Lunch Ideas

[Guest jennwillard]

Hi all! Does anyone have any ideas for lunch box lunches for my daughter to take to school? I think she's getting burned out on rolled meats & hard-boiled eggs!!! She is 6 and has been diagnosed & gluten-free for over a year now and is doing excellent on the diet - it's easy with every single female in our family (except her two sisters, so far) having celiac disease. She doesn't mind not being able to buy lunches at school and understands that she needs to be careful with what she eats - and her teachers are great about calling me ahead to check things or have me send in gluten-free foods/snacks. It's just that there are some days when her lunchbox comes home barely touched and I'm not sure what else to try sending for her. ANY ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks - Jenn Willard

[tarnalberry]

hmm.... I'm not 6, but I do pack a lunch to work, so I thought I'd add what I do sometimes...

rice cakes with peanut butter (well, I use almond butter, but that's me) - Lundberg farms has sooo many good rice cakes

tuna salad - tuna (gluten-free, of course) with sour cream and yogurt (instead of mayo, 'cause I can't stand the stuff), chopped red onion, chopped tomato, and I add shopped spinach and pepper.

leftovers! turkey-rice soup (homemade, but easy with leftovers and imagine brand chicken broth), chili (homemade's easy), corn enchiladas, etc.

muffins! (the soy muffin recipe on the back of Bob's Red Mill Soy Flour is hearty enough for lunch, if I have two of them, with the rest of my fruits and veggies)

I also take a bunch of fruits and veggies (and sometimes cheese to balance it out as I can run somewhat hypoglycemic, symptom wise (I test out fine)) so, pears, apples, oranges, berries, bell pepper, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes (eaten straight - messy, but tasty), cucumber, zucchini, etc.

[angel-jd1]

I substitute taugh last semester, and for my lunches at school. I usually did hillshire farms lunchmeat and cheese rollups. Sometimes used lettuce as a "bread" and made a sandwich.

Toon snacks by poore brothers are yummy(like a goldfish cracker but made from potato).

Corn chips are good. Lays brand chips are not bad, I have not had problems with cross contamination. Doritoes are good (except for nacho cheese).

I take jello cups with fruit in them. Handi snacks pudding cups are gluten free.

Fresh fruits and veggies are awesome with some ranch dip.

Salsa and corn chips.

Amy's Frozen dinners are awesome if they would warm one up for your daughter. They have cheese enchiladas to die for!!

Of course for desserts I always make extra when I cook and throw a couple servings in the freezer for lunches and snacks. Snack size M&M's might be fun for her also (just not the crispy ones).

Like someone else mentioned Leftovers are awesome if somebody would help her warm up her foods. Thermoses can also keep soups hot for long periods of time. I have also heard of putting hot dogs in them to keep them warm(gluten-free of course).

Good Luck!!

-Jessica

[Rorginos7]

hi there, i have a 5 year old with celiacs and lunch sometimes can be tricky but since i found the Gluten Free Pantry bread mix she will eat peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese although that you cant take to school but even bologna and cheese (we use Applegate farms bologna that has no nitrates or preservatives) Also Amys Rice mac and cheese if you get one of those thermoses sorry for the spelling, Yogurt is good to we find that stonyfield even the strawberry or the vanilla are good and gluten-free . Hope this helps some too. Also cut up chicken breasts are good too .

[luvthesun]

I have a 5 year old who is in Kindergarten so I don't have daily lunches to pack yet, but wanted to offer some suggestions.

Yogurt

apple slices

apple slices with peanut butter-I buy containers that hold about what she will eat and put the peanut butter on the apples, or cut up apples and send a small container with peanut butter with a plastic knife

peanut butter and jelly on brown rice bread-again use container to help hold bread together

Taquitos-made with corn tortillas, cheese and maybe chicken wrapped in foil and packed in a stay warm container

Homemade soup in a thermos

homemade pizza-wrapped in foil and stay warm container

nuts and raisins

gluten-free cereal mix-I use up small amounts of cereals and mix with raisins or nuts

Can't think of any more...but I'll have to soon when she starts 1st grade!

Hope this helps some!

Donna

[troushka]

Hi!

