Snack ideas

Another hard part of transitioning to living gluten free is figuring out what to eat for snacks. Here are some of my favorites:

Trio bars: Trio bars are fruit, nut, and seed bars. I buy the big box at Costco. They taste great and are a great source of protein. It's a great pre-gym snack.

Nuts, trail mix, etc: These can also be high protein. Just make sure that you check the ingredient lists to make sure everything is gluten-free. Not all brands will be safe.

Popcorn: Check labels but most are gluten free.

Fresh fruits and veggies: You really can't go wrong with fresh, whole fruits and veggies. If you can, try to pick things that will be high in fiber (it can be hard to get enough fiber when you are gluten free). I usually cut up a few days worth of fruits and veggies and put individual servings in ziplock bags in my fridge then I can just grab 3-4 to take with me to work.

Salads: Add toppings like meat, hard boiled eggs, and nuts for extra protein.

Hummus: I love hummus. You can buy it at the store but it's pretty easy to make yourself at home. I prefer to eat hummus with carrots, bell peppers, and cucumbers but you can also have it with tortilla chips.

Lunchmeat: Make sure to check labels. Sometimes processed meat has gluten.

Eggs: High in protein but they require a little more preparation than most of the other things on this list. Try scrambled, omelets, or fried. For an quicker option, try making hard-boiled eggs ahead of time or mix eggs and your favorite toppings then bake in muffin tins and freeze for a quick snack.

String cheese

Yogurt

Gluten free cereal or granola: I know cereal is traditionally a breakfast food but I enjoy it for snacks too. I eat it dry or with milk, depending on where I am and what else I'm doing while I eat. In addition to the specialty gluten free cereals, check out Chex (not Wheat Chex), Pebbles, and gluten-free Rice Krispies.

Smoothies: Try blending one yogurt with 1 cup frozen fruit and 1/2 cup sugar-free juice. You could substitute Greek yogurt, add protein powder, add more fruit, or even add spinach.

Muffins, breads, etc: I wouldn't rely on these in general but if you have made/bought gluten free baked goods they make a great snack.

Breakfast Ideas

This afternoon my roommate and I talked about the possibility of her going gluten-free and it reminded me how hard transition can be. As I explained to her, I felt like I lived on corn tortillas, cheese, lettuce, ice cream, and potato chips for 2 months when I first got diagnosed. It took me a while to figure things out, and breakfast was one of the hardest things for me to get used to. Here are a few of the things I learned and my favorite options.

Cereals: I love cereal in the mornings and for snacks because it is so easy and fast. Luckily, there are quite a few cereals available now that are gluten free. In addition to the specialty gluten free stuff (expensive and some of it tastes horrible in my opinion), most Chex varieties are gluten free (not Wheat Chex), Pebbles (Chocolate, Fruity, etc) are gluten free, and Rice Krispies are available gluten free (but make sure you buy the ones that say gluten free on the front because the regular box still has gluten).
*One special note about cereal: Some people with Celiac Disease, especially if they are newly diagnosed and/or healing, have trouble tolerating milk. I personally have less trouble with yogurt so recently I've started using a plainer Chex with a flavored yogurt and fresh fruit or slivered/chopped nuts on top.

Granola: You can buy gluten free granola or make your own. One caution here is that some people have trouble tolerating oats. If you do, avoid the granola altogether.

Smoothies: Sometimes I have to do breakfast on the go or I have to be to work or an appointment extra early so I try to do breakfast in 2 rounds. Smoothies work perfect on these days. I blend one yogurt, 1 cup of fruit, and 1/2 cup of sugar-free juice. I like tropical flavors but use any combination of flavors you like. You can also add gluten free protein powder, use greek yogurt for extra protein, or even add a cup of spinach.

Eggs: I don't take time to cook eggs often but they are an awesome breakfast because they are full of protein and budget friendly. If you get bored with your eggs, play around with them. Try scrambled, fried, hard-boiled, omelets, etc. Also add different toppings: cheese, fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, etc), green onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, ham, bacon etc. You can even mix eggs with your favorite toppings then bake them in a muffin tin in the oven and freeze them to grab on a hurried morning.

Frozen waffles: Van's makes a couple of gluten free varieties of frozen waffles. I've seen them carried in most major grocery chains and they are pretty good for frozen waffles. (Just don't cook them in a toaster used for gluten products.)

If you are up for a little more work, check out the "Breakfast label" which has lots of delicious recipes.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2 Tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat free, less sodium chicken broth
2 heads of broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
8 ounces grated cheese

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat with oil. Add onion and garlic. Saute three minutes or until tender.
2. Add broth and broccoli and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook ten minutes.
3. Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper.
4. Using immersion blender, blend soup until smooth.
5. Removed from heat. Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Recipe adapted from "Cooking Light: The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook"

California Quesadillas

corn tortillas
cheese
crumbled bacon
cubed turkey or chicken
sliced green onions
diced roasted red pepper
diced avocado

1. Put a thin layer of cheese on each tortilla. Top with desired toppings. Add another thin layer of cheese then top with 2nd tortilla.
2. Cook in frying pan until golden brown on each side and the cheese is melted.

Thai Red Curry

3 1/2 cups cooked rice
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 green or red pepper, diced
(or substitute other veggies if you prefer)
14 ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
salt, to taste

1. Slice chicken into strips and saute with onion, garlic, and ginger in cooking oil. Remove from frying pan and set aside.
2. Saute veggies until tender.
3. Stir in coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Add chicken and onion mixture and simmer 3-4 minutes.
4. Serve over cooked rice, or add rice to the Thai red curry until liquid is absorbed by rice.

Recipe from "Gluten Free Cooking Made Easy" by Susan Bell.

Lemon Basil Chicken

2 cups cooked, diced chicken (I used leftover Rotisserie chicken)
1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon (or more... I believe in being generous with bacon)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh minced basil
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons gluten-free chicken bouillon
1/8 cup lemon juice
1 bell pepper, chopped
salt, to taste
gluten free noodles
Parmesean cheese

1. In a measuring cup, combine water and cornstarch.
2. Saute red pepper with garlic and oil.
3. Add basil, cream, bouillon, lemon juice, and cornstarch mixture. Heat through but do not boil.
4. Add chicken, bacon, and salt.
5. Serve over noodles. Top with Parmesean.

Recipe adapted from "Gluten Free Cooking Made Easy" by Susan Bell.