One of my favorite desserts, pregnant or not, is a delicious bowl of ice cream. I think I probably had ice cream or frozen yogurt during about 90% of my pregnancy, yup it definitely ranked as my top snack. Some of my favorite flavors are those usually with a little bit of fruit to them like strawberry banana and cherry with chocolate pieces, but then I always love my peanut butter flavors, like peanut butter ripple and chocolate with peanut butter swirled throughout. Ah, yummy!
Since my last days living the non-gluten free life, I have yet to step back into our local ice cream parlors. While you can always order ice cream in a cup rather than a gluten filled cone, having worked in an ice cream shop I for one know that scoops are shared between flavors so cross contamination is an absolute yes. With the explosion of allergen awareness though, our world is slowly changing. We now have a local self serve frozen yogurt shop that labels all of their flavors with allergen info (thank goodness this was present during my pregnancy!). Also, many thanks to Joy for releasing gluten free ice cream cone options that us gluten free diners can enjoy with our favorite gluten free ice cream flavors at home.
With summer upon us, I thought it was only appropriate to recommend some of my favorite ice cream brands that provide allergen or gluten specific information:
- Breyers: On their site, Breyers indicates that most of their ice creams are naturally gluten free, however some do contain gluten as well as other allergens. For this reason, they will indicate in the ingredient label if any of the 8 most common allergens are contained in the product. As far as labeled gluten free Breyers’ ice creams, they’ve just recently released over 30 of their flavors with a gluten free symbol marked on their packaging (this is so exciting). Some of my favorites among these include the Black Raspberry Chocolate, Peach, and Vanilla Fudge Twirl. To see this complete list just head over to Breyers’ website. So next time you’re in the ice cream section keep an eye out for these specially labeled gluten free varieties but also make sure you check out others that may not have been marked yet. I personally have studied every label before buying, only ever purchasing those that clearly do not contain any wheat or gluten sources, and have never had a problem even with those that have not been labeled with the gluten free mark. As always though, if there is any question on gluten content call their contact number on the product.
- Turkey Hill: This brand is top on my list mainly because they offer my all time favorite flavors, peanut butter ripple and chocolate peanut butter cup. Turkey Hill offers 62 frozen treats that are gluten free. My favorites include the peanut butter varieties of course but also Chocolate Marshmallow and PomBlueberry Chocolate Truffle. Pick out your favorite gluten free Turkey Hill flavors on their website. As far as labeling, the last time I purchased Turkey Hill ice cream I did not see any gluten free markings (it looks like they may add these according to their website labels); however they do clearly state which of the common allergens are in the product. I usually just check the label thoroughly and make sure no allergens or sneaky ingredients are present that could cause a problem, but you could also bring along their list of gluten free flavors to help you in your choosing.
- Blue Bunny: At this time, Blue Bunny doesn’t validate or certify that any of their products are gluten free. However, they will indicate allergen content clearly on their ingredient labels. I love this brand and purchase their ice creams frequently, when the sale is right that is. I’m always a bit more hesitant buying products that are not labeled gluten free; however, without this label, and even with it too, I always study the ingredients very carefully and don’t hesitate caling if I fear of any hidden gluten, although I can honestly say that I’ve never had to do this. Some of my favorite Blue Bunny varieties include their Frozen Yogurt flavors like Bordeaux Cherry Chocolate and Strawberry Banana. While they offer some very tasty flavors with allergen information listed, hopefully in the near future they tackle the gluten free label as well.
- Friendly’s: Similar to Blue Bunny, it appears that Friendly’s doesn’t directly label their products as being gluten free. However, just like Blue Bunny they will indicate allergen content on their ingredient labels. For this reason, I have purchased a number of their ice creams without any gluten reaction. Just as I always advise though, I do call if I ever have a question of any ingredient in particular but have rarely needed to since most of the labeling across all of the flavors is incredibly clear. Check out Friendly’s huge list of flavors and just click on your favorites to see their nutrition and allergen information. One of my new favorite flavors is the Black Cherry Chocolate Chunk, fruit and chocolate combo is obviously a winner for me.
- Wegmans: As with all of Wegmans brand products, if a product is gluten free, they are marked as such on their label. I love Wegmans! Check out Wegman’s ice cream selection, they definitely have some yummy gluten free flavors and at such a reasonable price.
So as far as the ice cream department, we certainly do have a number brands and flavors to choose from. While all of my recommendations mark allergen content, some even indicate if a product is gluten free. It certainly seems like the ball is definitely rolling in the right direction, so let’s hope it continues and many more brands pop up with gluten free labels.
What I do love is that we really do have so many choices across each brand, allowing us all to pick out exactly what we want and save money too by buying with a sale. Ice cream can certainly be pretty expensive so it’s a real treat to not have to be committed to just one brand and to be able to join the rest of consumers out there and take advantage of great sales, especially during summer time. So while you cool off with a sweet frozen treat and pair it with a Joy gluten free ice cream cone, maybe even pass along a thank you email to the brands that are working so hard to add to our gluten free selection!
TIP: Keep an eye on all of these websites for coupons posted during the summer and make sure you pair them with your grocery stores’ sales so you get the best deal!
Sincerely,
Lindsay