Once we knew that we needed to go gluten and dairy free it was literally like embarking on a whole new food journey. I already made most of our sons baby food so the fact that I had complete and total control over how fresh his food was and what he was eating at home was of some comfort to me. What I didn't realize was that I was going to have to completely rethink the snacks that I keep readily available in the pantry for the diaper bag. Over the past few months I have read more food labels than I had ever thought about reading. Usually I took a quick glance and if I could pronounce the ingredients it was in my cart. Not so true anymore. I have found that gluten especially hides behind all sorts of other alias's and is in more products than I would have ever imagined.
Todd's grandmother gave me a few books to help me navigate our gluten free journey and they have been a huge resource for me. The book that I refer to the most is The G Free Diet by Elizabeth Hasselbeck. If you or someone you know is new to this lifestyle I suggest picking it up. The lists of gluten containing products that she has compiled are really helpful...I mean who knew that gluten was in play dough?! I didn't, but then again I never had to question it before. This new lifestyle will most definitely be a learning journey for us for a while but at least for now I have snacks for the road figured out.
Here is a peak in my trusty GF/DF diaper bag this week!
- Plum Tots Fruit & Grain Mish Mash. The banana, rice, quinoa flavor is the only one in this line that is gluten free. Kash loves these and I love the extra punch of protein that he gets from the quinoa.
- Larabar Apple Pie Bars are equal to 1 full serving of fruit and have 5 grams of fiber. They are great for Kash and I to share. These bars contain nuts so I have to make sure that the pieces that Kash receives do not have any pieces that are too big for him.
- Trader Joe's Quinoa and Black Bean infused Tortilla Chips.If you are lucky enough to have a TJ's close by like I am be sure to download their list of gluten free items for your next shopping trip.
- Toddler Mum-Mum's are AMAZING!! Kash is always up for one of these and they can stop a hungry tantrum in no time! These little gems are wheat, lactose, egg & peanut free so they are really great for infants and toddlers with food allergies. ( I may have eaten one in a pinch and the strawberry flavor was surprisingly yummy.)
- Happy Baby Gluten Free Sweet Potato Puffs are tasty and convenient and the package fits in the cup holder in my car which is an added bonus.
Mary says
Thank you! I have a gluten and dairy free 11 month old. It's hard to come up with snack ideas for him, especially for on the go. Great info!
admin says
Hi Mary! I am so glad that this information was useful for you.:) It was so much to deal with when we were just starting out...planning meals, reading a million labels, and planning snacks. Not to mention raising 2 kids and running a business! I was hoping that at least if I could put a few lists together as we researched foods that it might help others. Your comment really means a lot and has made my heart very happy!