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Need some ideas for movie night munchies? Look no further! These four crave-worthy gluten-free snacks will keep you satisfied from the opening credits until “The End.”

Let’s Get It Poppin’

The Little Kernel mini popcorn: What’s a movie night without popcorn? Popped in olive oil, these tiny kernels are full of big flavor. With luxurious options like Truffle Sea Salt and Pink Himalayan Salt, as well as classic seasonings like butter and white cheddar, it’s time to broaden your popcorn horizons! ⇒thelittlekernel.com

Bursting with flavor

Enjoy Life Protein Bites: These tasty treats are just what you need to get the ball rolling on the perfect movie marathon. Packed with 7 grams of protein in each serving, these chewy truffle-like bites will keep you energized from a matinee all the way to a late-night showing! ⇒enjoylifefoods.com

Quinoa Get an Amen

I Heart Keenwah chocolate puffs: When people think of quinoa, they tend to think savory, but I Heart Keenwah’s delightful sweet treats have changed the game. Ideal for on-the-go snacking, these perfect puffs, available in Dark Chocolate Himalayan Pink Salt and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, will garner rave reviews from even the toughest critics. ⇒iheartkeenwah.com

Rise to the Occasion

Rise Buddy baked rice snacks: Can’t kick the chip craving? This line of rice snacks from Rise Buddy is baked rather than fried, making it a deliciously healthy movie-watching snack option. With tasty flavors like pizza and sour cream and onion, you’ll only feel like it’s a cheat day. ⇒master-rice.com

And for those times when you’re able to spend more time preparing movie night munchies, check out these fantastic recipes:

Avocado Sriracha Deviled Eggs

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Barbecue Kale Chips

Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Buckwheat Blinis with Chive Cream Cheese & Smoked Salmon

One-Bowl Brownies

Pigs in a Blanket

Quinoa Potato Poppers

S’Mores Cookies

Need a quick, healthy meal on-the-go? Look no further than Q Cups™, gourmet quinoa cups packed with hearty protein and nutritious ingredients. The best part about these portable delicacies? Besides coming in a variety of delicious flavor profiles, including Southwestern Barbeque and Savory Garlic & Mushroom, these tasty cups just require hot water and 5 minutes in the microwave, making them perfect for those busy afternoons when you don’t have a moment to spare.

“The Q Cups™ are the perfect combination of flavor, nutrition, satiety and a dash of love” said Suzy Singh, NOW Research and Development Corporate Chef, “I truly think these cups will revolutionize the way people eat and think about food.”

While Q Cups™ are a wonderful lunchtime staple; they can also be used to create hearty meals the entire family can enjoy for dinner. Now Foods, the creator of Q Cups™, provides some fantastic inspiration for your evening meals, with delicious recipes and video tutorials on their website to help get you started. These include recipes for Grilled Quinoa & Lime Salmon Cakes with Cilantro Sesame Aioli and Grilled Mole Steak Over Garlic & Mushroom Quinoa. Easy to take with you and a cinch to prepare, these quinoa cups may just become your new favorite companion.

-Julia Aparicio

Have you ever dreamed of noodles that are not only gluten free, but also contain no calories? Well, look no further! Shirataki noodles are a great food for anyone with food allergies, as they are vegan and gluten free, and naturally contain no calories.

Shirataki noodles, otherwise known as “yam noodles,” come from a yam-like tuber named Devil’s Tongue. The process to make these noodles involves removing starch from the tubers, then mixing the starch with water and limewater to create something called konnyaku. This substance is then shredded to create the shirataki noodles.

When cooked, the noodles have a slightly gelatinous texture and very little taste, so they are best accompanied by bold flavors or cooked in a robust broth. These mild noodles will take on the taste of whatever you cook them with, opening up endless possibilities for you to create unique and personalized flavor profiles!

You can locate shirataki noodles, both dry and cooked, at most grocery stores in the refrigerators where the tofu is kept.

Author Diane Sanfilippo on her history with the Paleo diet, its positive impact on her health and the second edition of her book, Practical Paleo

By Julia Aparicio

Diane Sanfilippo, New York Times-bestselling author of Practical Paleo and The 21-Day Sugar Detox, did not start out with a passion for nutrition. In fact, it wasn’t until college, after gaining significant weight when she stopped playing sports, that she realized she needed to change the way she approached food. And it did not take long for Sanfilippo to comprehend the difference between dieting and eating better.

“I lost the weight eating a low-fat diet, but I didn’t get any healthier,” says Sanfilippo. “Sure, I was in smaller clothes, but still suffered with IBS, chronic sinus infections, new cavities at almost every dental checkup and a glasses/contacts prescription that was getting stronger and stronger year after year. It wasn’t until I discovered a real food approach in Paleo that I was able to turn my common-but-not-normal health issues around through improving my diet.”

In 2010 Sanfilippo—at that point working out regularly at CrossFit and studying holistic nutrition—was invited to attend her first Paleo seminar. It was there that she had her “A-ha!” moment: she had finally found an approach to eating that made sense for turning her health around.

“The two greatest ben­efits to eating Paleo are well-regulated/balanced blood sugar and improved digestive function,” Sanfilippo explains. “When we remove refined, nutrient-poor foods from our diet and include more quality proteins and healthy fats, our blood sugar levels naturally begin to regulate.”

The Paleo diet focuses on avoiding modern processed foods as well as foods that humans began eating after the advent of modern agriculture, including certain grains, poor-quality dairy products, beans, legumes and artificial sweeteners. However, many critics have cited these wide-ranging restrictions as a major reason for the diet not being sustainable. Sanfilippo, on the other hand, finds that with a bit of creativity and some simple ingredient swapping, the Paleo diet can be made to fit anyone’s lifestyle.

“I don’t personally find recipe creation while eating Paleo to be restrictive, but it certainly can feel that way if you’re used to cooking a lot with non-Paleo ingredients,” Sanfilippo says. “It’s pretty easy to make lots of swaps for old favorites, like coconut aminos instead of soy sauce or almond flour instead of wheat flour.”

Her second edition of Practical Paleo contains 40 new recipes and focuses on ingredients that Sanfilippo feels people use most while cooking, such as ground meats and chicken breast. She also added more egg-free breakfast ideas, smoothies and slow cooker–friendly meals. The recipes now feature color-coded
allergen icons along with the notes on swaps for common allergens such as eggs, nuts and nightshade vegetables.

“The second edition of Practical Paleo is my way of giving the community my best,” Sanfilippo says. “After four years and over half a million printed copies sold, I needed to be sure that the book people are sharing with their most cherished friends and family members is still as relevant and up to date as it originally was, and that it is something they can be as proud to share now as they were the original.”