What Are Your Favorite Foods/snacks That You Can Still Eat?

[maitrimama]

I am just a mom trying to help her teenager make this difficult transition. She is 15 and already showing signs of depression since recently being diagnosed with celiac and ibd. I am trying to cheer her up a little (she is starting a therapist) and make her life a little easier. I want to make her a list of foods/snacks that she can still eat from her old life, things that have always been okay (like kozy shack pudding and blue doritos). I big problem is lunch at school, cool kids (of which she has always been) do not bring their lunch to school. Rather than be different she skips lunch and at 5'3" and 95 lbs she can't afford to lose weight. Any tips and advice from those who have been through it will be greatly appreciated!

[GFinDC]

Lara bars apples, bananas, oranges. Planters Peanuts are usually ok just check the label first.

[Bubba's Mom]

Lunches may be a problem if she doesn't want to pack one? Back in the "olden days" when I was in high school we could get a large chef's salad instead of the regular lunch. I don't know if they still have that option?

Snacks:

Rice Krispie treats made with gluten-free Krispies

refried beans and tortilla chips(mission brand and some others)

popped corn

celery stuffed with cream cheese or peanut butter

fresh fruits

Chex cereals ( I eat them out of the box for snacks)

Snickers candy bars

potato chips(check the ingredients)

Stax canister chips

sunflower seeds

Gluten free waffle with peanut butter or Nutella

Glutino pretzels

Nut Thin crackers with cheese

Nachos

Spring rolls made with rice paper wraps

Jello plain or with fruit, or marshmallows

[maitrimama]

Thant you so much! I've done some poking around and Lay's chips have gluten free labeling on it's gluten-free products as does Chobani Greek Yogurt. The labeling is very helpful when is out on her own so she doesn't have to read all the ingredients.

[Lisa]

Send some extra things to share...like homemade rice krispy treats or some great homemade cake or cookies. She'll love taking her lunch when her friends appreciate and look forward to the extra treats.

[missy'smom]

My son(13) is feeling peer pressure with school lunch. It's not cool to bring lunch, however, he does and we have worked out some semi-normal lunches. I also recently contacted the school about purchased lunch. They offer salads and while he doesn't like salad much he's come around on his own because it is "normal" He doesn't like dressing so east it without LOL!. Oh, well if he doesn't mind. The cafeteria here offers salads that are all wrapped before they come to the school so no CC worries there and I called the distric central location where they are packaged up and no C worries there either so he gets his salad with ham and a fruit offering and milk.

Here are his home packed lunches:

purchased chicken rice or chicken noodle soup in a thermos(gluten-free cafe, Progresso, Healthy Choice)

homemade meatballs and brown rice pasta in a thermos, chuncks of cheese on the side or a container of parmesan to sprinkle on at lunch time

brown rice pasta tossed w/ pepperoni, olive oil and steamed broccolini,

broccoli cheese rice in a thermos w/ ham or leftover roasted chicken bits tossed in

sandwiches with various varieties of fruit leathers, dried fruit, fruit cups, fresh fruit

gluten-free crackers, beef bites(several brands including Old Wisconsin, say gluten-free on the label, fruit, cheese

I started packing salads for him too, w/ shredded cheese, ham, chopped chicken, crumbled bacon etc. on top, homemade gluten-free muffin on the side. You could do a taco salad.

Breaksaft for lunch works too-gluten-free waffles, yogurt cup, deli ham.

Hope that helps.

[Roda]

I guess I'm not facing this since my kids are in 1st and 5th grade. They could care less that they bring their lunch while other's buy at school. There are a lot of kids in their classes that pack a lunch. I usually pack some pretty awesome lunches and the other kids wish they had it. Last year when my oldest son was still eating lunch at school, he would ask to carry if there was something that day he didn't like. I don't forsee it being an issue next year when my oldest son goes to middle school either. He has always been one to do his own thing and not care what other people think. If he doesn't make a big deal of it then other's won't either. Of course I tell them that this is the way it is and there isn't much we can do about it but accept it. I know at times they feel sad, and I acknowledge those feelings. We discuss it openly and deal with it together. I recently purchased this product so they could take warm lunches to school. It has opened up so many more options for them. They wait in anticipation to see if they are taking a warm lunch instead of a cold one.

