You sit down after a long day, then you hear a child whining, “I’m hungry for a snack!” Don’t let your kids reach for the junk food at snacktime. Give them something better!
One thing to look at is the gluten content of your snacks. Gluten makes many people sick! Recent surveys show that 18 million Americans have gluten sensitivity and another 3 million have full-blown celiac disease.
But what is a gluten-free snack and how do you get your kids to eat them?
Don’t worry, we gathered a list of our top 5 gluten-free snacks for kids to help you get started. Keep reading to see which stellar snacks you and your family should try today!
What Is Gluten?
We hear the word “gluten” thrown around a lot these days. But, what is gluten? Is it as bad for you as they say in the media?
Gluten is a combination of various proteins found in cereal grains and bread. It is the gluten that makes bread doughs stretchy and chewy.
For those with gluten sensitivities or intolerances, consuming gluten causes an immune response that affects the lining of the small intestine. Not only does this disrupt the absorption of nutrients from food, but it also causes other problems like osteoporosis, nerve damage, and seizures!
Suffice to say that people who don’t handle gluten well need to steer clear of it at all costs!
Why Should You Get Rid of the Gluten?
Most people with celiac disease don’t even realize they have it. All they know is that they feel like roadkill all the time!
Once someone does get diagnosed with celiac disease, the only way to treat it is a change of diet. There’s no magic pill to make this disease go away. Not only is a gluten-free diet the only known treatment for celiac disease, but it helps with a host of other symptoms for non-celiac people.
Some of the symptoms improved by a gluten-free diet include:
- Joint and muscle pain
- Headaches, including migraines
- Unexplained weight gain or weight loss
- Fatigue
- Gastrointestinal distress, such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating and abdominal pain
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Mood disorders, including depression, anxiety and
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