My #1 tip when traveling gluten-free is to BRING YOUR OWN SNACKS! Actually, that might just be one of my life tips in general. Married to a diabetic? Bring a snack. Have toddlers? Bring a snack. Gonna be stuck in a car for a while? Bring a snack. You get the idea: before any big trip I stock up on snacks. I always end up with a happy mix of some trusted favorites, some new finds, some healthy choices, and some… less than healthy! Keep on reading for a list of my FAVORITE gluten-free snacks!
This post contains affiliate links for Amazon.com. These links help me to earn enough money to refill my coffee so I can keep up with life! My full disclosure isn’t that interesting, but you can find it here.
Are you ready to do gluten-free living totally STRESS-FREE? Get FREE instant access to my online library of free printables designed to make your gluten-free lifestyle totally easy!
1. Kind Bars
Kind bars are filled with natural sources of protein and so many of them taste pretty much like dessert! They often go on sale on Amazon, but you can also purchase them on Thrive Market.
Looking for a gluten-free bar that is also nut free? Enjoy Life bars are your best bet. They’re top 8 allergen free, plus yummy! These are available on Amazon.com and at Thrive Market.
3. Sahale Snacks
Believe it or not, packaged nuts are often a source of hidden gluten and will contain a warning on the package about being processed on equipment also processing wheat.
Looking for a healthy gluten-free snack for toddlers—applesauce pouches! There are countless brands of applesauce pouches, but I look for applesauce with no added sugar (like these!). Plus, the kids like the tops on this brand because they take them on/off by themselves. GoGo Squeeze is not only gluten-free but also 100% fruit, non-GMO, nut free, and dairy free. They even make organic pouches and fruit & veggie blend pouches if you wanna sneak in some veggies! Available on Amazon.com and Thrive Market.
5. Popcorn Indiana
Tyler and I first discovered Popcorn Indiana’s Drizzlecorn flavors over six years ago—and we buy it a lot. Whenever it’s on sale we snatch up a couple bags, but buying in bulk from Amazon is always an option too. Tyler’s not a huge fan of kettlecorn, but this decadent dessert-like popcorn is for sure a winner in his book! How could you not like something covered in both white and dark chocolate? This is the first snack we finished off on our trip. While it’s not really healthy—it is both kocher and certified gluten-free. Plus, living gluten-free can be restrictive enough, you have to branch out and enjoy life every now and then. Assorted flavors are often available on Thrive Market as well.
6. Simple Mills Crackers
Simple Mills is another brand I’ve mentioned frequently on my blog. We enjoy the fine ground sea salt crackers often, but recently have been enjoying the cheddar and sprouted seed crackers as well!
Simple Mills crackers are not only certified gluten-free, but grain free as well. They are crunchy, mildly salty, and actually taste a LOT like Wheat Thins. The kids love them too! I pack them in their lunches with pepperoni slices a lot. One of the things I love about Simple Mills products is they only contain a few ingredients (these crackers have 8 ingredients). These crackers are more than just a gluten-free snack, they are also non-GMO, free of corn & soy, vegan, and Paleo-friendly.
These are available both on Amazon.com and Thrive Market.
7. Pirate’s Booty
Toddlers & puffs. It’s a magical mix. Luckily all the flavors of Pirate’s Booty are gluten-free!
Candy can count as a snack, right? Try candy by Lovely Candy Company. It is not only gluten-free, but also non-GMO and made without high fructose corn syrup and soy! Order them from Amazon here.
10. Veggie Straws by Sensible Portions
Veggie straws are one of our FAVORITES. While not every brand is gluten-free, Sensible Portions is! Plus, they also make apple straws for a sweet treat. Shop all of Sensible Portions’ snacks on Amazon.com here.
Is Thrive Market Worth It? A Peek into My Last Thrive Order and How It Price Compares To Amazon!
As grocery stores increasingly stock gluten-free items, is a subscription to Thrive Market worth it? For my family, YES! And here’s why:
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My full disclosure isn’t that interesting, but you can find it here.
First, a Little Introduction to Thrive Market:
Thrive Market is an online store full of amazing organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, allergen-friendly (you get the idea) products. There is a yearly cost of $59.95 to use it (similar to how you pay for Amazon Prime).
Since Thrive cuts out the “middle man,” you save a decent amount of money on each product you purchase. Plus, they stock many products that I haven’t seen elsewhere and add more all the time.
