Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

gluten-free School Lunch Ideas


Esther Sparhawk

Recommended Posts

Esther Sparhawk Contributor

I'm both a mom of a kid with celiac disease, and I am also on staff at a school lunchroom. So I see what kids like to eat and what's served at school. These are some of the gluten-free things I like to send in my daughter's lunchbox:

  • deviled eggs w/ gluten-free mayo (they store nicely in a sushi box)
  • gluten-free lunchables (seal one baggie with rice crackers and Glutino crackers; seal another baggie with Hormel's canadian bacon--it says gluten-free right on the label-- and cut up different kinds of cheese; you can even include a plastic knife and a little container of cream cheese for spreading)
  • Yoplait yogurt with gluten-free granola or a gluten-free Envirokids rice crisp bar
  • mom's home-made gluten-free trail mix
  • holiday cut-out sandwiches (make a sandwich on your favorite gluten-free bread and use a cookie cutter to cut the sandwich into a fun holiday shape)
  • gluten-free cottage cheese with chopped up pears mixed in the cottage cheese (use the disposable tupperware, if you don't want to lose your good stuff)
  • Kozy Shack pudding
  • Dole fruit cups and Dole jello fruit cups (be aware that the Dole fruit-n-yogurt cups are NOT gluten-free)
  • peanut butter-filled celery sticks and cream cheese-filled celery sticks
  • thermos full of home-made gluten-free soup w/ gluten-free crackers
  • cold chicken hot wings (made 'em for dinner the night before -- now they're tasty, cold the next day)
  • gluten-free potato chips, corn tortilla chips, Fritos, or Funyuns with a home-made gluten-free dipping sauce (experiment with gluten-free salad dressings mixed with sour cream or call ahead to find out if pre-made dips are gluten-free)
  • a mini sandwich bag of gluten-free mixed nuts and M&M's
  • Juicy Juice drinks

I hope my ideas have inspired some of you moms out there. If some of you have other nifty lunchbox ideas to add, please reply and share with the rest of us! :)


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Aligray Apprentice

Thank u so much for posting this! i really needed it!!!

buffettbride Enthusiast
Thank u so much for posting this! i really needed it!!!

If you're looking for something else to help out with those pesky gluten-free lunches, try here: Open Original Shared Link. It is a GREAT system.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,732
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Lesley Young
    Newest Member
    Lesley Young
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      In general with pharmaceutical products cross-contamination is a much lower risk.
    • Scott Adams
      Here is more info about how to do a gluten challenge for a celiac disease blood panel, or for an endoscopy: and this recent study recommends 4-6 slices of wheat bread per day:    
    • trents
      Just so you'll know, once you have been gluten-free for any length of time, it will invalidate testing for celiac disease.
    • QueenBorg
      Yes. I have not been tested for celiac. It took forever to get diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. lol. I have an appointment with my regular GP later this month and will convey my findings on improved symptoms and see what his thoughts are. Thank you. 
    • knitty kitty
      @Grahamsnaturalworld, It's never too late.   Have you been checked for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth?  SIBO can cause ongoing symptoms.  Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Histamine Intolerance (HIT) can also be the cause of ongoing symptoms.  The AIP diet can help with these by starving out SIBO bacteria and calming the immune system. Do you include dairy in your diet?  Casein in dairy can cause an autoimmune response the same as to gluten.  Have you been checked for lactose intolerance?  Some people lose the ability to produce the enzyme, lactase, needed to digest lactose, the sugar in dairy because the villi where the lactase enzyme is made are damaged.  AIP diet excludes dairy. Do you include grains in your diet?  Gluten free alternative grains and ancient grains can be inflammatory and cause symptoms.  Some people with Celiac react to corn and oats.  The AIP diet excludes all grains.  Lectins in grains can be inflammatory and cause symptoms. Do you eat nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant).  This family of plants produce glycoalkaloids, chemicals that promote Leaky Gut Syndrome.  The AIP diet excludes nightshades.   Are you on any medications?  Some medications can cause gastrointestinal symptoms.  Do you take any supplements?  Some herbal teas and supplements can cause digestive symptoms.  Medications for diabetes, antidepressants, and other pharmaceuticals can cause digestive symptoms as side effects. Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?  Malabsorption of essential nutrients can occur with continued symptoms.  Deficiencies in Niacin, Thiamine, and other B vitamins can cause digestive symptoms.  Gastrointestinal Beriberi and Pellagra are often overlooked by doctors because they are not familiar with nutritional deficiency disease symptoms.  Nutritional deficiencies can worsen over time as stores inside the body are depleted.   Have your doctors checked for all these?   I had a horrible time getting my symptoms under control.  I had to answer all these questions myself.  Yes, it's frustrating and exasperating because doctors don't have to live with these symptoms everyday. Interesting reading: AGA Clinical Practice Update on Management of Refractory Celiac Disease: Expert Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36137844/
×
×
  • Create New...