Healthy Gluten-Free Food

I saw someone mentioned rice and beans. I also seem to remember someone on another request mentioning sending soups in a thermos, so I imagine just about anything could be sent warm in a thermos, ie. casseroles, soups, nacho cheese for tortilla chips, stew, rice and beans, maybe even enchiladas. I guess what I am saying is, lunchbox lunches don't have to be cold lunches.
Good luck!

My 5 and 2 yr old girls can't have wheat, or dairy, and only small amounts of corn or soy, so I know how difficult it is to find food for your kids. I have actually been able to find some breads they can eat in the freezer section of the grocery store, and there are good recipes for bread available. My MIL gave me "The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread" and I really like it. However, wheat-free baked goods are expensive (even home made)! So, I try to do lots of fruit and veggies. Here are some of the things my girls really like to eat right now:

celery and peanut butter or almond butter;
lettuce wraps - romaine hearts work great for this, and cooked chicken breasts or tenders, sauce for dipping;
rice crispy bars (you can make your own, obviously, or get these prepackaged from Enviro Kids, there is a little corn starch in them and dairy in the chocolate flavor);
smooshed fruit flats;
hummus and "Mary's Gone Crackers" original flavor, and veggie sticks or apple slices;
wheat free brownies or cookies or "Enjoy Life" brand snacks;
a handful of nuts;
apple sauce packets;
bag full of veggie slices, green and red peppers, carrots, broccolli, celery, etc.;
pbj on tortillas (we use rice, but you could use corn)

My girls also like rice and beans, but I don't know if that's any good cold in a lunch. They eat a lot of bananas, apples and oranges, too. Good luck!

My son usually gets a container of goat's milk yogurt, a small bag of pistachio nuts, a "juicebox" of rice milk, either an apple or an orange, and some sort of meat (usually some leftover grilled chicken) which he likes to eat as if they're coldcuts. He has milk allergies, cannot have wheat or wheat gluten products and is on a really restrictive diet. This lunch seems to keep him pretty happy. If you're in Denver, Deby's Gluten-free Bakery and Cafe carries gluten free sandwich breads and a bunch of other gluten free stuff (muffins, etc) which would probably work well in lunchboxes. I think they also do web orders. I know what a challenge it is to feed kids on a tough diet...good luck and I hope you get some really good feedback to your request here since I'll be checking back to see what others say!

I know what you mean! My 9yr. old daughter and I have celiac disease and finding new lunches can be rough. We have yet to find a GF bread that is edible. They lack flavor and are too dry. I see that you have gotten some good suggestions, but here are a few we have done that I didn't see listed:
Snack size rice cakes (ranch flavor) w/ tuna fish
apples w/ GF Peanut butter
Cheesy Chilada casserole
Ants on a Log (celery w/peanut butter and raisins)
Fresh Fruit - especially pears
Lettuce Wraps - like from PF Changs but homemade
Homemade GF potstickers
Flavored Applesauce - all kinds
Yogurt w/ GF granola
Apple Cinnamon Rice Cakes
We also make GF chocolate chip cookies, and GF muffins as a treat. One website I like is bluechipgroup.net because they carry many gluten free flours, mixes, etc. cheaper than I've found elsewhere. I wish you the best of luck! I am anxious to hear other suggestions you may get.

I think all kids are looking for treats in their lunch box. I know that was always important to me as a kid. You can get pretzel sticks, brownie mix, and chocolate chip cookie mix (among other things) at http://www.bobsredmill.com/ If you can find a brazilian store in your area you can also get a gluten free mix for cheese balls/bread called Pao de Queijo (or you can find a recipe online - it's made with tapioca flour). There are tons of choices for you that can be good for the kids but that they'll also want to eat.

E.,
It looks like you have gotten some great ideas. We love hummus and other bean dips made from scratch. We take black, great northern or kidney beans, canned, and pop them in the food processor with olive oil, garlic salt, and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice. You can season it beyond that however you like. Then send these dips with a myriad of different things to dip in them from fruit and veggies to chunks of cheese, gluten-free crackers, tortillas, anything. I used to make my own hummus, but now Costso has a wonderful and cheap hummus that we purchase there. You could also try yogurt and gluten-free granola. Hard-boiled eggs in wedges, etc. I try to do finger foods and get creative. Good luck!

There is a wonderful site called pecanbread.com that has lots of info. It is primarily a celiac site, has tons of recipes, and other info. Mostly moms too. Also, come in to our Herb/suppliment shop for a free wellness consultation for your entire family. Call me for an appointment or look at my site here on momasource under Sequoia Woman Health & Healing. Special free offer for members. Blessings to you and yours
S.

I checked out a book from the libray called Gluten-Free Quick and Easy by Carol Fenster. A friend made me a great meal from it when I had my baby. It has delicious recipes (even for people like me who don't have any gluten allergies or aversions).

Bob's Red Mill is one of our favorites. You might also look for bread mixes at a health food store. My son never took to them, but I do know some people who like them. We just do without sandwiches, but then, he's not going off to school yet, either.

E.-have you checked out the Bob's Red Mill website? Not only do they have a ton of products for a gluten-free lifestyle, but they have a great recipe area. Just search on gluten free: http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipe/

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=172&sid=2610076

This is a news story by KSL about a store in Taylorsville which sells gluten free products. There may be ideas that you can find in their store. Good luck!

