If you’re anything like me, sometimes you just have to have something crispy while on your gluten free diet. Unfortunately, many crispy snacks are not gluten-free, or are nothing but empty calories. I prefer to eat real food. The kind that actually supplies my body with the nutrients it needs. Of course, I also want it to taste good. There is no reason to punish yourself with food that is less than delicious. These simple pistachio crisps will satisfy your craving for a tasty, crunchy snack, while supplying you with real food, packed full of nutrients.
Pistachios are rich in antioxidants and may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels. They are also low in calories, high in fiber and potassium, and rich in those good, unsaturated fats that your body needs. These delicious nuts are chock full of copper, manganese, phosphorus, and vitamin B6. How can you go wrong with that? Especially since those of us who follow a gluten-free diet because of Celiac Disease have suffered damage to our intestines, sometimes affecting our ability to absorb nutrients (according to the Celiac Sprue Association, CSA) celiac disease diet
A typical American diet involves a lot of processed foods, most of which are “enriched” with vitamins and minerals. When we cut out so many of these products by going gluten-free, we lose that source of vitamins and minerals. Many packaged gluten-free products are low in vital nutrients. We need to make up for it by switching to real, healthy foods that contain the nutrients we need. Adding pistachios into your gluten free diet can be a good source of nutrients for you, and provide you with scrumptious snacks too.
Also, sometimes our “bad” cholesterol levels can increase after making the switch to a gluten-free diet, because our bodies weren’t absorbing our food properly and now they are doing a much better job. According to the American Heart Association, fiber has been shown to assist with lowering cholesterol. Many packaged gluten-free foods are low in fiber and high in fat–a double-whammy for our cholesterol levels. Why not include some pistachios in your diet, as they provide fiber as well as other cholesterol lowering nutrients