gluten free snacks

Freshly baked French baguette slathered with butter… crispy on the outside and soft on the inside croissants… ooey gooey pizza…

Gosh I miss wheat and the gluten that makes those yummy breads so soft and chewy! Why do I miss them? Well, I have been gluten free for about three years now.

I’ve had issues with my stomach – irritation, inflammation, bloating – all due to certain foods in my diet, including soy, wheat and gluten. Because of the pain and discomfort, I was forced to cut these ingredients out of my diet to help my stomach heal.

Did you know that wheat can stay in your system for several months? It took a good year to heal my gut, and feel back to normal again. A hairstylist even noticed by touching my hair – he asked me if I had done something differently in the last six months, because I had new hair growth which was thicker and fuller than the bottom half of my hair. I realized that the new hair growth occurred after I had cut out wheat and gluten from my diet!

May is Celiac Awareness Month, a good time to learn about what gluten and gluten sensitivities really are, and how they impact many Canadians. I’m lucky I’m not Celiac; celiac disease is a medical condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten. People with celiac disease can’t eat gluten, otherwise their body wouldn’t be able to absorb nutrients which are necessary for good health. If I happen to have a trace of gluten, I won’t suffer. But those with celiac have to avoid cross-contamination.

Going gluten free has become a complete lifestyle change – and I’ll never go back. My stomach has since healed, and I feel so much better. While I’m often tempted to have “just a bite”, giving in to the craving is not worth the havoc it wreaks on my body.

Bread? Pasta? Desserts? They don’t even faze me. I bake my own bread, I’ve found a great-tasting pasta, and I bake my own gluten-free desserts.

But snacking is another issue. I love crunchy, crispy, salty snacks.

Quaker® Crispy Minis® rice chips are deliciously crispy with a light texture. They are made from grains like rice and corn then sprinkled with a tasty, bold seasoning.

With flavours like Tortilla Style Smoky Chipotle and Creamy Ranch, I can get that crunch satisfaction packed with a flavour punch. Sweet Chili, Ketchup and Sour Cream and Onion are also favourites in our home. All of these snacks are certified gluten and wheat free!

A serving size of 20 grams has 90 calories and 14 grams of carbohydrates. Of course I probably couldn’t limit myself to just one serving! But even having two servings is still within a good calorie count.

If you’re also sensitive to soy ingredients, Quaker® Crispy Minis® Tortilla Style Smoky Chipotle Rice Chips and Tortilla Style Creamy Ranch Rice Chips both don’t contain soy, and neither does the Caramel Kettle Corn Flavour Rice Chip.

Certified gluten-free by the Canadian Celiac Association, Crispy Minis rice chips are a tasty gluten-free snack that comes in a variety of delicious flavours.

What’s your favourite Quaker® Crispy Minis® flavour?

This post is generously sponsored by Quaker® Crispy Minis®.

I’ve been on a different diet journey for a while as I’ve had to cut out certain foods from my diet due to sensitivities (more on that later in another post). So when I had the chance to try out some gluten, dairy and soy-free snacks recently, I said – oh yes please!

Simply Choices by Wellness Foods products have the most protein with the least amount of calories in any natural food snack, contains more fiber than sugar and fill you up for over three hours. These high protein snacks are made from all natural ingredients, are vegetarian and high in calcium. There are options if you have food sensitivities – like I do – snacks and bars free of peanuts, dairy, gluten and/or soy.

The Protein Bars are a great way to fuel your body with high quality protein when you’re on the go or for a quick snack. Rather than reach for a high-fat, high-sugar snack, instead you could get 16g of protein and 4g of fiber in The Simply Bar – that’s really good! It also has 160 calories and 4g of fat and more importantly for me, it fills that sweet craving. My favourite flavours were the Chocolate Mint and the Coconut – yum!

The Protein Chips satisfy that chip crunch but one bag offers 15g of protein! You can’t get that out of a regular bag of chips. The texture of the Protein Chips reminds me of corn chips but they are made of pea protein which keeps you feeling full. One bag (33g) has only 2g of sugar (natural cane sugar) and 140 calories.

The chips are gluten-free, vegan, all natural and kosher. The Chili was my favourite flavour. They do leave a bit of an aftertaste, probably due to the spices like garlic, so make sure to have a mint handy!

My husband tried the Crunchy Whey Protein Snacks – I can’t because I’m sensitive to soy – and he said they tasted like having caramel popcorn. The texture was definitely different but surprisingly very tasty.

You can buy Simply Protein products online but I did see them at the Superstore and I’m sure they are carried in natural food stores as well. Follow them on Twitter @SimplyChoices.

Gluten Free Diet: Tasty Snacks

Gluten Soy and Dairy Free Snacks? Yes Please!