A gluten-free diet excludes gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and many other grains, and focuses on gluten-free foods that are safe for those with gluten sensitivities. Adopting a gluten-free diet typically involves incorporating healthy, whole foods that naturally create a balanced meal plan. This includes fruits, meats, vegetables, eggs, and gluten-free pasta or bread.
While this diet means giving up classic snacks like crackers, cookies, and muffins, there’s no need to worry. The gluten-free market has developed alternatives for virtually every traditional snack, and these options don’t compromise taste. Prepare to explore our list of the top 20 gluten-free snacks, from pizza bites to ramen noodle soup, ensuring something delicious for everyone.
Top 20 Delicious Gluten-Free Snacks
OUR TOP PICKS:
Best overall: Harvest Snaps Baked Green Pea Snacks
Least calorie content: Lundberg Salted Caramel Organic Whole Grain Rice Cakes
Highest fibre content: Lil Bucks Sprouted Buckwheat Crunch
1. Lundberg Salted Caramel Organic Whole Grain Rice Cakes
With fresh-milled organic brown rice tossed in vegan salted caramel and made crunchy to perfection, these rice cakes can be eaten or dressed with your favorite toppings. Their calorie content is just 90g!
2. Siete Mexican Shortbread Cookies
Made with almond flour and coconut sugar, these shortbread cookies are nostalgic Mexican snacks that are also called hojarascas. Try these grain-free versions for a trip down childhood memory lane!
3. Blue Diamond Almond Nut-Thins
With no cholesterol or saturated fats, these are the ideal guilt-free bites to munch on. These crackers come in different flavors like pecan nut and cheddar cheese, and go great with dips and spreads.
4. Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grain Granola
This list would be incomplete without some granola, so here we’ve got you one made of coconut sugar and a dash of cinnamon. You can add this to your morning cereal or eat it by itself because its superfood grains and seeds are as healthy as a snack can get. This range also has a wide range of yummy flavors to choose from like maple butter, almond butter, berry crisp, double chocolate, and many more!
5. Show Days Grain-Free Pizza Bites
Pizza in an easy-to-eat size and without all the unhealthiness? Who could say no to that? These cheesy snacks include organic vegetables, pure olive oil, and even the cheese is grass-fed mozzarella.
6. Harvest Snaps Green Pea Snack Crisps
Nothing better than some good old vegetables as your go-to snacks, and this popular snack is a favorite in the veggie snacking department. The green pea crisps snack is baked, not fried, and is filled with one of the highest fiber and protein content on the list, while also being the most affordable. Hence why it’s our best overall recommendation!
7. CHIPS AHOY! Original Crunchy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chips Ahoy’s chocolate chip cookies are famed for their delicious taste, and you can now enjoy these crunchy snacks with rich chocolate chips in their gluten-free version.
8. Choomi Dark Chocolate Brownies
For those who can’t get enough of chocolate but prefer it without the strong sweetness, these dark chocolate brownies are the ideal fix. The dairy-free gooey brownies have fiber-rich seeds and no high fructose corn syrup, ensuring clean and healthy eating while remaining scrumptious.
9. HIPPEAS Vegan White Cheddar Chickpea Puffs
These chickpea puffs are baked from nutritious chickpea legumes and have the delicious flavor of cheddar while being dairy-free snacks. These are great to satiate those cravings for something crunchy and salty.
10. Bada Bean Bada Boom Sweet Sriracha Bean Snacks
If you’re leaning more and more towards the veggie-snacking idea, then the bada bean bada boom bean snacks should be on your list. With just 100 calories per serving and zero cholesterol and saturated fats, it claims to also be even higher in protein than chickpeas! Say hello to weight loss and healthy living.
11. Emmy’s Organics Chewy Coconut Cookies
These soft, chewy, and grain-free cookies come in a variety of flavors like peanut butter, lemon ginger, vanilla bean, dark cacao, and of course a reinvented chocolate chip version.
12. Good Thins Garden Veggie Rice Snacks Gluten Free Crackers
Rice snack crackers are such a versatile snack, and these crispy and salty Good Thins crackers are packed with vegetable flavors. This makes it an excellent addition to soups, sandwiches, and salads and to be had with dips for a great party snack.
