Canyon Bakehouse Gluten-Free for back-to-school (Giveaway) #ad

I received some yummy samples to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own as always. 

I have noticed that so many of my friends and family have transitioned to gluten-free foods for a variety of health reasons. I have considered it for my family, but we are big on texture. Gluten-free has tasted like cardboard in the past and that has turned us off. When I did some research on gluten-free Canyon Bakehouse breads, I was drawn in to the fact that they say their breads are soft and have a texture close to traditional breads. I just had to find out for myself. I received a nice assortment of breads for my family to try out including: Cinnamon Raisin, Mountain White, 7-Grain and Cranberry Canyon Crunch Muffins.

I decided to start with the Cinnamon Raisin bread for breakfast. I like my bread toasted so I popped it in on a low setting before I spread a thin layer of butter on it. I took a bite and then another. I was indeed shocked that it had the same texture that I am used to with cinnamon raisin bread. Also, it wasn't overly sweet which is good.

The next one I tried was the 7-Grain bread. I made a sandwich for lunch and decided to try a tiny corner without toasting it. I think I am still too new to gluten-free bread so I toasted it lightly. That did the trick! It tasted like a rich Artisan bread I would buy from a bakery. It was really hearty and filling. I can't believe that this regular bread eater might just be convinced to make the switch! I searched the store locator to see if there were any stores in my area that carry them and to my surprise, I found 4 locations. You can also order baked goods directly from the website. Right now, they have a special if you order "one of everything", you can get $5 off.  They even have a page dedicated to recipes using their products. I think there will be some cinnamon raisin French toast being made in the near future.

At school about 2 students in each classroom have a food allergy. To help parents prepare for the school year, here’s our checklist for staying safe with food allergies:

Tips for Staying Safe at School With Food Allergies

• Keep teachers and staff in the know – Set up a meeting before the first day of school with your child’s teacher, the school nurse and principal to talk about your child’s allergies.
• Provide a list of safe and unsafe foods for your child – Especially with gluten allergies, many people don’t understand what it is or where it can be found. Creating a quick run-down of foods to avoid will eliminate fear or confusion on the school’s part.
• Make an allergy action plan – Provide the school staff with medical information, emergency contact info and a food allergy action plan in case your child has a reaction at school.
• Attitude is everything – Along with school staff, it’s important to talk to your child about the allergy so he/she understands it. If you don’t treat the allergy as something “weird” then they won’t feel embarrassed.

Try these gluten-free breakfast ideas: 

• Cinnamon Raisin bread with almond butter or peanut butter.  Canyon’s Tip: choose all-natural nut butters to avoid harmful trans fats. 
• Mountain White cheese and avocado sandwich.  Canyon’s Tip: Avocados are a great source of healthy fat for energy and keeps the belly full.   
• 7-Grain toast with a slice of turkey. Canyon’s Tip: lunch foods (ie: turkey) make great breakfast foods since they’re low sugar and full of protein.
• Cranberry Canyon Crunch Muffin with a hard-boiled egg.  Canyon’s Tip: hard-boil a bunch of eggs on Sunday for quicker prep each morning.

Do you want to try out Canyon Bakehouse Gluten-free breads for yourself? One Mom Files reader will win an assortment of baked goods including: Cinnamon Raisin, Mountain White, 7-Grain and Cranberry Canyon Crunch Muffins. Enter below: a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on September 11, 2014. Two winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Mom files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. *Prizes may vary.