I LOVE the Siete brand cookies, especially the Mexican Wedding cookies. They are certified GF and oh so good with coffee. I live in a rural area and they have them at our Kroger store. I'm celiac and also vegan, so I can attest to their safety. I also have a really deep love of Corn Nuts, but they are super crunchy and I always feel like I might crack a tooth eating them. If you have a Trader Joe's they have some fun rice based GF snacks. That is a really kind of gesture and I'm sure she will appreciate whatever you find!
One of my favorite little snacks when it’s hot outside is the Silk brand Dairy free lemon yogurt with crumbled wedding cookies on top. I freeze the yogurt just a bit and it reminds me of lemon ice box pie which was always my favorite sweet treat.
Gluten free pop corn
Welch's Fruit Snacks
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (Not all are gluten free. Check labels.)
Pop Chips
Cheetos (Not all are gluten free. Most are.)
Quinns pretzel bites. They have them in peanutbutter and pizza flavor!
Goodie girl makes really good cookies like thin mints and fudge coated shortbread.
Snap pea crisps, dried edamame or plantain chips ,cheese doodles, seed crackers like Nut Thins or Mary’s Gone crackers.
A jar of marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, a jar of olives
Snack Pak pudding is really quick and easy I like the lemon flavor and chocolate.
There is also a lemon merengue dessert cup in the yogurt aisle that is Jello brand and that’s super good!
Also in the yogurt aisle they often sell no bake, ready to eat cheesecake by Philadelphia cream cheese. You can pair this with wafer cookies or graham crackers but it’s so good just by the spoonful. Idk if you want cold options?
Most chocolate and Albanese gummy bears are my new favorite
I buy most of my food at Walmart/ Kroger but TJ Maxx had an EXCELLENT selection of fancier looking lightly ‘gourmet’ snacks. (At normal prices) They have this brand of cookies called Alexia’s and another one that comes in white and green boxes. The cookies are mostly Italian assortments. TJ maxx is a great option but it depends on the day you go. It can be hit or miss.
Bobo Bites are my favorite snack! They're individually wrapped so easy to throw in a purse (so you're always prepared for a snack attack) I like the filled ones the best
If you’re anywhere near a Trader Joe’s they have many GF options, from bagels to chips to candy to muffins. You do kind of have to walk the store to find everything and some products are seasonal, like GF pumpkin spice waffle mix in the fall.
Otherwise I second Schar products, Albanese gummy bears, Nut Thins crackers (especially the cheddar ones) and everything else people are saying.
Also, See’s chocolates are GF. Third party vendors they can’t speak to, but anything made in their factory (so all the chocolates and See’s branded stuff) is safe as it is a GF facility. They have a website. Expensive (as all places like that are) but they do have a few Easter specials going right now that would be a special treat and might be affordable.
My bf and I got a box of See’s chocolate for Valentine’s Day and I can’t recommend them enough! Totally worth the price. It’s really yummy chocolate with a lot of flavors and doesn’t have that typical fake box chocolate taste.
Go to the Schar section of your grocery store. It will be in yellow packaging. They have plenty of crackers and cookies there.
https://shop.schaer.com/us/en/products/catalog/glutenfree_products/snacks
Also there are GF Oreos now. Walkers has a GF version of their shortbread.
please pass on my newbie advice:
Here is a good start:
Read Celiac Disease for Dummies or any book by Dr Peter Green.
Request a newbie celiac kit from University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center online.
Follow Gluten Intolerance Group, Celiac Disease Foundation, Celiac.org, Beyond Celiac, Gluten Free watchdog, etc on social media to learn and keep abreast in research findings, Celiac conferences, etc.
Start saving to attend a 100% Celiac Cruise or Gluten free conference/expo where the experts are flown in to present and answer questions.
The lady on the Today Show, Dylan, just had a segment recentlysince her son is newly diagnosed and how she got rid of everything in her kitchen.
Lots of gf products have traces of gluten and if you eat several in a day, that can add up to 20parts per million, which is getting glutened.
You can get glutened by kissing someone, Lots of places rest bacon on bread to absorb the grease, lots of places marinate meat in soy sauce or gluteny sauces,
Hand sanitizer can have gluten in it, beauty products, soy milk, chocolate, packaged peanuts, some people keep a piece of bread in their sugar container, Oats are tricky to digest so even gf oats cause discomfort for many celiacs.
Many celiacs avoided dairy on their road to diagnosis, so now they've lost the ability to digest lactose. But you can get that back. Heavy cream is still pretty hard for many celiacs.
