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 It’s
that time of year again. Yes, it’s time to strap that
backpack onto your little one and send them off to school.
Despite the usual anticipation, or in some cases dread, going
to or returning to school can pose some interesting challenges
for kids with Celiac disease. If you are discouraged with
school lunches, bag lunches and so forth, I’d like you
to think about the positives this diet offers your children.
Being on a gluten-free diet actually forces your children
to make better food choices. All the processed junk food and
processed hot lunches the school cafeteria’s offer are
packed with not only gluten, but with unnatural preservatives
and other additives which are not necessarily healthy for
your children. Being on a gluten-free diet enables your children
to focus on eating wholesome and largely organic foods, in
addition to fresh fruits and vegetables.
The fact that your kids are now eating better
quality foods still doesn’t address what to pack them
for lunch! Although this diet may force you to look outside
the "lunch box" for great ideas, there are many
great ideas perfect for kids sack lunches. This past year,
we at Glutenfreeda discovered a wonderful gluten-free food
product that would be perfect for kid lunches. The product
is Don
Pancho Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas. These tortillas taste
great and not only make fabulous burritos but also are perfect
for gluten-free
wraps. Prepare the wraps the morning before school, wrap
in foil and drop in the lunch bag. They are perfectly delicious
enjoyed at room temperature. The beauty of the wraps is that
you can vary the ingredients — giving you some more variety
over the course of the week. (For more ideas on wrap fillings
and complete step-by-step instructions on how to make these
awesome wraps, check out our September
2005 on-line cooking class.)
We’ve also found the best packaged
bread to be Kinnikinnick.
These breads are quite tasty — lacking the all too familiar
"rice taste" we have all grown so ‘un-fond’
of! I have spoken with many families who say this is the only
bread their kids will eat. You still may find that it tastes
better toasted first — but for some reason many kids
don’t seem to care if it isn’t hot at lunch time.
In addition to our best 2005 gluten-free
food find, below you will find a few great tips for your child’s
next ‘sack’ lunch:
- Purchase small hot/cold containers that
will hold a single portion. This way you can cook an extra
serving or two for dinner and pack a hot lunch serving in
your child’s lunch.
- Spread a slice of gluten-free deli meat
with mayo and roll around a slice or stick of cheese. Secure
with a toothpick.
- Cut up fresh vegetables and include a
small sealable container of dip.
- Make some homemade fried chicken…tastes
great cold!
- Make extra popcorn for an evening snack
and mix it with some nuts for a great snack for lunch.
Below you will find a great idea calendar
to stick on your fridge for some great lunch ideas.
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
These menu ideas are just that…’ideas’.
Don’t break your back trying to make each and every thing
on this calendar. This is meant just to get you back in the
swing of things and hopefully keep your kids excited about
eating gluten-free!
We hope you and your kids have a great school
year!!!
- Glutenfreeda
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