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Kid Friendly Gluten-Free Snack Ideas

by on March 8, 2012

The picture on the left is a selection of the produce in my house this morning. We eat a lot of fruit and vegetables!

{I do have a great resource for being able to keep fresh produce on hand that I will share in a future post.}

In between meals, my kids usually need some fuel to keep them going. I do my best to avoid sugary snacks as I know how bad that is for their health and will cause their blood sugar levels to spike and then plummet. I like to make sure they are getting a good balance of protein, veggies/fruits, fats and whole grains (rice, corn, quinoa, gluten-free oats).

I am far from perfect, but I do my best! My family’s health is really important to me and I know how critical these early years are for kids.

Since eating a (mostly) gluten-free diet, I have had to be a bit more creative with snacks. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

  • veggies & hummus
  • apple slices with peanut or almond butter
  • hard-boiled eggs
  • nitrate-free ham/turkey cubed (I let my 3 year old use toothpicks with these – she thinks that is so great!)
  • smoothies made fresh in my Vitamix (my 1 year old practically hyperventilates when he hears/sees the blender going)
  • any whole fruit or veggie, raw or lightly steamed with real butter and sea salt

What are your snack ideas?

 

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Easy Chicken Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

by on October 24, 2011

I am a sucker for Asian inspired food. We love all kinds of dishes whether they are Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese or Japanese in origin. Most entrees include a good amount of fresh vegetables and there are so many different sauces that taste so good – unfortunately many include soy sauce which is not gluten free. By preparing your own versions of your favorite Asian dishes at home you can control exactly what goes in.

I made this for dinner the other night and I am already craving it again! It turned out really well and, like any recipe, can easily be adapted to your tastes or to include the ingredients you have on hand. We ate it served over brown rice, but you could serve it over rice noodles instead (just cook according to the package instructions). I will add a picture as soon as I remember to take one next time!

Easy Chicken Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce
serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts or tenders, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup carrots, shredded
2 cups Trader Joe’s Stir Fry Vegetable blend (includes cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, snow peas, carrots and celery)
6 green onions, sliced diagonally (reserve a handful for garnish)
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped (garnish)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (garnish)

Sauce:

4 rounded Tbsp of chunky peanut butter
3 Tbsp Tamari
3 Tbsp honey
1 inch of ginger root, peeled and minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy!)
1/2 orange, juiced

Directions:

Combine sauce ingredients in small saucepan on low heat. Heat 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, cook chicken in 2 batches allowing the chicken to brown before stirring. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove chicken once no longer pink – be careful not to overcook. To the same skillet, add 1 Tbsp oil. Saute garlic for 1 minute or until fragrant then add the remaining ingredients and stir fry until crisp tender. At this time, the sauce should be heated through. Combine the chicken and veggies in a serving bowl, pour the sauce over the top and garnish with chopped peanuts, cilantro and green onions. Serve alongside cooked brown jasmine rice.

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Thai Chicken Salad

October 22, 2011

I came up with this recipe after trying something similar at our local health food store’s deli. It is delicious! Thai Chicken Salad serves 4 Ingredients: 2 cups green cabbage, shredded 1 cup purple cabbage, shredded 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1/3 cup carrots, shredded 2 green onions, sliced 1/3 cup peanuts, chopped 1 cup cooked […]

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