Jump to content

  • 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

Foods To Pack For Dinner.

Juliebove

Recommended Posts

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

Daughter just started her dance classes at the new studio and I am going to learn to hate it! She dances two days out of the week. One day she has back to back classes right after school. I pack her some snacks and pick her up at school. Seems timewise we get there with a little time to spare before her first class begins. She has two back to back classes that day and is starving by the end of the second class.

But the other day? Two classes right after school, then a two hour break then another class that lets out at 9:15. I located a neary restaurant that has really good food and a safe meal for us. Probably just the one meal. I would have to ask about their chicken. Small hole in the wall place with a limited menu and seems like fast food but isn't. More expensive and not at all fast. Also very uncomfortable stools to sit on. Since the dance studio only has two comfortable chairs and very uncomfortable, backless benches for me, and since daughter needs a rest, we want a nice place to sit! But the main problem is, they are not fast. She has to eat dinner and do homework in those two hours.

The other places around there are either too far away to get back in time or don't serve safe foods. There is an Albertsons that sometimes has safe things, but didn't have anything prepared that we could eat today.

So it would appear that sometimes I will have to bring our dinner. I ordered divided plates and casseroles with lids for the microwave. The studio does have a microwave and small fridge. But what to put in them? Has to be something easy to eat and not messy.

Daughter seems to have gone off of sandwiches, will eat only green beans or corn as cooked vegetables (will eat some others raw). She will eat salads sometimes. Has gone off of Ian's chicken nuggets and will only sometimes eat the fish sticks. I can't have eggs or dairy and she can only have them twice a week since she was previously allergic.

I guess I can just try to make extra food the night before and take the leftovers, at least sometimes. Makes it frustrating since there are so many places to eat around there like McDonalds, pizza, Subway, teriyaki, but we can't eat there.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

As far as food, I would pack leftovers. I eat leftovers every day for my lunch so that seems natural to me.

I'm a veteran of many years of soccer and basketball. I don't go anywhere without comfy fold up chairs in my car. They are inexpensive and easy to transport. I would take my food bag and chairs and make myself at home! All the years my kids were involved in activities, I usually stayed for their practises and their games. I spent a lot of hours doing this and felt I deserved to be comfortable. Make it a positive experience for both of you and you will be able to look back on those times with fondness.

stolly Collaborator
stolly
Posted

I'd recommend that you take a thermos for both of you. You can pretty much eat whatever hot meal you want. Pasta dishes with or without meat mixed in, chili, soup; chicken nuggets wrapped in foil in the thermos. Take a long a gluten-free roll, cornbread, salad or something. Or an extra thermos of veggies or mashed potatoes or something for both of you to share. I keep 8 oz containers (DD4 is a small eater) of gluten-free meals in the freezer for DD to send into preschool in a thermos, or to take with us to a restaurant or family party when I can't get something for her out. Microwave water until hot and put in the thermos to heat it up for 10-15 minutes, then dump out the water and put in the hot food.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted
  • Author

I would take my own chair if there were some place to put it but there isn't.

I did think about Thermoses, but they are heavy and the ones we have don't hold very much food. That's why I thought the microwave might be a better deal.

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

leftovers!

I find that beef stew, chicken soup, and chili all make fabulous leftovers, and do not even *have* to be heated up.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted
  • Author
leftovers!

I find that beef stew, chicken soup, and chili all make fabulous leftovers, and do not even *have* to be heated up.

I like all of those things. Alas, my daughter will only eat the soup.

daphniela Explorer
daphniela
Posted

What about Chef Boyardee chicken and rice microwave bowls or packing some gluten free crackers with some deli meat cut into cracker size pieces like a lunchables type meal?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted
I like all of those things. Alas, my daughter will only eat the soup.

Well, that's one!

There must be some other "combined" dishes that she'll eat? Casseroles? Pastas? Fried rice? My experience is that "combined dishes", where everything cooks together for a time, tend to work well for this sort of thing. Even stir fry can, but that does really need a microwave. ;)

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted
  • Author
What about Chef Boyardee chicken and rice microwave bowls or packing some gluten free crackers with some deli meat cut into cracker size pieces like a lunchables type meal?

