Living with food restrictions can BarefootProvisions_300x300_MelissaJnewfeel, well, restricting… especially when it comes to snacks. For those of us who are trying to lessen or eliminate chronic inflammation symptoms through the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), it can sometimes seem daunting to figure out what kind of munchy thing to eat when you’re feeling a little peckish. After all, lunches and dinners can be pretty much “normal” in terms of eating a meat, and a salad or veggies (free of nightshades, of course). Breakfasts are certainly a little more challenging if you’re looking for grain-free, egg-free breakfasts, but with a little practice, you can get used to eating dinner for breakfast. But what do you do if you’re looking for AIP snacks that go beyond a piece of fruit or cut-up veggies?
No worries – I’ve got you covered with both recipes and *gasp* store-bought, AIP-compliant snacking options. Recently, the awesome people at Barefoot Provisions provided me with some AIP and allergen-friendly goodies from their store, and I’ve included some of those in amongst this list of AIP-friendly snacks.
Fruit & Veggies
Okay, these aren’t recipes, but everyone knows that if you’re looking for some good phytonutrients, to help boost your immune system, reach for some non-nightshade veggies like the good ol’ veggie snack standards of carrot and celery sticks. But you can also diversify to things like cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes. If you’re like me, it’s much easier to eat raw veggies with a good dip (see below). Fruit is also a good snack option, but just remember that if you’re following AIP, you’ll want to make sure you don’t overdo it on the fructose. (Sarah Ballantyne, aka The Paleo Mom and author of The Paleo Approach recommends those with autoimmune and inflammation issues to limit their fructose intake to no more than 20g of fructose per day).
Dips recipes
In my humble opinion, dips make everything better. One of my favorite non-recipes for dip is chilling a can of coconut milk and using the coconut “cream” that forms, and just mixing that with plenty of sea salt and whatever herbs and spices I have on hand. So easy and delicious! If you’re looking for other more sophisticated dips, check these out:
Roasted parsnip hummus (omit sesame seeds if AIP) from Popular Paleo
Roasted beet dip from Autoimmune Paleo
Garlic ‘mayo’ from the Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook
Garlic cilantro vinaigrette from Predominantly Paleo
Avocado sardine tapenade from The Primitive Homemaker
Beef liver pâté from Gutsy by Nature
Blueberry balsamic beef liver pâté from The Primalist
Nightshade-free red salsa from He won’t know it’s Paleo
Avocado and lime vegetable dip from The Primitive Homemaker
AIP basil pesto from The Primordial Table
Persimmon salsa (omit jalapeño for AIP) from Stetted
Creamy turmeric sauce from Hollywood Homestead
Zesty ginger dressing from Cavewoman Café
Coconut milk caramel sauce from Simple Roots
Chips and crackers (good plain, or as crunchy dip enablers)
I thought AIP life without potato chips was going to be a sad, sad existence. And then I discovered some of these recipes that give the crunchy goodness of potato chips, but without the inflammation issues. A win-win, I say!
Sweet potato skins from Ditch the Wheat (Carol of Ditch the Wheat also has an excellent recipe for sweet potato chips in her book The Grain-Free Snacker! Just bear in mind that not all the recipes in her book are AIP.)
Plantain crackers from The Paleo Mom
Plantain chips (& easy guacamole) from Gutsy by Nature
Celeriac root fries from The Spunky Coconut
Baked sweet potato chips from Feed Me Rachel
Parsnip chips from I Breathe, I’m Hungry
Crunch Cinnamon Baked Banana Chips from Meatified
Green bean chips from Frugal Living Mom
Crispy snack pretzels from Predominantly Paleo
Butternut squash chips from Things My Belly Likes
Lemon dill zucchini chips from The Healthy Family and Home
Oven-baked banana chips from The Real Food Guide
Apple chips from The Real Food Guide
(If you’re looking to make ‘chips’ and other goodies with your dehydrator, check out these 25+ dehydrator recipes)
No time to make your own AIP chips, or need something in the pantry for when the cravings hit? I recommend:
Sweet Potato Sea Salt Potato Chips from Barefoot Provisions (these were seriously awesome and addictive).
Caramel Sea Salt Toasted Coconut Chips from Barefoot Provisions (I inhaled a bag of these waaay too quickly).
Tangy Pineapple Chips* from Barefoot Provisions
Olive Oil & Sea Salt SeaSnax from Barefoot Provisions
Wasabi SeaSnax from Barefoot Provisions (if you’re missing spicy heat because you’re AIP, wasabi is a good substitute!)
Coconut wraps from Barefoot Provisions (not exactly chips, but awesome for making hand-food/sandwich-like things!)
*If you’re AIP, remember that you should be mindful of how much fructose you consume. The Paleo Mom recommends that those following AIP limit the amount of fructose consumed to no more than 20g per day. So make sure to limit the amount of dried fruit and other ‘natural’ sweets you eat!
Chilled and frozen snacks
I love frozen and chilled snacks, because even when the weather cools, it’s nice to have something that’s refreshing. The bonus with frozen treats is that they keep for a long time, and they’re there for you when you’re in a snacking mood.
Mint chip ice cream from We Can All Scream for Ice Cream (an awesome eBook of 24 AIP-friendly frozen treats that I co-authored with Predominantly Paleo)
Cherry blossom popsicles from The Real Food Guide
Mango turmeric ice cream from LA Healthy Living
Two-ingredient pumpkin ice cream from Empowered Sustenance
Strawberry lemonade ice cream from Delicious Obsessions
Mango gelatin from The Real Food Guide
Lemon raspberry gelatin gummies from Autoimmune Paleo
Homemade fruit gummies from Predominantly Paleo
Balsamic blueberry gelatin gummy snacks from The Primalist
Citrus & pineapple gummies from Rubies and Radishes
Gelatin is great for gut-healing. If you’d like to learn more about gelatin and get some great recipes, go get The Gelatin Secret by Sylvie McCracken.
Meaty snacks
Before going AIP, I’d often grab a soft-boiled egg as a snack. Easy, portable and protein-packed. But since I’ve realized that eggs cause some serious skin issues with me, I’ve given them up and eat some of these meatier snacks instead. For things like meatballs, I like to make a bigger batch ahead of time, and freeze them. Then, when the mood strikes, I can reheat them in the toaster oven. YUM.
Bacon wrapped dates from The Real Food Guide
