Best Healthy Gluten-Free Snacks

Looking for the best healthy gluten-free snacks for kids and adults? Here are some top picks from a Registered Dietitian and mom of 3.

Hi friends!

Here is another post in our best of store-bought snack series! We’ve already shared our top picks for various stores and categories, which you can check out below!

If you’re looking for store-specific snacks check out:

• Healthy Amazon Snacks
• Best Trader Joe’s Snacks
• Best Healthy Walmart Snacks
• Healthy Snacks At Costco For The Whole Family
• Best ALDI Healthy Snacks
• Best Healthy Snacks at Target

For specific snack categories, check out:

• Healthy Store-Bought Tortillas
• Best Boxed Mac and Cheese
• Healthy Crackers for Kids and Adults
• Best Low-Sugar Yogurts
• Lower Sugar Cereal For Kids
• Healthy Store-Bought Granola Bars for Kids
• Individually Wrapped Snack Ideas
• Peanut & Tree Nut Free Packaged Snacks

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Gluten-Free Foods

Today we are going to share some of our favorite gluten-free store-bought snacks, but there are many foods that are naturally gluten-free! Including things like:

• Fruits & Vegetables
• Rice
• Quinoa
• Meats, Poultry, & Fish
• Milk, yogurt, & other dairy products
• Eggs
• Beans
• Nuts & Seeds
• Potatoes
• Corn

This is not an all-inclusive list and gluten can be added to these foods during processing but they don’t contain gluten naturally.

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For this post, we’re focusing on store-bought snack ideas. First, let’s talk a little bit about gluten.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a type of protein found in some grain products primarily wheat, barley, and rye. This protein acts as a binding agent that helps grains to keep their shape. Oats contain a protein called avenin that can cause an immune response in people with celiac disease but do not naturally contain gluten (oats are often cross-contaminated in processing remember to check the food label for gluten-free oats).

What is a gluten-free diet?

A gluten-free diet is a diet that avoids foods containing gluten. This includes products like bread, pasta, cereals, and baked goods. However, gluten can be found in other food such as malt syrups or vinegar, food coloring, soy sauce, or foods cross-contaminated in processing. This may be due to an autoimmune disease called celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

Why should you avoid gluten?

If you have celiac disease, it is important to avoid gluten to prevent your body from attacking the digestive symptoms. A gluten-free diet also helps to avoid unpleasant symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and diarrhea.

If you have gluten sensitivity or notice worsening digestive symptoms after eating gluten, avoiding gluten may help to lessen these symptoms.

While a gluten-free diet is important if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, grains that contain gluten are still nutritious. Grains are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber which are important to a healthy diet. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy gluten-free snacks, but don’t forget to include whole grains in your diet too.

Are gluten-free snacks healthy?

There are plenty of healthy gluten-free snacks out there. As we mentioned above, lots of foods are naturally gluten-free and make great snacks including fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat, nuts, seeds and more! You can use gluten-free ingredients to make healthy gluten-free snacks at home like these Gluten-free Buckwheat Pancakes or My Go-To Energy Balls.

There are also some great pre-packaged gluten-free snacks on the market now as gluten-free diets are becoming more common.

What to look for in a gluten-free snack?

As far as packaged/store-bought snacks, gluten-free snacks are similar to their gluten-containing options in that there are always going to be some choices that are better than others. When looking at store-bought gluten-free snacks, look for those that have simple ingredients, are low in added sugar and not too high in sodium.

If needed, look for the certified gluten-free seal on the packaging.

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Best Gluten-Free Snacks

We hope this list will be helpful if you or someone in your family follows a gluten-free diet. Whether it’s due to celiac disease or for another reason, it can be difficult to track down healthy gluten-free snacks. These are some of our favorites but it is not an all-inclusive list. If you have celiac disease or require certified gluten-free foods, remember to check for the certified gluten-free label. Not everything on this list is certified gluten-free.

List of Gluten-Free Foods & Snacks

Gluten-Free Snacks for Kids

Here are some kid-friendly gluten-free snack ideas that kids will love! To help keep your kiddos full of energy, pair high-protein snacks with a fiber source. Hummus or Avocado mash goes great with gluten-free crackers and chips (and vegetables!) or add some fruit & gluten-free granola to yogurt!

• Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop Mini Bags (3g protein, 3g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Sargento Natural Mozzarealla String Cheese (7g protein, 0g carb, 0g sugar)
• Chomp Sticks (9g protein, 0g carb, 0g sugars) 
• Biena Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt (6g protein, 6g fiber, <1g sugar) 
• Harvest Snaps (5g protein, 4g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Sabra Hummus (2g protein, 1g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Good Food Avocado Mash (1g protein, 4g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Siggis Vanilla Yogurt (16g protein, 0g fiber, 9g sugar)
• Chobani Less sugar yogurt (12g protein, 1g fiber, 5g added sugar) 
• Mamma Chia Blueberry Acai Squeeze Vitality Snack (2g protein, 6g fiber, 4g added sugar)
• GoGo squeeZ Applesauce *pair with a protein  (0g protein, 3g fiber, 13g sugar) 
• GoGo Squeez Yogurt (4g protein, 0g fiber, 14g sugar *8g added sugars)
• Bare Cinnamon Apple Chips (<1g protein, 4g fiber, 20g sugar *0g added sugar)
• That’s it Fruit Bars-Vegan! (1g protein, 4g fiber, 17g sugar *0g added sugar) 
• Brazi Bites – grain-free (3g protein, 0g fiber, 0g sugar)

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Healthy Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Snacks

If you are looking for gluten-free, dairy-free snacks, this section is for you! Several of these snacks are vegan too!