I didn't know Chef Boyardee made such bowls? I will look for them but it's likely they have one of our allergens in them. As for the deli meat, I don't much like it and there are no gluten-free crackers that travel well that she will eat. She likes the Schar, but they crumble too easily. The others all seem to have allergens in them.

ETA: Can't do the bowls. They have peas in them and she's allergic. Makes it tough with so many food allergies.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted
  • Author
Well, that's one!

There must be some other "combined" dishes that she'll eat? Casseroles? Pastas? Fried rice? My experience is that "combined dishes", where everything cooks together for a time, tend to work well for this sort of thing. Even stir fry can, but that does really need a microwave. ;)

I don't know how to make fried rice that we can eat since we can't have soy or eggs. And we really don't like stir fry.

There is a microwave. That's not a problem.

Mskedi Newbie
Mskedi
Posted

I practically grew up in a dance studio, so I feel your pain. Even without allergies, it can be tough to get fed AND finish homework AND attend a bunch of dance classes.

I basically lived off ramen at the studio. Have you tried the Thai Kitchen rice-noodle packs? They're cheap, fast, and don't have any peas. Supplement that with some fresh fruits and veggies and it's not a bad meal. I know I wasn't able to eat anything too heavy right before dancing, so if that's an issue, this would work for that. It probably depends on the type of dance, though.

How old is she? And what other allergies does she have exactly? You mentioned not finding crackers that don't fall apart. I've had good experiences with nut-thins (assuming she's not allergic to various nuts). I also like Glutino sesame pretzels as a snack. Fruit-leathers and gluten-free nutrition/snack bars might be good as well so she can scarf something down quickly when she has those two back to back classes.

Good luck! :)

kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

I use corn chips as a substitute for crackers.

Some more ideas:

Baked potatoes with toppings (I like cheese and salsa, some like more of a salad on top)

Tacos - refried beans in tortillas with cheese and taco sauce. I make black bean mixes instead of the refried beans sometimes.

Grilled veggies on a tortilla like a fajita or mini-pizza. You could add cheese.

String cheese

Nuts

Dried fruit like raisins or craisins

Ants on a log

Cereal (take the milk in a thermos)

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. JoJo0611
      - JoJo0611 replied to JoJo0611's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      CT with contrast.

      I didn’t know there were different types of CT. I’m not sure which I had. It just said CT scan with contrast.
    2. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Publications & Publicity
      1

      Coeliac UK Research Conference 2025

      Thanks for sharing this!
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Ginger38's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      2

      Shingles - Could It Be Related to Gluten/ Celiac

      I had the same thing happen to me at around your age, and to this day it's the most painful experience I've ever had. For me it was the right side of my head, above my ear, running from my nerves in my neck. For years before my outbreak I felt a tingling sensation shooting along the exact nerves that ended up exactly where the shingles blisters appeared....
    4. trents
      - trents replied to Mmoc's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      Keep us posted.
    5. Scott Adams
      0

      Celiac.com Video News: November 2025

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,398
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Megannnnn
    Newest Member
    Megannnnn
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • JoJo0611
      CT with contrast.

      By JoJo0611 · Posted

      I didn’t know there were different types of CT. I’m not sure which I had. It just said CT scan with contrast. 
    • Scott Adams
      Coeliac UK Research Conference 2025

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Thanks for sharing this!
    • Scott Adams
      Shingles - Could It Be Related to Gluten/ Celiac

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had the same thing happen to me at around your age, and to this day it's the most painful experience I've ever had. For me it was the right side of my head, above my ear, running from my nerves in my neck. For years before my outbreak I felt a tingling sensation shooting along the exact nerves that ended up exactly where the shingles blisters appeared. I highly recommend the two shot shingles vaccine as soon as your turn 50--I did this because I started to get the same tingling sensations in the same area, and after the vaccines I've never felt that again.  As you likely know, shingles is caused by chicken pox, which was once though of as one of those harmless childhood viruses that everyone should catch in the wild--little did they know that it can stay in your nervous system for your entire life, and cause major issues as you age.
    • trents
      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      By trents · Posted