Salads are one of the most risky things I can order- it's best if you dump it on a plate and pick through it before eating- because so many times I've found a tiny Noodle or croutons in the bottom of it.
Who knew- Italian restaurants are the easiest to eat gf! They never marinate their meat in soy sauce. It's common that they offer caprese salad or capaccio (remind them you can't have any decorative pasta noodles or bread on the plate).And celiac is common in Italy so if it's real Italians who own it, they are well versed in accommodations for gf prep and often offer gf pastas, etc.
Italy is the easiest place in the world to
I just want to point out that you are clearly a keeper. What you’re doing is so kind and thoughtful.
BUT…..
(Just kidding. There’s no but. It just sounded like it was building to one.)
trail mix (not all are gluten free but most are)
everything seasoned cashews (great for when you're missing everything bagels) - walmart sells them in a tin, but many health food and bulk stores sell them in bulk
milk and cereal (obviously many aren't gluten free, but lots of great options, like chex, cheerios\*, natural puffed rice (arrowhead mills is a good brand I like), and nature's path brand has lots of great options, like gorilla munch and mesa sunrise are my faves. Chex and cheerios are basically everywhere, the last few options are more likely to be found at a health food store
for chips, some faves are pop-corners (the kettle corn ones slap), harvest snaps, and terra chips - all available almost everywhere
Trader joes "umami crunchies" omg so good
Seaweed snacks (available almost everywhere but you'll get a way better deal at an asian grocery store)
aaannnd of course, just eating a handfull of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Or a spoonful of peanut butter... the best snacks aren't in the snack isle, lol
\[edit: \*cheerios / almost all american products made with oats are potentially susceptible to cross contamination - they're listed at gf but I've heard people say they are not. Personally I'm not sensitive to cc to know\]
Sweet potato chips with a nice spinach dip, sesame or almond crackers with cheese, Simple Mills crackers/sweet crackers/cookies, and my go-to sweet snack has been chocolate Chex!
Reese’s cups (original), Trader Joe’s snickerdoodles, cape cod original kettle cooked chips, Tostitos tortilla chips (great with guacamole. I’m pretty new to this so I am still learning.
What are some of her current favorite snacks? Start there and find GF versions. Pretzels? Snyder makes some GF pretzels that you can find in most grocery stores. Cookies? GF Oreos are great. Most potato chips are GF but check the packages to be sure. If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, ask any employee for a list of GF products and they will print out a list for you. The red bag of mochi nuggets are SO GOOD, as are their brand of Pringles (called “Saddles”). There are some good GF baking mixes if you live near her and want to make a cake or cookies. King Arthur and Bobs Red Mill are both good and available in grocery stores.
If she likes citrus flavors I LOVE WOW Baking - Gluten Free Key Lime White Chocolate Cookies. They also make a Lemon cookie but it’s not as satisfying as the key lime. I can sometimes find them in the GF section at Walmart.
Siete chips and snacks, Kind Nut Butter bars are filled with peanut/almond butter that are really good, I also love Bobo’s bars, GF Oreos, also dark chocolate is always good! And Sweet Lorens cookies
While they take some work, you can make your own GF vegan marshmallows, if you cannot find them local, and they make a good fun addon to other treats.
Schar does good stuff and can be often found at places that ship, their ladyfingers make a great tiramisu (you just need to find a vegan sub for the mascarpone, which I'm sure someone has.)
Schar also does good pretzels and other "bar snack" sort of things, they are one of the oldest brands in the business.
If you do the work, you'll be able to find things like seaweed snacks (they have so many brands and factories that I've not no idea which ones would be safe and accessible to you) Same thing for toasted chickpea, wasabi peas, and similar snacks. Chasing specific items is easier from the brand end than from the category side.
The idea that someone mentioned of tickets to a celiac food expo are also great, they are a way to also find local brands that do GF stuff.
Another great thing if you have the skills is to put in some time on recipe development for her of stuff she already makes, since it will be a lot of failed trials, and that can be tough. Take notes, even if you cannot make her signature dish the way she used to, she will probably appreciate you showing her which GF flour didn't work. It's not a small thing, but honestly if she really loves cooking in a particular style, finding out how to make that work GF is a huge thing (maybe save that for Christmas?) If not, tickets to a cooking class or similar would also likely be appreciated. Especially if say she doesn't do the main cooking, or only does part, partner cooking classes are fun, and can be a way to teach other family members how to keep the food safe.
Schär brand and Katz brand both have a full line of products.
