Gluten free does not have to mean taste free. Whether you have cut out gluten for your own health reasons, or are thinking of reducing it to see what the benefits of a gluten free diet are, you may be wondering how to source some of the best gluten free snacks.
Thanks to the popularity of gluten free diets, now is a brilliant time to find gluten free snacks on the shelves, or else the ingredients to make your own from scratch.
As dieticians learn more about what gluten is and how it affects us, the range of products available grows too.
What is gluten and what are gluten free snacks?
Gluten is the name for the types of proteins commonly found in wheat, barley and rye.1
It is a binder, helping some foods keep their shape and giving them a chewy texture. Gluten is what makes bread doughy. It is not only found where you might expect though, as it is sometimes added to processed foods too.
It is these tricky proteins that cause problems for those with a gluten intolerance or coeliac disease.
While wheat gluten is the biggest culprit, many find that barley and rye also cause adverse reactions.
Gluten free snacks will be carefully sourced, produced and packaged to avoid gluten contamination.
Fortunately for those who do need to be careful of their gluten intake or avoid it completely, a wide range of free from foods are available to help you filter out the gluten when shopping.
Check out our full range of gluten free & vegan savoury snacks and gluten free sweet snacks.
These are some of the best gluten free snacks:
1. Gluten free crisps
Looking for gluten free chips to have with your dips?
We love Eat Real Sea Salt Hummus Gluten Free Chips and Manomasa Manchego & Green Olive gluten free Tortilla Chips.
The only downside to these is how moreish they are!
2. Gluten free crackers
No snack stash is complete without crackers.
Pop on a bit of hummus, avocado, whatever you have got lurking in the fridge or cupboards!
Crackers are the perfect quick lunch or late afternoon snack to keep you going.
Our range of gluten free crackers mean that whatever your dietary requirements, you will have this super-versatile snack ready anytime you need it.
3. Popcorn – is popcorn gluten free?
Corn is gluten free, and so is popped corn!
Do take care to look out for any gluten additives, but you should find plenty of popcorn is labelled as gluten free.
We particularly enjoy the sweet-salty combo of Propercorn Sweet & Salty Popcorn.
For even more control over the ingredients, why not make your own popcorn?
4. Gluten free rice cakes
Rice cakes are a good standby snack to have in the cupboard. The perfect vehicle for a slather of nut butter.
We stock a great range of gluten free rice cakes. No kitchen cupboard should be without them!
5. Gluten free protein bars
Snacking to boost your energy levels or recover from a workout should not be exclusively for the gluten eaters of this world.
If you are looking for the perfect gluten free high protein snack, you may want to reach for a Meridian Peanut & Banana Bar. Combining delicious sun dried bananas with Meridian’s own peanut butter, this bar offers a great balance of both protein and carbs.
6. Gluten free oat snacks
Whether oats are gluten free is a not entirely agreed upon. Since oats do not specifically contain any gluten proteins, they are gluten free.
But they do contain some proteins which are similar to glutens, so they may provoke reactions in those with gluten intolerances, allergies or coeliac disease.
The main barrier to declaring oats gluten free is, however, in their production.2
Gluten free oats are the best option for those avoiding gluten completely, and they are labelled as such because they won’t come into contact with wheat, barley or rye.3
The right oat snacks are therefore a great gluten free snack option. Check out Nairn’s Gluten Free Cheese Oatcakes as a delicious healthy snack.
7. Home-made gluten free treats
If you prefer your snacks to be homemade, have a leaf through our gluten free recipes.
Sometimes nothing beats a homemade cake, and our lemon and rosemary drizzle tray bake is a fragrant gluten free version made with cornmeal.
Scones, muffins, brownies… making gluten free snacks is easier now than it ever has been.
Last updated: 19 Janaury 2021
 |
Author: Donia Hilal, Nutritionist
Donia started her career as a freelance nutritionist, later she joined Nestle as their Market Nutritionist to help support their healthier product range, before joining the team at Holland & Barrett in January 2018. Donia has 6 years experience as a Nutritionist and also works with clients on a one to one basis to support their goals which include weight loss, prenatal and postnatal nutrition and children’s health. Donia has a special interest in; weight management, plant-based nutrition, pregnancy nutrition, special diets and disease risk reduction. Donia’s LinkedIn profile |
Sources
1 https://celiac.org/gluten-free-living/what-is-gluten/
2 https://www.celiac.com/articles.html/what-is-gluten-what-is-gliadin-r8/
3 https://celiac.org/gluten-free-living/what-is-gluten/
