Portable Foods For School

[sweetlovelyjen]

Hi,

Can anyone offer suggestions for portable foods to take in a backpack to eat at school? I am a student and I really need to find small nutritious meals that aren't frozen or need a fridge, don't need a microwave, and that I can basically throw in my bag and go. I've ended up in a situation where I'm skipping meals due to my schedule, and I've lost a lot of weight and am constantly feeling bad as a result, mostly because I don't know what to pack for snacks and lunches.

I hate gluten free bread (even home made), so sandwiches have pretty much been out, and I don't know what other options to consider. I've only been gluten free for about a year, and this is the first time since I've gone gluten free that I've had to consider how to pack a lunch, so suggestions on how to do this would really be appreciated!

Jennifer

[julirama723]

If you haven't already, buy a cooler/lunchbox with those blue ice packs, those will keep your foods cold during the day.

If you have access to a kitchen where you live, it will be easier. Here are some easy on-the-go foods. (I don't know if you have other food intolerances/allergies/sensitivities, so these are pretty generic):

*hardboiled eggs with sea salt

*carrot sticks, celery, cauliflower, broccoli (any veggies, cut them yourself or buy prepackaged) with dip or mayo

*grilled chicken breasts (grill a whole pack at a time, eat leftovers for lunch)

*chicken, tuna or egg salad

*corn tortilla wraps (meat, cheese, condiments rolled up in corn tortillas)

*fresh fruit

*trail mix

*larabars

*cheesesticks

*yogurt (check brands to see what is gluten-free, I can't tell you what brands are safe, I'm DF)

*nuts/seeds

These are just off the top of my head!

[psipsina]

I usually keep some bars (lara bars, think thin) in my backpack for emergency meals. I also keep snacks with me all the time like carrot sticks, nuts, chex. I bring leftovers from dinner with me too. I freeze them overnight and they keep until I pop them in the microwave for lunch. I don't like gluten-free breads either but I've found that the brown rice tortillas make great wraps with lunchmeat. I also bring salads with an icepack to keep the greens from getting wilty. Another idea is to get a thermos and put hot soup in it in the morning.

[stolly]

I recommend a Thermos. You can use it for anything you would normally eat if you were home...chili, pasta/sauce, chicken stirfry, rice/beans, hot dogs and baked beans, scalloped poatoes with ham...really anything. Just put some very hot/microwaved water in it while you are getting ready in the morning...that helps to get it even hotter...then dump the water and fill with your microwaved food just before you leave. Lasts 4-5 hours. We use a Thermos for DD almost evey day a preschool.

[Roda]

The above are great ideas. Another good bar is Kind bars. I love them. Popcorn would be a quick snack. I didn't eat gluten free bread either until I tried this:

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=56641

I was really suprised how much I like it. I eat it without even toasting it. It makes a great sandwich as long as I don't slice it too thick. I also like Corn Thins. They make a great "sandwich"

[Juliebove]

When I was in school, I lived off of trail mix. I made my own with various nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate or carob chips and maybe some coconut flakes. I always kept a bag in my purse so I was never without food. Fruit leather is another good thing to keep around.

[wildwood]

The above are great ideas. Another good bar is Kind bars. I love them. Popcorn would be a quick snack. I didn't eat gluten free bread either until I tried this:

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=56641

I was really suprised how much I like it. I eat it without even toasting it. It makes a great sandwich as long as I don't slice it too thick. I also like Corn Thins. They make a great "sandwich"

What are Corn Thins and where do you find them?

[bbuster]

Between school lunches and baseball double-headers, my son eats a lot of ZonePerfect bars. They have a lot of protein, so they are filling. Sometimes I eat them for a "lunch" when that's all I have time for.

[Roda]

What are Corn Thins and where do you find them?

Corn Thins are a thin mabe 1/4" thick round crunchy "cake" made out of corn. There are several varieties. The only ones I have found at our local Earth Fare is the original and multigrain. Both are good. I love to make a sandwich out of them. They are thin enough to do that and I love the crunch. Here is a link to the site. Note under the FAQ'S page they have a question and answer about gluten. Hope this helps and happy munching!

Open Original Shared Link

[brigala]

I went through the same thing, trying to go to school and get something to eat that would be portable and not cost an arm and a leg.

My mom bought me one of these "Salad Break" bowls: Open Original Shared Link for Christmas. I love it! I make a chef's salad with hard boiled egg, ham, and cheese, put my Newman's Own Ranch (my favorite) in the little dressing holder, and off we go! A meal on the run! Other companies like Rubbermaid and Tupperware I think also make similar salad containers.

I used to have salads special-made for me at the school cafeteria, but I had cc issues, not so much with gluten but with other allergens like cucumbers. It was too exhausting to remind them every time of the long list of things my salad couldn't come into contact with.

Some things to look for that you can usually buy on the run are things like Peanut M&Ms or Snickers bars or plain Fritos corn chips. Not terribly healthy, but probably better than going without entirely, if you only fall back on them once in a while. Since it doesn't sound like you need to restrict calories, things like this plus an apple or an orange might be work for you once in a while. They'd fit easily into your backpack.

There are lots and lots of "bars" that are gluten-free, which are great if you don't have other food problems. There are only a few I can eat: Tiger Bars (avoid the Peanut Butter "CRUNCH" flavor), and a few of the KIND bars, but that's because of my problems with dates, certain nuts, and soy. You probably have several bars you could choose from.