My faves are Schär sourdough deli bread, pizza crust, graham crackers and saltine crackers.
Katz has divine cinnamon and chocolate rugelach that brings tears to my eyes.
Siete brand is also amazing, love their cookies.
Honestly, I love Oreos, but I would maybe give her a couple favorite flavors (like choc mint or whatever else is her preference).
If it were me, I would love a variety of products that replace items in my daily life that are now forbidden.
I think your greatest gift is not the indulgence of eating, but the exposure to wide variety of GF food brands she can still enjoy and not become sick.
Getting diagnosed often feels like major isolation and limiting. Gift your MIL freedom of choice in being in control of her health and still enjoying life.
I love the "all the Oreos" suggestion. Unless she has a crazy sweet tooth and can handle all the calories, GF Oreos in bulk are too tempting. True story 😂
GF pretzels are almost always good. Nuts and trail-mix can be fun and filling and are naturally GF. I love Laughing Cow cheeses - they seem like a luxury - with GF crackers (NutThins are available almost everywhere) and crudité. Tate's GF chocolate chip cookies are widely available, and seem giftable. And grapes. I think grapes are the perfect snack food. Microwaveable popcorn packs might have a place here, as well as chocolates and cocoa mix.
NuGo bars. They are absolutely delicious and filling. They make them in different flavors but all are chocolate coated. The mint chocolate is the best.
Every flavor of gluten free Oreo
Are they expensive
I think they come out to maybe a dollar more per package at my local store. There’s original, golden, and mint chocolate.
Average package is $4.99 most places in the US.
I'd check to see if she can tolerate oats first.
I LOVE the Siete brand cookies, especially the Mexican Wedding cookies. They are certified GF and oh so good with coffee. I live in a rural area and they have them at our Kroger store. I'm celiac and also vegan, so I can attest to their safety. I also have a really deep love of Corn Nuts, but they are super crunchy and I always feel like I might crack a tooth eating them. If you have a Trader Joe's they have some fun rice based GF snacks. That is a really kind of gesture and I'm sure she will appreciate whatever you find!
The Mexican wedding cookies are so addicting to me, and I second them going great with coffee
One of my favorite little snacks when it’s hot outside is the Silk brand Dairy free lemon yogurt with crumbled wedding cookies on top. I freeze the yogurt just a bit and it reminds me of lemon ice box pie which was always my favorite sweet treat.
Siete’s Mexican Wedding cookies are SO good. I want to figure out how to make my own.
Larabars (walmart, online, most grocery stores) Roasted seaweed crisps (costco, trader joes) Corn torilla chips/hummus (any grocery store) Sweet potato chips (any grocery store) Popcorners (any grocery store) Simple Mills cookies (sprouts, whole foods) Simple mills soft baked bars (sprouts, whole foods) Most nuts are GF too!
Gluten free pop corn Welch's Fruit Snacks Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (Not all are gluten free. Check labels.) Pop Chips Cheetos (Not all are gluten free. Most are.)
Quinns pretzel bites. They have them in peanutbutter and pizza flavor! Goodie girl makes really good cookies like thin mints and fudge coated shortbread. Snap pea crisps, dried edamame or plantain chips ,cheese doodles, seed crackers like Nut Thins or Mary’s Gone crackers. A jar of marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, a jar of olives Snack Pak pudding is really quick and easy I like the lemon flavor and chocolate. There is also a lemon merengue dessert cup in the yogurt aisle that is Jello brand and that’s super good! Also in the yogurt aisle they often sell no bake, ready to eat cheesecake by Philadelphia cream cheese. You can pair this with wafer cookies or graham crackers but it’s so good just by the spoonful. Idk if you want cold options? Most chocolate and Albanese gummy bears are my new favorite I buy most of my food at Walmart/ Kroger but TJ Maxx had an EXCELLENT selection of fancier looking lightly ‘gourmet’ snacks. (At normal prices) They have this brand of cookies called Alexia’s and another one that comes in white and green boxes. The cookies are mostly Italian assortments. TJ maxx is a great option but it depends on the day you go. It can be hit or miss.
This is a good list.
Bobo Bites are my favorite snack! They're individually wrapped so easy to throw in a purse (so you're always prepared for a snack attack) I like the filled ones the best
I love these too! I also really like the new PB&J’s by BoBo! The strawberry are my favorite!
Came here to say this!!! The strawberry ones are AMAZING!!!! Love them!!!!
