Celiac-Friendly Snack Options for the Busy Bee on the Run!

On the go! *this was take #5 maybe? Very skilled at action shots.

The last few months have been pretty interesting. I've been mourning the loss of gluten in my life but have slowly been adjusting to the different grocery shopping and in general, food-experience that I have on a daily basis. If you're like me though, you're busy and often on the go and honestly, don't have a lot of time to continually read labels on random granola bar boxes or gum packages. I'm slowly getting better at knowing "what's good" but definitely have a ways to go in terms of efficiency. There's always easy snack options around (like in my previous post on various snack recommendations) but I thought I'd give my newly discovered celiac friendly favourites that might help you be quicker and more efficient in those grocery aisles . They're yummy and healthy; win, win!

**Click on the images for purchasing information**

1. KIND Bars
So many yummy flavours! They have a lot of nuts, seeds and natural sweeteners in them so they're a bit more calorie dense than regular oat-based granola bars and I think, are more filling. My fav? Dark chocolate + Almonds + Sea Salt. LOVE.

2. Inno Foods Coconut Clusters
Addictive. That's all I'll say. Make sure you ration these out because my oh my, they're hot tamale level of addiction.

3. Glutino Pretzels
Not quite the same texture as regular pretzels, but they have a satisfying crunch and salty-goodness flavour. Don't eat these in the library though- they've got a crunch that's pretty loud lol.

4. Cinnamon Chex
These literally taste like cinnamon toast crunch. Need I say more?

5. Breton GF Crackers
With lactose-free cheese, turkey pepperettes or hummus, these have a great texture and taste great.

6. Homemade Granola
I'm obsessed with granola (as you can probably glean from the recipe index of this blog). Making your own is easy, SO fast and can be a really health alternative to store-bought options. Add it to lactose free greek yogurt or regular yogurt, apple sauce, eat with milk or munch on by itself!

7. Grimm's Turkey Pepperoni
So yummy. Lean. Excellent source of protein. No guilt.

8. 180 Snacks Almond Rice Pops with Blueberries
Easy peasy, no fuss, no mess goodness. Sweet but not too sweet and that hint of blueberries is a nice touch.

9. Mason-jar fruit
I really like berries but I also have a rather small wallet and spending $$ on fresh fruit can really add up. Solution? Frozen fruit of varying kinds. At my supermarket there is generally one type on sale on any given occasion so it's not only affordable but the fruit is usually frozen at peak season/sweetness (bonus!). For snack or breakfast, I add a cup of my chosen frozen fruit to a mason jar- zap in the microwave for 35 seconds and either get going or add yogurt and/or granola. You can also leave the fruit in the fridge overnight with oats or alone, to have your breaky all made by morning, ready to go! So easy. So good.

10. Pure Protein Bars*
Good amount of protein. Great on-the-go-because-there-is-literally-no-time-to-even-cook-anything snack/meal. Pair with a piece of fruit and you've got yourself a delicious and nutritious gluten free meal.

11. Premier Protein Drink*
Literally tastes like chocolate milk but is gluten free and a great on-the-go meal replacement or something that you can add to a smoothie or even your morning coffee for a chocolatey kick.

*Just a caveat: I am usually not about drinking your meals or compressing them into a bar format (ie. meal replacement bars or drinks) but if that's literally all you got, have time for, or you need some extra protein to make 'em gains after a workout, go for it. It's not about counting or cutting calories, but rather giving your body the nutrients that it needs to be a busy-bee, when time is super limited. When you can: Eat your greens. Cook your meals. Use bright and vibrant ingredients that showcase their nutritional profile in their awesome chlorophyl showcase of green or vitamin-C zestiness. That's my stance at least.