Kids' Treat Equivalents?

[boysmom]

We've recently begun attending a new church. At this church they offer the children a snack during Sunday School, usually some kind of fruit chews, goldfish, or Rice Krispie Treats. I'm trying to find prepackaged items that would be gluten-free equivalents to leave there for my son so he has something that at least sort-of looks like what the other kids are eating. I've bought some rice treats from Enviro-kids before, but they also had nuts or chocolate chips in them and I'm trying to make my child NOT feel different from the others and still not make their children jealous that mine has something somehow better than their snack.

I had told the teacher that if she lets me know ahead of time they're serving something like cookies I can be sure to send something safe along for him, but I don't know her well and what if she forgets to tell me or can't let me know far enough ahead of time? I live in a rural area and have to stock up on some things at a store an hour away. In addition to that, I homeschool 5 children so I can't always drop everything in a moment's notice and make the time to buy and make something for him. I also am concerned that if I make up several things to leave there in case, they would be moldy by the time she used them and he'd still be left out, so i think something prepackaged would be more durable for the situation.

I know I can get gluten-free fruit chews at the grocery, but I haven't yet found a rice krispie treat that is just plain, or anything that would remotely resemble goldfish crackers.

Any suggestions? Anyone that has already found a good solution?

[Wolicki]

Whole Foods has a store brand rice krispie treat, but IMHO, it tastes like Cardboard:( There is no goldfish type cracker on the market that is gluten free. My son really likes Glutino cheese flavored crackers. Some other ideas would be fruit roll ups, the gluten free cookie bags they have at Starbucks (they come in 3 different flavors I think), freeze a batch of Betty Crocker gluten-free cupcakes or brownies, so you can take them out one at a time.

Another alternative would be to buy some gluten free mini size candies. They're all individually wrapped. I bought a bunch, put them in a ziploc and gave to his teacher at school so that he could always have a treat when the other kids were having something. My kid will do anything for a Heath Bar, so that's what is in the bag. If it is something your child really enjoys, it won't matter that it's different.

Hope that helps!

[RideAllWays]

You can make rice crispie squares out of any gluten-free puffed rice cereal. Maybe suggest to the teacher that instead of having gluteny foods all the time they could have fruit and veggies? It would be healthier anyways! And then when they do want treats you could know in advance Good luck!

[missy'smom]

You could make up a treat box and fill it with store bought, individual serving, pre-packaged things that would keep a long time. We did that for school. Whenver something came up, kiddo could pick something-it wasn't the same as the other kids but it worked out. We used a shoebox and decorated it and put his name on it. I always included something choclate because chocolate things are often served, always had something salty, crunchy and then some fruit snacks. fruit leathers, fruit roll-ups, applesauce cups-or gelatin, or fruit cups, dried fruit pouches, maybe one candy like M+Ms or skittles, plain potato chips, individual 100 calorie packs of white cheese popcorn, pudding cups, Envirokids bars, Enjoylife sells packs of 2 cookies in either snickerdoodle or chochip flavor. Ians cookie buttons in the same flavors. Hope that gives you some ideas. I requested notification but never once got one the whole year. I stocked the box with enough for choices but not too much so that kiddo wouldn't eat too much! and when it ran empty he brought it home and we re-filled it. I was on the lookout all year for individually packaged things and stashed a few away from time to time for his box.

As for the treats, you can make them as someone suggested. Both the Erwhon and the Envirokids versions of cocokrispies cereals have worked well for us using the old recipe. Rice Chex(General Mills brand) also works well.

For after-service fellowship time, there is almost never something we can have, it's pure carbs and rarely even fruit, and whatever people bring-potluck style tea time, so I bring along some gluten-free something for kiddo and to make him feel less leftout and more part of the group, I make and bring something for everyone to share, when I am able-some chips, fruit, gelatin dessert, and once in a while some homemade gluten-free cake or banana bread. Banana bread works out well because I can make and freeze ahead of time and defrost on Saturday. For Easter I think I am bringing jello eggs-easy and can be made ahead.

[CeliacMom2008]

There's a gluten free individual packaged rice crispy treat by Glennys. It even comes in a blue package - just like the gluten ones! They regular, vanilla, and chocolate.

You mentioned rural. We are in a rural area as well. I depend on Amazon for lots of staples. There are WAY cheaper than the closest natural food store for us and have a bigger selection. You do have to buy in larger quantities, but we've been able to make that work. We buy things like Erewhon cereals, Energ-G rolls, Pamela's cookies, Pamela's pancake mix, etc. from them.