Gluten and Dairy Free Bars and Snacks

Due the increasing food sensitivities in the population, some people are on a gluten-free diet. Some people are on a dairy-free diet. And some people are on both a gluten-free and casein-free diet. Note that a dairy-free diet implies a casein-free diet, since casein is protein found in dairy.

In my other articles, we talked about various reasons why one might want to or need to be on a gluten-free diet and/or a dairy-free diet.

As anyone who have tried it may know, if one is travelling and have to eat out, it is quite difficult to find food that are both gluten and dairy free. Hence, in this article, I'll introduce you to some portable gluten-free and dairy-free snacks and bars that can help tie over the hunger. Note that although they may be gluten-free and dairy-free, not all of them are necessarily nut-free nor egg-free (in case, for those who are sensitive to those as well).

The Problems with Gluten and Wheat »

Reasons to Avoid Milk and Dairy »

You can find most of these on Amazon if they are not available locally. However, amazon makes you buy in bulk. So if you want just to try it first, try looking for them in high-end supermarkets or health food stores.

If you have food sensitivities, please check the label on your actual package instead of relying on the below information, which can be outdated or incorrect by the time you read this. After all, manufacturers change their formulations and ingredients all the time.

This is one of my favorites because it is very low in allergens. It is made by BioGenesis, a nutraceutical company. So they know about nutrition as well as pharmaceuticals.

All of BioGenesis bars are free of gluten, soy protein, eggs, and wheat. Many are also free of dairy and corn. The UltraLean Gluco:Support Crispy Rice flavor bar is one that is dairy and corn free and no trans fats.

For those who are diabetic, they also have Ultra-Low carb version.

What does it contain then? It contains a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats plus various vitamins and minerals. See package labels based on flavor. Below is the label for the UltraLean version...

The CocoChia Bar by Living Fuel isso named because it contains coconut and chia seeds (both quite healthy ingredients). Almonds is another key ingredient. It does not have the bad ingredients of gluten, soy, or dairy. Read more about how to read food labels.

It has no trans fats and is high in phyto-nutrients and uses organic ingredients. Tastes great too.

I couldn't find this product on Amazon, but you can order from the Living Fuel website.

The founder Shari of "Two Mom's in the Raw" found that a raw food diet worked for her when she got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease.

So her products are designed for those with a compromised immune system by using non-GMO, raw, vegan, organic ingredients. It is free of allergenic foods such as gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, and refined sugar. Because it is vegan, it implies that it is also free of eggs.

Raw food is defined as not being heated at high temperature. In this case, the food in product is never heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit.

She now runs the business with her family from a commercial kitchen.

This granola is so tasty that I raved about it in another article. This product contains nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pecans. But it does not contain peanuts (for those who are allergic to peanuts).

This granola contains oats. While oats is naturally gluten free in nature, most commercial oats have been contaminated by gluten in the processing and growing, unless it specifically says "gluten free" oats, which in this product it is.

This granola also contains corn as in corn flakes. While most corn are genetically modified, this corn is not since it is labelled as organic corn. In the United States, "organic" implies non-GMO (non-genetically modified).

Nana Joes also make a line of gluten free vegan granolas, bars, and cookies available on their website and at places like certain Whole Foods and Mollie Stones.

These are tiny circular green chips. The are made from banana with spirulina, so they have a banana flavor. They are 100% organic and is raw and living.

Raw food, sometimes known as living food, are food that are not exposed to high temperatures. This Go Raw product is never exposed to temperature above 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

And the seeds that they use are sprouted seed. Spouting seeds and grains makes them healthier as it decreases the phytic acid and sometimes increases their vitamin value.

This NuGO Free dark chocolate trail mix bar is gluten, soy, and dairy free. Since it also say "vegan", that implies egg free as well. You can confirm in the below ingredients label. The "Free" as in the name "NuGO Free" does not mean the bar is free as in "cost no money". Here, the word "free" means "free to snack", or "gluten free", or something like that as found on their website.

Skout organic trailbar is not to be confused with Skout.com, the location-based social networking mobile app and a website. Skout Trailbars are based in Oregon and can be found at SkoutNatural.com.

Skout, the blueberry/almond bar, is gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy free. Because it is organic, it contains no GMO ingredients. As an added plus, it contains no refined sugar or fillers either. The bar is also vegan. So it is egg-free as well.

That is the name of the bar -- "The Gluten Free Bar" (known as GFB for short). It is also dairy-free, casein-free, vegan, and all natural. And no preservatives. Unlike other manufacturers, this bar is a made in a certified gluten free facility.

Food Should Taste Good is the name of the brand -- FSTG for short. It was founded by Pete Lescoe. They makes a variety of tortilla chips, kettle cooked chips, and crackers. All of their products are gluten free. And most are vegan.

The Sweet Potato Tortilla chips for example is one that is gluten free and dairy free.

They are called "Dang" because the creator's mother is named Dang and also because their motto is "dang, that's good". They are gluten free, vegan, and made from the meat of the coconut.

They are on amazon or you can find a store using their store locator.

They are certified gluten free and vegan. That means no dairy and eggs either. It does have corn, but it is stone ground and non-GMO project verified. And whatever grains and seeds that it does uses are sprouted.

Larabar makes some gluten-free and dairy-free bars.

Their original Fruit & Nut Food Bar (Banana Bread flavor) contains only three ingredients: almonds, dates, unsweetened bananas. That's it. Don't believe me. See label here ...

They also make the uber bar, which contain a little bit more ingredients. But still is gluten and dairy free. Here is the label for the Cherry Cobbler flavor of the uber sweet and salty fruit & nut bar...

They call these Macrobars because they are macrobiotic. What does that mean?

Wikipedia writes that a macrobiotic diet involves ...

"eating grains as a staple food, supplemented with other foods such as local vegetables, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods and most animal products"

While some (especially the Paleo diet followers) would argue against using grains as a staple, the avoidance of highly processed foods is good.

These bars are also gluten-free, organic, and non-GMO. The first ingredient listed is "organic brown rice syrup" followed by organic gluten free roll oats.

Coco as in coconut. And roons as in macaroons. But they are really like brownies. Very tasty.

If you like chocolate, Ca Co Co has gluten-free and dairy free chocolate power that you put in water and shake and drink. They are not like regular hot chocolate. They are less processed and do not contain milk. They are superfood drinking chocolate that uses organic ingredients and un-roasted, raw cacao powder. Their "Global Warrior" flavor contains turmeric and maca.

If you like beverage with turmeric, try Tea Smiths turmeric tea -- gluten and dairy free of course and no caffeine either. They have a whole bunch of other herbal and wellness tea.

These have just the right texture and crunch and the right saltiness. The brand "Food Should Taste Good" is a good brand which I like.

Note that although these snacks are healthier than other snacks relatively speaking, they are still considered processed food containing ingredients from food labs such as rice syrup, protein concentrates, etc. Some also contain corn and soy, which are not the best food in the world to eat. Read more about problems with soy here.

It is even healthier to eat whole foods such as chicken, sweet potatoes, leafy greens vegetables, fruits, and so on. But nevertheless, these snack may be a convenient way to tie us over until we can get to some whole foods.

This article was written in April 2013 and in only opinion at the time of writing. Author may receive compensation from the display ads within article. The information contained in this article is based the specific flavors of the food item at the time. Different flavor of bars for example may contain different ingredients where the information no longer apply. Manufacturer may have changed product formula by the time you read this.

So if you have any food sensitivity, make sure you read the label of the particular food item purchased rather than relying on the information contained within this article.