INGREDIENT GLOSSARY |
 |
Applesauce (Unsweetened)
Just fresh apples and good ol' H20. Nothing else added. Helps to keep our goodies moist & chewy. |
| |
Baking soda
A fancy name for sodium bicarbonate. Like all great bakeries, we use this all natural ingredient to help our goodies rise. |
| |
Beet fiber
This is simply fiber extracted from sugar beets. It adds great nutritional value to our snack bars and Cranapple Crunch Granola. |
| |
Brown rice flakes
These crunchy flakes are made from flattened and toasted brown rice. They work great to mimic the great crunch of oats in our No-oats "Oatmeal" Cookies and granola cereals. |
| |
Brown rice flour
This flour comes from unpolished brown rice. It has more nutritional value than white rice flour because it includes bran from the hull of the grain. |
| |
Brown rice syrup
This is a natural sweetener made from soft cooked rice. We use it to bind and sweeten our snack bars just the right amount. Its affect on the body's blood sugar balance is milder than honey and maple syrup because the more complex sugars in brown rice syrup ("maltose") are digested more slowly. Though some rice syrups are unsafe for people with gluten intolerance, rest assured that the syrup we use is certified gluten-free. |
| |
Chocolate chips
They are produced for us in a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free facility. These chips are also certified dairy-free and soy-free, although they are produced in a plant that contains dairy. For this reason we test down to 2.5 parts per million for dairy before the chips arrive in our bakery. Have a hankering for chocolate? Try our Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies, and our Cocoa Loco Snack Bars. |
| |
Chocolate liquor
After the cocoa bean is extracted from the shell the bean is then ground into a liquid called chocolate liquor. From that point the fat is extracted from the liquor, which is called cocoa butter (non-dairy of course). Once the cocoa butter is removed all that remains is cocoa powder. |
| |
Cinnamon
A warm and favorite spice derived from the bark of evergreen trees. We use grade A - the best quality available. |
| |
Citrus fiber
Plant fiber derived from citrus fruit, this ingredient helps keep our bread products moist. |
| |
Currants
Dried currants are actually small raisins - the dried fruit of the Zante grape, originally from Greece. They have less sugar than raisins and are a great source of minerals and vitamins, especially vitamin C. They may help to increase immunity to infection and to lower blood pressure. Look for these little delicacies in our no-oats "oatmeal" cookies. |
| |
Cocoa powder
We use unsweetened cocoa powder, which is made from naturally processed cocoa solids that remain after chocolate liquor is pressed to extract cocoa butter. It is totally free of dairy and soy. Cocoa powder gives a deep, rich flavor to our Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies, and our Cocoa Loco Snack Bars. Though it seems too good to be true, cocoa is as healthy as it is tasty. It is the highest natural source for magnesium. Magnesium may help to prevent hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, joint problems and pre-menstrual tension (PMT or PMS). |
| |
Non-dairy cocoa butter
After the cocoa bean is extracted from the shell the bean is then ground into a liquid called chocolate liquor. From that point the fat is extracted from the liquor, which is called cocoa butter (non-dairy of course). Once the cocoa butter is removed all that remains is cocoa powder. |
| |
Date paste
Made purely from dates, this ingredient helps to keep our cookies and snack bars moist. Because dates contain natural sugars, the paste allows us to make sweet treats without adding too much cane sugar. |
| |
Dried apple
Crisp apples that have been air dried and diced. They add a nice tang to our caramel apple snack bars and Cranapple Crunch Granola. Our dried apples are sulfite free. |
| |
Flax powder
