School Lunches

[annofthejungle]

My son will start first grade in a couple of weeks and will be going all day for the first time. He's gotten to be a very picky eater and there are only a few things I can think of to send to school with him for lunch. He doesn't like gluten-free bread so sandwiches are out. At this point all I can think to send is lunch meat, potato chips and water (since he's also lactose intolerant). Any other creative ideas for school lunches?

[jello5]

My son will start first grade in a couple of weeks and will be going all day for the first time. He's gotten to be a very picky eater and there are only a few things I can think of to send to school with him for lunch. He doesn't like gluten-free bread so sandwiches are out. At this point all I can think to send is lunch meat, potato chips and water (since he's also lactose intolerant). Any other creative ideas for school lunches?

I too am at the same point in time that you are! I am trying to figure out all the lunches X3. So far, I have thought of gluten-free peanut butter and Jelly on a rice cake. Rolled up gluten-free ham or turkey with a side of gluten-free crackers. (They can put the lunch meat on the crackers) Sides of raw veggies or fruit or applesauce. I have also tried gluten-free/CF waffles toasted with PB&J (they love that one) I know PBJ can get redundant but my kids will also eat almond butter and jelly. Or PB with banana slices on a waffle or rice cake. My kids also love the enjoy life snickerdoodles and kinickkinick(sp?) donuts ( you can cut in half-one is usually too much) for the occasional lunchtime sweet treat. For drinks yes we mainly do H20 but you can also do one of the 100% juices that are out there. Let me know if you can come up with more ideas and I will do the same. Oh I have also asked my kids if they would be up to an occasional hard boiled egg and they all said that would be fine. ( we like the cage free with omega 3's) Anyway, let me know what you come up with and I will keep you posted as well.

[missy'smom]

When my son started gluten-free he had already tried my gluten-free breads and decided he would rather go without that have stuff that didn't taste good to him.(I don't blame him!) So he lived on rice for the most part, which he was quite happy with. Now 7 months later he'd finally tired of rice and is ready to try some gluten-free breads and baked goods so I'll be experimenting with baking. Anyway, give it time. Kiddo has just been going bunless with his burgers and hot dogs are cut up and sauteed in the skillet, sometimes we add a splash of BBQ sauce or catsup at the very end and toss them in it-like a sauce. We also do a rice version of mac and cheese. You can click on my profile and click on the link there to see photos of what we do. All his lunches are eaten room temp. I pack an icey for food safety. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions. Lunchinabox.net is also a good resource.

[chiroptera]

When my son started gluten-free he had already tried my gluten-free breads and decided he would rather go without that have stuff that didn't taste good to him.(I don't blame him!) So he lived on rice for the most part, which he was quite happy with. Now 7 months later he'd finally tired of rice and is ready to try some gluten-free breads and baked goods so I'll be experimenting with baking. Anyway, give it time. Kiddo has just been going bunless with his burgers and hot dogs are cut up and sauteed in the skillet, sometimes we add a splash of BBQ sauce or catsup at the very end and toss them in it-like a sauce. We also do a rice version of mac and cheese. You can click on my profile and click on the link there to see photos of what we do. All his lunches are eaten room temp. I pack an icey for food safety. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions. Lunchinabox.net is also a good resource.

We are in the first time gluten-free lunch boat, but our children are going into 4th grade and fortunately they aren't as picky as our youngest who will go to school next year. My girls love lentils with brown rice and I will be putting that in their thermos. It doesn't have much taste, but you could try that. We live the quinoa/corn pasta too because it doesn't taste "strong." They may have that also, with maybe some beans in it. We love the Enjoy life products, esp the coco loco bars. They are very filling. If your little one likes smoothies, maybe after school you could make one and put protein powder in it if he didn't eat much at lunch. I agree about the gluten-free breads. My girls will eat almost any of them, but my son won't even try them because he doesn't like how they smell. I only like the white rice bread and the Enjoy life bagels. Shar bread and buns are well liked by my girls too; we have to order them online. They look just like regular bread. Maybe he could eat gluten-free cereal in a baggie or could buy milk if he can have dairy.

Hope that helps!

[OptimisticMom42]

We found these great little bottles of almond milk that my kids love! Fruit cups, meat sticks, chex mix (rice chex, nuts, gluten free pretzels, raisins and m&m's) gluten free brownies, jello...... and find a way to make coconut milk pudding, pudding is a must according to my kids! The kids will want to trade stuff, so they need to know what it is safe to trade. Snickers and M&M's from their friends lunchable is OK the crackers are not.

I know you're gonna want to tell them "no trading" but it won't work for long because they want to be the same as everyone else. You just have to make the lunch you pack better than a lunchable.

[CeliacMom2008]

Here are some of my son's lunch items:

PB&J on Pamela's pancakes is WONDERFUL!