Open Original Shared Link

Here is a thread I started on it:

[sreese68]

Fritos. LOVE those!

Is she crafty? There are people who make VERY creative-looking bento lunches. Just google "bento" and check out some images and websites. You can get rice molds and make rice balls into interesting shapes and decorate them.

Maybe she'd feel better about taking lunch if she could take it in a pretty container or one that was really unique or cool? (I know it helps me! LOL!)

Laptop Lunches makes a nice bento set with nice totes to carry it in. They are good for cold food. Open Original Shared Link

For hot or cold food, a Ms. Bento set is very nice. Pricey, but it does a great job, and she'll need it for years to come. You can see their selection here: Open Original Shared Link I bought the stainless Ms Bento and took it to London this week. It was great! I love that it came with a spoon/fork that has it's own cover. Thermos also has a few small jars that are pretty. I found some at Target.

Good luck!

[lemontree1]

I recently read that celiac disease qualifies for a disability as far as the National Nutrition Program goes. If you contact the school nutrition services and provide them with a Dr's note, they are required to provide a gluten free alternative of the school's lunch for your child. I'd try to look up the specific source, but it will have to wait until later when I have a little more time.

[lemontree1]

I just found where I read about receiving gluten free school lunches. Here is the link: Open Original Shared Link

[maitrimama]

Thx so much for your help! It is my goal this weekend to put together some quick reference cards, including the various gluten-free food symbols for her. I'll laminate them and she can stick them in her wallett!

[Kelby]

I see you have received a lot of tips on what to send in the lunches, but as a teenager maybe I can lend some insight into the whole "cool kid" ideology.

Sure, maybe the cool kids dont bring their lunches, but why not question that socially constructed idea? ie) You know what is cooler than not bringing a lunch to school? Bringing healthy lunches, and protecting your body from damage is way cooler than eating chicken fingers and poutine from the cafeteria.

Moreover, what you may not have realized is that in general, there is a outcry to society to drop your video game controllers, turn off the TV and get active and healthy. What better way to get healthy than follow a strict gluten-free diet which forces you to maintain a healthy standard in your meals?

It is COOL to be healthy, and I know a lot of my friends used to rub it in my face that I wasnt as healthy as them.

Try and boost her mood by enforcing the idea of healthy living, and make sure she has an edge over those "cool" kids simply because she is going to be feeling better and healthier than them in general.

Sorry if that seemed sort of choppy, but hopefully you find it useful.

Good luck!

KM

[Roda]

I see you have received a lot of tips on what to send in the lunches, but as a teenager maybe I can lend some insight into the whole "cool kid" ideology.

Sure, maybe the cool kids dont bring their lunches, but why not question that socially constructed idea? ie) You know what is cooler than not bringing a lunch to school? Bringing healthy lunches, and protecting your body from damage is way cooler than eating chicken fingers and poutine from the cafeteria.

Moreover, what you may not have realized is that in general, there is a outcry to society to drop your video game controllers, turn off the TV and get active and healthy. What better way to get healthy than follow a strict gluten-free diet which forces you to maintain a healthy standard in your meals?

It is COOL to be healthy, and I know a lot of my friends used to rub it in my face that I wasnt as healthy as them.

Try and boost her mood by enforcing the idea of healthy living, and make sure she has an edge over those "cool" kids simply because she is going to be feeling better and healthier than them in general.

Sorry if that seemed sort of choppy, but hopefully you find it useful.

Good luck!

