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AIBU?

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Original poster

to rant about Asda - massive price hike on 'free from' chocolate bars

56 replies

iamamug · 17/02/2016 16:26

For background my DS is free from gluten, dairy, nuts and egg. This makes for a pretty restrictive diet particularly when it comes to treats.
We have been buying Asda free from chocolate orange bars for about 3 years - price 0.45
Today DH returned from a trip to Asda - the price has been increased to £1.00 a bar overnight.
My DS has 2 of these a day - one with lunch and one after dinner - he cannot eat most desserts - also has plenty of fruit but this is literally the only 'naughty' thing he can eat.
I am outraged and have actually written to the CEO demanding an explanation - I suspect there will be a 'special offer' shortly but £1 a bar in the meantime!! (They are really small - 35g)
I know I can get something similar in Sainsburys (they are 0.50p) but he prefers the flavour of these and such a restrictive diet deserves a bloody treat.... so mad.

OP posts:
Original poster
iamamug · 17/02/2016 18:27

Falling a little bit in love with katenka Thanks Flowers
The whole thing is a pain in the arse - DS is 14 this year and has been putting up with this very strict diet so well for about 3 years - I'm so proud of him.
Thanks for the support.

OP posts:
Katenka · 17/02/2016 18:41

Anytime. It's horrendous. I went through my teens and early twenties with all sorts of problems.

Found out what I could and couldn't eat in my mid twenties. It's so restrictive but the alternative is worse.

Even as an adult I want to scream 'it's not fair'

I would kill to be able to eat chicken fried rice just once Grin

MyFriendGoo52 · 17/02/2016 18:43

Not sure if youre aware op but pretty much all of asda smart price range is gluten free. You may be able to save some money there.

BalloonSlayer · 17/02/2016 18:48

It's so annoying isn't it? They can eat so little and what they can is horrible and over-priced.

(DS1 hates the orange chocolate so if I but them by mistake we throw them away, I ought to send them to you instead)

Oh and my DS eats these bars very often too - alongside any other teenage crap he can lay his hands on that he is allowed, and is about 5'11 and eight and a half stone and I wouldn't care if he ate four of those crappy little bars a day. Anything to get some calories into him TBH.

Duddyblog · 17/02/2016 19:07

Thanks balloonslayer totally agree
Funnily enough I've thrown away the plain ones for the same reason! Will keep them if bought by mistake in future and send them to you 😀
You're right about the smart price stuff. We actually get glutafin pasta on prescription, it's better than the supermarket stuff.
I don't bother with anything else on prescription as we don't really need it and the NHS is stretched enough.
There are only 2 flavours of crisps he can have , we get soya ice cream but he hates the yoghurt we have to get him to drink soya milk with fat powder and nesquick just to keep his calcium up. He's in puberty so his bones are at huge risk.
I don't begrudge him as much chocolate as he can eat!
Thank goodness he will eat meat so we can get fat into him.
Older DS is veggie but no diet issues, when we're all together getting a meal we can all eat is a real challenge....

NorahBone · 17/02/2016 19:24

Tesco free-from chocolate bars are still 45p but they don't seem to do orange flavoured ones.

NorahBone · 17/02/2016 19:29

And Morrisons' are 44p! Shock

Original poster
iamamug · 17/02/2016 19:32

We have a morrisons being built, they could get my business!
Thanks for all the tips, will stock up with the Sainsburys ones and await the Asda 'special offer'

OP posts:
Original poster
iamamug · 17/02/2016 19:33

Just noticed I posted as duddyblog, using my iPad and forgot login, sorted now and back to original username.

OP posts:
Katenka · 17/02/2016 19:35

Just asked a friend who owns a few small stores. Have you looked at 'sweet deceits'.

Gluten free, dairy free vegan treats.

It doesn't solve the Choc issue, but feel so bad for your boy I am trying to find something he can have as a treat.

Original poster
iamamug · 17/02/2016 19:50

You are kind katenka I've just checked all of those and he could have the chocolate brownies.
He can eat lots of sweets like starburst and skittles but we do try and restrict those as they are pure sugar and we don't like him to fill up on crap.
My DH is a great cook and he makes him flapjacks using dairy free spread and he likes those as long as DH has got the consistency right!!
A lot of the problem is that once he finds something he likes, he just eats that thing. His school lunch is the same every single day and he really doesn't mind that. We vary the evening meal and eat very well.
Im constantly on the look out for new treats, some work and other don't.
He hated the Moo chocolate in his Christmas stocking, all got thrown away.
The advent calendar from H&B was also a fail!
It's tough and I wish it was me and not him but he copes really well.
Sorry you have to struggle too Flowers

OP posts:
FinallyHere · 17/02/2016 19:54

So sorry to hear this.

