Gluten Free Snacks

When starch is removed from cereal grains like wheat, rye and barley, the protein substance that remains behind is known as Gluten. A gluten free diet is one which restricts or eliminates the intake of this natural gluten from your daily diet. This kind of a diet is highly recommended for autistic patients and those with other related disorders. People suffering from celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or dermatitis herpetiformis are advised to follow this kind of a diet. However, finding good gluten free snacks is one of the major challenges of such a diet especially when you need it the most.

Nowadays there are a variety of gluten free pastas, breads and other snacks which are commercially available. People following a gluten free diet should always keep healthy gluten free snacks handy. Some good examples of gluten free snacks for kids as well as adults are dried fruits like raisins and apricots, gluten free cookies, crackers and soups, boiled eggs, gluten free yogurt, sliced vegetables, baked tortilla chips free of gluten, mixed nuts and almonds. There are a number of easy gluten free snacks which can be prepared at home. There are various gluten free snacks recipes to make tasty ice cream sandwiches, crackers, caramel corn and pretzels.

Some foods in the gluten free snacks list include chocolates, raisins, mixed nuts, mood bars and dried fruits which are also good for celiac patients. Vegetables with dried potato pieces or rice noodles with gluten free stock powder are also good snacks which can be easily prepared. Sandwiches can be made from gluten free bread which is available commercially. Some other items on the list of gluten free snacks are pumpkin and sunflower seeds which can be roasted and used as a healthy snack. Coconut milk popsicles can be made at home by adding fruit juices to coconut milk and freezing them. These are good especially for people who like to have something sweet after their meals. These days, gluten free snacks are also available at big supermarkets in the form of cookies, cereals and snack bars. However, while purchasing these products it is very important to read their nutrition labels. Some companies make gluten free products but they still contain white starch while some others use more whole grain constituents. Once you identify what works best for you, you can come up with several creative food variations to meet your daily diet needs.

Submitted on January 16, 2014