Gluten-Free Snacking
Part of any gluten-free diet can include wholesome, balanced meals and snacks. There are endless possibilities for healthy gluten-free snack ideas, especially when you use your imagination. Take a look at some of the ideas below.
Scroll down for the printable Gluten-Free Snacking List.
Remember:
Choose grain-based products, such as cereals, breads, crackers, rice and corn cakes, snack bars and pretzels which are labeled gluten-free.
| HEALTHY GLUTEN-FREE SNACK IDEAS (GF= GLUTEN-FREE) |
|---|
| Fresh fruits: berries, peaches, plums, apricots, bananas, melons, oranges, grapefruit, mango, papaya |
| Dried fruits*: (in small servings): cherries, cranberries, apples, pineapples, raisins, peaches, mango, banana chips |
| Plain, unsalted nuts or seeds (a handful is a serving): almonds, walnuts, cashews, soy nuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds |
| GF dry cereals mixed with GF low fat yogurt |
| Air-popped (plain) popcorn or air-popped sorghum |
| Trail mix: experiment with a mixture of plain, unsalted nuts, dried fruits*, GF dried cereal, and GF pretzels |
| Tuna (mixed with lemon juice and GF yogurt) on high-fiber GF crackers |
| Peanut butter or other nut butters and jelly or honey on whole-grain, GF rice cakes |
| GF granola, snack or energy bars |
| GF crackers with low-fat cheese |
| Raw vegetables with hummus, salsa or other GF dips |
| Cottage cheese and pineapple chunks |
| GF low fat yogurt |
| Hard-boiled eggs |
| Low-fat cheese: slices, string or chunks |
*Check for added ingredients, such as oat flour, in dried fruits.
Adapted from: Decher N, Parrish CR. Balanced and Delicious: A Healthy Gluten-Free Diet. Real Life with Celiac Disease: Troubleshooting and Thriving Gluten-Free . Eds. Dennis M, Leffler D. AGA Press. Bethesda, MD, 2010.
SMART SNACKS:
Follow the rows from left to right to make an increasingly healthy gluten-free snack.
| IF YOU EAT THIS | ADD THIS | OR TRY THIS INSTEAD |
|---|---|---|
| GF pretzels | Unsalted nuts | Trail mix with GF granola, dried fruits, plain nuts and seeds |
| Rice cakes or rice crackers | Cheese (cube or string), hummus, nut butter with banana or apple slices | GF snack bar made with seeds, dried fruits and healthy GF grains (amaranth, flax, quinoa); GF high fiber snack crackers made with nuts and /or seeds |
| Fried corn chips | Salsa and shredded cheese | Baked corn chips with low-fat cheese and sour cream; popcorn |
| Celery sticks | Peanut butter, cheese spread or low-fat cream cheese with raisins | Carrot or turnip sticks, peppers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower |
| GF cookie | Fresh fruit or a glass of milk or enriched GF dairy substitute | Add brown rice, flax or quinoa to the recipe; choose ready made cookies that are low in sugar and fat or made with non-hydrogenated oils |
| GF brownie | Mug of warm, steamed milk or enriched GF dairy substitute | GF crispy rice square (still not so nutritious, but often less fat) |
| GF muffin with white rice flour | Chopped nuts, mashed banana, dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, apricots, dates), ground flax seed | Pumpkin, pineapple, carrot or banana muffins made with some brown rice flour, almond flour or bean flour |
| Full-fat fruit-flavored yogurt | Fresh fruit and nuts | Plain low-fat yogurt with chopped fruits, nuts and small amount of sweetener |
Adapted from: Case, S. Go Gluten-Free! Tips for Getting More Nutrition into the Gluten-Free Diet.
Check for added ingredients, such as oat flour, in dried fruits.
In the Mood for Something Decadent?
- Try gluten-free brownies, cookies, or muffins made with labeled gluten-free mixes or flours that include whole gluten-free grains.
ON-LINE SOURCES TO FIND ADDITIONAL GLUTEN-FREE SNACK IDEAS AND RECIPES:
Revision Date: 1-2-13
Author: Melinda Dennis, MS, RD, LDN
Editor: Anne Lee, MSEd, RD, LD