Talk about an extreme bargain on gluten-free cereal, I just ran into one of the best deals ever. I found this three-pack of Envirokidz gluten-free cereal which includes their Gorrilla Munch, Panda Puffs, and Koala Crisp (that I would respectively compare to mainstream brands of Original Cap'n Crunch, Captain Crunch Peanut-Butter, and Cocoa Pebbles respectively).
The pack contained three full-size / normal-size boxes of Envirokids gluten-free cereal (e.g., the Koalo Crisp cereal box was 11.5 ounce size), and you perhaps will not believe the price: $2.99! YES, $2.99 for all three boxes! Where did I find it? BJ's Wholesale Club of all places. We were walking around the store picking up some items for our holiday baking, and there in the middle of an aisle was a big pile of these multi-packs. At first I didn't pay much attention, until I saw the sign over them which said $2.99. I though, "surely that can't be for the three pack", but I quickly confirmed it upon checkout.
I am used to a single box of the gluten-free Koala Crisp being $2.49 at Trader Joe's and $2.49 at Whole Foods (that was their sale price when I looked yesterday). I have actually seen a box as high as $4.00 at my local small gluten-free store. I like the Koala Crisp quite a bit, and the Panda Puffs nice on occasion too. I can't recall if I tried the Gorilla Munch before, but I figured if I didn't like them, I could just donate them to a food shelter. Heck, it was like buying one box and getting two free.
Actually, since I only regularly eat the Koala ones, and they are nearly the same price that I would otherwise pay, I plan to go back and buy a trunk-full of these super sale-price Envirokids and give a pile of cereal (any I don't plan to consume myself) to a food bank. Why not? In fact, I presume I can write-off 2/3 of the purchase-price as a tax-deductible donation if I give 2/3 of the cereals away. That'll help some people out and give me some nice year-end charitable giving write-offs, and make the cereal even more of a bargain!
I don't know if you have a BJ Wholesale Club near you, but it you do, I hope you find these cereals at the same bargain price. I have no idea if this deal is going to last or not, so I suggest getting them while they are available and/or on sale like this.
I have to wonder if Nature's Path Foods (the manufacturer of Envirokidz brand cereals) just had a big pile of inventory to clear out in a hurry. Gluten-free is certainly a growing trend, and not just among Celiac Disease sufferers from what I have noticed, but it doesn't seem quite "main stream" enough to attract the attention of a wholesale club yet, unless there was a particular reason to sell the product.
My children love the Envirokidz cereals.
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays!
Sheltie Girl @ Gluten A Go Go
I found this three pack at Costco a while back - what a great find!!
ReplyDeleteToo bad these cereal multi-packs are not available at any store here in Alaska! What a deal! The cheapest price around here is $3.69 per box! I just found your blog page...and am anxious to try some of the delicious looking recipes. (Especially the pizza crust, as my 8 year old celiac boy is quite the picky critic...and he doesn't even remember his gluten-eating days, as he was 2 1/2 yrs old when diagnosed!) I'll let you know how he likes it. I've yet to find a suitable recipe for him...
ReplyDeleteBy the way, do you happen to understand the medical difference between Celiac Disease (which my son has) and Gluten Intolerance (which I believe I may have)?
sarah,
ReplyDeletesorry you can't get the same super-discount on those cereals. I'm really into the PB crunch variety for "snacking" :)
Regarding gluten-intolerance vs. Celiac: if you have Celiac, and ingestion of Gluten is essentially destroying your intestines. Your body reacts to gluten (well, gliadin - the protein in gluten) and has an autoimmune response that causes and inflammatory reaction in the intestinal tract, followed by a flattening of the villi which are ever so important for nutrient absorption. So, that's big time bad news for your body if exposed to gluten - it will cause serious damage.
"Gluten intolerance" may present with some similar overall symptoms (digestive issues, discomfort, etc), but is distinguished from full Celiac disease in that it is not causing the true destruction of your intestinal tract. At least that is how most are using the term afaik.
where is the BJ'S that has Envirokidz Cereals . my local BJ'S in Dartmouth,MA did not have it.
ReplyDeletearcadegamer,
ReplyDeleteWell, seeing that I posted the initial blog about the great deal on the cereal back in December of 2007, and it is now nearly July of 2008, I would bet the "deal" is long-gone. Sadly, I didn't see that cereal last very long at such prices after I did this blog entry. But, I still wish you luck, and maybe you'll run across a great deal yet.
Hello! I am a teenager with celiac disease and have tried Envirokidz Panda Puffs many times and have a severe reaction. Has anyone else had this experience? I have been on a gluten-free diet for a year now and don't have digestive issues otherwise. Thanks! -T
ReplyDeleteanon...,
ReplyDeletePerhaps your reaction is to one of the components of the cereal that is not even gluten related? I.e., corn or peanut-butter allergy? Though, I'd expect you already know the answer to that. I surely have no idea what it could be. I hope someone reading can shed light on this for you, but perhaps you can contact the manufacturer and see if they can offer any suggestions. Good luck figuring this out. M
We use the gorilla munch and add it to the sweet sourghum flour to make breading for AWESOME chicken nuggets!!!
ReplyDeleteI had also seen and purchased the ENVIROKIDZ cereal box (containing 4 boxes in fact), at my local BJ's club. It was selling well and then, they stopped carrying it.
ReplyDeleteI contacted the company by e-mail and I received NO RESPONSE WHAT-EVER. Thus, I called the company and someone from the Exec offices did call me back. She said she'd look into it and see what could be done about it. However, two months or three have since passed and nothing. They simply DO NOT CARE about those whose dietary needs EXCLUDE THE CONSUMPTION OF GLUTEN.
This upsets me since BJ'S clubs are filled with cereal boxes that do contain gluten (in fact all of them do); but nothing is offered for those children who have Celiac. I find this appalling to say the very least.
This cereal is expensive. That is why the BJ's deal was so appealing to me. I contacted ENVIROKIDZ (Natures Path), who make the cereal and asked them if they had coupons. They do not; and suggested that I purchase from them directly online. However, their prices are higher than what I find at full price at my grocery store ($3.99 per box).
The place I had seen it very inexpensively was at a Boston Whole Foods Market ($2.69 regular price per box); but I do not live near a WFM. Thus, this is no help to me.
Suggestions will be more than welcome!