I am struggling with the same problem right now! My second grader was just diagnosed with a wheat allergy and HATES eating the wheat/gluten free bread.

I pack him his own version of a lunchable. I have this neat tupperware container with small compartments. I pack him lunch meat like turkey, ham, or salami and some rice crackers or Corn Thins (which are much yummier than rice cakes). I put in some fruit and then a little sweet like a gluten free cookie or a marshmallow. I hate giving him a sweet everyday but he's having such a hard time adjusting to not being able to eat "normal" lunches. Sometimes I just pack him some tuna in a thermos with the crackers, etc. Somedays when his stomach is really bothering him I just send him with a thermos of rice, some applesauce, and a banana.

We know for sure about wheat and dairy, but he still has problems on some days. The allergy testing didn't show anything else, but our doctor said he might be "intolerant" to other things and it's just a matter of figuring out what those things are! I'm going to check out that website you mentioned!

I'm looking forward to some other options for his lunch, so I'll look for your post and see what others responded!

Hi E., Love your website. My 2 little guys have the celiac gene, but have never had gluten in their diet. My husband (AKA taste tester) is celiac, as are most of his relatives, so we have a Gf household.

Have you discovered the Food for Life brown rice tortillas? They make great sandwich wraps and quesadillas. I will sometimes use one of these quesadillas as the base of a quick pizza. The boys love them. If you are using them as a wrap, nuke them a few seconds with a moist towel to give them a little more flexibility.

They also like cold cut roll ups(roll up cheese and veggies inside 2 cold cuts)they can dip into a sauce.

I have tried lots o' bread mixes and find that Pamela's makes a wonderful sandwich bread that doesn't break up like lots of GF bread does. I add flax meal and molasses and even protein powder to pump up the nutrition a bit. SOOOOOO much better than some of the crumbly store bought GF stuff out there.

I also make a fruit and veggie bread (using the basic banana bread recipe on the Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose flour bag). I sub a rough puree of whatever veggie/fruits I have (zucchini, sweet potato, banana, raisins, carrots, dried cherries...you get the picture) for the banana amount, add flax meal, molassses, nuts, and use agave. It pretty much flies out of the kitchen.

Happy Lunching, Songbird

get some input from your boys on what they want for lunch and then they will probably eat it. if most of their friends are bringing 'lunchables', they probably want something similar. or if most of their friends each hot lunch, make your lunches resemble the hot lunch schedule.

i hated sandwiches in my lunch in elemetary, so i ate lots of left-overs (mainly gluten-free pasta dishes), breakfast food like waffles or even homemade chicken nuggets. the torilla pizzas another person suggested is a great idea. i also second a lot of finger foods, mainly fruits and veggies. yogurt is filling and helps with digestion if there are no dairy/casien worries.

hope this helps.
D.

Hi E.,

I don't have any ideas but am interested as well. So if and when you get those ideas if you could post them on your website that would be fantastic! I love your website, I'm looking for ways to feed my family healthier but am having a hard time cost wise. I would like to go organic but find that its so expensive and can't really afford it. Do you know of any discounts or coupons that can be used? My parents currently buy coconut butter online and use it for everything and am trying to find stuff thats gluten free. Its in everything! I found wal-mart sells gluten free juices and was excited to find them @ only .97 a carton:)

Thanks so much and good luck finding lunch ideas pleas pass them on.

A. M

I'll be visiting your website from now on. It should help keep me out of the GF rut. My kids like hummus wraps with sprouts, olive oil, olives, (basil?), and ham. GF tortillas. Also potato chips, GF cookies (Glutino), banana bread, fruit, veggies and rice crackers with sheep cheese. Also, we make sushi together and they take rice balls or california rolls. We use crab meat, cucumber, carrot, sesame shake, wasabi and tamari. Sushi rice is made in the rice cooker with a little rice vinegar and sugar. You can roll the rice balls in toasted sesames and kosher salt. In a pinch, I send store bought sushi with them. Also Inari are easy to make. The wrappers are available at Japanese grocery stores (I think they are GF) and use the same sushi rice. Ethnic cooking that doesnt have a hx of flour use supplies a lot of ideas. Middle Eastern Cooking for example. Claudia Roden has an excellent cookbook on ME Cuisine. Good Luck!

Check out this store http://www.outsidethebreadbox.com/index.php?&MMN_posi... They've a God-send since my son was dx with Gluten/casein/Whey intolerance.

Their bread (cookies, pies, bread crumbs, etc) are delicious and now they make a new bread called "Imagine" that is so much like "regular bread" you won't know the difference!

I too appreciate lunch ideas. Our problem is that my son is sooo picky.

Take care,
T.

I pack my son sandwiches. I just buy Gluten free bread and make him peanut butter and jelly or I buy good all natural lunch meat and make him those sandwiches. Then I put in some fresh fruit and maybe some gluten free crackers. I have also packed leftovers that can be eaten cold. Hope this helps.

You need to check into seeing if there is a chat room or a message board in your website. I have a friend that could only eat gluten free foods. She slowly learned a few things and it all helped very much. If you are looking for a fun way to pack their lunch put it in sun bagies that have stuff on them or colored wrap.