It’s Memorial Day Weekend!
Thought and remembrance go into this weekend, as we kick off our gluten-free summer fun.
School is ending, hot days will are arriving, and we’ll be having fun in the sun.
Like most typical families, you probably have a busy summer planned. We are ready for the fun-filled relaxing days of summer, even as we run from camps to vacations, to outings, to classes, to lessons!
Summer fun = getting ready = relaxing
Most important for your summer fun –
BE PREPARED!
Don’t get stuck without snacks when you are out and about.
This is when we all make terrible food choices!
And, with food allergies, this limits you even more.
As summer draws closer, hunt for good travel snacks – those that hold up well all day.
Keeping a cooler for cold items is a great tool. Coolers are perfect for day trips and long car rides.
What to do?
Look for good quality, nourishing, healthy snack choices.
**Find snacks with limited ingredients on the label – 5 or less is best, with real food words. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t buy it!
**Choose non-GMO and organic when you can.
**Sugar should not be the first ingredient. Don’t choose products with high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup.
**Watch the oils used in your snacks. Many oils cause inflammation and health risks. Multiple snacks are made with cottonseed oil, which is not a food source and is heavily contaminated with pesticides since it’s not regulated with food. (Check the ingredients in your chips!)
**Keep your water bottle with you to keep hydrated!
Sometimes we think we are hungry when we just need to drink water.
Better Choices
Dried chickpeas, roasted edamame, organic applesauce, fruits, and veggies are all good bets. Nuts and dried fruits are great, just watch for extra sugar or additives. Pick up a pre-made trail mix or make your own.
These Fig Bars are tasty and seem to be a healthier choice, yet they may not be. The bars are made with some powerhouse flours (teff, amaranth and oats), yet are high in sugar at 10 grams PER COOKIE. Be careful when reading serving size. I got caught here thinking that 10 grams were for two fig bars. It is only for ONE! Although they have healthier ingredients, in the end, they are not the best choice.
My kids love the Kind Breakfast Bars. They are gluten and dairy-free, non-GMO, and made with beneficial flours like oats, millet, buckwheat*, amaranth, and quinoa. The sugar is listed as 8-9 grams, per two bars as a serving. Not a bad choice. A better option than many bars on the market.
The Wegmans Wholesum Bars are similar to Kind Bars. They range in grams of fats and sugars (5 grams-10 grams, depending on the bars). Some list trans fats on their label, which you do not want to consume. Be careful reading the labels.
While bars are great for snacking when out and about, watch the loaded sugars, unhealthy fats, and fillers found in most bars today. There are many other snack options besides bars.
Don’t forget to snack on your favorite whole food choices – fruits like apples, bananas, blueberries/strawberries, and veggies. Find them all at your favorite Farmer’s Market!
Cut up some carrots, cucumbers, and celery ahead of time, and add some garden-ripened cherry tomatoes for a nice snack on the go. If taking your cooler, add some hummus or guacamole for dipping and you have a nutritious snack for your trips.
You can also tote around your home-baked snacks, or homemade raw goodies, like date balls.
Making snacks and meals yourself puts you in charge of what’s in them – which definitely helps in making a better choice.
The trick = be a step ahead to stay on track for
your healthy gluten-free summer fun!
Join us in our GF Facebook Group:
*Buckwheat – although it sounds confusing, buckwheat is gluten-free. When purchasing, make sure it’s labeled gluten-free. Check the manufacturing process as it can sometimes be combined with wheat flour.
(Featured image USA Flag by Micheal Elliot courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)
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