Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies® Gluten Free Cereal Partners with Dietitian for Great Gluten-Free Breakfast and Snack Time Solutions

Disclaimer: Kellogg Company® has provided me with a Kellogg’s Gluten-Free Breakfast Kit to conduct this reader giveaway. However, my opinions on the product are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive sentiments towards Kellogg Company® or their products.

That being said, this is not a product review, rather the sharing of information for my valued readers.  I do not necessarily agree with all of the following statements, especially those referring to gluten free whole grains and fortified/enriched products as being “healthy.”  But that belief has more to do with my own personal health and dietary needs.  We are all unique biochemical snowflakes and as such, we will each have unique dietary needs in order to maintain our own good health.  What works for me, may very well not work for you, and that is the cross each of us must bare on our own.

As my regular readers can attest, I tend to shy away from gluten free processed foods altogether.  Not because I don’t appreciate the convenience, quite the contrary actually.

I know this post and giveaway may seem to be a departure from my usual “naturally gluten free, whole foods dialogue.”  But I also understand that everyone is at a different point on this journey and that considering whatever point you started from, the word “healthy” is entirely subjective. 

What I would emphasize to all of you is that you must continue to question everything.  Just because a perfectly “credentialed” expert tells you one thing, that does not mean that you don’t have the right to ask the next question.  I cannot tell you how many MDs have contacted me to thank me for sharing research that they did not know existed. 

Labels are incredibly useful, and I cannot thank Kellogg’s enough for stepping up and truly differentiating the labeling on their gluten-free products.  But just because something is gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean that it is “healthy” for you.  You are you, a unique biochemical animal; you must be wary of one size fits all recommendations, regardless of who gives them to you (including me!). 

Are you going to ruin your kids if you allow them a bowl of gluten-free Rice Krispies on Saturday morning?  Most likely not.  Are you a bad mother because you want to make sugar laden Rice Krispies treats for the Little League snack?  Absolutely not.  Emotional health is just as important as physical health.

It’s all about balance.  You have to respond to what your body tells you, even if the experts tell you are wrong.  If your kids improve because you remove a food or add a food, don’t let anyone tell you that you are wrong.  At the end of the day, you must continue to ask yourself, “What am I living for?”  Don’t ever ever let someone else answer that question for you.  Your body loves you and is trying to communicate to you. 

Listen.

From the Folks at Kellogg’s:

• Kellogg’s Rice Krispies® teams up with dietitian Tricia Thompson to debunk gluten-free myths and help moms with meal options.

• At breakfast and snack time, families with gluten-free diets can now enjoy Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free cereal.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., May 14, 2012 –Today, while “gluten-free” has become a household term, there are still countless myths that make it tricky for moms and their families to navigate a gluten-free lifestyle. In honor of National Celiac Awareness Month this past May, Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies® Gluten Free cereal asked dietitian Tricia Thompson, M.S., R.D., to bust these myths to help moms make gluten-free meal choices easier.

Three Popular Gluten-Free Myths

With much uncertainty surrounding the gluten topic, Thompson’s myth-busting tips help moms feel assured that they’re making good choices for their kids:

Myth One: You always have to pay more for gluten-free products.

Gluten-free doesn’t have to mean more expensive or a trip to a specialty store. For example, a box of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free cereal costs the same amount as Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and is sold alongside the original blue box.

Myth Two: All gluten-free snacks for kids require extra attention from mom and dad.

Not all snacks require a lot of time and preparation. With many favorite products now available in gluten-free varieties, it’s easy to whip up a quick gluten-free snack that the whole family will love, like Rice Krispies Gluten-Free Treats™.

Myth Three: Food that’s labeled “gluten-free” is healthy.

Not all gluten-free products qualify as healthy. When grocery shopping, look for gluten-free cereals, breads, and pastas that are made with gluten-free whole grains or have been fortified or enriched as they are good sources of iron and B vitamins, which may be lacking in gluten-free diets.

“There are ways to eat a gluten-free diet without sacrificing several nutrients, including fiber, iron, folate and niacin,” said Thompson. “For example, a breakfast that includes a whole grain- or vitamin and mineral-fortified cereal, like Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free, served with sliced bananas and milk is a quick, healthy and delicious way for kids to start the day.” {Heidi’s note here: if you have celiac disease, be sure that you have all of your blood work done before you assume that you need to seek out fortified foods; while I think generally what Tricia says is correct, everyone is different.  For instance, I was incredibly over the upper limit for iron at one point, and actually needed to avoid foods that were high in iron, fortified or not}.

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free Cereal

Moms on the hunt for tasty choices for their kid’s gluten-free diet don’t have to look further than the cereal aisle, where they can find Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free cereal. The gluten-free ingredients give family members with celiac disease the chance to enjoy one of their favorite cereals and snacks. It’s also:

Made with whole-grain brown rice, eliminating barley malt (the source of gluten in the original cereal)

• Made with three simple ingredients

• Fortified with 10 essential vitamins and minerals

Learn more about Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free cereal and find family-friendly gluten-free recipes at www.ricekrispies.com.

About Kellogg Company

Driven to enrich and delight the world through foods and brands that matter, Kellogg Company is the world’s leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of snacks and frozen foods. Every day, our well-loved brands − produced in 17 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries − nourish families so they can flourish and thrive. With 2011 sales of more than $13 billion, these brands include Cheez-It®, Coco Pops®, Corn Flakes®, Eggo®,  Frosted Flakes®, Kashi®, Keebler®, Kellogg’s®, Mini-Wheats®, Pop-Tarts®, Rice Krispies®, Special K®, and many more. To learn more about Kellogg Company, including our corporate responsibility initiatives and rich heritage, please visit www.kelloggcompany.com.

About Tricia Thompson, MS, RD  

Tricia Thompson, MS, RD, is a nutrition consultant, researcher, and creator of Gluten-Free Dietitian Web site (www.glutenfreedietitian.com) and founder of Gluten Free Watchdog, LLC (www.glutenfreewatchdog.org).  She has authored numerous publications for both scientific and popular readerships, including articles published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics and New England Journal of Medicine.  Tricia is also the author of a variety of books and book chapters on the gluten-free diet, including The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide (McGraw-Hill), The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Eating (Penguin), the American Dietetic Association’s booklet Celiac Disease Nutrition Guide, the American Dietetic Association’s Easy Gluten-Free: Expert Nutrition Advice with More Than 100 Recipes, and the American Dietetic Association’s Pocket Guide to Gluten-Free Strategies for Clients with Multiple Diet Restrictions.

Photo courtesy of Krispr Communications

Kellogg’s has provided me with a gluten free breakfast kit to give to one lucky reader (a value of $70.00), and includes everything you see in the above photo:

• 4 placemats

• 4 cloth napkins with ring holders

• 2 Snap, Crackle and Pop cereal bowls

• 1 Snap, Crackle and Pop coffee mug

• 1 box of  Gluten Free Rice Krispies cereal

To enter for a chance to win this giveaway, simply do one (or all) of the following:

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