Why I love Nairns gluten free oat cakes – an ode to oat cakes

There are a few freefrom products which I just love and cannot live without. Nairns is one of them, and because I eat a nairns oak cake if not every day, at least every week I forget about how amazing they are because they are just always there. Part of the weekly shop. Chosen for breakfast, with soup for lunch, as a quick snack, for picnics, for dipping, with a cuppa…

I love Nairns oat cakes because they go,
with ever meal and filling and so,
I never leave my house without some.
When I forget it’s a miserable outcome.

I eat them for breakfast with bacon or jam.
They’re great with mustard and home-cooked ham.
With humous or tuna or cheese of salmon.
The list is endless, I could go on and on…

You can even dip flavoured ones in your tea.
Ginger, spiced fruit, syrup and chocolatey.
They taste really good to eat just plain.
They’re healthy too so you can’t complain.

Nairn’s ambassador and nutritionist Christine Bailey says, “Oats can be a valuable addition to your diet throughout the winter months, not only helping to boost your energy levels but also your immune health. Oats are a fabulous immune friendly food, rich in immune supporting nutrients such as selenium and beta-glucans, which have been shown to enhance neutrophil action, a type of immune cell. Oats also act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, which helps support immune function.”

Nairns have just launched two new products, Gluten Free Wholegrain Cracker (pictured above) and Gluten Free Biscuit Breaks in Chocolate Chip.

The Wholegrain crackers contain: Wholegrain Oats (79%), Sustainable Palm Fruit Oil, Maize Starch, Raising Agent (Ammonium Bicarbonate), Sea Salt, Honey.

The chocolate chip biscuits contain: Wholegrain Oats (50%), Dark Chocolate Chips (14%)(Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavouring), Sustainable Palm Fruit Oil, Demerara Sugar, Dietary Fibre, Partially Inverted Syrup, Dark Chocolate Powder (3%) (Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder), Tapioca Starch, Raising Agents (Ammonium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Natural Flavouring, Sea Salt.

Nairns products do come with a warning but I have never had a reaction to any of the dairy free varieties. Both our recipe and factory are nut free. “We cannot guarantee that our ingredients are nut free. Manufactured on equipment that handles milk. Not suitable if you are allergic to the protein Avenin.”

The wholegrain crackers are really very more-ish. They’re less crumbly than the original oat cake and I really enjoyed them with humous, smoked salmon, lime marmalade and just with nothing at all.

Soya allergy and soya lecithin

Some Nairns oat cakes contain soya lecithin. You may be worried about eating soya lecithin if you have a soya allergy but since there is no protein left in the lecithin after processing, it should be OK. I have a soya allergy and find I am fine to eat soya lecithin, but check with your allergy specialist first. I get a pretty serious reaction if I eat soya milk or protein and no reaction at all from consuming soya lecithin. My doctor is quite keen for me to make sure I do eat some soya lecithin in my diet so I don’t become sensitive to that too. Keep an eye on how many things contain it though as I worry too much may start to become a problem.

So what’s your favourite Nairns oat cake? I can’t decide, I think I have a favourite for every day of the week but the Oats and Syrup flavour is probably the one I want to eat most right now. I really struggle to find them in the shops but recently discovered I can buy a whole box of them on Amazon. Check out Nairns oat cakes on Amazon.

Do you love them as much as I do? Could you live without the humble oat cake?

Visit Nairns.com to find out more about these delicious free from snacks.