My favorite gluten-free snacks

When you can not eat gluten and go out places, it can be challenging to find options. Then you become so hungry that you give in and eat something that contains gluten because you just can't wait to eat any longer. Ok, that is probably just me, but I hate going places and not having any food options, and I didn't eat before going, so now I am hungry, and there is nothing I can eat without getting super bloated and causing stomach pains.

If you are anything like me, you understand. The other weekend we had a wedding to go to. The wedding was to start at 2 pm with a drink hour after, then dinner. The dinner was at a taco bar, so I decided I would just make a taco salad for dinner since I was not 100% sure the tortillas were gluten-free.

Pictures took longer than planned, and dinner was not served on time. As usual, So I ended up hungry long before we were actually able to get dinner. The snacks they had for the social hour were gummy worms and goldfish. They love fishing, so it fits perfectly into their theme. I did not want a ton of sugar, so I had a small handful of goldfish.

This was a horrible choice. I got super bloated, had stomach pains, and got very upset. I had to go lay in the back seat of my vehicle to try to relax and let the gases pass through so I could participate in the remainder of the festivities.

I felt so horrible and immense regret for my choice. I was missing the festivities all because I ate something I should not have. I was telling myself, you know better. Why are you so dumb? As I lay there with my negative thoughts, I remembered that stress can also intensify symptoms. I started to focus on my breath and meditate.

I took my anti-bloat vitamins to help with this, and after 2 hours, I was finally able to rejoin the group. I helped my body relax so the pain would go away. The bloat went down some. I ended up removing my spanks to alleviate the pressure as well. A girl's gotta do what a girls gotta do!

My mother suggested packing gluten-free snacks for when I go places from now on, so if I need to eat something and they do not have options for me, I have something. I started scouring the stores to see what my options were for some gluten-free snacks that I could put in a to-go bag that stays in my car.

I want stuff I can leave in the vehicle, so I do not have to think about packing my own food whenever I go somewhere. If I forget to pack some snacks, I have a backup in the vehicle.

I took a trip to the local grocery store to scour the aisles to see what I could get to leave in my car. I found some healthy options of dry goods that are gluten-free.

Dry options:

nuts

gluten-free crackers

gluten-free pretzels

dried fruit

gluten-free breakfast/energy bars

Popcorn

vegetable chips

I made a list of some fresh options to keep on hand at home. Since I already order a ton of fruit and vegetables, that is what I put on my list of fresh snack options.

Fresh options:

fruit vegetables and dip

hard-boiled eggs

cheese

a small sandwich

hummus with gluten-free crackers

salad

You can even use this list for lunches for your kiddos, significant other, or yourself. You can even get your kiddos involved in the prep process. Take one day a week to cut up all the produce and put them in individually portioned containers if you have those or in Ziploc bags. This way, you can easily just grab them and go! My kids like this because it makes making their school lunches easier. They open the fridge, look around, pick out some healthy options, and then just have to make a sandwich to go with them.

Going forward, I am feeling better having a prepacked snack bag and several ideas for some fresh snacks I can take with me to places.

I want to know. What do you think?