While I shopped at Asda the other week I picked up one of their free magazines. The August edition has a great little article about food intolerances including lactose, gluten, fructose, egg and soya. This is also accompanied by two pages of just some of the Free From products you can purchase from the store. The article is mainly aimed at spotting intolerances in children but it does include some important information for anyone. 

Asda have also introduced a custom filter on the website www.asda.com so that if you are shopping online you can search for foods to match your own diet. This is brilliant as on some sites you can be going up and down the virtual aisles before you can find any Free From item.

I don't shop at Asda all the time but I can say I am impressed with their selection of foods and they do cater for all dietary needs it seems. I did try a few of their products last weekend at a family get together and they are very tasty. It was good to eat quiche and pizza I felt as though I could buffet like the rest of the family. 

So well done Asda and carry on the good work. I do have to say apart from the Free From article catching my eye I do enjoy this little magazine, it has so much information and advice I would actually go and shop at Asda now and again just to pick this up as it's worth a read. Tell me though if you shop at Asda, do you find it has a good selection of products for your diet? I would be interested to know. 

Thank you for reading today, if you are not too exhausted from all this heat do try and reach for that device tomorrow and join me for some talk about Autism on Autism Support Saturday. 

Take care for now.

Oh my goodness I may just be in cereal heaven right now as I found this cereal at Tesco yesterday. Having to go on a gluten free diet leaves you with a lot of adjustments to make and there are a lot of foods I miss so much, cereals being one.

Now I have tried and tested a few cereals and been a bit disappointed. Cornflakes had a good gluten free substitute but it wasn't like the real thing and well the Weetabix was ok but no where near the original. I do come to expect that most products are going to be different as gluten makes a massive difference to the construction of our favourite popular food choices. I'm not looking for perfection honestly but something similar would be good.

These Free From Special Flakes are so like Kelloggs Special K you would not know the difference. Hurray I can just tuck into a nice cereal again. I love my gluten porridge but I did fancy something else. I'm so happy I cannot rave about this enough and if you are anything like me and on a restricted diet, when you find products that work you want to tell the world  and do a little happy dance.

I also spotted a box of Frosted Flakes as well which may have to be tested soon but with all the sugar tax and talk of obesity I thought I would go for the supposedly healthier option but I guess there are a lot of sugar in all cereals. To be honest though these do not taste sugary at all so I'm impressed and I do tend to pop a bit of fruit on instead of adding sugar to try and stay healthy.

If you are on Slimming World a 25g portion will cost you 5 syns or you could try and work it into your HEB (healthy extra B choice). This cereal is milk free so if you are on a dairy free diet you can add your dairy free alternative to milk and enjoy, it also states it is suitable for vegetarians so all good.

I can totally recommend it so give it a try and let me know what you think too........not a bad price at £1.45 for 300g - all I can say is thank you Tesco!!

Thanks to you too for reading today, come back tomorrow for a chat about Autism on Autism Support Saturday but for now take care.

Not a lot fast food as we are all trying to eat healthy but do you know those times when you are busy and nip into the local supermarket, it would be nice to pick up a sandwich or when travelling on the motorway. I want to grab a quick burger. 

I was chatting to a chap this week who owns a local eatery and he was saying how difficult his friend found it to get some food quickly while they were attending a concert. This was in London and he was quite shocked at the lack of a gluten free quickie. Maybe someone can enlighten me on that as I haven't visited London a lot. I did go about a month ago and found a bunless burger which was ok but blimey how much fuss would it have been to get some gluten free buns in??

I think that's the problem for some establishments. You see they would have to have a dedicated preparation area, different fryers etc because of cross contamination but as my friend said......he has a small kitchen in a tearoom and he manages it. So why can't these huge big companies like McDonalds, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Birds Bakery give us a gluten free meal? I miss Birds bread rolls, cakes, pork pies......in fact everything there but it does surprise me as a company as big as theirs that there is no gluten free bread.