KM

Well said KM. It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders!! This is the kind of attitude I'm trying to instill in my two boys. My oldest son, who is 10 1/2 is very much like this. He does or doesn't do something because HE wants to not because anyone else wants him too. He has been a trooper (he is not diagnosed celiac but doing a gluten free trial) and has been taking his lunch everyday to school. He doesn't care what other people think. He knows he is doing what is best for him. My six year old had a harder time with going gluten free, not because he was different because he packed his lunch, he was dealing watching everyone else eating something and he couln't(we kept a stash at school for such things). He has really came out of his shell and is defensive when it comes to his food now. He gets really angry if someone tries to mess with his lunch with good reason. If someone cc's it he doesn't eat. He has learned to advocate for himself and realize it is alright to tell people no when it comes to his food/health. I'm proud of them both!

[mushroom]

Nuts of all kinds. I am nutz about nuts (except peanuts ) But them almonds, macadamias, walnuts, pecans, hazelnutls... mmm. I love for breakfast yogurt, flaxseed oil, sliced almonds and berries (fresh or frozen, machts nixt.)

[maitrimama]

KM - I like your attitude. My daughter is doing okay. Her best friend has gone gluten free with her! How sweet is that!!!

[mushroom]

My new favourite snack - a rice cake spread with Nutella

[nampalady]

I just found where I read about receiving gluten free school lunches. Here is the link: Open Original Shared Link

I'm signing up with my school district in Sandy, Utah (Canyons). On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays they will make a gluten free main dish that copies what everyone else is eating: enchiladas, burgers, etc. First I called my lunch lady and she emailed me the form for my doctor to fill out.. Also my son's middle school has a salad and potato bar option daily. I also emailed all his teachers and took in emergency treat bags for each class with ranch Doritos, fritos or Cheetos and some jolly ranchers.

[x0xteenyx0x]

I am 21 and when i found out that i was a celiac needless to say it was not welcomed, and kind of depressing at times. But the more you spend living with this i feel it gets better. Chips i find are very good "normal" food that i can eat with everyone else, also betty crocker has gluten free cake mix and it is pretty good. If you live in canada presidents choice has a new Gluten free cookie out from their TV show, and it good. Cheese, nuts, yogurt, fruit, candy bars, are all good but make sure to read whats in them 1st of course

As for lunches Gluten Free Pantry has pizza mix for the doe, so you can make up some gluten free pizza they can take to school with them.

Or get a deep fryer and make some deep fryed food the night before (wings, fries..) and they can bring it to school and warm it up. (i do this all the time )

hope this helps out a bit

[Booghead]

At my school my friends with celiacs eat the salad bar and on tuesday and thursday they get baked potato. I live right by the school so I come on home for lunch. Much tastier and it gives me some time to cool down from all the social and mental interactement. But then again no one has ever called me a social butterfly

[gfpirate]

I totally understand your dilemma with the buying lunch thing... high school isn't always easy. Soon enough though, I realized that it's better just to bring my own lunch and dare to be different rather than suffer the consequences of cross contamination and hidden ingredients. Most schools provide options like fresh fruit and chef's salad, which are most likely gluten-free. If you are worried about salad dressing, perhaps she can discreetly bring her own (Hidden Valley makes small disposable containers of Ranch).

My favorite snacks include:

Udi's gluten-free Sandwich bread with turkey, mayo, and avacado

Tostitos Tortilla chips and salsa

Jell-O and Jell-O pudding

Lay's potato chips, barbeque, sour cream and onion, salt and vinegar

Ruffle's cheddar chips

Salami wrapped in pepper jack cheese with mayo or cream cheese, lettuce

Carrots/Celery with ranch dip

Nachos

Chex Cereal

Scrambled Eggs

Udi's gluten-free muffins

Wendy's Baked Potato

Chick Fil A waffle fries

Taco Bell Tostada

Hummus

Spinach Dip (with Udi's gluten-free bread)

Rotisserie chicken

Frozen French fries

Apples and caramel dip

Peanut butter

I'm a 17 year old with Celiac, and it isn't always easy. I have times when I feel sorry for myself and want to scream about how it just isn't fair. And in reality, it's NOT fair. But the way I see it, I'd rather eat healthy from home than risk harming myself. I hope she can enjoy some of these options:)