When looking to improve personal health, many people begin exploring different diets and lifestyles. Some of the most popular are gluten-free, paleo, and Whole 30. Gluten-free focuses on maintaining a diet of foods that do not include gluten, which can be found in bread and pastas. The paleo diet focuses on eating foods that were eaten by early humans, primarily meats. Whole 30 is revolved around eliminating sugar, alcohol, grains, and dairy for a more natural diet. 

While the gluten-free diet sounds restricting, this is not the case. Over the years, gluten-free substitutions have been flooding the market to help support this lifestyle. Some gluten-free snack ideas to get you started:

• Hard-boiled eggs
• Nuts and seeds. Some options are almonds, cashews, and sunflower seeds. 
• Fresh fruit. Think apples, berries, bananas
• Veggies and dip. Veggies popularly used for dipping are carrots, bell peppers, and cucumber slices. Some dips that go well with these veggies are hummus and guacamole
• Jerky. This could be beef, chicken, or turkey

If you are looking for more of a paleo/whole 30 diet, these are some great options to start with:

• Deviled eggs
• Avocado and tomato “toast”. The toast will be gluten-free
• Energy balls (these are made of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit)
• Baked sweet potato chips

When beginning a new lifestyle change, you want to set yourself up for success. It can be easy to give in to foods that are easily accessible, especially when you are hungry. Here are some tips to keep you on track:

• Keep snacks on hand- Wherever you go, keep ready to eat snacks on hand for those hunger cravings. This can be Ovation Foods who makes chicken sticks and chicken strips for high protein and portable snacks.
• Prepare plenty of snacks- If you are making foods as snacks, make them in bulk. This ensures you have enough snacks when you need them, and it will be easy to grab them whenever you’d like.
• Try new foods- Who says you have to eat the same thing every day? Experiment with different types of foods to see what you like. Having options when it comes to snacking will help you maintain your goals as you will enjoy diverse foods.

Eating a gluten-free or paleo/Whole 30 diet doesn’t have to be difficult. There is no need to spend countless hours in the kitchen preparing snacks as there are plenty of easy options. Eggs are a high protein and quick snack in anyone’s diet. You can boil as many as you’d like at once and they will continue to be ready to eat throughout the week. 

There is no need to eat only a handful of different foods when eating healthier. Everyone has a different palette and may enjoy different flavors. Exploring your options is the only way to know what you like and what you don’t.