Apples with peanut butter to dip in

Tuna salad with potato chips to dip in (my son's new favorite meal and snack)

Leftover tuna casserole

Sloppy joe (my son never liked it on a bun even pre-diagnosis)

Scrambled eggs

Quiche

pulled pork

pasta

stew

soup

Corn chips and refried beans or salsa

Cooked chicken strips and ranch for dipping

Fried Rice

Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal

As you can tell, we love our thermos!!

[taweavmo3]

Can't believe another school year is right around the corner already! Two of my kids love bread, but it has to be homemade or they won't touch it. Last year I splurged and bought the kids a Thermos. It has been the best investment for school lunches....if I put boiling water in it for 10 minutes to preheat (then dump out and add food) then it stays hot all day.

Here is a sample of what my kids ate last year, in their Thermos:

Stew w/rice

Sheperds pie

hot dogs with baked beans

Dinty Moore beef stew

Thai noodles

Stir fry

Spaghetti

Meatballs w/barbecue sauce

Fried potato hash

On the days I didn't have bread or a hot meal to pack...

Chunks of ham or turkey

pudding (we also make coconut or almond milk pudding, YUM!)

fruit w/peanut butter

Nuts, since they are filling

Bakery on Main granola

Muffins

Hope that helps some! I'm in the process of trying to make my own snack bars with puffed rice, puffed millet, some flour, pb and honey. My kids love the Envirokidz bars, but with four kids I just can't afford the packaged stuff. I'm hoping I can make something myself that might taste similar, lol. Good luck with the new year!

[CeliacMom2008]

These are better than Envirokidz Chocolate Drizzle according to my son and you could omit the chocolate on top if you want.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups crispy rice cereal

1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and corn syrup, and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter.

Mix in the rice cereal until evenly coated. Press the mixture into the prepared pan.

In a glass bowl in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips, stirring occasionally until smooth and well blended. Spread over the top of the bars. Chill until set, then cut into bars

[luvthelake21]

My daughter has been taking lunches for almost three years now we pack

sweet heat potato chips

yogurt

pickles

left over

baked ziti

mashed potato

chicken fingers

alfredo

mac &cheese

gushers

fruit roll ups

strawberrys & sugar

green apples and peanutbutter

canned fruit

fresh fruit

plain chips and ranch dip

spaghetti

hamburger patty with side of ketchup and slice of cheese

cheese & crackers

starburst

small peace of candy for dessert

[ek327]

alot of great ideas!

We are entering our 2nd year of school with celiac disease. DD is 8. She usually takes lunch meat and cheese rolled up together. often will take pretzels or chips of some sort (she loves TINGS). she often takes carrots and ranch (wishbone). string cheese and yogurt are good. she recently has begun eating cottage cheese as well. we often send fruit--strawberries, melon. (she is picky about her fruit). sometimes I will send a hot dog with a separate container of ketchup. (they have a microwave they can use at school). I don't usually send a sweet treat--but sometimes add a small package of m and m's, or k-toos. (gluten free oreo's)

mac-n-cheese (rice, of course) in a thermos works. (she doesn't like it re-heated in the microwave).

I have sent her with hummus and blue corn tortilla chips. she loves it, and it is healthy--relatively.

I guess, that just because she can't/won't eat a sandwich, there are still alot of things she can eat. We try hard to focus on what she can eat rather than what she can't eat. anything can be made gluten-free!!!!

[moonlitemama]

We've been gfdfsf for 2 years now. The best advice I can give for packing lunches is to make a menu, or at least a list of ideas for those mornings where you just can't think of anything. Last year, I tried writing up a month-long school lunch menu, just like the other kids got for hot lunch. It was a huge hit with the boys, but I got lazy about it after the first couple of months.

I also try to freeze lunch size portions of leftovers for crazy days. I've been stockpiling baked goods in the freezer, so I've got some reserve. The other day I made tamale pie the other day and baked half into muffin tins for lunches (they'll just be thawed and reheated then popped in a thermos).

I keep a notebook of ideas, though (almost everything is homemade, since we've got three food groups to avoid) -

