Searching for a list of gluten-free and dairy-free kids snacks that dietitians recommend?
Here’s your list of the 50 best. Plus tips to spark your and your kids’ imaginations to dream up more snacks!
No gluten. No dairy. No problem!
3 Keys to Understanding Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Snacks for Kids
- Tasty gluten-free and dairy-free snacks can keep your entire household happy, not just your kids!
- The more a food product or ingredient has been processed, the closer you’ll want to look at it to make sure it’s gluten-free and dairy-free.
- A variety of substitutes exists for just about every ingredient you want to avoid.
“Happily, pretty much everything you want to eat has a gluten-free swap. So it’s really about finding the right product that you enjoy.“
Desiree Nielsen R.D., host of The Allsorts Podcast, author of Eat More Plants
Your Guide to Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Snack Ingredients
Go-To Snack Ingredients
- Fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. Supply your kids with their favorites as unprocessed whole foods and as ingredients in minimally processed products. They’ll quickly become some of your top snack options.
- Nuts and seeds are also naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. They’re versatile, convenient, and delicious sources of healthy fats and protein.
- Beans and legumes are solid sources of protein, fiber, and carbs, and can be inexpensive ingredients that make snacks more tummy-filling.
- Rice, corn, buckwheat, and quinoa are gluten-free and easily available at supermarkets. Millet, sorghum, tapioca, arrowroot, amaranth, and teff are also gluten-free and are becoming easier to find.
- What about oats? Read product labels and packaging carefully to be sure what you’re buying is safely gluten-free. Oats can be cross-contaminated with gluten during processing. 88 Acres uses Purity Protocol oats. Purity Protocol is the strictest form of gluten-free certification, which considers the journey of the oats from seed to harvesting, transport, storage, processing and manufacturing.
- How about tofu? Soybeans used to produce tofu can be cross-contaminated with gluten during harvesting. Confirm a tofu product is gluten-free before making the purchase.
- Seafood, poultry, and red meats are gluten-free and dairy-free in their natural states. But once they’ve been processed or prepared you’ll want to check out the spices or breadings used.
- Most spices are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, but can be cross-contaminated with gluten. Read the labels. Make sure spice blends don’t contain whey products.
- Want to pep up sweet snacks? Cinnamon, maple syrup, and vanilla hint at the wide world of favorable flavor ingredients available to you and your family.
- Avocado oil and coconut oil handle heat well and are ideal for gluten-free and dairy-free snacks that are cooked. Olive oil and flaxseed oil are healthy and safe additions to homemade salad dressings and condiments like chimichurri.
You and your kids can combine the whole foods and minimally processed ingredients listed above into countless yummy snacks!
On the other hand….
Look Closely at These Snack Ingredients
- Wheat, wheat berries, barley, rye, farina, farro, spelt, couscous, kamut, and triticale contain gluten. Steer clear!
- Gluten appears in many processed foods and goes by many names. A processed food may not be gluten-free, even if gluten isn’t listed on the food label or packaging. Modified food starch, starch, or dextrin may have been derived from gluten. If you’re not sure, you can always reach for a familiar product instead.
- Similarly, products claiming to be non-dairy may actually contain milk proteins. For example, the Food & Drug Administration’s definition of non-dairy allows the presence of caseinate. Note that this milk protein is required to appear in the ingredient statement and must be followed by a parenthetical explanation, such as “(a milk derivative).”
- Be aware that some non-dairy milk products contain a lot of sugar and little protein. Your best bets contain simple, recognizable ingredients.
And of course, just because a snack is truly gluten-free and dairy-free doesn’t mean it’s nourishing! Many store-bought candies fit this description.
The 50 Best Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Snacks for Kids, According to Dietitians
On the Go Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Snacks
These kid-friendly, dietitian-approved snacks are easy to bring and easy to eat. Use these to keep kids’ energy up and their hunger in check:
- Celery or apple slices with your preferred nut or seed butters
- Fruit leathers
- Dehydrated or freeze-dried pineapple, sugar snap peas, and other fruits and veggies
- Air fryer strawberries
- Raisins and other sun-dried fruits and veggies
- Bananas, the top fresh fruit choice in the U.S.
- Raw carrot sticks with Seed Butter Ranch Dressing
- Coconut slices
- Plantain chips, beet chips and chips made from other fruits and veggies
- Roasted chickpeas
- Sunflower seed kernels
- Raw almonds
- 88 Acres Seed + Oat Bars
- Hard boiled eggs
- Gluten-free and dairy-free meat jerkies
- Gluten-free and dairy-free seaweed snacks
Astonish your kids: Did you know that bananas are berries, but strawberries aren’t? It’s true!