My son is 8 and was diagnosed 2 years ago. I was diagnosed with celiac as a baby. I don't know if your daughter is an adventurous eater, but my son is. So, his lunch box could contain any of the following:

homemade sushi (his favourite includes cucumber and smoked salmon)

homemade salad rolls (include rice vermicelli and leftover meat/veggies)

smoked salmon rolled around a small peice of cream cheese

tuna salad with celery sticks for scooping

cream cheese dip (one savoury, one sweet) with fruits and veggies for dipping

pea-nut butter (our school is nut-free) and jelly on bread of tortilla

The list is endless, really! I recently recieved the best gluten-free cookbook as a gift from a good friend. It is loaded with easy to make, wonderful things like Buttermilk Bread, Mock Flour Tortillas (excellent, they get soft in the microwave, and hey, you know you can put anything on a tortilla and call it lunch!) and loads more. A definate must-have in any celiac home:

The Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids, by Sheri L. Sanderson

ISBN 1-890627-28-3

Good luck, and happy eating!

Patricia

[Dewlanna]

It's just that there are some days when her lunchbox comes home barely touched

This isn't uncommon among 6 year olds in general

Lunch is often a social time at school and eating is a secondary concern.

As long as she leaves the house with a good breakfast and has a nutritious snack waiting for her after school, don't worry too much.

Sometimes more of lunch will be eaten if the child helps make it. You might find she has some odd (to grownups) ideas of what to put in the lunch box, but she might actually eat more of it.

I see lots of good suggestions here, have your daughter take a look and see what she thinks would be fun to eat.

[MaineMom]

My 6 year old likes crackers (rice-the oriental ones) and cheese. I always feel bad about not having something more hardy, but she gets plenty to eat, and doesn't mind. I usually have fruit and some cucumber slices-she loves them.

[Guest jhmom]

My 8 year old daughter is a picky one too (does not eat veggies AT ALL), she has always been that way it's just worse now that she is gluten-free.

Here are some things that she will eat:

Plain white rice (I send it in a small thermous and her teacher warms it for her)

Chopped up hambuger meat or chicken (" ")

apple slices

gluten-free chips, she likes sour cream and onion or B'bque OR popcorn

bottled water

and a fruit roll up.

If I make homemade cookies I will send those too.

[gf4life]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to say thanks for all the great ideas. I have three kids, 2 in school and one starting next year. They are all three most like Celiacs and after we get finished testing them they will start a gluten-free diet (if needed). I was finally diagnosed with celiac disease last Nov. 10th (2003). I have found that my children have always been picky eaters and have always sent a boxed lunch, so it doesn't seem like it would be hard to substitute gluten-free choices. But their main protein source has always been turkey jerky, which I don't really think is all that healthy when you eat it 5 days a week! But I am worried about what to give them when the jerky is off limits due to the added soy sauce? The rest of their lunch is easy to take care of. They are just so darn picky.

Can you just list as many protein sources as possible. Oh, and they might also be sensitive to dairy, as I am, but we'll have to see.

[ROYAL BLUE]

I purchased the" Incredible Edible Gluten Free Food For Kids". I was so excited when it came in the mail. I am now disapointed in the book to say the least. I would like to know who proof read it before it was published. I have only tried about 6 of the recipies so far . Four of them have errors. For example, In the directions it would say to add gelatin, in the ingredients list it does not have any gelatin. I found many of these errors so make sure to read the recipie well so you don't waste your time and ingreients like I have.

[gf4life]

Thanks for the heads up. I just recently got that book, but haven't tried any of the recipes. I will keep a close eye on it when I do.

[healthy1]

I have the same book and found the same problem with a few of the recipes! I kept re-reading the list thinking I was missing something until I realized -- I don't think anyone proof read that book, and I don't even like most of the stuff in there. I found Bette Hagmans? light and easy book had much more of the foods we eat in it. I haven't been able to find a decent one for pizza dough and have tried sooo many. My once big enough kitchen seem to have shrunk since going gluten-free and being taken over by small, expensive appliances and cookbooks, so I now try to borrow the books from the library and just copy the recipes I like and put them into a binder, works well and saves $$ so I can now spend it in the healthfood store instead!

[Dewlanna]

Have you tried any of the pizza crust recipes in Bette Hagman's The gluten-free gourmet bakes bread ?

Lots of great recipes in this book.

[jusright]

Dear Jen, I'm so unbelievably happy to see you in print. Haven't seen your posts for such a long time. ( I haven't been on very often) But have been searching for you. Hope you are well. I see you've had so many wonderful answers to your question, that I'll only add one more thing. As you know, my grandson, now in the 3rd. grade has celiac disease. He also doesn't eat too well at lunch time. (If you saw and heard his lunchroom, you wouldn't wonder why!!) LOUD and not enough workers overseeing the lower grades to see that they actually eat!! My daughter always has a long lalk with his teacher and they have always kept his snacks in a cubby or shoebox in his room. He has never been denied a snack when he feels the need! (She explains the malabsorbtion aspect.) That way, he doesn't get as fatigued. My best to you and your family and Happy New Year!!