I don't really want to 'make do', I would like to be able to order a quick meal like everyone else. Not all the time but there are times when even ourselves with dietary needs, we need to eat too. I'd like to go to an event such as a concert and see a van that says gluten free food here......I've got a feeling there would be quite a queue.

Maybe I need to just take my own bun with me to Maccy D's or buy myself a little caravan and go and set myself up with my gluten free food van. It would be light up in huge lights so you could see it for miles, like an oasis in a desert.......big pink hearts on it too. I know I'm going overboard now but a girl can dream. 

Maybe it will get better and these companies will actually realise they could make an extra bit of cash appealing to the gluten free market. Don't tell me they can't afford to do it as these companies make millions so that's not going to work with me. Let's have the choice of a McGluten Free Burger just as a change from salad, now and again.

I know I shouldn't moan as the saving from eating fast food is probably preventing me piling the pounds on so I could look at it as a good thing. I could pack my own meal and be more prepared but why should I?......Why can't I have the access to a quick fix like everyone else? Sorry, I don't mean to sound like I'm ranting but it is something that gets me a bit hot under the collar or t-shirt should I say. I don't always want a burger, a nice healthy sandwich with gluten free bread in the supermarket fridge would be nice - a gluten free meal deal. - a sandwich, fruit and a drink Yay!!

Thank you so much for reading......what do you think the answer is? Do you miss a quick snack too? I'm just jealous of the amount of food on offer to non gluten free'ers. Gluten Free Equality - oops, do I need to make a placard?

I will be back again next week for more Free From chat but join me for Autism Support Saturday tomorrow. Take care for now.

Yes all are welcome at The Joiners Arms whether you're after gluten free or a vegetarian you can be happy here. I know this because I've tried this establishment a few times now. I had to go more than once just to prove the first time wasn't a fluke........honest!!! The things I do to bring you a recommendation for all your dietary needs. Oh go on then I'll carry on.

The Joiners Arms is situated in the lovely Derbyshire village of Quarndon I have mentioned it before in one of my posts for Teapot Tuesday because I had a brew there and the teapot seemed never ending......ah that's why I'm a fan. No seriously I'm pretty impressed with the menu and the way your meal can be adapted to a gluten free option. They have nifty little symbols on the menu such a G for gluten free, V for vegetarian and O. O is for dishes which can be converted to a gluten free option.....see O for Optional, blooming clever eh? It doesn't mean that by the time they have taken all the glutinous things away that you are left with a plate full of peas, you still get a decent meal. 

The staff are so lovely and really helpful too. On my recent visit I tried the Sunday Roast because it was Sunday and what I ate was definitely a roast dinner. Beautiful beef, vegetables and a gravy. They made all mine gluten free so the gravy was fine and I think the only items I couldn't have were the Yorkshire puds and a cheesy cauliflower dish so that was ok. Then I had a big fat chocolatey pudding which was also made gluten free but we don't talk about that because although I did devour it, in my mind I'm in denial. Sorry Slimming World.

The Joiners in part of the Chilled Pubs family and there are three other establishments: The Swan at Walton on Trent, The Bulls Head at Repton and The Hunloke Arms at Chesterfield. So pick one and go for a visit you won't be disappointed. At The Joiners there is a Garden Room Restaurant where you sit amongst the trees and it all looks very magical.

Outside in the real garden there is a huge wooden gazebo type structure with hundreds of fairy lights which look enchanting in the evening, and if you get a little chilly you can even borrow a blanket too. This is the home of authentic wood fired pizzas, tasty gins, homemade gelato, cocktails, yakitori sticks and homemade lemonade.......perfect!!! I'd better give you the website eh as you are just bursting to book. 

Here you go........www.theja.co.uk

You're welcome!!! 

If you have been did you enjoy it? Let us know what you thought of the place or how does it compare to the other pubs in this group? 

Thank you for reading today, come back tomorrow for Autism Support Saturday but for now.........

​Take care.