How to Eat Healthy with Celiac Disease

I was provided product to try out. No other compensation was given. All thoughts are my own.

The month of May is Celiac Awareness Month, and I want to shed some light on this important month. I am offering some great tips to those of you who struggle with gluten intolerance, sensitivity or those who just choose not to eat gluten.

Did you know 1 in 133 Americans are diagnosed with Celiac Disease according to Celiac Central, leaving those with gluten intolerance in an on-going battle to find truly gluten free options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between! When many people start eating gluten free, they have no idea about how many healthy foods they can eat. First off, remember, you can eat all the fruit, veggies, meat, fish, nuts, eggs, dairy, and healthy oils you want! Fill your plate with lots of healthy vegetables, a palm size portion of protein, and a thumb size amount of fat. In between your meals, snack on fruit, veggies, nuts or perhaps some of the healthier snack options I am sharing with you today. 

Some other tips for gluten-free eating:

•  Be careful about salad dressings and sauces – gluten can hide in surprising places.

• Check your labels – wheat-free does not necessarily mean gluten-free.

• Prepare and serve gluten-free foods in a clean area of your kitchen, to ensure no traces of gluten make their way to particularly sensitive folks. 

Check out some of my favorite gluten free recipes:

Italian Chicken Soup
Italian Lemon Chicken
Italian Meatballs
Mexican Chicken
Southwest Egg Frittata
Chewy Cinnamon Brownies
Sweet and Spicy Carrot/Sweet Potato Soup
Zucchini Breadsticks (without grains/gluten)

Now here are a few tasty treats you can also eat, without worrying about gluten.

When you are having guests over, and you want to offer a crunchy snack that everyone will love, try out Crunchmaster Crackers. They have tons of flavors and varieties. My favorites are the Multi- Seed Crackers Original, Multi-Seed Crackers Rosemary & Olive Oil, and Multi-Grain Crackers White Cheddar. I love these because they are a tasty alternative to most crackers, which do contain gluten. They are made from simple ingredients, and certain varieties, like the mult-seed crackers, are GMO free. I hope they make all their varieties GMO free soon.

Not only does Crunchmaster provide great gluten free snacks, but they are offering you recipe ideas and free coupons. Take advantage of that!

Mary’s Gone Crackers, a line of organic, gluten free and non-GMO pretzels are also a very tasty snack when you want something crunchy and flavorful. They come in Sea Salt, Everything and Chipotle Tomato varieties, all of which are full of flavor! These pretzel-snacks are a unique blend of whole grains including brown rice, quinoa, amaranth and millet, as well as tasty and nutritious seeds including flax, sesame and chia.

I think these are a great alternative to typical pretzels, which are full of gluten. Enjoy a handful of these pretzels with a handful of carrots, and you have a great snack.

If you are looking for a delicious and nutritious snack bar, let me recommend one of my favorites - the Gluten Free Bar. The name really says it all, doesn't it? They use the humble pea, which is packed with protein, cholesterol free and low in fat – not to mention vegan, gluten and lactose free. They combine pea protein with brown rice to  make a complete protein source of around 10-12 grams.

I am always looking for healthy ways to get more protein in my diet, and these have become a wonderful afternoon snack for me. Not only are they high in protein, but they are also high in fiber and made with all-natural and GMO-free ingredients. I love how clean the ingredients are - no fillers or additives and certified gluten-free, vegan, and Kosher. Does something this healthy taste good? Yes! In fact, they are made by a pastry chef, and each bite is filled with tasty ingredients like toasted cashews, Virginia peanuts, certified gluten-free oats, crisped brown rice, and dried cranberries. I also LOVE their Gluten Free Bites, which are just smaller versions of the same healthy and delicious treats. I am going to be ordering more soon!

If you are looking for more than a snack, turn to Artisan Bistro. They make delicious, organic and gluten free frozen foods. I Artisan Bistro begins each recipe by selecting only super-premium, real food ingredients including free-range chicken, grass fed beef, and wild-caught sustainable fish. Is that not awesome? From seafood bowls to burritos to breakfast entrees, they have a gluten free meal for all your cravings.

Two of my favorite varieties are:

• Wild Salmon – wild-caught Alaskan salmon with rosemary orange glaze, served with whole grain cranberry walnut rice pilaf, and broccoli.
• Grass-Fed Beef with Mushroom Sauce - grass-fed beef in roasted mushroom sauce, with french lentils and a veggie medley

It is hard enough to find good quality Alaskan salmon and grass-fed beef in the grocery store sometimes, which is why I love that Artisan Bistro cares so much about the quality of their proteins. All their meals are gluten free and contain non-GMO ingredients. On top of all that, you will love that these are not skimpy dinners that leave you feeling hungry. They are great balanced dinners that fill you up and taste great!

Now, it is dessert time. If you are looking for an alternative to gluten heavy desserts, Bare Snacks has got you covered! They make crunchy baked apple and coconut chips. They most recently launched their Chocolate Bliss Crunchy Coconut Chips. Crafted from sweet and fragrant Nam Hom coconuts grown exclusively in Thailand’s Central Plains, Chocolate Bliss Crunchy Coconut Chips are made with real, whole-food ingredients (coconut, coconut nectar, unsweetened chocolate) and are free of preservatives, gluten, GMOs. They are a good source of dietary fiber – not to mention the perfect healthy addition to yogurt, fruit salads and oatmeal. I absolutely love these! They are the perfect snack, but watch out - it is easy to eat the whole bag!

Brownie Thins from PARTNERS, A Tasteful Choice Company, are another gluten-free sweet treat. They are made with cassava flour and contain no corn, soy or rice. A blend of five ancient grains makes Brownie Thins a crunchy, non-GMO snack that will satisfy your cravings with just a thin or two. They are very rich and taste absolutely delicious!

They also offer lots of other gluten-free snack options that you will love. See, going gluten free is not as hard as you first thought!

Now, how about a little gluten free treat?

We are giving away (2) 4-ounce packs of PARTNERS Brownie Thins to (1) lucky winner. Yum!! Enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway