When you start a gluten free diet, it’s easy to focus on all of the foods you can’t eat. And then you start to feel like you can’t eat anything. You miss all of the foods you used to eat like bread and pasta. And when you get hungry and start looking for a snack, you might not know where to start. But there are actually a lot of gluten free snacks out there! You don’t have to go hungry or settle for something that doesn’t taste good. Many of these snacks are naturally gluten free, and some can easily be made gluten free. Whether you’re looking for snacks for yourself or your kids, here’s a list of easy and delicious gluten free snack ideas:
Natural Gluten Free Snacks
Nuts- plain nuts of any variety are gluten free. You can snack on peanuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios, or any other kind of nut you can think of! You can also incorporate nut butters into your snacks. If you’re looking for flavored nuts, check the ingredient list to make sure there’s no gluten. Sometimes there may be hidden gluten in the flavored coating.
Fruit and Veggies- fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten free snack ideas. Try them on their own or make some homemade snack combos! Apples and peanut butter, carrots and ranch, ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins), bell peppers and hummus.
Cheese- if you’re not dairy free, cheese is a great gluten free snack. Slice it yourself or pick up prepackaged string cheese. You can also pair it with fruit, nuts, or gluten free crackers.
Homemade Gluten Free Snacks
Hard boiled eggs- eggs are gluten free, so you can boil some eggs and eat them as a gluten free snack at any time of the day.
Smoothies- blend up some fruit (fresh or frozen), yogurt, milk or juice for a refreshing and customizable gluten free snack!
Popcorn- packaged popcorn kernels are gluten free! Pop a bag in the microwave and make yourself a yummy gluten free snack.
Prepackaged Gluten Free Snacks
Fruit snacks- fruit snacks don’t contain wheat or any other gluten containing ingredients so they’re a good gluten free snack. Perfect for kids and adults when you want a little bit of a sweet treat.
Rice or almond crackers- traditional crackers are made with wheat, but there are several brands that make crackers from rice or almond flours and are gluten free. Simple Mills, Milton’s, and Good Thins are all great options. You can eat them on their own or pair them with a dip or cheese slices.
Popcorn- bags of pre-popped popcorn are naturally gluten free. There are several brands to choose from. Just watch out for flavored popcorn which may contain gluten.
Yogurt- yogurt is gluten free! Even the popular kids brands like Danimals and Go-gurt state that their yogurts are gluten free. Enjoy your favorite flavors for a nice cool gf snack.
Chips- tortilla chips, corn chips, and potato chips are gluten free. Some flavorings do contain gluten (usually the barbecue variety) so check the ingredients to be sure. Avoid Sun Chips which are made with wheat flour!
Granola bars- not all granola bars are gluten free, but there are several brands that are. Kind bars, Annie’s (not all varieties-make sure it’s labeled gluten free), and Made Good all have gluten free granola bars for a quick on the go snack.
Sweet Gluten Free Snacks
There are several brands that sell prepackaged gluten free sweets. Here are a few good options:
Sweet Loren’s has a few flavors of premade gf cookie doughs which are separated into portions ready to be baked into cookies.
Tate’s Bake Shop has packaged gf cookies
Oreo has a gluten free variety, and Glutino also has a gluten free chocolate sandwich cookie similar to Oreo’s
Katz Gluten Free has a variety of frozen gf desserts like pies and donuts
If you’re in Southern California and you’re looking for some homemade gluten free sweets, check out my menu here! I offer homemade gluten free baked goods, available for pickup from Rancho Cucamonga.