After School Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Snacks
It’s been a long day of school and sports. But it’s not quite dinner time. Grow your household menu by supplementing stand-by snacks with a few palate-expanding choices.
- Sesame-Free Lemon Hummus
- Steamed or roasted edamame beans
- Dates stuffed with nuts or fruits
- Apple sauce and other purees
- Flaxseed pudding
- Sweet potato pudding
- Ceviche
- Tuna salad
- Gluten-free, dairy-free baba ganoush
- Homemade chicharrones
- Hot Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup on cold days
- Chili, any time of year!
Keep in mind that kids will often reach for tempting, sugary treats if left to their own devices.
Make These Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Snacks with Your Kids
Let kids participate in choosing and making their own treats. You supply the ingredients and supervision. They’ll supply the excitement!
- Trail mix with your kids’ favorite seeds, nuts, and dried fruits (Chocolate Seed’nola Trail Mix, anyone?)
- Roasted pepitas
- Fruit and veggie juices
- Summer Berry Breakfast Pops (Frozen pops for breakfast?! You betcha!)
- Granita
- Rainbow Smoothies
- Gluten-free vegan pretzels
- Sweet, tangy pickles!
Take homemade food to the next level by gardening with your kids. Plant, grow, and harvest the fruits and vegetables your kids favor.
Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Snacks for Kids’ Events
Whether it’s another birthday party or post-soccer celebration, safe snacks are always needed. Might as well make them fun, too!
- Edible Chocolate Cookie Dough
- Fruit skewers
- Frozen grapes
- Candied nuts
- Leafy green salads (learn how to knock it out of the park)
- Crudites
- Homemade fruit punch
- Coconut water
- Store-bought sports drinks
- Popcorn with gluten-free nutritional yeast
- Fried zucchini chips
- Farinara di ceci (great with the following dips)
- Creamy Salsa Verde
- Guacamole
- Bean dip
“Cow’s milk and dairy foods made from it, such as cheese and yogurt, are one source of several key nutrients important for a child’s growth and overall health [....] But dairy isn’t the only source of these key nutrients!
Andrea Johnson, R.D., C.S.P., L.D.N., Penn State Hershey Children's Hospitaland Karen Ansel, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N, author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging: Stay Younger, Live Longer
Why Dietitians Love These Snacks for Everyone
Snacks that get the thumbs-up from kids and dietitians? Yes, they exist! We’ve only touched on 50 popular snacks in this list.
Dietitians love that there’s a multiverse of snack options that keep gluten-free and dairy-free households feeling good about eating healthy foods.
Parents feel confident as their familiarity with gluten-free and dairy-free ingredients and products becomes second nature. Food labels become easier to understand. Grocery shopping gets completed more quickly.
And kids love the broad variety of tastes and textures. Helping kids focus on the many snacks they can have, instead of those they can’t, is one way to keep them gluten-free, dairy-free, and smiling.
FAQ About Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Snacks for Kids
Q: What exactly is gluten?
A: “Gluten is a protein found in the wheat plant and some other grains,” according to Selvi Rajagopal, M.D., M.P.H. It’s extracted, concentrated and added to food products to add protein, texture and flavor, and as a binding agent to hold processed foods together.
Q: Why can’t some people tolerate gluten?
A: Dr. Rajagopal: “Humans have digestive enzymes that help us break down food. Protease is the enzyme that helps our body process proteins, but it can’t completely break down gluten.” Most people can handle the undigested gluten. However, gluten can trigger a severe autoimmune response or other unpleasant symptoms in some people.
Q: Why do some people eat dairy-free foods?
A: Lactose intolerant people aren’t able to fully digest the lactose in milk. They suffer diarrhea, gas and bloating as a result. Mayo Clinic explains, “Too little of an enzyme produced in your small intestine (lactase) is usually responsible for lactose intolerance. You can have low levels of lactase and still be able to digest milk products. But if your levels are too low you become lactose intolerant, leading to symptoms after you eat or drink dairy.”
Q: What percentage of people are lactose intolerant?
A: Around 65 percent of people around the world have a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy.
Q: Who’s in charge of food labeling?
Q: Do I need to read the labels at upscale specialty food markets?
A: Yes, just as closely as you would at your corner grocery store or large supermarket. A fancy store, even if it seems to be focused on customers’ health, will carry a very broad assortment of foods. Not all food products will be suitable for every household.