One of the most difficult aspects of living gluten-free is trying to eat on the go. Your grab-and-go options are definitely limited when eating gluten-free but they exist. You just have to know where to find them. To make choosing them easier, we are sharing some easy gluten-free snacks on-the-go ideas.
Snacks, especially gluten-free snacks, can be expensive. A way to cut down on the cost is to buy larger bags and portion them out yourself rather than buying snack sized bag. You can fill a Ziploc bag or a snack-size Tupperware. Also, a lot of gluten-free snacks do not come in 100-calorie packs, or snack packs, so portioning them yourself is something that can be necessary.
Planning is important with gluten-free snacks on-the-go. You can choose to pre-portion a bunch of snacks for ease of use, when you are in a hurry.
This list will be split into two, as some of the options need to be kept cold. This can be achieved with a cool bag, insulated lunch box, ice packs, or if you have access to a fridge. So, keep this in mind when you are making your choices
Easy Gluten-Free Snacks On The Go
Non-Refrigerated Gluten-Free Snacks On The Go
Gluten-Free Muffins: A muffin is a delicious and portable snack you can keep with you. You can bake the ultimate gluten-free banana muffin recipe and wrap them well (I like to press and seal) and then place them in a Tupperware in the freezer, so you can take one out whenever you need one, and don’t have time to bake. Other options for muffins Udi’s gluten-free muffins and Kinnikinnick gluten-free muffins.
Dry Cereal: Dry cereal like Chex is a fantastic snack without milk. Also, if you have milk with you you can easily turn it into a bowl of cereal for a more filling option. Read our Chex cereal review here.
Gluten-Free Pretzels: Pretzels are a delicious salty snack that you can package yourself into a snack size option. Good gluten-free pretzels include Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Twists, Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks, Glutino Gluten Free Yogurt Covered Pretzels, or Glutino Chocolate Covered Pretzels. There are quite a few gluten-free pretzel brands to choose from.
Gluten-Free Cookies: There are several delicious gluten-free cookie brands on the market, and they come in a variety of flavours, so you don’t have to feel limited, as there are now a plethora gluten-free cookies. These include those from Great Value, Tate’s chocolate chip cookies, gluten-free Oreo, Kinnikinnick, and Goodie Girl.
Crackers: Crackers are a great gluten-free on-the-go snack, as you can pair them with many dips, spreads, or toppings. Crackers paired with peanut butter, Nutella, or a nut butter, are a great sweet and salty option. Some fantastic gluten-free cracker options are Breton, and Le Veneziane Guten-Free Mini Grissini, both of which come in different flavours, so they are great on their own, or paired with various toppings, cheese, meats, olives etc…
Gluten-Free Matzo: Gluten-free Matzo is a very filling snack that you can use like any other cracker. Some even come in various flavours, I enjoy Gluten Free Matzo Style Squares Everything Flavored, as it doesn’t need any topping. These pair well with butter, cream cheese, or any other topping you would put on a cracker. The main difference here is that matzos are pretty large and low in calories, so you feel like you have had something filling, while only eating the one matzo.
Fruit And Berries: Fruit and berries are naturally gluten-free. To bring it on-the-go I would recommend pre-washing it so you can easily enjoy it without having to find a space or time to clean your snack. Fruits with their own removable peels, like oranges and bananas, travel well. Otherwise, you can choose to pre-cut your fruit for ease of eating and place it in a container. You can keep washed berries, grapes, cut up watermelon etc… in containers in your fridge for grab-and-go snacks.
Vegetables: Bringing carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli etc…are great snacks on the go. You can choose to bring a dip (if you keep it cold), eat them plain, with a sprinkle of salt, or dip your celery in nut butter, etc… This is also healthier and great for those who are looking for low-carb options. You can store washed and cut-up vegetables in the fridge in containers, for an easy grab-and-go snack.
Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds are a great high-protein option on-the-go. You can choose salted or dry roasted.
Gluten-Free Chocolate: Sometimes the easiest snack to grab, is a chocolate bar, but they can contain gluten, even when it isn’t obvious, like with bars that contain cookies or pretzels. To find out which brands are safe (remember you always have to read the label) check out our Ultimate Gluten-Free Chocolate Guide.
Trail Mix: You can make your own trail mix by combining dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and even chocolate, if you like. Do remember to choose some salted and some unsalted options to help make the Trail Mix more balanced.
Chips/corn puffs/popcorn: Chips, popcorn and corn puffs (like Cheetos) can either be gluten-free, or not have gluten in their ingredients. You always have to read the ingredients on the package, as some flavourings may contain gluten- but this is a good category of snack. With popcorn, you can make it at home, and package any leftovers up for snacking the next day.
Gluten-Free Granola and granola bars and nut bars: Yes, you can make granola at home, but it is a great on-the-go snack, especially if you mix it into yogurt. Gluten-free granola bars and nut bars are great snacks too as they are flavourful, filling and easy.
Refrigerated Gluten-Free Snacks On-The-Go
Hummus: Hummus is a filling and healthy choice for a snack that you can pair with crackers or vegetables, like celery, carrots, broccoli, and red pepper. If you want to make it yourself, check out our recipe for low-fat hummus and all the flavour variations you can add, to keep it from getting boring.
Yogurt: A simple gluten-free single-serve yogurt is a great snack. You can also portion out the yogurt from larger tubs into containers. You can mix it with fruit and or granola for a parfait.
Dip: A serving of a gluten-free dip can pair well with vegetables or chips.
Salsa: Salsa pairs well with corn tortillas as a delicious snack. Check out our list of gluten-free salsas.
So that’s our snacks on the go suggestions. You have to prepare in advance because you can’t necessarily rely on restaurants. Gluten-free eating at restaurants or even picking up a snack can be difficult too, as sometimes options are not readily available. Not only do you have to think about the ingredients, but also cross-contamination. There is a an extra layer of complexity to it but it’s also not impossible. To help make eating out easier, check out our dining tips. If you want to learn more about reading labels and other basic gluten-free techniques, read our ultimate gluten-free guide for beginners.
These gluten-free snacks should help to make snacking on the go, for either road trips, lunches, or just grabbing a snack to bring with you, through a long day. What are some of your favourite on-the-go gluten-free snacks? Leave us a comment below and let us know what snacks work for you. We love learning from our Gluten-Free Foodee community.