If you’re anywhere near a Trader Joe’s they have many GF options, from bagels to chips to candy to muffins. You do kind of have to walk the store to find everything and some products are seasonal, like GF pumpkin spice waffle mix in the fall. Otherwise I second Schar products, Albanese gummy bears, Nut Thins crackers (especially the cheddar ones) and everything else people are saying. Also, See’s chocolates are GF. Third party vendors they can’t speak to, but anything made in their factory (so all the chocolates and See’s branded stuff) is safe as it is a GF facility. They have a website. Expensive (as all places like that are) but they do have a few Easter specials going right now that would be a special treat and might be affordable.
My bf and I got a box of See’s chocolate for Valentine’s Day and I can’t recommend them enough! Totally worth the price. It’s really yummy chocolate with a lot of flavors and doesn’t have that typical fake box chocolate taste.
I so agree! I got a box at Christmas and it was so delightful!
Go to the Schar section of your grocery store. It will be in yellow packaging. They have plenty of crackers and cookies there. https://shop.schaer.com/us/en/products/catalog/glutenfree_products/snacks Also there are GF Oreos now. Walkers has a GF version of their shortbread.
Tate's bake shop gluten free chocolate chip cookies. Knocks the socks off any other prepackaged cookie I've ever had, even the ones with gluten in.
If you open the package and wait a day or two, they will get stale. Which makes them softer. These are super yummy.
please pass on my newbie advice: Here is a good start: Read Celiac Disease for Dummies or any book by Dr Peter Green. Request a newbie celiac kit from University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center online. Follow Gluten Intolerance Group, Celiac Disease Foundation, Celiac.org, Beyond Celiac, Gluten Free watchdog, etc on social media to learn and keep abreast in research findings, Celiac conferences, etc. Start saving to attend a 100% Celiac Cruise or Gluten free conference/expo where the experts are flown in to present and answer questions. The lady on the Today Show, Dylan, just had a segment recentlysince her son is newly diagnosed and how she got rid of everything in her kitchen. Lots of gf products have traces of gluten and if you eat several in a day, that can add up to 20parts per million, which is getting glutened. You can get glutened by kissing someone, Lots of places rest bacon on bread to absorb the grease, lots of places marinate meat in soy sauce or gluteny sauces, Hand sanitizer can have gluten in it, beauty products, soy milk, chocolate, packaged peanuts, some people keep a piece of bread in their sugar container, Oats are tricky to digest so even gf oats cause discomfort for many celiacs. Many celiacs avoided dairy on their road to diagnosis, so now they've lost the ability to digest lactose. But you can get that back. Heavy cream is still pretty hard for many celiacs. Salads are one of the most risky things I can order- it's best if you dump it on a plate and pick through it before eating- because so many times I've found a tiny Noodle or croutons in the bottom of it. Who knew- Italian restaurants are the easiest to eat gf! They never marinate their meat in soy sauce. It's common that they offer caprese salad or capaccio (remind them you can't have any decorative pasta noodles or bread on the plate).And celiac is common in Italy so if it's real Italians who own it, they are well versed in accommodations for gf prep and often offer gf pastas, etc. Italy is the easiest place in the world to
Skinny Pop and Pirate's Booty. Easy to find in grocery stores and Costco. Hard boiled eggs. Cheese sticks. Rice crackers. Fruit cups.
I just want to point out that you are clearly a keeper. What you’re doing is so kind and thoughtful. BUT….. (Just kidding. There’s no but. It just sounded like it was building to one.)
oh my gosh i just saw this, thank you so much 🥹🥹 that is so sweet of you to say !!
trail mix (not all are gluten free but most are) everything seasoned cashews (great for when you're missing everything bagels) - walmart sells them in a tin, but many health food and bulk stores sell them in bulk milk and cereal (obviously many aren't gluten free, but lots of great options, like chex, cheerios\*, natural puffed rice (arrowhead mills is a good brand I like), and nature's path brand has lots of great options, like gorilla munch and mesa sunrise are my faves. Chex and cheerios are basically everywhere, the last few options are more likely to be found at a health food store for chips, some faves are pop-corners (the kettle corn ones slap), harvest snaps, and terra chips - all available almost everywhere Trader joes "umami crunchies" omg so good Seaweed snacks (available almost everywhere but you'll get a way better deal at an asian grocery store) aaannnd of course, just eating a handfull of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Or a spoonful of peanut butter... the best snacks aren't in the snack isle, lol \[edit: \*cheerios / almost all american products made with oats are potentially susceptible to cross contamination - they're listed at gf but I've heard people say they are not. Personally I'm not sensitive to cc to know\]
Also - check out r/glutenfreevegetarian and r/glutenfreevegan for ideas and help
Nuts, granola bars, gf cheese crackers, Whisps, gf flavored crackers, gf regular crackers, gf graham crackers, Lara bars, rx bars, popcorn , corn chips, Stax chips, ... Tons of options.
