Individually Packaged gluten-free "treats" To Leave With Teacher? Need Suggestions

[Cara in Boston]

My 5 year old looks like he is headed toward a diagnosis of celiac (blood and genetic tests positive, endoscopy in March)and I like to plan well in advance.

I know I'll need to leave a supply of gluten-free snacks and special treats with his teacher for those times when the class has a snack together or some sort of celebration. We've tried lots of gluten-free products so far but don't (in general) eat much processed, pre-packaged foods.

I'm looking for suggestions for stuff that is pre-packaged in individual portions so it can just sit on a shelf in the cubby room to be used as needed.

Some snack ideas as well as treats. Someone mentioned frozen gluten-free cupcakes on another thread. Anyone know about those? I could leave something like that in the freezer in the teacher's lounge.

Everything must also be nut-free as that is the school policy.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks -

Cara

[Mizzo]

Most Enjoy life cookies/products are Gluten and Peanut free, also many are egg and dairy free.

They are a sweet treat and a few of their cookies come in individual packages.

Kinnikinnick has premade frozen muffins that many kids like.

[Kimmik95]

Chris lucked out this year that his teacher's husband has Celiac Disease, so she was very well aware and understanding of his situations. I'm guessing not all teachers are as understanding. I made some homemade cupcakes, frosted them, and put them in the freezer. I take in 2-3 at a time for his teacher to keep in the faculty lounge for birthday parties. I also take in gluten-free ice cream treats to keep there for Chris to have on ice cream day. The teachers give me plenty of notice of parties, etc. and the other parents have been very understanding about me supplying gluten-free treates (like cupcakes) for parties. The teachers actually keep gluten-free treats for Chris, so I never had to worry about that, but M&M's smarties, etc. make nice things to take in.

If your child's teacher or school gives you a problem, be aware that your child is eligable for a 504 based on the fact that Celiac Disease is a recognized disability and because your child has celiac disease, he can no longer buy the school lunch, which is a federally funded program. Since he can not take advantage of the school lunch, he is now eligable for a 504. I don't have a 504 for Chris, but I basically took a sample 504, called it something else, and submitted it to the school. If they ever give me an issue, I will push to have an offical 504.

My 5 year old looks like he is headed toward a diagnosis of celiac (blood and genetic tests positive, endoscopy in March)and I like to plan well in advance.

I know I'll need to leave a supply of gluten-free snacks and special treats with his teacher for those times when the class has a snack together or some sort of celebration. We've tried lots of gluten-free products so far but don't (in general) eat much processed, pre-packaged foods.

I'm looking for suggestions for stuff that is pre-packaged in individual portions so it can just sit on a shelf in the cubby room to be used as needed.

Some snack ideas as well as treats. Someone mentioned frozen gluten-free cupcakes on another thread. Anyone know about those? I could leave something like that in the freezer in the teacher's lounge.

Everything must also be nut-free as that is the school policy.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks -

Cara

[teresasupermom]

French Meadow makes some pretty good gluten free frozen cupcakes Open Original Shared Link You can check out the store locator to see if they are available near you. If I get in a pinch on time I will pick those up. My dd likes Kinnikinnick cookies too. We are lucky that there is another kid in her class that has major food allergies. My dd goes to a small Catholic school and there are only 11 kids in the class and 2 of them with major food issues so all the parents are really good about letting us know if they are bringing in something. The teacher puts reminders in a lot of her weekly newsletters about this too.

[salexander421]

Envirokids have some good snacks and also EnjoyLife has some individually wrapped cookies that are pretty good.

[seezee]

Lots of regular candy is gluten free. It keeps pretty well. Different companies have different policies on how they provide that information, but checking out most companies websites will give you the information you need. If you are in Boston, I suggest joining the Childrens Hospital Boston celiac support group. They send a big welcome basket / care package with lots of gluten-free stuff to try when you join. I don't think you need to be a patient there. It's run through the hospital by families. They also send out lists of gluten-free candies at Easter and Halloween. They have meetings and parties where you can meet other families. I found it pretty helpful. There are also a couple health food stores around Boston that specialize in gluten-free foods. One is the The Natural Food Exchange in Reading and the other is A New Leaf in Needham. They both specialize in hard to find things and have lots of treats.

[ELSmommy]

Pebbles Treats (fruity and cocoa) are gluten free, also may fruit snacks are gluten free

[GFreeMO]

Applesauce and Jello cups are good choices. Skittles and Starburts are marked gluten free.

[Esther Sparhawk]

Honey Nut Chex contain almond, but not peanut ingredients. Both of my girls (even the one that's not gluten-free) took a big bag of those to school yesterday to snack on. Chex cereals are now labeling gluten-free on their boxes (YAY)!

Betty Crocker's Spongebob Squarepants fruit snacks are individually wrapped and they say gluten-free on the box.

You'll want to read the labels, but pudding snacks are often gluten-free, and I believe Jell-o brand is a trusted company. They have a pretty long shelf life and do not need to be refrigerated.

Old Wisconsin labels their pepperoni sticks gluten-free and they also last for a pretty long time without refrigeration. I'm not sure if they're nut free, but they are gluten-free.

My daughter eats Cheetos without having a reaction. They are not officially gluten-free, and I believe they contain sunflower oil (if that's a problem).

Don't forget about trusty old raisins. Sometimes you can even find chocolate covered or yogurt covered raisins gluten-free.

[Beth03456]

My 4 yo son keeps packs of gluten-free rice crispy treats at school for emergency treats. He also loves the fruity or cocoa pebbles bars, which are similar.