• Once Upon A Farm Dairy-Free Smoothie (3g protein, 2g fiber, 10g sugar)
• Good Foods Plant-Based Queso *other plant-based dips (2g protein, 1g fiber, 1g sugar)
• RX bars (12g protein, 5g fiber, 13g sugar *0g added sugar)
• Hard-boiled eggs (6g protein, 0g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Epic Bars (11g protein, 2g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Country Archer Grass Fed Mini Beef Sticks (4g protein, 0g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Plainville Farms Oven Roasted Chicken Breast (10g protein, 0g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Dietz & Watson Applewood Smoked Turkey Breast (11g protein, 0g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Lesser Evil “No Cheese” Cheesiness Popcorn (2g protein, 4g fiber, <1g sugar) 
• Egglife Egg Wraps (5g protein, 0g fiber, 0g sugar)

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Healthy Gluten-Free Vegan Snacks

These snacks are both gluten-free and vegan and are some of our favorites! Remember to look for a snack with protein and fiber to help give you energy throughout the day. Nuts & Seeds are a good source of plant-based protein and great gluten-free snacks. They go great with fruits & veggies too.

• Hippeas Vegan White Cheddar Chickpea Puffs (4g protein, 3g fiber, 2g sugar)
• Larabar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip +many flavors (5g protein, 4g fiber, 4g added sugar)
• Rhythm Organic Superfoods Kale Chips (5g protein, 3g fiber, 1g added sugar)
• Made Good Granola Bars (2g protein, 2g fiber, 6g sugar *5g added sugar)
• Good & Gather Raw Mixed Nuts (5g protein, 2g fiber, 1g sugar)
• Good & Gather Omega Trail Mix (4g protein, 2g fiber, 6g sugar *5g added sugar)
• Biena Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt (6g protein, 6g fiber, <1g sugar)
• Harvest Snaps (5g protein, 4g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Sabra Hummus (2g protein, 1g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Enjoy Life Enjoy Bites Dark Raspberry (6g protein, 3g fiber, 11g sugar, 5g added sugar)
• Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop (2g protein, 2g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Louisville Vegan Jerky Smoked Black Pepper (7g protein, 2g fiber, <1g sugar)

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What kind of chips are gluten-free?

There are SO many gluten-free chips & crackers on the market now that there is plenty to choose from. Here are some made from simple ingredients and taste great too!

• Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers (3g protein, 2g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Blue Diamond Nut Thins (3g protein, 1g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Wisps Cheddar Cheese Crisps (10g protein, 0g fiber, 0g sugar)
• CrunchMaster Protein Snack Crackers (5g protein, 3g fiber, 1g sugar)
• SkinnyPop Sea Salt Popcorn Mini Cakes (3g protein, 4g fiber, 0g sugar)
• Quaker Lightly Salted Gluten-Free Rice Cakes-Pair with a protein or fat source (peanut butter, avocado, or cream cheese)
• Lance Real Peanut Butter Bite-Size Sandwich Crackers (2g protein, 1g fiber, 3g added sugars)
• Quinn Peanut Butter filled Pretzels (3g protein, 1g fiber, 2g added sugar) 
• Beanitos Black Bean Tortilla Chips +other Beanitos chips & puffs (5g protein, 4g fiber, 1g sugar) 

Are potato chips gluten-free?

Many potato and corn chips are naturally gluten-free, just be sure to check for added ingredients and look for certified gluten-free if needed as they can be cross-contaminated during processing, if fried in shared oil, etc.

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Gluten-Free Snack Ideas: “Grains & Granolas”

While most grains contain gluten, there are still lots of gluten-free granolas, cereals, and even bread to choose from! There are even gluten-free bread companies like Little Northern Bakehouse, Scharr, and Canyon Bakehouse that make finding options easy. Enjoy these delicious gluten-free grains with your favorite nut butter or make a sandwich with meat & cheese for a satisfying snack.

• Purely Elizabeth Gluten-Free Ancient Grain Granola (3g protein, 2g fiber, 7g added sugar)
• Nature’s Path Organic Gluten Free Honey Almond Granola (3g protein, 2g fiber, 6g added sugar)
• KIND Healthy Grains Oats & Honey Clusters (2g protein, 2g fiber, 5g added sugar)
• Three Wishes Grain Free Cereal Cinnamon (8g protein, 3g fiber, 3g added sugars)
• Rice Chex Cereal (3g protein, 2g fiber, 3g added sugar)
• Siete Frozen Almond Flour Tortilla (6g protein, 3g fiber, 1g sugar)
• Little Northern Bakehouse Bread & English Muffins (1g protein,4g fiber, 5g sugar)
• Other popular brands: Scharr & Canyon Bakehouse are good options for GF bread too!  
• Rise & Puff Tortilla (0g protein, 1g fiber, 1g added sugar) 

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Healthy Gluten-Free Snack Recipes

Looking to make your own gluten-free snacks? I’ve got you covered! Check out some of my favorite and easy gluten-free snack recipes to try at home.

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Gluten-Free Snacks at Walmart

There are so many gluten-free snack options everywhere you go! Walmart has great snack options for gluten-free snacks that will be a hit for kids and adults! Check out my Healthy Snacks at Walmart post for some tasty gluten-free options.

Best Healthy Snacks at Walmart

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Gluten-Free Snack Box

Check out a few of these awesome snack boxes and subscriptions for some gluten-free snack ideas. These websites offer gluten-free box options that everyone can enjoy. This is a fun way to discover new snacks and switch things up!

• Smart Box Company
• Snack Sack
• Num Num’s Munch Box
• UrthBox
• The Balanced Company Snack Box

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Hope you got some new ideas!

Popular Gluten-Free Snack Ideas

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–