Healthy Kids Community Challenge

Eating Healthy is important for everyone, but it can be a challenge. As a Celiac I am a Gluten detective who is constantly scrutinizing labels to make sure that food is safe for myself to consume. In doing so I have noticed how junk food saturated the Gluten Free market is. That being said, extra effort is involved to maintain a healthy Gluten Free lifestyle for kids and adults. 

The Province of Ontario has launched an exciting new program intended to teach kids lifelong healthy habits. It's called The Healthy Kids Community Challenge. Local communities can submit applications to the province of Ontario for funding and other tools that would improve healthy food choices, increase activity levels and encourage appropriate amounts of sleep for children and youth. Building partnerships with schools, public, private and non profit sectors - to promote healthy weights for kids is a key part of the challenge.

Apply by March 14th 2014 to be part of the up to 30 communities that will be chosen to participate. If your community is selected, the province will offer resources to champion the programs success. Selected communities will be eligible for up to 1.5 million over four years in funding to develop and build on community based platforms promoting healthy living. 

Activities for the challenge can include  after school cooking clubs with dietitians, healthy breakfast clubs for children living in poverty, and walking school bus initiatives. Municipal partners can include schools, recreation centers, parents, private businesses, health care providers and community organizations servicing children and youth.  

To be a part of the challenge, communities must have a minimum population of 10,000 and Maximum population of 200,000 people. While no minimum population is required for aboriginal communities, they must have a maximum population of 200,000 people.

If you are interested in championing this challenge with your community, please contact your local Mayors' or CAO/City Manager's offices as part of the process to submit an application. 


For more information about the Healthy Kids Community Challenge, please visit the links below. 

• Brochure
• Website
• FAQ

Everybody Has Something To Sell

Why is it that Gluten Free is such a phony baloney money maker? Who decided that Gluten Free shall be trendy? I'm surprised I haven't seen an infomercial that claims to  hold the cure yet. Every day I am blown away by what is out there and it's just getting worse. I wish that people would STOP CASHING IN ON CELIAC DISEASE. 


The other day I read an article on a reputable mom site that was all about hidden gluten. I should have stopped right away when the person who wrote the article mentioned the Wheatbelly author. Apparently I have too much faith in people as I continued on. The article closed with a Ryan Seacrest cavalierness about going Gluten Free for even just 16 days. The kicker was the direct link at the at the bottom of the page,which led to the author's website. That website hocks a Gluten Free Renewal Cleanse for the low low price of $89.00. 

What gives? Why is Celiac the disease to exploit? 

Product Review: Dempster's GlutenZero Bread

When you see the new Depmster's GlutenZero bread in the grocery store, you may think that it's just another Gluten Free bread on the market and pass it by. Well, it is most definitely not your average Gluten Free bread and it wows in several ways!

I was a little skeptical the first time I held a package of Dempster's GlutenZero. Lets be honest, it's small and sorta feels like a dense banana loaf when you pick it up. On the bright side, this just goes to show that we should never judge before we taste! I nibbled on a piece before deciding what to do with it and I don't recall plain bread ever tasting or smelling so good!


Dempster's GlutenZero may be small, but it is mighty! It is available in both Whole Grain and White bread for about $5.99 per loaf. I spent some time having fun with both varieties. I made everything from grilled cheese sandwiches and plain old toast to a hearty BLT sandwich and yummy french toast.

As far as texture goes, this bread hits a home run. Not only does it hold together while eating a sandwich (take that, crumbly breads!), it doesn't leave that all-too-common, sand-lodged-in-throat feeling. There is something different about this bread. Perhaps, it's the use of Tapioca Starch which helps the bread stay soft without becoming gummy in texture. It's great to finally have a light weight, Gluten Free bread that does not disintegrate upon touch!



I love that this is a non-frozen bread and it can last (resealed, of course) at room temperature  for about 5 days. Not a common thing in the Gluten Free world. No more waiting for a slice of bread to defrost!

Another highlight is that the bread is produced in a Canadian, dedicated gluten free, facility. Dempster's has also gone the extra step of becoming part of the Canadian Celiac Association's Gluten Free Certification Program. It's great to see more and more manufacturers get on board with this program. It certainly makes me feel safe and like a valued consumer.




*Disclosure -  This is a sponsored post and I received compensation for it. My opinions are my own. I only work with brands that I trust and would use in my own home.