Flax powder is made from pure ground flax seed. It is rich in lignans, a great source of super healthy omega-3 fatty acids. It has a ton of positive benefits, including anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. It brings a nice nutty flavor, along with a good share of fiber and protein. It is not made from, nor contaminated by nuts of any kind. |
| |
Fig paste
Made from 100% figs, this ingredient works in much the same way as date paste. We use it in our snack bars to keep them nice and soft and chewy. |
| |
Freeze dried raspberries and strawberries
Just like it sounds -- berries that have been freeze dried. They offer a great sweet and tangy crunch to our Very Berry Granola, and are a great source of Vitamin C. Sulfite-free. |
| |
Fruit juice concentrate
Flavorful juices extracted from white grapes, apples & pears - no water added to dilute. Using this nectar allows us to add less sugar to our products, bringing the perfect amount of sweetness. |
| |
Ground flax seed
Made from pure ground flax seed, it is rich in lignans, a great source of super healthy omega-3 fatty acids. It has a ton of positive benefits, including anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. It brings a nice nutty flavor, along with a good share of fiber and protein. It is not made from, nor contaminated by nuts of any kind. |
| |
Guar gum
Guar gum is made from the ground seed of Guar -- a leguminous plant that grows in semiarid regions of the world. A very minor amount, less that .1%, is included in our breads to aid in rising. |
| |
Gum arabic
Gum arabic is made from the sap of acacia trees. It is an an all natural gum used to bind our granola into those great crunchy clumps. |
| |
Honey
All natural, American-made honey made for us by our good friends, the bees! We use the light amber kind for delicate sweetening. |
| |
Natural Flavors
We only use natural flavors that are free of gluten and all common allergens (no: wheat, barley, rye, oats, dairy, casein, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish or shellfish). |
| |
Natural rice dextrin
This ingredient, combined with natural fruit juices, acts as a natural preservative that we use in our products to retain moisture and freshness. It is made from rice exclusively. |
| |
Rice bran
Made from the coating of the rice kernel, rice bran is an incredible source of the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and antioxidant nutrients. It brings all this - and fiber - to our breads and granola cereals. |
| |
Rice protein
Rice Protein is an easily digested, hypoallergenic and a vegetarian protein source. It is a great alternative for people with soy, nut and other legumes intolerances or allergies. |
| |
Rice starch
Made exclusively from rice, it brings a great, smooth texture to our breads. |
| |
Rosemary extract
This is pure rosemary extract helps keep our products fresh and promote shelf life. It also contains healthy antioxidants. |
| |
Safflower oil
Safflower oil is a highly sought after vegetable oils by health conscious folks. It is considered to be a health-friendly oil because it is high in unsaturated fatty acids, is highly stable, has a high smoke point and boasts significant levels of vitamin E. |
| |
Salt
We use table salt from Morton. It is NOT iodized and therefore contains no corn or corn byproducts. |
| |
Sodium acid pyrophosphate
Commonly referred to as "SAPP," it is used often to help breads rise. |
| |
Sorghum flour
A grain-like grass, this up-and-coming ingredient is a major human food source in Africa and India. It adds great taste and nutrition to our irresistible cookies. Sorghum is high in insoluble fiber, which, combined with protein and starch in sorghum endosperm, makes it more slowly digested than other cereals. The slower rate of digestibility of sorghum products may be beneficial to diabetics. We are proud to be among the first products to market in the U.S. that uses sorghum as a main ingredient. |
| |
Sugar
We use only pure brown cane sugar in our cookies, which is a natural combination of sugar and molasses - refined without any added colorings, flavorings or coatings. Formed using the traditional method of crystallization, each brown sugar crystal is brown all the way through. It gives a rich, sweet, natural flavor and consistent quality to our treats.
