Glimpse into the intolerance friendly snack

One thing I that have struggled with on my strict diet is what to have for snacks. With my other health issues, I need to eat every 2-3 hours, and I am not going to cook up a meal every time! I needed to find easy and quick foods, that could travel in my bag with me. I am becoming a clean eating advocate, so I am beginning to stay clear of pre-packaged foods, and foods containing added sugars and preservatives.

Snack idea 1: The green smoothie. Read my previous post for recipes! This is a great snack; it travels well, keeps you going for a long time, and it is so fresh and healthy.

Snack idea 2: Fresh fruit. Fruit can be scary for a fructmal (a person with fructose malabsorption), but there are some safe ones. Make sure you limit yourself to two serves a day (I struggle with this…I love fruit! But even people without intolerances should do this too, because of the sugar content and subsequent weight issues etc.). I eat blueberries, raspberries and strawberries every day, and occasionally eat pineapple, oranges and bananas. In the past fortnight, I have tried fresh fig on two occasions, and in the second trial survived eating one whole one spread over a day! It has been an exciting discovery, because there is nothing like a fresh fig! My next experiment (when I have my brave boots on) will be mango, because life is not complete without mango ;-). It has definitely been very hard to let go of so many fruits, because even as a kid I would choose fruit over any sweet or savoury treat, but I am so grateful that there are some that I can handle.

Snack idea 3: Puffed rice crackers. These are processed, so I try to keep these as emergency backups. They taste fantastic with a little avocado (limit yourself to less than 1/4 of an avocado) with slices of smoked salmon. They are also good with dairy free butter (I use Nuttelex) and vegemite.

Snack idea 4: Dried fruit and nuts. Yep, I said it! If you’re a fruct mal, I am sure that you are getting the same anxious, hot feeling about the thought of eating dried fruit that I am! There are some that I will never, ever eat again, but I have discovered that dried pineapples, blueberries and cranberries, give me another snack to throw into a zip lock bag for my travels. Definitely keep your intake very low. I find it jazzes up a few cashews and almonds (and again, keep your nut intake low; I stick to about 4-5 nuts per serve).

Snack idea 5: Homemade treats. I like to eat healthily, but you do need a treat snack from time to time! Plus, when you take away the wheat, dairy and sugar, you are left with a pretty healthy snack, whether it is called a double chocolate chip cookie or not!! I am working on adding more recipes to my food blog, so check that out for ideas and it will eventually grow. Also, I am loving Sarah Wilson’s new recipe book “I Quit Sugar.” I just made up another pot of her chia and quiona parfait and the berry sauce that goes with it (it all keeps for a few days!) …it is a fantastic blend of berry, orange and ginger flavours on top of a healthy serve of chia and quiona soaked in rice milk, and is awesome as breaky or a snack. If I don’t have time to cook, I do reach for Leda Choc Chip cookies. They are free of most of the baddies, except they do have sugar and maple syrup, so I am trying to limit my intake. They are delicious though! A couple of squares of dark chocolate or dairy free chocolate is good too (make sure you don’t choose a chocolate that has an artificial sweetener or agave. I like to eat Eskal’s chocolate range).

Snack idea 6: Pastry rolls. I have just started to make sausage rolls with gluten free pastry. I use the Pastry Pantry’s puff pastry, and you can put whatever you like inside. It is easy and quick to do, and you can then freeze up some of the cooked end result and throw them in the microwave when you get hungry. I will do a blog post sometime for this recipe.

Snack idea 7: Vegetables. Cut up some carrots, celery, cucumber and capsicum. I will also post some dip recipes too that are great with veggie sticks. If you like and can tolerate nut butters, these are healthy spreads that don’t require time to make up. I like to roast chunks of pumpkin and sweet potato too, and eat them cold, or throw them in the microwave. Coat them in coconut oil, or herbs, or pine nuts.

Snack idea 8: Tea. This obviously won’t fill you up, but it is something for the taste buds when you are craving a sugar hit. I drink 2-3 cups at least a day! I usually have green tea. I also occasionally have a chai, or a fruit tea. I have just discovered Tea Tonic; a range which includes my favourites of tasty coconut and pineapple tea, and white tea with rose petals. I drink caffeine free teas because of the added stress caffeine puts on my already taxed body due to food intolerances and thyroid issues. I am currently on the hunt for a decaffeinated black tea.

These are a few ideas to keep you going between meals. I will post more ideas and recipes soon. 🙂