It’s back to school time and once again we are faced with what to feed the kids at lunch in the cafeteria.  For many of us, during the summer it is much easier to prepare meals, and lunch in particular, since we have a controlled kitchen and all the kitchen appliances to go with it.  But once we send our kids to school we have to give up a little control unfortunately and provide lunches that can be prepared in the school cafeteria (with the use of a microwave or hot water dispenser), or prepare a sack lunch that we know our kids will enjoy and eat!

We at Glutenfreeda Foods, have been working very hard at producing food products that will not only please adults but also our little friends as well.  Perhaps this is a shameful plug, but I really felt that it was worthwhile highlighting our products since they are all authentic in taste and kids love them!  Not only are they delicious but they have all been created with convenience in mind.  

New to the market this year are Glutenfreeda’s Burritos – the first wheat-free, gluten-free frozen burrito.  Delicious and authentic in taste, our burritos are made from all natural ingredients, contain no  trans fats, no hydrogenated oils and are a cinch to prepare.  Simply take the frozen burrito, tear off the top strip and microwave in the bag (eliminating any possibility of cross contamination) for about 1 minute per side – the cooking time will depend on the strength of the microwave, but this is a fair approximation.  Our burritos come in 4 flavors – Breakfast Beef, Chicken & Cheese, Bean & Cheese and Vegetarian & Dairy Free.  My kids favorites are the Bean & Cheese and Chicken & Cheese – but they also enjoy the other two.  For a great lunch, drop 1 frozen burrito (or two) in a thermo lunch bag (and tell your child how to prepare them – perhaps test them together first), along with some tortilla chips some salsa and some fresh fruit.

If your school is like ours where they also serve breakfast or if you find yourself rushed in the mornings and are looking for some healthy breakfast ideas for your child you should know about our other new product, Glutenfreeda’s Instant Oatmeal.  Our oatmeal is naturally flavored with dried fruits, spices, and organic maple sugar and is made from certified gluten-free oats.  We have intentionally kept the sugar and salt to a minimum – this is not like Quaker’s flavored instant oatmeals – but rather a wholesome, lightly sweetened oatmeal.  If your child likes it sweeter you are in control of the additional sugar added.  All of our oatmeal is also fortified with flax for added fiber and nutritional content.  Our oatmeal comes in 3 flavors – Apple Cinnamon, Maple Raisin and Banana Maple plus we also have a variety pack.  Each box contains 6 individual serving packets so you could just drop a packet into your child’s backpack and have them add hot water at school.  Simple, easy and delicious.  

And finally for the treats!  Let’s not forget our first product line, introduced a couple of years ago – Glutenfreeda’s Real Cookies.  Our cookies are pre-formed, frozen cookie dough made from all natural ingredients.  No scooping, no mess, no fuss – just delicious, honest to goodness, yummy home-baked cookies that just happen to be gluten-free.  These cookies are so easy to make – any busy mom or even a kid can make them.  Just open the re-sealable container, take out as many frozen cookie dough balls as you want and set them frozen on a baking sheet.  Bake for 18-20 minutes….and voila you have perfect cookies that taste exactly like the real thing.  No one will believe they are gluten-free!  You can even send a full dozen or so of these cookies to school with your kid for class parties, school events or bake sales.  Glutenfreeda’s Real Cookies come in 6 flavors:  Peanut Paul & Mary (Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip – also dairy free), Chip Chip Hooray (Chocolate chip), Peanut Envy (Peanut Butter), Chocolate Minty Python (Dark Chocolate Mint), Snickerpoodles (Snicker Doodles) and Sugar Kookies (Sugar Cookies).  Each container contains approximately 1 dozen cookies.

We are continuing to develop new and exciting food products that are authentic in taste and return convenience back to the gluten-free family.  Please keep an eye out for new products from Glutenfreeda Foods in the near future.  Our products are available at natural food stores and grocery stores throughout the US and on-line at Amazon.com and the Gluten-free Mall (search keyword ‘glutenfreeda’).  If you would like your store to carry any or all of our products please ask your store manager to bring in our items or take in our Retailer Request Form.

For other great ideas for gluten-free back to school food items you can find either on-line or at the grocery store please check out our Back to School Special Section mid month.

- Chef Jessica

ADVERTISEMENT