I thought after complaining to Aldi about them removing a lot of their gluten free range that I would take some advice from their customer services department. I wanted to look at their products which they don't actually advertise as being gluten free but are there on the shelves. 

Now you have to do a bit of looking around and label reading but there are a few there. I came across this Chicken Tikka Masala Ready Meal. I don't usually buy ready meals as I am following Slimming World so there is usually a hefty syn value with these meals. This particular one is 13.5 syns so it's ok if you have your full daily allowance to treat yourself. Sometimes I do just fancy something quick and I did treat myself and it was really tasty. 

It contains a nice portion of pilau rice with it and the chicken is succulent with a gorgeous tikka masala sauce. I can really recommend it and yes it's gluten free. I must have passed these meals numerous time not thinking to look as I tend to presume a lot of sauces have flour in. 

So I've learnt to look a little more at the products in Aldi and check them out. You see I do listen to advice but would still like the other products back. I also checked out the gluten free products out at Lidl which I may feature in the future. There is quite a selection there but the variety at Aldi used to be so much better.

Anyway I may do some more research and bring you more products as and when I find them. There is a list of gluten free products which Aldi do publish online here:
cdn.aldi-digital.co.uk/lgcfJ$umojJUhEw0DsBW1u9gfmY.pdf
but always check the packaging.

Thank you for reading, join me again for Autism Support Saturday tomorrow.....take care for now.

Oh I felt a bit lost with losing my little choccy biscuits out of Aldi, I had got used to them as a little treat now and again. Well now I’ve found a really good replacement in these Prewetts Gluten Free Chocoful Biscuits.

They are a little like the Rocky Bars that you gluten people can eat (they are yummy). Little digestive biscuits surrounded by milk chocolate and there is even a sneaky bit of thick milk chocolate running through the middle. They come in two different flavours the plain milk chocolate and a caramel flavour too. I purchased these in Morrison’s and they also do a lot of other gluten free cookies and biscuits too. 

For more information on the range go to 
www.prewettsbiscuits.com/home/

Give them a go and let me know what you think. Don’t have too many if you are following Slimming World though as they are 5 syns for the milk chocolate one and 6 syns for the caramel so only save them for a treat or special occasion when you can spare the syns.

Thank you for reading today. Join me again for Autism Support Saturday tomorrow but for now, take care.

Aldi used to stock this brand of Free From foods. It's the Foodie Market Range which included products such as these tortilla chip snacks, pasta, biscuits, puddings amongst others. They were situated in the store in a dedicated shelf space and I thought my luck was in as I do my main shop at Aldi every week.

I was so happy thinking, great I can get most of my gluten free food from one supermarket and I don't have to keep going elsewhere, the one stop gluten free shop. But not anymore, well not in the Uttoxeter Road store in Derby as these products have been taken off the shelves. In fact there's no pasta, bread, porridge oats, biscuits but they seem to have kept the sponge puddings. Woo!.

Now I contacted Aldi customer services, yes I did for all us gluten free'ers because I felt an injustice. They said that they didn't have a dedicated range of gluten free products but that they do stock products which are free of wheat and gluten and kindly gave me a website where I could check which products would be available. 

Sorry Aldi that's not exactly true as they did have a range with a dedicated part of the shopping aisle. They then replied to say that The Foodie Market products were put in as a trial for a limited time and they would pass on my comments to the buying department for a review. I thanked them as that is all I can do at this time. To put all these products in and then take them away is just not fair. You can't tell me they were not successful as I am not the only person on a gluten free diet we are increasing in numbers and with these products being a lot cheaper than other shops I can't understand why the store have taken them away.

In Ireland I believe they have a gluten free range called 'Has No' so why can't we have that here. You can really make a huge profit here Aldi but hey I'm no expert maybe us alternative diet people are not worth it. I realise that there are some products in the store which are gluten free but not as many and I miss the ones that were there originally. Also you used to stock goats milk and took that away too.........Oh I need to meet with the buyer. This wouldn't happen in Tesco. You only have to look at the dedicated lines in other supermarkets to see it's working elsewhere.

So if you want Supermarket of the Year Aldi you have got to get it sorted. BRING BACK THE GLUTEN FREE STUFF!

Thank you for listening to my rant......or should we call it my campaign? Let me know if you still have these products at your local Aldi. Feel free to send urgent supplies. Is it bothering you that Aldi have cut down on this range or did you not realise it was there? I'd be interested to know how it's affecting everyone else. 

Take care of yourselves and join me tomorrow for Autism Support Saturday. 

I was glutened recently, my own fault as I just think I can cheat now and again. I think because I haven't had a formal diagnosis of Coeliac Disease or anything I think that I'll be fine but no. It's not until you do eat something with gluten that it usually comes with a whole lot of regret.

You see some think that us non diagnosed gluten free'ers are just fad dieting and it's just not real but I can tell you it is. Sometimes we get 'glutened' because we make a mistake or forget to check the labels, it's easily done but hey it's ok it's not going to kill us eh?

Well the effects can be really bad. I'm not going into too much detail but for me it means excessive wind, continuous trips to the loo for a number 2 and  stomach cramps. It also makes me very drowsy, as if I've taken a light sedative - not good. For those that do have Coeliac Disease though it is quite serious. It is an autoimmune condition which means the body's immune system mistakes substances inside gluten products as a threat and attacks them, this can cause damage to the intestines disrupting the body's ability to absorb the nutrients from foods.

Serious stuff eh? For me I imagine I just have an intolerance but the symptoms are bad enough and I don't like it. These symptoms are the reason I gave up the gluten and have been living a nice 'happy tummy' life since so I know it was the right thing to do. I really need to have words with myself and tell myself I can't have that cake, that biscuit or pinch a bit of the kids pizza as I will have to face the consequences. 

I hope that highlights a bit about why some of us are on a gluten free diet. It really isn't to try and lose weight, in fact some gluten free foods are not any less fattening than normal so it's no advantage to weight loss. It is necessary and vitally important. I have to learn to say NO! 

​Thanks for reading, catch me tomorrow for Autism Support Saturday - take care!!