Don’t Get Caught By Surprise:
How to avoid hidden gluten and pick gluten-free picnic foods this summer
Don’t let unexpected gluten sneak into your alfresco eats and spoil the fun—read the labels on these popular picks and soak up some sun with allergy-friendly gluten-free picnic foods that make everyone feel welcome!
Pickles
Naturally, cucumbers are gluten-free, so you might not pause to ask, “are pickles gluten-free?” But watch out! Some pickles—especially British-style pickled onions—are pickled with malt vinegar, which is made from ale and contains wheat.
Fortunately, most commercial dill pickles use white vinegar. Whether you buy them off the grocery store shelf or pick up a hand-crafted jar at the farmers market, look for pickles brined in white or apple cider vinegar. Or grab a jar that’s certified gluten-free.
Salad Dressing
Nothing says summer like local lettuce and veggies grown close to home. But bottled salad dressings often contain gluten in the form of wheat flour, used as a thickening agent. Choose a gluten-free salad dressing brand, or make your own with olive oil, apple cider or rice vinegar, and your favourite fresh herbs.
Plant-based Meat Alternatives
Vegan and plant-based “meat” products like sandwich slices, wieners, and burger patties often contain gluten in the form of seitan, wheat protein or a wheat-based binder. Carefully check labels for ingredients that may contain gluten.
If you can’t find a gluten-free alternative at the store, make your own! Our Gluten-free Seitan Roast Chicken Sliced Deli Meat and allergy-friendly Gluten-free Tofu Egg(less) Salad recipes make seriously good sandwich fillings fit for any picnic. (Especially paired with your favourite Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free bread!)
And if you’re packing a portable grill, these Vegan Gluten-free Hot Dogs are a winning whole food, plant-based wiener nestled in one of our Millet & Chia Gluten-free Hot Dog Buns! Or try one of our gluten-free veggie burger patty recipes.
Frozen Treats
If you plan to beat the heat with a picnic cooler loaded with ice cream or other refreshing frozen treats, check for wheat and wheat-based ingredients like wheat starch, malt, and some artificial colours and flavours.
And if a timely ice cream truck drives by your picnic park, skip the ice cream sandwiches and avoid flavours like cookie dough, cookie bits, and cake or brownie batter.
But if striking ice cream sandwiches off your summer picnic menu leaves you longing, we’ve got you covered! Try this delicious Cherries Jubilee Gluten-free Ice Cream Sandwich or our Gluten-free Tropical Nice Cream Sandwiches worry-free!
Pudding
Packable pudding cups are perfect for picnics, but once again, wheat-based thickeners are common culprits in this comfort food. Caramel colouring, cocoa powder, and other ingredients may contain gluten, and packaged puddings may have been processed on equipment that also handles wheat-based ingredients. To be sure, choose a gluten-free brand.
New to gluten-free? Learn how to read any label in our Hidden Gluten Hacks article—and get a list of other sneaky snacks and cagey condiments that deserve a double-take all year long.
And be sure to check out Gluten-free Summer Survival Secrets from the Little Northern Bakehouse subscriber community and get tried-and-true gluten-free tricks to make navigating summer’s picnic pitfalls easier for gluten-free eaters like you.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to add fresh and tasty gluten-free goodness to your favourite social feed all year long, too!