If you’ve just started following a gluten-free diet, you may have noticed that your snack options are much more limited than they used to be. There are a lot of snack foods that contain gluten, for example crackers, granola bars, and pretzels. The best thing about nuts is that they have lots of benefits for your health! Nuts are a healthy snack option because they contain healthy fats and protein. Having a few handfuls of nuts can help tide you over until your next meal. Adding nuts to sandwiches, sauces, or salads provides a unique and complex flavor that can’t be found anywhere else.
What are the different types of nuts?
There are many types of nuts, but these are the most common you’ll find in recipes or to enjoy on their own as snacks. Almonds make a great snack whether they are raw or roasted. Like all nuts, they are naturally gluten-free. You can also use almond meal to make cookies or cake.
Walnuts are a versatile food that can be eaten on their own as a snack, candied to add to salads or desserts, or added to homemade chocolate desserts.
Cashews are a nut that does not contain gluten and are good to take with you as a snack when you are not at home. You’ll often find cashews in homemade desserts like my gluten-free cheesecake or dairy-free cashew cheese.
Pecans are also great for snacking and can be used as a base for raw desserts. Pecans can be used in pecan pie or in both warm and cold salads.
While gluten-free peanuts are not well-digested by many people, they make for great snacks because they can be easily found and are relatively cheap. Peanuts are a versatile ingredient that can be used in many different recipes. You can try using them in a homemade peanut noodle recipe, sprinkle them on dairy-free ice cream, or add them to homemade trail mix.
If you don’t like nuts, there are plenty of other tasty seeds you can snack on. Whether you roast them or keep them raw, peanuts are a healthy, gluten-free ingredient to have in your kitchen.
Sunflower seeds are extremely healthy and naturally gluten-free. Eat them how you want- by themselves, with dried fruit in a trail mix, or even added to a salad for some extra crunch.
Peanut butter is well-known for its additives and excess sugar. The organic Costco peanut butter delivers on all fronts. No sugar, no salt, no additives. Just peanuts.
Almond butter is a healthy, great-tasting alternative to peanut butter that I always keep in my fridge. You can eat it in a smoothie, on gluten-free toast, or with apple slices as a midday snack.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat that helps it maintain its shape.
Gluten can be found in many whole grains, as well as in processed foods. Gluten can often be found in processed foods in the form of flavorings, binders, or thickeners.
Are nuts gluten-free?
Nuts when enjoyed plain or raw are naturally gluten-free. You can be sure that they are gluten-free if you eat them plain.
If you are following a gluten-free diet, you should check the ingredients list of flavored nuts before eating them, as they may contain gluten. Before you purchase or eat something, check for hidden sources of gluten.
The nuts in a recipe or dish are gluten-free if the dish contains gluten ingredients, like all purpose flour. However, the dish itself is not gluten-free. Recipes that have nuts surrounded by gluten ingredients should be avoided if you are trying to maintain a gluten-free diet.
If you are extremely sensitive to gluten, make sure to avoid nuts that are processed in a facility with other gluten-containing ingredients.
If you are worried about gluten contamination, choose a brand of nuts that is made on gluten-free machinery and in a facility that is dedicated to keeping gluten out. Some brands to look for will be mentioned later in the text.
Are salted nuts gluten-free?
Most salted nuts are gluten-free since they only have nuts and salt. It is always a good idea to check the ingredients list for hidden gluten before buying a product.
Super-sensitive individuals to gluten should look for a brand of packaging that says ‘gluten-free.’ If you purchase nuts that have been certified to have less than 20 parts per million of gluten, you will probably not have a reaction to the gluten present in that specific brand and flavor of nuts.
Are nuts dairy-free?
Nuts are not made with any animal products, so they are dairy-free. As long as all of the other ingredients in a dish containing nuts are also dairy-free, you can safely consume them on a dairy-free diet.
What are nuts used for?
Nuts can be used in so many different ways! Try adding nuts to your diet with one of these ideas:
- Plain by the handful as a snack
- Added to homemade trail mix for hiking or a day at the beach
- Roasted with your favorite herbs and spices for a snack
- Added to pancakes, waffles, or muffins
- As a layer in yogurt parfaits
- Toppings for desserts
- Baked into cakes or cookies
- Nut butter can be added to toast, in cookies, or sandwiches
- Nut butters can be added to savory sauces like peanut sauce or homemade cashew cheese
- Soaked nuts are great for raw desserts
- Added to pies, like pecan pie or peanut butter pie
- Served at parties or gatherings for holidays for grazing, like at Thanksgiving or Christmas
Gluten-Free Nuts and Peanuts
These brands and products are available widely in grocery stores and are considered gluten-free by their manufacturers:
Blue Diamond
Blue Diamond produces a number of almond-based products that are labeled as being gluten-free, such as almond nut milk and nut-based crackers. The company states that the majority of its nuts are not made with any gluten ingredients and can be considered gluten-free. This includes Blue Diamond plain, salted, and flavored varieties.
You should avoid Jordan Almonds and Wasabi & Soy Sauce Flavored Almonds, since these varieties contain gluten. Take care that the gluten-free nut products you buy were not processed in the same place as products that contain gluten. You can find Blue Diamond products in most supermarkets across the country.