I know many of you already order specialty food from other online retailers. Is Thrive Market worth it then? I’m an avid Amazon Primer. I often find great deals on gluten-free products there.
note: if you still don’t have Amazon Prime, you can start a 30-day trial for free! Click on the image below to learn more!
But Thrive Market offers many products that either: aren’t available on Prime at all (hard to believe, I know!) or it’s cheaper! Check out my most recent order below (with mini-product reviews) and you’ll see how it compared to local stores and Amazon.com.
Are you ready to do gluten-free living totally STRESS-FREE? Get FREE instant access to my online library of free printables designed to make your gluten-free lifestyle totally easy!
The 3 Main Reasons Why I Joined Thrive Market
1. The variety of products.
I joined Thrive Market almost two years ago when I first realized I needed to be dairy-free. This meant that we began to transition from just being a gluten-free household {learn more about my why we eat gluten-free here} to needing family meals that were both gluten-free and dairy free. Finding products locally that met both of those requirements was much more challenging. Once I joined, I discovered so many of our favorite brands were on Thrive Market—and at great prices! Horray! They also sell way more than just food. They have beauty and personal care products, nutrition products, baby products, pet supplies, and more!
Note: they recently started selling meat and sustainable seafood PLUS wholesale wine! I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll review it and let you know how it is!
2. Ease of use.
Before joining Thrive Market, I was often running to 3 grocery stores a week to grab this brand cereal, and this baking mix, and this kind of salad dressing. And I was dragging toddlers with me. It was exhausting! Now I just do an order on Thrive Market once or twice a month while watching TV after my kids go to sleep.
Plus, it is so easy to use! At the grocery store, many products we purchase were in the “gluten-free aisle,” but our favorite salad dressing was in the regular salad dressing aisle, and our favorite tortilla chips in the chips aisle, and Chex is with the normal cereal. With Thrive Market, you can shop by value—just click the “gluten-free” value and it will only show gluten-free items in each category! Easy peasy. 😉
The other thing I discovered about Thrive Market (after I joined) is that they frequently give away free items with orders. As I think of items to order, I just add them to my cart and let them sit there as I wait for an email from Thrive with a special offer. I usually get a couple emails each week. More information on that later, but yeah, that part’s awesome.
Bonus: Getting packages in the mail is super exciting!
So, we’re back to our original question—is buying a subscription to Thrive Market worth it? Keep reading to see pictures of my FIRST Thrive order from June 2018. Scroll to the bottom of the post for more recent unboxing videos! As I do more orders, I’ll add them here too. This way you can learn more about other great products you can find on Thrive (and my honest review of them too).
My Thrive Market Order: June 2018
Ok, so here’s where I’m going to break it down for you. This is everything I ordered from Thrive Market last week, a short review of the product, and how it price compares to other retailers. The caveat is, prices on both Amazon and Thrive Market change. To see current Amazon pricing, click the Amazon links. This way, you can answer “Is Thrive Market worth it?” for yourself.
Barney Foods Bare Smooth Almond Butter
Almond butter is a staple in Keto & Paleo diets. I tried so many brands of almond butter before I tried this one. So many of the ones I tried were kinda… gritty? They definitely could not replace my beloved peanut butter. But this one? It’s totally smooth. And I use it daily, sometimes a couple times a day. Hence: I ordered two jars. It comes in multiple flavors, this Bare Smooth one that I order does not contain sugar or salt. Barney Foods are certified gluten-free as well as non-GMO verified, certified vegan, peanut free, kosher, and the can is BPA free.
Cashew butter is pretty yummy too. It has a very mild flavor. I rarely eat it on its own, but I use it in a couple recipes. You may see cashew butter listed as an ingredient in Paleo or Keto baked goods. That’s because the flavor isn’t nutty at all! This product is gluten-free, certified organic, kocher, and the can is GPA free and recyclable.
Price on Thrive: $10.99 for 16oz. note: since this is a Thrive Market brand, it is not sold on Amazon, but most 16oz cashew butters on Amazon cost around $18-$20. Big savings here!
Himalania Himalayan Fine Pink Salt
This is a staple in our house. We love Himalayan pink salt for it’s high mineral content. I love this one in particular because the salt is very fine (many Himalayan salts are coarse).
Coconut aminos are an excellent gluten-free alternative to soy sauce! Did you know many soy sauces contain gluten? Plus, coconut aminos are soy-free and much lower in sodium. In addition to being gluten and soy-free, this brand is non-GMO verified, certified organic, and certified kosher.