13. Real Food From The Ground Up Cauliflower Pretzels
Pretzel cravings are real, especially when you need something toasted and salty, and these gluten-free pretzels made of delicious cauliflower and other plant-based ingredients are a healthier option.
14. Biena Roasted Chickpeas Rockin Ranch
The Biena roasted chickpeas snack is a vegan one filled with loads of protein and fiber. This low-calorie snack also has a wonderful ranch taste to it and can be a good replacement for croutons or crackers in dishes.
15. Lil Bucks Sprouted Buckwheat Crunch
Lil Bucks claims that buckwheat, which is a fruit seed, is the new superfood with its high nutritional value of antioxidants, protein, fiber, magnesium, and more. Sprinkle this on your smoothies, breakfast bowl, or oatmeal for some healthy to crunch on. You can also try their fun and celebratory birthday cake flavor for a delightful treat.
16. Lotus Foods Garlicky Veggie Rice Ramen Noodle Soup
Now this is a sweet little surprise on our list, but we’ve got a wonderfully Asia snack here that never goes out of style: Ramen noodle soup! Enjoy instant ramen noodles coated in a garlic-infused broth that has flavourful veggie chunks in it.
17. OREO Double Stuffed Gluten Free Cookies
You can never go wrong with Oreos, and double stuffed is even better! Your favorite milky snacks also have a gluten-free version to try.
18. UNREAL Dark Chocolate Quinoa Gems
Could you have imagined a snack as creative as toasted quinoa balls covered in vegan dark chocolate? That’s what you get with UNREAL’s snack. These colorful snacks are also a product of only vegetable extract and no artificial chemicals, and can be a great treat to your meal plan.
19. Katz GF Cinnamon Sugar Toaster Pastries
Experience a gooey cinnamon filling inside toasted pastry with these snacks. They are best eaten when slightly warm so that you can have the sweet melt-in-your-mouth feeling with the filled pastry. These pastries are a sweet way to kick-start your morning breakfast.
20. Rivalz Spicy Street Taco Stuffed Snack
What’s better than having all the flavors of a taco in a small, bite-sized version? For a spice kick nestled within a veggie-based shell, the Rivalz Spicy Street Tack Stuffed Snack sure ticks all the boxes for a flavorful addition to your low-carb diet.
Reasons For a Gluten-Free Diet
There are many reasons for an individual to jump onto the gluten-free bandwagon, including various medical conditions like gluten intolerance.
- Wheat allergy: is a food allergy where the immune system mistakenly identifies gluten or other proteins in wheat as harmful, similar to how it would respond to a virus or bacteria [1]. To protect the body, the immune system releases antibodies against these proteins, which can lead to symptoms such as congestion or breathing difficulties.
- Celiac disease: in contrast, is an autoimmune disorder where gluten triggers an immune response that damages the lining of the small intestine. This damage impairs the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, leading to symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain [2].
- Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: shares some symptoms with celiac disease, such as diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal discomfort, but does not cause damage to the small intestine tissues.
Another related condition, gluten ataxia, is an autoimmune disorder that affects the nerve tissues, resulting in issues with muscle control and movement.
It is important to identify gluten-containing foods, especially for individuals with medical conditions that require a gluten-free diet.
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Final Thoughts
Many people choose a gluten-free diet not just for medical reasons but also to embrace cleaner, healthier eating habits. Foods in this category are often high in protein while being low in calories and saturated fats. Therefore, you don’t need to have a gluten allergy or sensitivity to benefit from a gluten-free diet—it offers several nutritional advantages regardless of your health status.
However, if you experience any adverse effects from consuming certain gluten-free items, it’s important to consult a medical professional before making any self-diagnoses. For more tips on improving your quality of life through fitness and other lifestyle changes, check out the JustFit app. It’s free and packed with useful information!
What snacks can gluten-free people eat?
What are the worst foods for gluten?
How do you know if a snack is gluten-free?
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2023a, September 12). Celiac disease. Mayo Clinic. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/celiac-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20352220 Patel, N. (2023a, June 25). Wheat allergy. StatPearls [Internet]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536992/