Fisher Nuts
The company has stated that any products which contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten will be labelled as gluten-free. Fisher says that it will also list any ingredients that contain gluten on its labels. Products are routinely tested for gluten.
Fisher offers several smoked nut options, including Smoke & Bacon Flavored Almonds and Dry Roasted Peanuts. Be sure to check the labels of any smoke-flavored products carefully, as barley malt flour is sometimes used in the flavoring. Fisher Nuts are sold in many supermarkets.
Nuts.com
This is a website that offers a wide selection of certified gluten-free nuts and peanuts. There are two types of “gluten-free” available on Nuts.com: gluten-free and gluten-free certified (from the GFCO). Products that are certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization have undergone intense testing to make sure that there are less than 10 parts of gluten per million in the product.
Products that are not GFCO-certified but are labeled “gluten-free” are only considered gluten-free if they have less than 20 parts per million of gluten. The company states that these uncertified gluten-free products are also handled on a dedicated gluten-free production line in a separate area of the warehouse.
Nuts.com has a huge variety of nuts, including both seasoned and unseasoned, as well as in-shell and already shelled options. available. Different nut flours that are gluten-free can be found (see below).
Wonderful Company
The Wonderful Company produces almonds and pistachios that are sold in plastic pouches and are labeled “gluten-free.” The flavors of almonds include roasted and salted, roasted no-salt, and natural raw. There are many flavors of pistachios, including roasted and salted, salt and pepper, lightly salted, no salt, sweet chili, and honey roasted. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of taking the pistachios out of their shells, you can buy them already removed.
Specialty Brands
These lesser-known brands aren’t available widely, but you can find them online and in a few stores:
Bhuja Snacks
If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to trail mix that contains crackers and other grain-based ingredients, Bhuja Snacks has a variety of options that you’ll love. This company offers nut mixes that come with crackers that have been certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization to have less than 10 parts per million of gluten. The noodles and crackers are made with yellow peas, chickpeas, rice, tapioca, and potato.
The brand also makes a drink mix that is gluten-free and does not seem to contain beer. You can find Bhuja Snacks at several supermarket chains, including Sweetbay and Albertson’s, as well as on Amazon. You may run across them at Costco, as well.
Foods Alive
Foods Alive produces a range of products, from crackers to glass straws, that feature a variety of “Superfoods” nut products that are labeled “gluten-free.” These include Wild Jungle Peanuts (a variety of peanuts that is very low in aflatoxin), plus organic almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans , and walnuts . Some Foods Alive products can be found on Amazon, or the company can be contacted directly to place an order.
Organic Gemini TigerNut Original
Some people who follow a Paleo diet say that these nuts are popular because they are gluten-free. They also are raw, non-GMO, USDA-certified organic, and Kosher. Organic Gemini also offers tigernut flour, which is an alternative for those who are looking for a gluten-free option.
Sahale Snacks
This company is named after Sahale Peak in the North Cascades National Park in Washington state. They make a bunch of different flavored nuts and nut snacks, like Naturally Pomegranate Flavored Cashews and Thai Cashews Glazed Mix. The company states that its nut mixes and trail mix products sold in pouches and “grab and go” packages are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO). Look for the “GF” symbol on the package.
The products also are certified non-GMO. Sahale Snacks can be found for sale in Target stores as well as in other stores.
Sante Nuts
If you are searching for a brand of gluten-free tree nuts that does not run the risk of cross-contamination with peanuts, this particular brand may be a good choice for you. Sante Nuts does not use any ingredients that contain gluten, soy, or peanuts in their products, and are certified Kosher and vegan. Their products are also produced in an environment that does not contain any peanuts. Sante sells almonds, pecans, and walnuts in different flavors and combinations. The brand is available for purchase at physical stores mostly located in northern California and Nevada, as well as online.
The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg
The Peanut Shop is an online store that offers a wide variety of gluten-free nut products, including multiple flavors of peanuts, chocolate-covered nut brittle, dark and milk chocolate-covered almonds, honey-roasted cashews, sweet Georgia pecans, and peanut brittle. The same products can be found in gift boxes.
Gluten-Free Nut Flours
Many people who don’t eat gluten, especially those who follow the Paleo diet or a low-carbohydrate diet, use nut flour instead of grain-based flour in baking. Here’s where you can find gluten-free nut flour:
Bob’s Red Mill
You may be able to find Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free nut flour in many stores. You are likely to find it in most health food stores and in many supermarkets that have a large health food section. This almond flour is very fine and is made from whole almonds.
King Arthur
This almond flour is certified gluten-free by the GFCO. It is available in many supermarkets and health food stores.
Nuts.com
At Nuts.com, you can find a range of gluten-free nut flours, including ones made from almonds, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pistachios, and organic tiger nuts. Pride and joy products are certified gluten-free by the GFCO except for the tiger nut flour, which meets the less-stringent non-certified gluten-free standard.
Wellbee’s
Wellbee’s is a website that offers grain-free recipes and ingredients for people following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. The company offers a variety of gluten-free nut flours, including almond, cashew, walnut, hazelnut, and pecan.
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