Paleo Product Review: Genuto: "100% Nut Based Gelato"

I took a much needed vacation for the Memorial Day holiday.  My roommates from college and I had what we have termed a "roommate reunion" every year.  I'm not exactly sure when we started, but it's been going on for nearly a decade now.  No boys.  No kids.  Just the girls, girl talk, silly games, and lots of yummy food.  We hang out at one of the roomie's vacation homes for the weekend.  Beforehand, I fly into NYC and hang out with one of the roommates for a couple days before we make the trek to the Poconos.   I had a great time.  I plan on writing a "traveling Paleo" blog post about it soon.  But in the meantime, I present a product review of one of my favorite dessert discoveries at Alameda Natural Grocery:  Genuto.
Insert:   **Thunderous applause and flashing, colored lights***

Velvety deliciousness!

Here's the lowdown.  I'm going to give you the bad news first.  This product is not 100% Paleo.  Why?  One of the ingredients is organic cane sugar.  Not Paleo, I know.  It doesn't contain soy but apparently the probiotic in it is grown on a "soy medium." Okay.  We got that over with.  Now listen to the rest--which starts with a back story.


My boyfriend has a pretty endearing ritual:  ice cream for dessert no matter the time of day.  On our very first date, we were out until about midnight or so.  Just at the moment when I'd expect him to say, "Well, I'd better get going," because it was late, instead, he said, "Let's go get some ice cream at Lyons."  After he had just played guitar for me in the park, I knew this guy was a keeper.  We walked leisurely to the all-night diner and ordered ice cream for dessert.  To me, there's something that just seems "right" or poetic about making a habit of ending your day with a sweet treat.  No matter what the day brings, it's one of those simple pleasures you can always count on.

When we decided to go Paleo, I knew my boyfriend's nightly ice cream habit was going to be an obstacle. I don't even own an ice cream maker--so making ice cream from coconut milk wasn't an option.  Plus, if you've read any of my other posts, you know that I try to use coconut in my desserts sparingly because it overpowers the chocolate.  Oops, I meant--it overpowers the "other flavors."  Haha.

After going on Paleo, my boyfriend discovered that dairy doesn't work for him.  Hmmm.  So how does one reconcile no dairy with a daily ice cream habit?  Enter:  Genuto.  Genuto is a 100% nut-based frozen treat. There is no dairy in it whatsoever.  And there isn't any coconut either.  Woohoo!  Sorry folks, but I really do get tired of coconut.  Remarkably, Genuto has this creamy, velvety texture after it has thawed a little.  Right out of the freezer it's rock hard.  It needs to thaw for about 10-15 minutes first.  Now, even when my boyfriend has fallen off the "Paleo wagon" and starts making daily trips to Chipotle and In N Out, he still buys Genuto for dessert because it tastes so good and doesn't cause the digestive distress that dairy does.

It comes in about four or five flavors:  Madagascar Vanilla, Simply Dark Chocolate, Simply Pistachio, Double Espresso, Chai Latte, and others.

Right now, this product is only available in Northern California.  Sorry folks.  Here is a link to locations where Genuto can be purchased:  http://genuto.com/find-genuto/.  

As a little disclaimer, I wrote this post of my own volition.  I was not paid by Genuto or any other company to write this article.  This article was borne out of my love and appreciation for the product and nothing more.