Hello Reader,

Every time a new Love Me Gluten Free box goes out into the world, I get a little nervous.

It’s such a strange feeling. On the one hand, I’m so proud of what I’ve created and curated… and on the other, it feels like I’m putting a piece of myself out there, wondering what everyone will think.

If you’ve ever created something and shared it publicly, you probably know exactly what I mean.

That said… this May box? She’s a keeper!!

I leaned more savory this month after last month’s full-on birthday celebration. This one feels a bit more balanced, meal-starter-focused, and inclusive of those everyday staples you need.

I’m going to walk through each product and share why I chose them during my Facebook Live at 11:00 am CDT today (May 8th), and I’d absolutely love for you to join me. One lucky live attendee will leave with a FREE Mystery Box.

👉 JOIN ME LIVE from my kitchen at 11 am CDT today!

And here's a sneak peek at our May "Nostalgic Vibes" box. 🤩

PS: I know you're gonna want this box - and good news, we have a few May boxes available. These were held back in case of issues, and it looks like we can free a few of them now. Or you can start a subscription for June - use the code GF Summer for 20% off your first box, new monthly subscribers only.

Are We Trying to Put Katz Out of Business?

I’ve been watching a situation unfold on Instagram surrounding Katz Gluten Free, and it brought up a lot of mixed feelings.

It started when an influencer didn't get a response from Katz after she complained that the frosting on her toaster pastries looked uneven and sparse. It did look bad. When Katz failed to make this situation right (I mean, come on Katz, just send the poor girl some new treats!), she took her beef to Instagram.

From there, more people chimed in. Similar experiences, other complaints, and before long, it turned into multiple anti-Katz posts, comment threads, and a much bigger conversation about how the brand treats its customers (including an Instagram post that Katz made basically saying they're charging customers more because they can).

I get it. If you spend money on a gluten-free product (which, let’s be honest, isn’t cheap), you want it to look like the picture on the box. And when it doesn’t, you want the brand to make it right. I would have reached out to Katz with the same gripe.

At the same time, I found myself taking a step back as things kept escalating online.

While I do think Katz needs to seriously work on product consistency and overhaul their customer service response, I also don’t love how quickly these situations can snowball online. It actually makes me feel quite uneasy as a business owner myself.

I know that two things can be true:

• Katz's product consistency needs to improve, as does its customer service.
• And this doesn’t need to turn into a full-blown takedown of a brand that truly serves the GF community.

Katz makes certified gluten-free products that many people rely on and enjoy. I’ve personally liked many of their products over the years, and I want to see them succeed and improve, not disappear.

This isn’t about defending a brand or dismissing feedback. It’s just a gentle reminder (to myself, too) that not every issue needs to become a pile-on, and if something misses the mark, it’s okay to say so. It’s okay to expect better. And most of all, it’s also okay to just… not buy it again.

After seeing these posts, I found the product at Walmart and bought one for research purposes. Here's what they looked like - definitely inconsistent but still a generous amount of frosting:

When I toasted one of them, the frosting melted into the pastry and leaked inside my toaster oven. I won't be doing that again!

I thought the toaster pastry was good. The frosting is nothing like Pop-Tarts. It definitely needs work.

And here's the kicker: the market is wide open for a legit Pop-Tart dupe. Any takers? (I do make a mighty good gluten-free Pop-Tart recipe, BTW).

Are Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Products Secretly Name Brands? 🕵️‍♀️

Trader Joe’s is known for private labeling with established manufacturers, and once you start paying attention, you can’t unsee some of these similarities.

I don’t know this for sure (and TJ’s isn’t talking 😅), but a few of these products had me doing a double take. Same taste, same texture… same everything?

I’m sharing 5 gluten-free finds that felt very familiar to me, along with my theories behind each one, on MY BLOG today.

Tell me if you see it too 😉

Here’s a sneak peek at one of the products I suspect might be made by a name brand - click here to see my full list.

Featured Brand: Éban’s Bakehouse

I can't believe I've only recently learned about Éban’s Bakehouse. I included their craveworthy fresh-baked cookies in my May box, and I've already received a ton of people telling me how excited they are to try them ... and how many of you already know and love them. Where have I been?!?

Éban’s is a family-owned gluten-free bakery making everything from soft sandwich breads to bakery-style cookies. You can feel the care behind this brand, and I’m so happy to share it with you.

They recently sent me their new all-purpose gluten-free flour blend to try, and I can’t wait to start baking with it. What should I make? I’ll definitely report back on this one.

👉 If you'd like to support this small-but-mighty business, visit ebansbakehouse.com and use the code LMGF20 for 20% off your order - SWEET!

Wishing all the moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day (especially my mom and mother-in-law). You deserve to be celebrated this weekend and always!

Sincerely,

Jenny

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Order a Love Me Gluten Free Subscription Box - May leftover boxes or start a subscription for June​

Listen to the Gluten Free Unwrapped podcast.

Read about my journey to break up with gluten in my book, Dear Gluten, It's Not Me, It's You.

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Visit Good For You Gluten Free for more tips and recipes to help you live your best gluten-free life.