Quick and Healthy Gluten-Free Snacks

Most people take grabbing a snack wherever and whenever for granted. For people that follow the gluten-free diet for health reasons, that’s simply not an option. We have always got to be prepared to find something safe to eat in any given situation. Bars are an obvious choice, but I’m not always in the mood for a bar.

Sometimes I go overboard with gluten-free replacement foods that are not always the healthiest thing around. Therefore, I try to keep some semi-healthy snacks on hand. The following fairly healthy items satisfy my snack cravings and most are easy to enjoy on the run.

• Kozy Shack puddings are labeled gluten-free and they are very low in fat. One serving size – from the 4-pack – has only 100 calories. The serving contains 6% RDA of iron, 10% RDA of Calcium,10% RDA of Vitamin D,12% FDA of fiber, and only 2% RDA of fat. For a treat, that pudding is packing a pretty big nutritional punch. The fact that it also tastes great is also a plus, of course. Pudding does need to be kept cold so if eating on the run, it can be packed in a small insulated lunch bag.
• Archer Farms is the food brand at Target. Historically, the products in the line have been pretty difficult to get the gluten-free status on, but things are finally improving. The last item I checked on only took four hours to get an answer and some items can be confirmed immediately. The Pomegranate Real Fruit strips from Archer Farms are really a great gluten-free snack. They are made with organic ingredients, are fat-free, and have only 45 per serving (one strip).
• Trader Joe’s sells 10 mini bags of plain almonds in a large bag. The bag retails for $4 in our area, making the cost per serving only $.40. Almonds are a healthy nut with healthy oils and a handful a day might help keep the doctor away. Though I don’t eat them every day, I try to eat some almonds several times a week. Sometimes I can find mini walnut bags at Trader Joe’s, but not often.
• Babybel Original mini cheeses contain 15% RDA of calcium and 5 grams of protein. One serving has only 70 calories even though it’s fairly small, it’s really filling. Each serving of the cheese is wrapped in a wax outer shell which allows for it to be kept out of the fridge for a while. That feature makes it ideal as a grab-and-go snack, assuming you are going to consume it within a couple of hours. Otherwise, you’d want to keep it in an insulated lunch bag.
• Andean Dream gluten-free vegan cookies are made with quinoa. Each individually wrapped cookie has 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein. Quinoa, the main flour used in the cookies, is a superfood and was rated the most nourishing grain in the world by the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S. As cookies go, the coconut treats from Andean Dream are both tasty and good for you. The individually wrapped cookies do not contain soy, nuts, dairy, or trans fats. The company uses Royal Quinoa in its products, which are found only in Bolivia.

Obviously, fresh fruit and veggies are whole food gluten-free snacks that are very healthy. However, those are not always easy or practical to eat on the run. Let us know what your favorite healthy gluten-free snacks are.