Note: Thrive Market tries really hard to be as Green of a company as possible. Check out this packaging the frosting cans came in! These need to be stored at room temperature, so they came in this crazy insulated pack. To dispose of this packaging, you cut out the insulation (which is biodegradable—recycled denim) and recycle the bag. You then cut open the ice pack inside and dump its contents down the drain (it’s a safe, water-based solution) and recycle the bag. I thought that was pretty cool!
Simple Mills Vanilla Cake Almond Flour Mix
I haven’t tried this product yet (I will update this post when I do!), but I’m excited to bake this. I ordered two mixes (one’s for my mom–haha). When I eat Simple Mills products, I actually kinda feel healthy. These cake mixes only have 6 ingredients [Almond Flour, Organic Coconut Sugar, Arrowroot Powder, Organic Coconut Flour, Baking Soda, Sea Salt]. This has no fillers or preservatives. In addition to being certified gluten free, this mix is certified kosher, non-GMO project verified, and made in the USA!
One With Nature Dead Sea Mineral Soap, Lavender Scent by One With Nature
In addition to food, Thrive Market is a great place to find personal care products. I also order cleaning products and some baby products! This soap is cruelty-free, sustainably farmed & sourced, gluten-free, and vegan. Plus, it smells ah-mazing! I am a huge fan of this product (and will probably order an unscented bar for Tyler on my next order).
Thrive Market Organic Vanilla Mint Lip Balm, 4 pack
I ordered these kinda on a whim. It’s difficult to find gluten-free chapstick, and I was totally enticed by the vanilla-mint scent. O.M.G. these are wonderful. So smooth, and the scent is heavenly. It even feels kinda minty on your lips. I think I’ll give some away as gifts, no joke. In addition to gluten-free, these lip balms are also cruelty free, certified organic, non-toxic, sustainably farmed, paraben-free, and made in the USA.
Price on Thrive: $6.99 for the 4pk (less than $2 per lip balm). Since this is Thrive brand, Amazon does not have the same product. But I did a quick search for organic 4pk lip balm and discovered they range from $8-$15. However, I’m not sure which ones (if any) are gluten-free.
Thrive Market Organic Ghee & Virgin Coconut Oil
Remember when I said I’d get back to the free product with purchase thing? Well, this was my free product for placing a $59 order. I honestly just fill up my Thrive cart and wait for an email about a free product with that day’s purchase and order away! I’ve gotten free products with each order ranging in values from $8-$25! In my first few orders I made back my subscription cost in free bonus products alone.
It’s hard to see how much I really saved shopping on Thrive (since many products on Amazon only came in 3 or 6 pks instead of individually), but I’m estimating I saved around $15 not including the free product I received worth $10.99. Two orders like this would recoup the subscription cost. Plus, I didn’t have to drive anywhere or push two toddlers demanding fruit snacks through the store. Is Thrive Market worth the subscription? YES!
Update: Watch me opening my most recent order here:
Thrive Market Order: February 2019
Thrive Market Order: October 2018
Thrive Market Order: August 2018
Ok, so you’ve learned about Thrive Market and peeked at my orders to see how much I’ve saved using Thrive, we’re back to our original question. Is buying a subscription to Thrive Market worth it? While not every product is cheaper than Amazon, Thrive is definitely competitive. Plus, I personally find the ease of use makes Thrive Market worth $5 a month. Take the plunge and try it now, for free plus take an additional 25% off your first order! You have nothing to lose—except, maybe, driving to 3 different grocery stores each week trying to find all your gluten-free essentials.
Are you ready to do gluten-free living totally STRESS-FREE? Get FREE instant access to my online library of free printables designed to make your gluten-free lifestyle totally easy!
Are you a current Thrive Market user? Do you find your subscription to Thrive Market worth it? If so, comment below with your favorites from Thrive!
Looking for more advice on shopping gluten-free? Check out these posts:
One of the questions I get the most from readers is: “What is the best gluten-free cake mix?” Whether getting ready for a birthday party or wanting to use a gluten-free cake mix as the base of another recipe entirely (like bars or cookies), finding a good gluten-free cake mix opens up many gluten-free baking possibilities! Keep on reading for reviews of gluten-free cake mix and frosting!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My full disclosure isn’t that interesting, but you can find it here.
