Lunch Suggestions

[jackie4]

Hi ! My 14 year old daughter ws diagnosed about 6 weeks ago. I can see that she is doing better but still says that when she eats her stomach hurts a little. She usually has dry cereal for breakfast- she can't tolerate milk yet- and brings her lunch. She used to bring a rice cake with peanut butter and a juice box. Now she is down to just an apple. She eats dinner and some homemade granola bars when she gets home but I know that she is not getting enough nutrients. Any other suggestions for lunch. For some reason she refuses to eat salad at school. I am so worried and it causes such tension everyday. Does it get better ? jackie4

[VydorScope]

Hi ! My 14 year old daughter ws diagnosed about 6 weeks ago. I can see that she is doing better but still says that when she eats her stomach hurts a little. She usually has dry cereal for breakfast- she can't tolerate milk yet- and brings her lunch. She used to bring a rice cake with peanut butter and a juice box. Now she is down to just an apple. She eats dinner and some homemade granola bars when she gets home but I know that she is not getting enough nutrients. Any other suggestions for lunch. For some reason she refuses to eat salad at school. I am so worried and it causes such tension everyday. Does it get better ? jackie4

Frist off besides gluten, what other foods are off limits? Does she have access to a fridge or cooler or oven?

I only have to aviod gluten currently and I brought to work apple, yogurt, banana, and a bag with varius lunch meat.

[jackie4]

Frist off besides gluten, what other foods are off limits? Does she have access to a fridge or cooler or oven?

I only have to aviod gluten currently and I brought to work apple, yogurt, banana, and a bag with varius lunch meat.

So far it is just gluten. We go backk to the doctor on March 22 so I guess i will ask her about other foods. She doesn't have access to a fridge or oven . Yogurt would be great but she can't tolerate it yet. She has never been a lunch meat kid. She is such a picky eater to begin with. It is just so frustrating. I am going to go to whole foods today and wild oats and see if I can find anything. Also your son is soo cute. I love that age!

[Guest Robbin]

Hi and welcome, I have a 13 year old son with the same picky eating patterns. Let us know what you get and if it works out. I am at my wits' end with this guy. (He has multiple allergies, too) It causes a lot of tension in our house too and he is so thin it is scary.

Agree, Tymber is absolutely adorable!!

[angel-jd1]

If your kiddoes like what you fix for supper, then send the leftovers for their lunch the next day. You can warm them up and put them into a thermos. You could also ask the school to let them use the microwave to warm up their lunch. (I'm pretty sure they would comply if they are asked and explained about the special diet restrictions).

I find that leftovers make the best lunches for me.

-Jessica

[Lauren M]

PB is good - has calories, protein, healthy fat. Would she eat an apple with PB and raisins? Carrots, celery and PB? How about homemade trail mix -she can add whatever she wants (raisins, other dried fruits like mango or cranberries, gluten-free cereal, gluten-free pretzels, nuts, even M&Ms or marshmallows....)

I know she doesn't have access to an oven, but what about hot water? There are some soup cups and those Thai noodle bowls that just require added hot water....

Good luck, Whole Foods should give you some good options - their Bakehouse stuff is awesome. It might not be the healthiest, but if she'd eat one of their giant blueberry muffins, well at least she would be getting enough calories to avoid malnourishment!

I'll keep thinking about ideas... meanwhile, let us know how it goes!

- Lauren

[Smunkeemom]

The school should be able to let her use a fridge and microwave, esp. after you explain to them that she is on a doctor prescribed diet. If you are in the US, you might point out to them that according to the ADA, and also "no child left behind" they are required to provide accomidation for her diet, that gets you a fridge and microwave pretty quickly. (they should have some in the teacher's lounge)

When I have to pack lunches for my girls we do a lot of leftovers from the night before, also they like beanie weenies, frito chili pies (they put them together after they reheat the chili), veggie burritos (corn tortilla, refried beans, and veggies, my kids add cheese and sour cream, but they taste fine without if you have good veggies like tomatoes, and cucumbers), we eat wrap-ups which are basically corn tortilla lunch meat and cheese.

[Cheri A]

Boy, do I wish my dd would eat corn tortillas! Would make my life a lot easier!!