      Keep us posted.
    • Clear2me
      Gluten free nuts

      By Clear2me · Posted

      Thanks for the info. I recently moved to CA from Wyoming and in that western region the Costco and Sam's /Walmart Brands have many nuts and more products that are labeled gluten free. I was told it's because those products are packaged and processed  in different  plants. Some plants can be labeled  gluten free because the plant does not also package gluten products and they know that for example the trucks, containers equipment are not used to handle wheat, barely or Rye. The Walmart butter in the western region says gluten free but not here. Most of The Kirkland and Members Mark brands in CA say they are from Vietnam. That's not the case in Wyoming and Colorado. I've spoken to customer service at the stores here in California. They were not helpful. I check labels every time I go to the store. The stores where I am are a Sh*tshow. The Magalopoly grocery chain Vons/Safeway/Albertsons, etc. are the same. Fishers and Planters brands no longer say gluten free. It could be regional. There are nuts with sugar coatings and fruit and nut mixes at the big chains that are labeled gluten free but I don't want the fruit or sugar.  It's so difficult I am considering moving again. I thought it would be easier to find safe food in a more populated area. It's actually worse.  I was undiagnosed for most of my life but not because I didn't try to figure it out. So I have had all the complications possible. I don't have any spare organs left.  No a little gluten will hurt you. The autoimmune process continues to destroy your organs though you may not feel it. If you are getting a little all the time and as much as we try we probably all are and so the damage is happening. Now the FDA has pretty much abandoned celiacs. There are no requirements for labeling for common allergens on medications. All the generic drugs made outside the US are not regulated for common allergens and the FDA is taking the last gluten free porcine Thyroid med, NP Thyroid, off the market in 2026. I was being glutened by a generic levothyroxin. The insurance wouldn't pay for the gluten free brand any longer because the FDA took them all off their approved formulary. So now I am paying $147 out of pocket for NP Thyroid but shortly I will have no safe choice. Other people with allergies should be aware that these foreign generic pharmaceutical producers are using ground shellfish shell as pill coatings and anti-desicants. The FDA knows this but  now just waits for consumers to complain or die. The take over of Wholefoods by Amazon destroyed a very reliable source of good high quality food for people with allergies and for people who wanted good reliably organic food. Bezos thought  he could make a fortune off people who were paying alot for organic and allergen free food by substituting cheap brands from Thailand. He didn't understand who the customers were who were willing to pay more for that food and why. I went from spending hundreds to nothing because Bezo removed every single trusted brand that I was buying. Now they are closing Whole foods stores across the country. In CA, Mill Valley store (closed July 2025) and the National Blvd. store in West Los Angeles (closed October 2025). The Cupertino store will close.  In recent years I have learned to be careful and trust no one. I have been deleberately glutened in a restaurant that was my favorite (a new employee). The Chef owner was not in the kitchen that night. I've had  a metal scouring pad cut up over my food.The chain offered gluten free dishes but it only takes one crazy who thinks you're a problem as a food fadist. Good thing I always look. Good thing they didn't do that to food going to a child with a busy mom.  I give big tips and apologize for having to ask in restaurants but mental illness seem to be rampant. I've learn the hard way.          I don't buy any processed food that doesn't say gluten free.  I am a life long Catholic. I worked for the Church while at college. I don't go to Church anymore because the men at the top decided Jesus is gluten. The special hosts are gluten less not gluten free. No I can't drink wine after people with gluten in their mouth and a variety of deadly germs. I have been abandoned and excluded by my Church/Family.  Having nearly died several times, safe food is paramount. If your immune system collapses as mine did, you get sepsis. It can kill you very quickly. I spent 5 days unconscious and had to have my appendix and gall bladder removed because they were necrotic. I was 25. They didn't figure out I had celiac till I was 53. No one will take the time to tell you what can happen when your immune system gets overwhelmed from its constant fighting the gluten and just stops. It is miserable that our food is processed so carelessly. Our food in many aspects is not safe. And the merging of all the grocery chains has made it far worse. Its a disaster. Krogers also recently purchased Vitacost where I was getting the products I could no longer get at Whole Foods. Kroger is eliminating those products from Vitacost just a Bezos did from WF. I am looking for reliable and certified sources for nuts. I have lived the worst consequences of the disease and being exposed unknowingly and maliciously. Once I was diagnosed I learned way more than anyone should have to about the food industry.  I don't do gray areas. And now I dont eat out except very rarely.  I have not eaten fast food for 30 years before the celiac diagnosis. Gluten aside..... It's not food and it's not safe.  No one has got our backs. Sharing safe food sources is one thing we can do to try to be safe.        
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.