|
| |
Sunflower Seed Butter
Made from ground roasted sunflower seeds, evaporated cane juice and salt, we use this tasty ingredient in our snack bars. It brings protein to the bars, and also keeps them good and chewy. This ingredient is produced in a dedicated nut-free facility. |
| |
Tapioca flour
This is a light, white, very smooth flour that comes from the cassava root. It is very easy to digest and is rarely a source of allergies. |
| |
Vanilla
This extract comes from 100% vanilla beans grown in Madagascar, off the African coast. It is considered to be the highest quality vanilla available. It is not processed with any gluten-containing ingredients, making it totally safe for celiacs to consume. While the vanilla is distilled with corn alcohol, all corn protein is removed in the distillation process. Thus, our vanilla contains no corn protein and is considered to be corn-free. Vanilla adds a smooth and mellow sweetness to our cookies.We recognize the severity of food allergies and encourage you to make a choice based on your own comfort level with this ingredient. |
| |
Vegetable Glycerin
Derived from palm, we use vegetable glycerin to keep our snack bars soft and chewy. |
| |
White rice flour
This great basic is milled from polished white rice. Because it has such a bland flavor, it is perfect for baking. Though it does not have as much nutritional value as the other flours we use (brown rice flour and sorghum flour), we add it to the mix to lighten the flavor and texture of our bagels. |
| |
Xanthan gum
This helps to prevent our goodies from crumbling, a job normally performed by gluten in mainstream foods. It is a necessity in gluten-free baking. Xanthan comes from the dried cell coat of a microorganism called Zanthomonas campestris. Though it sounds chemical, it is actually an all natural ingredient. Xanthan gum is derived from the fermentation of corn sugars, all corn sugars are removed in the processing of xanthan gum. Xanthan gum contains no corn protein and is considered to be corn-free. We have had no reports of problems with our products containing xanthan gum. We recognize the severity of food allergies and encourage you to make a choice based on your own comfort level with this ingredient. |
| |
Yeast
This is instant yeast, used to make some of our products big and soft. |
| |
| VITAMINS AND MINERALS |
|
B6
Vitamin B6 performs a wide variety of functions and is essential for good health. For example, vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism. It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism. The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B6 to function efficiently, and it is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin (a vitamin). Vitamin B6 also helps maintain your blood glucose (sugar) within a normal range. A vitamin B6 deficiency can result in a form of anemia that is similar to iron deficiency anemia. |
| |
Calcium
Calcium is the mineral in your body that makes up your bones and keeps them strong. Ninety-nine percent of the calcium in your body is stored in your bones and teeth. The remaining 1% is in your blood and soft tissues and is essential for life and health. Without this tiny 1% of calcium, your muscles wouldn't contract correctly, your blood wouldn't clot and your nerves wouldn't carry messages. A severe form of calcium depletion is Osteoporosis. This disease is common in people who have untreated celiac disease. |
| |
Folate
Folate is an important B-group vitamin. It is needed for healthy cell growth and development and all men, women and children need to take folate daily in their diet. It is also important for women before and during the early stage of pregnancy because folate is necessary for the healthy development of babies. |
| |
Iron
Iron mainly functions in the hemoglobin in our red blood cells, which transports oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues, including the muscles and the brain. Iron can be accessed in many different types of food, but only a small percent is actually absorbed into the body. About 50% of women are iron deficient, and women who are menstruating or pregnant are usually the worst. |
| |
Magnesium
Magnesium functions in more than 300 enzymatic reactions. Magnesium is essential for the conversion of vitamin D to its biologically active form that then helps the body absorb and utilize of calcium. The typical American diet is frequently very low in magnesium. Many surveys have indicated that over 80 percent of Americans get less than the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) of this important mineral. The highest magnesium concentration is found in the tissues that are most metabolically active including the brain, heart, liver, and kidney. Magnesium may improve energy production within the heart, improve delivery of oxygen to the heart, reduce demand on the heart, inhibit the formation of blood clots, and improve heart rate (thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease). Magnesium may also be an effective tool against Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. |
| |
Niacin
A water-soluble vitamin required by the body for health, growth and reproduction; part of the vitamin B complex. Niacin assists in the functioning of the digestive system, skin, and nerves. It is also important for the conversion of food to energy |
| |
Riboflavin
Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is a water-soluble vitamin that occurs naturally in foods containing other members of the B complex. Riboflavin helps metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and is crucial for the production of biological energy. Riboflavin is an antioxidant as well. It is also necessary for the maintenance of good vision, skin, hair, and nails and for overall normal growth and development. |
| |
Thiamin
Thiamin, or vitamin B1, is a water-soluble vitamin that is essential for energy production, carbohydrate metabolism, and nerve function It is an essential part of the complex process of converting glucose (blood sugar) into energy, and is vital in certain metabolic reactions. For this reason, thiamin is needed during exercise, and times of high-energy expenditure. Thiamin is also essential for maintenance of the heart and nervous system and formation and maintenance of red blood cells. |