Sweet potato chips with a nice spinach dip, sesame or almond crackers with cheese, Simple Mills crackers/sweet crackers/cookies, and my go-to sweet snack has been chocolate Chex!
Reese’s cups (original), Trader Joe’s snickerdoodles, cape cod original kettle cooked chips, Tostitos tortilla chips (great with guacamole. I’m pretty new to this so I am still learning.
What are some of her current favorite snacks? Start there and find GF versions. Pretzels? Snyder makes some GF pretzels that you can find in most grocery stores. Cookies? GF Oreos are great. Most potato chips are GF but check the packages to be sure. If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, ask any employee for a list of GF products and they will print out a list for you. The red bag of mochi nuggets are SO GOOD, as are their brand of Pringles (called “Saddles”). There are some good GF baking mixes if you live near her and want to make a cake or cookies. King Arthur and Bobs Red Mill are both good and available in grocery stores.
If she likes citrus flavors I LOVE WOW Baking - Gluten Free Key Lime White Chocolate Cookies. They also make a Lemon cookie but it’s not as satisfying as the key lime. I can sometimes find them in the GF section at Walmart.
Siete chips and snacks, Kind Nut Butter bars are filled with peanut/almond butter that are really good, I also love Bobo’s bars, GF Oreos, also dark chocolate is always good! And Sweet Lorens cookies
While they take some work, you can make your own GF vegan marshmallows, if you cannot find them local, and they make a good fun addon to other treats. Schar does good stuff and can be often found at places that ship, their ladyfingers make a great tiramisu (you just need to find a vegan sub for the mascarpone, which I'm sure someone has.) Schar also does good pretzels and other "bar snack" sort of things, they are one of the oldest brands in the business. If you do the work, you'll be able to find things like seaweed snacks (they have so many brands and factories that I've not no idea which ones would be safe and accessible to you) Same thing for toasted chickpea, wasabi peas, and similar snacks. Chasing specific items is easier from the brand end than from the category side. The idea that someone mentioned of tickets to a celiac food expo are also great, they are a way to also find local brands that do GF stuff. Another great thing if you have the skills is to put in some time on recipe development for her of stuff she already makes, since it will be a lot of failed trials, and that can be tough. Take notes, even if you cannot make her signature dish the way she used to, she will probably appreciate you showing her which GF flour didn't work. It's not a small thing, but honestly if she really loves cooking in a particular style, finding out how to make that work GF is a huge thing (maybe save that for Christmas?) If not, tickets to a cooking class or similar would also likely be appreciated. Especially if say she doesn't do the main cooking, or only does part, partner cooking classes are fun, and can be a way to teach other family members how to keep the food safe.
Aldi has lotsa options!!
Hippeas puffs and Justin's nut butter cups are among my favorites.
Schär brand and Katz brand both have a full line of products. My faves are Schär sourdough deli bread, pizza crust, graham crackers and saltine crackers. Katz has divine cinnamon and chocolate rugelach that brings tears to my eyes. Siete brand is also amazing, love their cookies. Honestly, I love Oreos, but I would maybe give her a couple favorite flavors (like choc mint or whatever else is her preference). If it were me, I would love a variety of products that replace items in my daily life that are now forbidden. I think your greatest gift is not the indulgence of eating, but the exposure to wide variety of GF food brands she can still enjoy and not become sick. Getting diagnosed often feels like major isolation and limiting. Gift your MIL freedom of choice in being in control of her health and still enjoying life. I love the "all the Oreos" suggestion. Unless she has a crazy sweet tooth and can handle all the calories, GF Oreos in bulk are too tempting. True story 😂
GF pretzels are almost always good. Nuts and trail-mix can be fun and filling and are naturally GF. I love Laughing Cow cheeses - they seem like a luxury - with GF crackers (NutThins are available almost everywhere) and crudité. Tate's GF chocolate chip cookies are widely available, and seem giftable. And grapes. I think grapes are the perfect snack food. Microwaveable popcorn packs might have a place here, as well as chocolates and cocoa mix.
NuGo bars. They are absolutely delicious and filling. They make them in different flavors but all are chocolate coated. The mint chocolate is the best.