Back to School Gluten Free with a Stash of Kozy Shack Pudding

How fast the summer has flown by and it is time, once again, to return to school.  Along with buying school supplies and new shoes, I take a few extra steps to get my gluten free kids ready for a new year. 

• Sample Letter to Teachers and Parents:  Start off by letting your school and other parents know of your child's needs.  Follow this link to a Sample Letter for Your School.  

• The Lunch Box:

There are so many gluten free options that packing the school lunch box is not as hard as it used to be.  My gluten free kids have taken their lunch to school everyday for seven years.  Here are some of our fun ideas:

 My kids love having a lunch box that is uniquely theirs.  One year, we bought one at the M&M store in NYC that looked like a bag of Peanut M&M’s and my daughter loved it.  For the last couple of years, we have carried the soft lunch bags by Built such as this  BYO Rambler Lunch Bag - Black Dots They come in an array of colors and designs that make them somewhat unique, they are soft so they can be easily stuffed into a gym bag or back pack, they are easy wash and easy on the environment.  

• Pack More Food than your Child Needs:

You never know when a situation could arise where your gluten free child needs extra food.  A spontaneous invite after school for a play date is okay because she will have extra food left over from lunch for snack.

• Keep Lunches Fresh:

Who would not get tired of eating the same thing every day? It can be challenging, but rotate some favorite things through the lunch to keep it interesting.   Luckily, gluten free kids can now have a sandwich on gluten free bread that looks just like what everyone else is eatting.  My kids currently prefer Udi bread but I have been loving Canyon Bakehouse.    It has such an appealing taste and the slices are larger than the Udi bread. 

 

For some other fun ideas try:

 

• Kozy Shack Pudding is awesome in the lunch box or for a class party.  Rich and creamy, a great snack that won't leave your gluten free kid wishing for something else! 

 

• Glutino Gluten Free Crackers with slices of cheddar cheese or ham for something different from a sandwich

 

• Eden Organic Pumpkin Seeds

• Snyder's of Hanover gluten free pretzels. Snyder's has taken the extra step to certify their pretzels are GF.  My kids love to dip them in peanut butter.

• Jo-Sef - Graham Crackers

 

• Fruit Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Roll ups by General Mills

 

• PureFit Nutrition Bar, Almond Crunch Flavor, 2-Ounce Bar   Great when the kids are going straight from school to a sports activity.     They are very filling.

 

• KIND Bar Fruit & Nut Delight Not as filling as a PureFit bar but my kids prefer the taste of these bars.