[wclemens]

gf4life, I am also celiac and milk, dairy, egg white and yeast allergic, so taking lunches is a challenge. I eat chicken and turkey breast, shrimp, turkey sausage, salmon, catfish, tuna, chicken hot dogs, various cuts of beef, pork chops, a wide variety of fish, etc.

Browse in a fresh meat market by yourself for awhile and you'll begin to see lots and lots of protein choices. I only eat high carb foods for one hour each day, so most of my meals during the day are protein or low carb vegetables (green beans, cauliflower, salad). Hope this helps. Thanks to all of you for your ideas about lunches. Welda

[r-newsome]

Hi. I am new to this forum (first day). My 5-year-old was just diagnosed with celiac disease two months ago. When she was diagnosed, one of my worries was what would she do when all the other kids are eating junk food, and she can not? Although junk food should not be a priority, for a 5-year-old, this is still very important.(at least for mine it is). Betty Hagman's (The Gluten-Free Gourmet Makes Dessert) is a great book to get. You can borrow it from the library, or purchase one like I did. So far, the recipes are turning out great, especially the ultimate brownies. My daughter and I (and rest of family) have made preparing deserts a family fun activity. She looks forwards to different desserts in her lunch often. Not from the book, but still good and quick are peanut butter cookies. Hope this little bit of information helps you. Best of luck.

[Guest jhmom]

I too have that cookbook and thought it was wonderful and a life saver for me. I have never been a cook from scratch kind of person so I am not sure of the errors you are talking about. Since I am not an experienced cook I have not attempted to cook anything that has gelatin in it, I stick to the simple recipes We have enjoyed just about all of the recipes from the cookbook thus far but I like your idea healthy1, of borrowing the books and making copies, I will have to try that!

[supersillyak]

All right...I am 14 years old, and lunch for me is pretty difficult. I really dont get teased at school much, so thats a good thing, considering my food choices are pretty excotic. AVOID PACKING THINGS THAT NEED TO BE REFRIDGERATED!!! they get warm and yuckyyy!! My father usually packs things like:

.) cold pizza

.) pretzels

.) corn snacks

.) fruit snacks

.) bake your own bread..and make a sandwhich

.) a lot of fruit that doesnt taste bad warm

.) no carrots...they get soggy

.) muffins

.) theres a ton more...give me a couple of days to think about it !!

~SEEKAY

[kejohe]

Hi All, just wanted to let you all know that I just posted a recipe for some really yummy snack bars in the recipes section. Check it out!

[Connie R-E]

Dannon's Danimals drinkable yougurt in the Rockin' Rasberry flavor (the only one we've tried) seems to be gluten-free!

The company won't say if it is or isn't, but we would have reacted if it were....

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link (nice referral to celiac.com!)

Connie

[rattaway]

I have two daughters with gluten intolerance. I sometimes make home made chicken nuggets. This consists of cubed chicken breasts rolled in buttermilk(Lucern is safe)and then into a rice flour mix containing rice flour, garlic salt, and mrs. Dash's grill blends chicken seasoning. Then I deep fry the "nuggets". These are great for a lunch time snack and freeze great. I make a large batch of these for a family dinner too. If you make sandwiches don't forget that cookie cutters can turn them into something extra special. The metal ones cut through the bread, meat, and cheese layers really easily. Also, string cheese is a favorite around our house.

Hope this helped, Rian

[hjkmatthews]

My daughter is only two, and since she doesn't like bread/sandwiches yet, I sometimes make her a 'microwave quesedilla'. All you do is take two gluten-free corn tortillas and either Kraft American Sliced Cheese or Velveeta (sliced up in strips) and melt it in the middle. Then, cut it into four and its done. It only takes about 45 seconds in the microwave and she loves them. I also have rice made all the time because she is addicted to it.

[momma-j]

Hello. I am new to this site. My daughter Chloe has just found out she has sprue.

She is 5 yrs old and this is very hard for all of us. She is a very picky eater anyway and hates to try new things. WE found some wheat free cookies she likes but in the mean time we have also found out they have oat flour in them. I am still all new to this so can anyone tell me if this is bad. Thanks Momma_j

[brdbntL]

Momma J,

The problem with things labled wheat free is sometimes they have things that still contain gluten in them, i.e- oats (mainly because of cross contamination), barley, rye, and my favorite malt flavoring. My daughters are also picky. I don't know if this will work with your daughter, but I let mine dip everything into the "dip" of their choice for awhile. I even let my littlest dip carrots into ketchup. Kraft is good about labeling and you can find gluten-free ketchup at the grocery store. This website has also been great for ideas.

Good Luck and know you aren't alone.