Breadsticks with pizza sauce

boiled egg

crackers, ham & cheese

inside out sandwiches (bread, cheese & pickle wrapped with ham, wrapped with lettuce)

soup

pasta (mac & cheese, spaghetti, tomato/bacon/basil)

salad kebob (cherry tomatoes, cucumber cubes, mushrooms, croutons, etc)

fruit kebobs

popcorn

gelatin

muffins/quick breads

hot dogs/sausages

chili dogs

meatballs with rice

spring rolls

wraps/sandwiches/rice cakes (PB&J, PB & apple slices, PB & banana, PB & honey, egg salad, tuna, ham, chicken salad, chicken and bacon, buffalo chicken wrap (chicken strips, hot sauce, lettuce, tomato, mayo), bacon/lettuce/avocado/tomato, ham & egg)

sausage/spanish rice/corn & black beans

tamale pie

salads (green salad, tuna salad on lettuce, grilled chicken, grens w/ pecans, cranberries, apple or pear slices, layered salad)

polenta with spaghetti sauce or chili

stir fry

rice pudding with raisins

trail mix

veggies & fruit w/ PB dip

chocolate milk/hot chocolate

pizza

soft shell taco

chicken nuggets

shepherd's pie

smoothie

iced tea

waldorf salad

pigs in a blanket

bars (Lara, Jam Frankas,)

fruit leather

baked apple

sweet potato chips

fridge fudge (mixture of PB, honey, cocoa powder, dry fruit, nuts, seeds and coconut)

yogurt with fruit

ham, cheese & pickle rolls

sushi (rice, carrots, avocado, cucumber, sometimes smoked salmon, wrapped in nori)

Chex mix

apple rings w/ PB & dry fruit/nut topping

hummus or spinach dip w/ crackers or pita chips

bean dip w/ corn chips

potato chips

Tings

fruit salad

mini pancakes & side of syrup

cucumber salad (sliced cukes and onions soaked in vinegar and sugar)

baked beans (with hot dogs)

[Juliebove]

I used to always make an extra serving of whatever was for dinner and send it in, in a thermos. If there were no leftovers, I would send in Organ canned pasta, Sheltons chicken and rice soup, tomato soup, chicken and rice, a can of Vienna sausages, canned fruit or a fruit cup, fruit snacks, chips, humms, Enjoy Life cookies and almost always baby carrots and sliced apples or some other fresh fruit.

Now she wants sandwiches almost always. I do get sick of making sandwiches.

[Darissa]

My daughter is in 4th grade. We do not have her eat at the school due to CC. SHe is happy to bring lunch. Her friends love her lunches! I purchases a hot thermos brand soup container. I make homemade chicken soup and put it in the freezer in individual containers and warm it up in the morning and place it in her hot container. Also, she can take taco meat in the hot container and bring chips/lettuce/cheese/tomatoes in her lunch bag and make her own taco salad at school. Meatballs also work well in the hot container. Enchiladas also. I do not put milk base soups in the hot container, but everything else works great. I make sure I purchase the "thermos" brand containers. They stay the hottest. I have purchases cheaper store brands, and they do not work well. Also, we take fruit salad with yogurt. (my daughter was lactose intolerant also prior to Dx of celiac disease. After being on a strict gluten-free diet for 6 months, her colon is healing and can now tolerate lactose which is nice) We also take honeynut rice cakes from Lundberg and put peanut butter on them for her "sandwhich". SHe likes ham and cheese roll ups and the cottage cheese doubles (that have the cottage cheese and the fruit to mix in). Aslo, gluten free pretzels are a nice snack. But, she really enjoys her hot container and it is fun to come up with new ideas of what to put in the hot container. Sometimes I surprise her at school with a hot lunch from home (usually left overs ) and she enjoys that. I also have a bag of treats that the teacher keeps in her classroom so when they have treats or birthday or holiday parties, she can choose a treat out of her special bag. The teacher is also great about letting me know ahead of time if she knows a parent is bringing in treats..(like cupcakes or pizza) so I can do the same for my daughter. Last year they had a pizza party, and I brought up her hot gluten-free pizza when the party started!

Good luck! IT takes some creativity and work to figure out lunches, but it does get easier!

Darissa

..I had posted this response to another post about school lunches, but thought I'd add it here too!

[daphniela]

Tortilla chips with bean dip

brown rice tortilla wrapped with sandwich fixings

yogurt

gluten free crackers with cheese

fruit kebabs (grapes, strawberries and pineapple on a skewer)

pudding with gluten free graham crackers or animal crackers

applesauce

gluten free pasta salad

gluten free apple or banana muffins

canned fruit

chicken salad

tuna salad

[Surattius]

Hi there,

My son is 8 and in grade four. He's just recently been diagnosed and he used to eat bread almost exclusively (like an addict!).

Anyway, his best bud is peanut-free, so no PBJ forus. I do a hotdog, bare, cut up in a Thermos, and have packets of ketchup from our old trips to MacDonalds (no more, alas, 'till they make their fries gluten-free!). I will try the corn chips and hummus, because that sounds like a great idea!!!

I'm hoping that my son will warm to rice pasta so I can send mac and cheese for variety.

I always send some treat, cheesies or home made cookies. My chocolate chip cookies are so good that my son shares them with the others.

Thanks for all of the suggestions..

Susan, gluten-free with her family

Mum to... three boys, all assumed to have Celiac because one does - aged 8,5, and 1

Wife to Celiac dude with two siblings, both having Celiac