Common Snacks That Are Gluten & Dairy Free

Keeping your diet free of gluten and dairy might seem an impossible task. However, more companies are creating gluten-free and dairy-free products to match the needs of consumers. Also, many common snacks contain neither gluten nor dairy. Finding a snack that's free of both could be as simple as talking a walk through the fruits and vegetables section of your local supermarket. Check the ingredients list on any product to ensure it is gluten- and dairy-free.

Sliced melon balls. (Image: margouillatphotos/iStock/Getty Images)

Fresh Fruit

Whether fresh, dried or canned, fruit by itself is free of gluten and dairy. Snack on mixtures of dried fruits such as raisins or apricots, or store cans or prepackaged plastic containers of sliced peaches, pineapples, fruit cocktails or applesauce in the refrigerator for an instant cold snack. Fresh apples, pears, plums, bananas and oranges make an easy snack, or cut up cantaloupe, watermelon or pineapple. Berries such as cherries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are eaten alone or can accompany a snack such as dairy-free ice cream or yogurt made of coconut or soy milk -- or combine them in a smoothie.

Nuts and Seeds

Blend seeds such as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds with nuts to make a healthy snack mix. Almonds, walnuts and peanuts are readily available. Corn nuts, popcorn and soy nuts, made from whole soybeans, are another appropriate choice. Check the bulk foods section of your grocery store to find these and other possible snack mix additions. Peanut butter, almond butter and other nut butters make toppings for sliced apples and other snacks.

Vegetables

Cut up celery into sticks and serve them topped with peanut butter and raisins. Raw vegetables such as baby carrots, peppers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli or cauliflower go well with a gluten-free dip or salad dressing, according to the University of Arizona Campus Health Service. Hummus is another appropriate topping for vegetables.

Specialty

Explore the alternative foods section of your grocery store to find gluten-free pretzels, chips, cookies, crackers, muffins and granola. Try a gluten-free cookie with a glass of cold soy milk. Cheese substitutes, available both shredded and in blocks, can take the place of cheese in a plate of gluten-free nachos. Some companies make sour cream substitutes free of dairy to complete a plate of nachos or serve as the base in a dairy-free dip. Many varieties of breakfast bars, energy bars and candy bars are available without gluten, says Beckee Moreland of Make It Gluten Free. Rice crackers are another option.