Snack Attack!

It seems that a lot of people think that maintaining a gluten-free diet means that I can eat almost nothing. While selecting items to fit a specific diet plan can seem limiting, a little planning and creativity can go a long way towards realizing there are so many options that are available. So, this week I thought I would list several of my favorite snack items – all of which happen to be naturally gluten-free.

• Hummus and Veggies (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, cucumbers, and snow peas are usually my picks)
• Tomato Slices w/dash of sea salt
• Fresh Fruit (I especially enjoy strawberries, peaches, grapes, and apples)
• Natural Applesauce (regular, or cinnamon)
• Yogurt (side-note: Yoplait now makes a lactose free yogurt that I find tastes much better than the soy yogurts I have tried)
• Trail Mix (mixed nuts, dried cranberries or other fruit, sunflower seeds)
• Banana Chips
• Seaweed snackers
• Snap Pea Crisps
• Popcorn

Before we continue, let me introduce you to a great product that I have discovered called Better'n Peanut Butter. Made by Wonder Natural Foods Corp. and available at Trader Joe's, it is an all natural, reduced fat, low calorie peanut butter that makes a great dip or spread. Besides being gluten and dairy free, this product also has zero trans or saturated fats and contains no cholesterol. While the texture is not as light and fluffy as traditional peanut butter, the mere 100 calories and 2g of fat per serving more than make up for this in most cases. I find it to be most similar to the texture of a caramel fruit dip. This is what first led me to try the spread with apples. More recently I have expanded its use in many of my daily snacks and meals. Here are just a few examples of snacks I have paired with Better'n Peanut Butter.

• Apple Slices
• Rice cakes with sliced bananas
• Carrots
• Bananas

I have also used a spoonful of Better'n PB in a smoothie, combining chocolate almond milk, vanilla protein powder, sliced bananas and/or frozen strawberries for a delicious treat.

What are some of your favorite gluten-free snacks? Feel free to leave comments and questions in the forum below.