! Just a side note, only 2 of their products they manufacture have gluten: meatballs and stuffed frozen turkey. 

turkey ham

Cook's Ham

All of Cook's Hams are gluten free.  This is a really long list with great varieties of ham goodness! I fee like the Buba Gump of Ham typing out this list! 

mini hams

ham medallions

ham chops

ham steaks

breakfast slicked smoked ham

smoked pork chops

original smoked ham

smoked mini pit ham

lean half ham

spiral sliced apple-wood smoked pit ham

hors d'oeuvre ham

carvemaster flat pit ham

premium boneless ham

tradition whole or half boneless ham

semi-boneless ham

skinless shankless hams

steamship ham roast

portioned hams

ham steaks

pork shoulder

smoked pork hocks

smoked ham shanks

smoked pork neckbones

sliced salt pork belly

Dietz and Watson

This company produces certified gluten free ham options! A great option if you can find them in your local stores.

black forest ham

branded cooked ham

all natural uncured classic dinner ham

gourmet lite cooked ham

imported ham

gourmet lite Virginia ham

Virginia baked ham

Eckrich

Hams are gluten free but there is a risk of cross contamination in the processing facility

black forest ham

brown sugar ham

Canadian maple

chopped ham

ham steaks

honey cured 

honey maple

luncheon ham

off the bone ham

smoked pit ham

spiral sliced holiday ham

Virginia baked ham

imported ham

fried ham

reduced sodium ham

Farmland Foods

A very big list as well.  All gluten Free!  I don't think I've ever heard of Bavarian ham! 

bilingual ham and water product

boneless steak ham

honey cured boneless steak ham

cook's ham(30% less sodium version and water products)

sliced ham breakfast

sliced ham chops

honey cured and hickory smoked ham steaks

cook's farmland safeway hams

cook's hickory smoked portion ham

reduced sodium ham steak

farmland Bavarian brand ham

farmland brown sugar

farmland carvemaster flat ham

farmland cooked ham water added

farmland deli ham

farmland julienne ham strips

farmland premium deli

farmland sliced ham

farmland cooked ham with 35% less sodium

farmland country lean brand cooked ham

farmland gold medal brand ham boneless

farmland pit hat

farmland royal danish brand ham

farmland back forest ham

boneless ham steaks

spring hill brand cooked ham

Hatfield

Several ham products and ham deli meat style choices.  

peppered ham

tavern ham

Virginia brand ham

cooked roast pork

imported brand cooked ham

premium cooked ham

Hillshire Farm

AVOID!!  This company doesn't even test for gluten on it's products at this time! 

Holiday Ham

None of their products contain gluten, but they don't test for gluten on their products either.  AVOID!! 

Hormel

Hormel has many gluten free products.  They do have the potential for cross contamination during processing because they don't test for gluten cross contamination.  However, I have tried the uncured bacon at times when I just have no other choice and Kid X has been ok. 

dublique canned hams

hormel black label canned hams

hormel cure 81 ham and ham steaks

hormel ham patties

hormel back label chopped ham

hormel diced ham, cubed ham, ham steaks

natural choice brown sugar deli ham

natural choice cherry wood smoked ham

natural choice cooked deli ham

natural choice smoked deli ham

jennie-o refrigerated turkey ham

farm john boneless ham

premium tradition brown sugar and honey golden tradition canless honey ham(DON'T USE THE GLAZE PACKET, CONTAINS GLUTEN) 

farmer john bone in hams

farmer john ham steaks original smoked

brown sugar ham

back forest ham

ham roll

honey ham

premium honey ham

smoked ham

Jones Dairy Farm

Jones Dairy Farm has several gluten free options and bacon

all natural cherry hardwood smoked uncured ham slices

ham slices

all natural cherry hardwood smoked uncured ham steaks

dainty hickory smoked ham

whole family cooked ham

bone in fully cooked ham

whole old fashioned hickory smoked ham

Smithfield

Smithfield doesn't have a gluten free list but some ham flavors are gluten free, I won't include them because they can't produce a true gluten free list. 

Wellshire Farms

all of the holiday hams are gluten free(well it's only one on the list)

healthy holiday ham

Of course there are many other companies out there and this list is not 100% comprehensive, just a quick guide to help you at the grocery store to stay safe and reduce your risk of getting glutened!