Top 10 Gluten-Free Snacks

Top 10 Gluten-Free Snacks

Having gluten sensitivity doesn’t mean that you can’t have snacks. Not only are more gluten-free products available, but there are many do-it-yourself ways to stay healthy.

If you have recently been told you have a gluten sensitivity, you’re probably still getting used to big dietary changes. Once upon a time it was easy enough to toss Goldfish crackers into a child’s lunch box or grab a bag of pretzels from the vending machine at the office. But having a sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in many grain products including wheat, barley, and rye, can make a healthy snacking challenging.

Take heart: As more people have gluten sensitivity, there has been an explosion in the variety of gluten-free foods available.

Snacking: Top 10 choices

As with any health diet, “fresh fruits, veggies, (unprocessed) raw meat, and fish” should form the basis of a gluten-free diet, advises Julie Miller Jones, PhD, a distinguished professor of nutrition in the department of family, consumer, and nutritional sciences at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. Most dairy products are gluten-free as well, though some processed yogurts, cheeses, and other items might have traces of the offending protein, so it is important to read labels carefully.

Some tasty (and healthy) gluten-free snack options include:

Ants on a log. Made by spreading natural peanut butter (nothing but ground peanuts) onto celery stalks, and topping with  raisins, “ants on a log is good because it has all the components of a healthy snack,” notes Dana M. Ellis, MPH, RD, a dietitian at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. “Peanut butter is a good source of monounsaturated fat and protein, raisins are a great source of carbohydrates and celery adds fiber”.

Fresh Fruit and a handful of nuts. These gluten-free foods also provide a healthy mixture of carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

Baked corn tortilla chips with additive-free guacamole. These gluten-free foods combine healthy fat from the avocado, carbohydrates from the corn tortilla chips, and a little bit of protein. Watch out for the guacamole, though – it should only contain avocado, onion garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, and tomatoes.

Natural peanut butter and jelly on gluten-free bread. This favorite of kids and adults alike is easy and simple to make, plus it provides good sources of fat, protein and carbohydrates.

Trail mix. Combine nuts, raisins, and dark chocolate M&Ms for a sweet and salty snack.

Air-popped popcorn. Enjoy air-popped popcorn by itself or add dried cranberries and almonds for a snack full of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats.

Small baked potato with low-fat mozzarella cheese and chives. This treat provides everything from fiber and carbohydrates to protein and fat.

Carrot sticks with gluten-free dressing. This veggie and dip combo serves as good source of vitamin A, carotenes, fat, and carbohydrates.

Low-fat yogurt mixed with high fiber gluten-free cereal (or a rice cereal) and fruit. Experiment with different yogurt flavors and cereals for variety while receiving a healthy dose of calcium, protein, and fat.

Gluten-free treats. Gluten sensitivity doesn’t have to mean the end of traditional snacking. Browse the gluten-free foods aisle at the local grocery store for special pretzels, crackers, and cookies and stock up.

While it may mean keeping an extra supply of special snacks in a desk drawer rather than raiding the office refrigerator, rest assure it is possible – and even pleasurable – for someone with gluten-sensitivity to maintain a gluten-free diet.

BY: Kristen Stewart and Niya Jones, MD, MPH

Dr. E says-

If you have no idea if you are gluten-sensitive or not – Call us! (702) 363-9260

We’ll find out for you!

Three Ways to Help Children Eat Healthy

Every parent wants their child to be healthy and energetic, but many will choose to avoid confrontation when it comes to eating habits. Below are three ways to help children eat healthy.

1) Don’t Tell Them It’s Healthy:

For children, the term “healthy” quickly develops a negative association. They will automatically assume anything you call healthy is not going to be sweet, and won’t taste very good. It creates a situation when you struggle to get your children to try anything healthy for them. You can re-establish a positive association by placing healthy snacks in special containers like cartoon characters. Making the special containers exclusive to their healthy snacks can add to the positive association.

2) Make The Food Interesting:

A creative way to improve children’s eating habits is to arrange the food in a new and interesting way. Cutting up vegetables and using the pieces to build an animal or vehicle will shift their focus away from the food, and onto the object you’ve created. Your kids will take great pleasure in destroying your creation one healthy piece at a time.

3)  Let Them Choose A Healthy Snack:

Children are told what to do all day long, which feeds into their need to capture some control of daily activities. You can take advantage of this desire by giving them the authority to choose a healthy snack. Give them two or three options, all healthy, and tell them they can choose whichever they want. A good trick is to add a healthy snack you know they hate. Introducing the snack they hate first, will make the subsequent choices more appealing Ashley Green.

Trudy says It’s always good to find out specific healthy foods for your child through a blood test done with their own blood cells. Then, you will know the best choices and the worst choices for them in particular!