((Hugs)) She's at that age where she wants to be like everyone else, I bet. I have been reheating and packing leftovers in a thermos for my daughter. I also make her banana muffins a lot to send, fruit, popcorn, pretzels. She will eat a salad that I pack and lunch meats. Lately her favorite is marinated veggies.

[momandgirls]

We're new the diet, too - just a few days, in fact. My daughter's 11 and also a picky eater. She likes celery with raisins and peanut butter, almonds, homemade trail mix, fruit, applesauce, salad from home, raw veggies (green beans or pea pods are favorites). Whole Soy and Co. makes pudding in single serving cups that she loves - they're gluten free and also lactose free. Whole Soy and Co. also makes shakes that she really likes. If your daughter can tolerate lactose, would she take cheese? Single serving sizes of jello? Those are a few ideas, I'll try to think of a few more...

[luvs2eat]

Manna from Anna has a dairy free bread mix. You could make sandwiches... even send along a little container of egg salad or whatever she likes that's not lunch meat and she can make her own sammy. Or is taking a lunch box/bag w/ a small icy thing not cool??

[celiac mom]

I also have a picky eater, a 15 year old son! He usually does pack a corn tortilla with chicken and cheese. Whole Foods (if you are near the Washington DC area, I don't know if they are a national chain) has a great selection of gluten free breads that are really quite good. Foods by George has great blueberry muffins that my son just loves. In the beginning, he was real resistant. We found out he had celiac right when he started high school so I know how you feel! But it does get easier for them, as soon as they start feeling better, things seem to settle down. He also takes a gluten free multi-vitamin that makes me feel better about him getting the nutrients.

[ryebaby0]

My nearly 13 year old has been gluten/egg free for 2.5 years now. He drops his lunch box off at the cafeteria (he's in a middle school of about 700 students) and anything that needs to be reheated we put a little red sticker on (like ayard sale dot, I buy the sheets of 200) because once an aide heated up a peanut-butter sandwich! Otherwise it goes in the fridge, and either way they get it out before he gets there and he picks it up at the head of the line (our school has a whole section for this sort of stuff/special diets, etc.) Occasionally he has lunches that need neither, and he puts it in his locker.

Common decency, compassion, and ADA require schools to do this. Don't let them tell you they can't--although you will have to overcome her reluctance to stick out. Let her pick the food, maybe. Be super nice to the staff -- we give them Christmas gift cards, etc., and go in person so they see this child has a living, breathing, concerned mother.

What does he eat. Quesadillas, cheese cubes, chicken nuggets, rolled up bologna and cheese, pb on corn thins, Glutino pizza sticks and dipping marinara, pocket pizzas, leftovers from dinner, ditalini/peas/carrots/parmesean, hot dogs, lettuce wrap chicken salad, homemade cookies, yogurt raisins, granola bars, Gogurt, apples, Dole fruit cups, strawberries, fritos, Stax, trail mix.......

Hang in there

Joanna

[StrongerToday]

Go out and get a cool looking thermos. (If you're putting hot stuff in it, let the thermos sit with hot water for 10 minutes before you fill it, vice versa for cold stuff). That way she could bring safe soups or broth, gluten-free mac & cheese, noodles, etc. Or fruit salad, egg salad, etc.

If she's avoiding dairy (which might be a good idea) try rice, almond or soy milks (although soy bothers some). Read the labels - there are brands of these that have gluten in them. I use almond milk and love it.

Oh, and we make fruit smoothies (with the almond milk) almost every day - that might be a good lunch or snack. Just fruit, splash of milk (the almond has lots of calcium!!), some ice and maybe a dab of honey - whirl in the blender. We made lots of different creations, but banana/strawberry is my favorite.

[paulasimone]

wow. i have always wished i had found out years and years earlier about my celiac, but this thread suddenly made me think about what that would have been like - i would have been positively *mortified* around that age to have had another thing making me the 'weird' kid that didn't fit in.

so, i don't have kids and can't tell you about what to pack for lunch, but i would suggest as a first step letting her go crazy (if it's at all within your means) and get whatever lunch accoutrements are the "in" thing right now with the other kids. go to wherever they got their stuff and let her pick the stuff out and splurge like you wouldn't usually. let her get whatever the *coolest* bag/pack/whatever it is that the girls are rocking right now to put the stuff in - there's always some *in* bag (totes right now? i dont' know, these things go fast - best to let her pick!)

omigod i sound like such a square.

good luck!!!

paula