King Arthur is a brand I enjoyed even before I knew gluten-free was a thing. Their baking mixes (regular and gluten-free) are delicious and when I first started experimenting with gluten-free baking I started with King Arthur mixes. When I read the ingredient list on the box of the King Arthur gluten-free yellow cake mix I was relieved to see that it didn’t contain gluten, dairy, soy, or nuts! The box even has clear directions on the back for how to keep the cake dairy-free. Score!
If you haven’t made a King Arthur mix before, there are more steps involved than a typical cake mix that you just throw together and toss in the oven. It’s a bit labor intensive, but not at all difficult.
Overall Score: 5/5
This is the cake mix I most often bring to events or parties. Often, people will choose it and like it more than the gluten-filled desserts. This truly is a delicious mix.
Although you can find this product at many local grocery stores and on Amazon.com, I find that it is usually cheaper at Thrive Market.
Are you ready to do gluten-free living totally STRESS-FREE? Get FREE instant access to my online library of free printables designed to make your gluten-free lifestyle totally easy!
This gluten-free cake mix is a great option if you are trying to eat paleo-friendly! It’s an easy one to whip together, plus it only contains a few simple ingredients (yes, simple). The box has directions for making one 8 inch round cake or 12 cupcakes.
I baked it in my 8 inch Wilton Aluminum Round Cake Pan sprayed with Chosen Foods avocado oil spray dusted with the cake mix (per box directions). I whisked the mix with my silicone whisk.
Pros:
The finished product–while you can’t really see the cake itself, you can tell that it held up its shape well out of the pan and didn’t cave in!
Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flours and cake mixes have been around for years. They’ve been in the gluten-free business a loooong time, so they have a large variety of products! One bag of this gluten-free cake mix makes a lot of batter. It can make 2- 8in or 9in round pans, a 9x13in pan, or 18-20 standard sized cupcakes.
We didn’t dress this up fancy, because it was becoming trifle!
The flavor of this cake mix is a pretty classic vanilla cake flavor
One package makes a lot of cake
The package also includes directions to make a white cake
Cons:
The cake is a bit crumbly
The finished product can turn out dense (which is why I beat it with the whisk attachment to give it some more air)
Overall Score: 3.5/5
While we buy this mix frequently, we don’t usually eat it straight up as cake. This is a mix we often turn into something else (most recently my mom used it as the cake base in trifle). When we have this mix, we often reference our book: The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free to ‘doctor’ it up!
Keep on reading for reviews of premade gluten-free frosting AND an awesome FREEBIE just for you.
Are you ready to do gluten-free living totally STRESS-FREE? Get FREE instant access to my online library of free printables designed to make your gluten-free lifestyle totally easy!
The frosting when I first stirred it in the can, you can see it’s super airy!
My little 2 year old niece is not only gluten-free, but dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free. Finding a gluten-free premade frosting can be challenging enough, but throwing in dairy, soy, and nut free also? I wondered if it would be impossible. With all the other things that pile up on to-do lists, I don’t want to think about making something from scratch. When I found this canned frosting, I was so excited! I knew that I could pair it with the King Arthur gluten-free cake mix above and have a cake that is safe for her to eat too! It can also be paired with the Simple Mills cake mixes to stay fairly Paleo friendly. I followed the directions and ensured that the frosting was room-temperature before attempting to spread it on my cake. Here’s my review:
Pros:
The finished product!
Comes in a can, ready to go. No prep!
Only 8 clean, easy recognizable, ingredients (have you looked at the ingredients lists of other canned frosting??)
The flavor is yummy! It’s very chocolatey. (Due to coconut oil as a main ingredient I was concerned about an overpowering coconut taste. There isn’t one!)
Cons:
It was a little difficult to spread. The frosting was very thick, so it was a bit tricky to spread it without tearing the cake. Note: tricky but not I was able to frost an entire cake without many crumbs at all! It just took some extra care.
When we sliced & served the cake, the frosting stuck to the cake server instead of the cake.
Overall Score: 4/5
Update: We just tried Simple Mills’ Vanilla Frosting. It was good too–I personally like the chocolate better (because, chocolate!), but Tyler was a bigger fan of the vanilla. I personally found the vanilla to be more sweet and less rich than the chocolate. Also, due to the stickiness and stiffness of the frosting when I used it before, I microwaved this can (remove the foil first!) for 7 seconds and then stirred it up. It was SO easy to spread!
Be sure to add some of these gluten-free cake mixes to your meal plan and shopping list. I created a weekly meal planner and shopping list just for you!
Download it for free here and get instant access to all my whole FREE resource library designed to make your gluten-free lifestyle totally easy!
because they are gluten-free!)
