Have you noticed Valentine’s Day has taken over? Chocolate, candies, and gifts are crowding our grocery stores, pharmacies, and department stores. It makes it really tricky to say no over and over again to these treats when we just keep encountering them! If you’re interested in learning more about how our environment affects our eating decisions I recommend the book “Mindless Eating” by Brian Wansink – it’s such a good read! It offers insight into how things around us affect our decisions… and it’s not just about willpower my people!!!

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that is hard to avoid. It seems like one holiday right after another – from Christmas to Valentine’s Day to Easter – oh my! There are certain times of the year that just call for a little indulgence, and Valentine’s Day is definitely one of them! Everyone deserves a little treat every now and then and if you can find the right ones that don’t cause you digestive distress, than you’re better off. Although, it really comes down to quantity – small portions of good treats, might be ok on your body.

Finding festive treats that don’t contain gluten, dairy, or other potentially hazardous ingredients can be quite tricky! Our team has hit the stores to find some yummy products that will satisfy your sweet tooth this Valentine’s Day, or any time of the year! By having “safe” treats on hand, you will be able to resist the urge to indulge in items that will cause you pain.

Although not all the products we reviewed were strictly low FODMAP, they are some examples of better-for-you-options that may be easier on your system if you have IBS. Getting to a place where you are feeling well again involves re-introducing FODMAPs in small quantities, so although not perfect, these may be some good treats to try once you’ve moved past elimination. We hope you enjoy!

Valor 70% Dark Chocolate with Mediterranean Sea Salt

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I love the taste of contrasting salty and sweet flavours (salted caramel mocha from Starbucks, anyone?). So if you’re like me, you’ll love this chocolate bar. It is a fairly high percentage of cocoa, so it has a strong flavour and it’s not overly sweet. If your stomach is especially sensitive to milk products, stick with the Valor bar for your delicious Valentines’ treat! If you like a lighter chocolate, Lindt has a dark chocolate and sea salt bar as well that is 47%, but it contains milk ingredients. The Valor bar only “may contain traces of milk ingredients”.

  • Gluten-free
  • All natural ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, sea salt, soya lecithin
  • May contain: tree nuts, milk, and/or all their derivatives
  • 100 g for $4.99

XO Baking Co. Double Chocolate Peppermint Gourmet Cookie Mix

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These cookies have it all – rich chocolatey taste, refreshing peppermint pieces, crisp outside, and chewy inside! This cookie mix is gluten-free, all natural, contains no preservatives, artificial flavours, colours, or milk ingredients. All you need to add is 1 egg, 1/2 cup butter (or Earth Balance Vegan Margarine), and a bit of water. You get all the satisfaction of homemade cookies in a fraction of the work! I would recommend cooking them on the lower end of the recommended time as they do crisp up quite a bit once they have cooled.

  • Gluten-free flour blend – cassava flour, unmodified potato starch, organic coconut flour, xanthan gum
  • Contains – coconut and soy lecithin
  • $9.99 for a box, made approximately 24 cookies

Glutino Gluten-Free Candy Barglutino

This product is the only one of its kind. Although lots of chocolate is naturally gluten-free no company has dared to make a version of their cookie filled candy bar for us gluten-free folks! This candy bar features crispy wafers smothered in chocolate, filled with either creamy chocolate or peanut butter.

  • Offered in 3 flavours – Milk chocolate, Dark chocolate, Peanut Butter
  • Soy and gluten-free
  • Dark chocolate flavour is low FODMAP
  • May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, and milk
  • A box of 5 bars for $4.99

 

 

Much love and good eating,

Stephanie

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