Providing Healthier Options for Growing Children
You want the best for your child, and much of your parenting is devoted to ensuring they eat nutritiously daily. However, navigating a celiac diet or gluten-intolerant diet can be challenging. Add in many children's mealtime fussiness, and you have a mighty task ahead! However, gluten-free snack time for kids can be a cinch! There are thousands of delicious snacks that you and your children will love! Focusing on fresh, wholesome ingredients can provide you with options for gluten-free snacks for kids!
Gluten-Free Snacks Made Easy
By purchasing your treats from the store, you can save time and stay on the go! In addition, pre-packaged snacks are super easy to throw into backpacks and store well during travel. So throw a variety of ready-to-eat gluten-free treats in a basket for the pantry, and let your child choose their snacks!
On the other hand, by making your treats at home from scratch, you can rest easy knowing exactly what ingredients are used, and you can control things like sugars, salt, portion sizes, and fats. In addition, you will likely have many of the needed ingredients on hand! Another advantage of creating tempting treats from home? You know what you and your family love, and store-bought usually means a convenience cost, so homemade means savings.
What You Can Buy From the Store
The Glutino Forever Gluten Free Brand offers gluten-free snacks for kids, including pretzels, crackers, muffins, cookies, and wafers! Glutino has several flavor options, so there is sure to be something that appeals to you and yours. One of the leading benefits of this brand is that it is Certified Gluten Free, so it's a worry-free snack! Kids and adults alike love the taste and numerous tasty options.
Another trendy gluten-free brand is Annies! In addition to offering many gluten-free options, they also offer certified organic foods and vegan options. Annies’ gluten-free snack options include cereals, snack bars, and individual servings of pasta. In addition, kids love the Annies’ bunny logo because it means a yummy treat is at hand!
Simple Mills offers soft-baked bars, crunchy cookies, muffins, cake, and brownie mixes! These are free of artificial ingredients and beneficial, and the baking mixes mean your home will smell wonderful. You will love Simple Mills because they boast “only purposeful ingredients, nothing artificial.” Your kids will love Simple Mills treats because they taste delicious!
What You Can Make at Home
Berries and Yogurt
Simply mix any yogurt flavor with berries for a nutritious, healthy snack. Berries and yogurt offer countless flavor combinations; switch up the yogurt flavor and the types of berries to keep the snack fresh. The benefits of berries and yogurt include protein, calcium, vitamins for healthy growth and probiotics for a healthy gut and immune system. Berries provide fantastic health benefits, including antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins! Berries and yogurt offer sweetness, bright colors, and texture that children cannot resist!
Sweet Potato Fries
These delicious snacks are so simple to make and are great as a hot or cold snack. Sweet potato fries are nutrient-rich and provide carbohydrates for busy, energetic kids. Plus, sweet potatoes offer much-needed Vitamin A and appeal to children because of their delicious taste and french fry-like appearance. Even better, add hummus, tzatziki, or yogurt for a healthy, gluten-free dip!
Apples and Pears with Nut Butter
Fruit and nut butter is yet another quick, easy snack to throw together that offers a high level of nutrition, zero gluten, and very few downsides. While peanut butter is off-limits for many, other nut butter such as almond, walnut, soybean, and sunflower seeds are just as yummy. Nut butter appeals to children because they are sweet, filling, and easy to eat.
Veggies and Hummus
An assortment of crisp, fresh vegetables alongside store-bought or homemade hummus; a healthy snack that is as easy as possible! Select your kid’s favorite veggies to slice up, and try to include those with bright colors, such as carrots, broccoli, snap peas, and peppers! Then whip up some fresh hummus! Hummus is an easy and delicious spread made from chickpeas, a few spices, a splash of lemon, and tahini (optional!), which is thrown into a blender or food processor. Kids love anything that dips, so this option will surely be a favorite.
Popcorn
Could anything be easier? Air-popped popcorn is a movie-time staple and one that is rich in fiber. It's easy to throw a handful of popcorn into a lunch box, and of course, corn is always gluten-free. However, this high-fiber snack isn't just for movie time; popcorn is naturally gluten-free, low in fats and sugars, and when lightly seasoned, popcorn can be a healthy anytime snack.
Why Choose Gluten-Free Snacks?
If you are already following a gluten-free diet, you are likely preparing most of your meals at home with fresh ingredients. Gluten-free snacks for kids in this fashion offer many benefits; one key advantage is that these snacks will be free of heavy processing, preservatives, and other added ingredients typical of store-bought foods.
While gluten-free options are more costly when store-bought, significant savings can be made when creating home treats. Need more fresh ideas for delicious homemade gluten-free snacks? First, check out the “201 Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids” from Indigo Books. Then, it's time to explore how you can up your gluten-free snack game!