Would you consider making different treats by melting plain chocolate and dipping dried or glace fruits? Dark chocolate covered dates or prunes are delicious? I'm guessing that the free from foods are always going to command a premium, which this way might avoid.

Katenka · 17/02/2016 19:54

Will keep searching and post anything I find.

Even if it just an occasional treat, I hope it helps him X

abbsismyhero · 17/02/2016 19:58

might it be worth the fiddle to make your own treats?

Ceic · 17/02/2016 20:20

Have you tried other vegan brands such as Plamil? Or single origin chocolate? Chocolate is naturally gluten-free and nut-free anyway - it depends on how strictor careful you have to be about warnngs like "may contain traces of nuts".

If you can find a good dark chocolate your DS likes maybe you can make vegan chocolate truffles or something and add orange flavouring to suit?

Original poster
iamamug · 17/02/2016 20:36

We know that most dark pure chocolate is fine, it's the milk in milk chocolate that's the problem and also the thing that DS likes about the taste.
DH has tried many variations of truffles, dipped choc treats etc but DS just doesn't like them.
He is honestly really good about his condition and doesn't moan about what he can't have all the time.
The Asda chocolate bars were just fine and dandy for him and he never asked for anything else.
I'm just pissed off that this one own branded item that he likes is the thing that has been hiked in price.
There are alternatives that he will tolerate (Sainsburys version) it's just a shame, and the price of Cacau isn't affecting the price of Sainsburys chocolate!
I really appreciate all the suggestions, I am now aware of some new brands that I didn't know about before.

OP posts:
Threefaries · 17/02/2016 21:31

The moo tee organic chocolate is really nice. It's a bit pricy but makes a nice treat. I agree this is really annoying.

Natkingcole9 · 17/02/2016 21:44

omg i love those bars. Im so annoyed now!!!

Schrodingersmum · 17/02/2016 22:15

Op I feel your pain, we are a familyof 4 all vegetarian and myself and both kids coeliac (Im oat sensitive too)

DS has morrisons choc wafers in his lunch box and they are fabulous if you get a chance £1.75 for a pack of 5

Treats wise, have you come across frozen gf donuts in Tesco's they are by feel free and lovely as a treat, also Tesco's gf dairy free cornetto's

The latest handbook from coeliac uk lists all the brands who are free from just not certified, maybe there will be something in there that he might like?

FeelingSmurfy · 17/02/2016 22:29

I'm not sure about gluten, but has he tried the tesco soya yoghurts? I have spent 30 years trying to find a yoghurts I could eat more than one spoon of, I have tried them all more than once (as I know tastes change), found these about 6 months ago and now get through 2 packs of 4 a week.

Koko have just brought some out too (Morrison's at the moment but going into asda in march I think) which I really want to try because that is the only milk I will use (same as the yoghurts, only I found the milk 18 months ago!)

I agree that all other yoghurts are foul! We have paid over £1 for one sometimes and had to throw it away after a spoon full, and I hate wasting food and/or wasting money! I couldn't even force them down though

WellTidy · 17/02/2016 22:40

I sympathise Op. DS is on a gluten free casein free diet to see if it helps alleviate some of the problems associated with his autism. The only GF bread that doesn't go staight through him is Genius brown bread. It is £3 for a small loaf everywhere. It was in a 3 for 2 deal once, and I nought loads of it for the freezer.

And don't get me started on m and s suddenly stopping producing their GF pizza bases. They were the only ones that DSs would eat, and we've tried a few GF ones, including making our own.

Tesco do an OK fresh yoghurt that is fairy free. Passion fruit and mango flavour, and strawberry flavour. It is kept above the milk in my local tesco. Koko coconut milk is the only milk that DS will drink too.

MrsMook · 17/02/2016 22:51

I bought a coconut milk based dairy-free ice cream from Co-op today. Rather tasty. I don't know if that would be suitable for him or not. I'm guessing the almond based one is out of bounds from the nut allergy (Morrisons). I get IBS issues from dairy and soya. Having once had DS on an exclusion of three foods, I know how tricky it is.

Original poster
iamamug · 17/02/2016 23:25

Some great tips there thanks so much.
Awful how we have to pay so much for these foods!

OP posts:
HeteronormativeHaybales · 17/02/2016 23:32

I've recently gone dairy-free due to suspected allergic colitis in dd (ebf) and have really liked Alpro chocolate desserts - they taste as they're supposed to iyswim. I am also enjoying Moo Free chocolate but see your ds wasn't keen on that.