KALAMAZOO, MI – Girl Scouts and cookies have been synonymous in America for decades, with some people waiting all year for the chance to stock up on Thin Mints.

But for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, the cookies were just one more food tradition they couldn't participate in. In September, that changed – at least in Michigan.

Over the weekend, the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan became the first council nationwide to release a gluten-free snack, according to those affiliated with the program.

"We have been getting requests for years from people with celiac disease to offer a gluten-free alternative," said Jan Barker, chief executive officer of GSHOM, in a statement. "We recognize their dietary limitations and are very pleased to be able to offer these snack bites to the lineup of their food options."

The council launched its Wholevine Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Snack Bites at a Jamboree and Pow Wow in Jackson last weekend.

The snack bites, which cost $5 per package, will be for sale at the Kalamazoo Regional Center at 601 W. Maple St. They were sold out by Tuesday, but were in the process of reordering, said Barker.

Right now, it's a pilot program and there are no current plans to fold the Chocolate Chip Snack Bites into the regular cookie order.

They may be part of the fall product line, which includes nuts and magazines.

"We're the first Girl Scout group to enter the gluten-free market with a baked good which addresses the needs of individuals with celiac disease and others who are interested in a gluten-free diet," said George Franklin, owner of Franklin Public Affairs and a supporter of GSHOM who helped facilitate the pilot program.

The gluten-free snack was developed in a partnership between GSHOM and WholeVine, a company based in Santa Rosa, Calif.

WholeVine owners Barbara Banke and Peggy Furth developed a way to convert by-products from wine grapes into oils, gluten-free flour, food coloring, nutritional additives and gluten-free cookies. That way, grape skins, seeds, leaves, stems and shoots are recycled instead of discarded.

A portion of their company's sales are donated to nonprofits who serve children in need, including GSHOM.