Okay, so my kid has recently been diagnosed with gluten intolerance. It’s been a real challenge finding snacks that he both enjoys and can safely eat. I spent a whole weekend diving into the world of gluten-free snacks, and let me tell you, it was an adventure! Here’s what I did.
The Great Gluten-Free Experiment
First, I cleared out my pantry. Anything with wheat, barley, or rye – gone! It was kind of shocking to see how much stuff had gluten in it. Then, I hit the grocery store, armed with a list of naturally gluten-free foods like fruits, veggies, rice, and quinoa.
My first attempt was simple: fruit and veggie sticks with hummus. My son loves hummus, so I thought this would be a slam dunk. He took one bite of the carrot stick, made a face, and declared, “Too… crunchy!” Okay, back to the drawing board.
Next up, I tried making some rice cakes with various toppings. I spread some avocado on one, some almond butter on another, and even tried a little bit of dairy-free cream cheese. The avocado was a no-go (apparently, it’s “too squishy”), but the almond butter was a moderate success. He ate half of it, which I considered a win.
Feeling a bit more confident, I decided to get a little more creative. I found a recipe for gluten-free banana muffins online. I carefully measured out the gluten-free flour blend, mashed the bananas, and mixed everything together. The smell while they were baking was amazing! My son popped into the kitchen, drawn by the aroma. He cautiously tried one, and his eyes lit up. “Yummy!” he exclaimed. Success!
Here are a few things that worked, in list form, from my kitchen experiments:
- Gluten-Free Banana Muffins: These were a huge hit!
- Rice Cakes with Almond Butter: A decent option, though not his favorite.
- Fruit Salad: Always a good choice, and easy to customize.
- Popcorn: Make it on the stovetop.
It took some trial and error, but I finally figured out a few gluten-free snacks that my son enjoys. It’s definitely a learning process, but it’s getting easier. And, he’s learned that he feels better with no gluten in his belly, so that is always a motivating factor.