Gluten Free Mom

Ideas for the Gluten Free School Lunch Box

It is that time of the year when the school uniform pants get too short and my kids start to complain about their lunches. 

I can't blame them;  my GF Teen has taken her lunch to school everyday since third grade and our school offers virtually nothing that my two gluten free kids can eat.

It is always about this time of the year when I get really tired of making three lunches every morning and they get tired of the food.

Here is what we have been packing in school lunches this year.  I would love some new ideas/suggestions from all of you!

Some Ideas for Gluten Free Lunches.

MAIN ENTREE:

Warm food always taste good at lunch.  Pack an extra paper towel in the lunch so they can lay it down in the microwave then put their food on top of it.   Just leave the paper towel in the microwave when done and pack some wipes to cleanse hands before eating.  Some warm food options:

• Lundberg Heat & Eat Organic Rice Bowls

• Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Soup Just add water and microwave for 3 minutes.

• Glutenfreeda Burrito
• Gluten Free Pizza – this is a kid favorite.  Just keep a couple of pieces from dinner the night before, put them on a paper plate in a gallon zip lock bag, the student just needs to remove the paper plate and warm.
• Leftovers from Dinner – if you buy the right thermos, you can eliminate the need to warm it up.  My daughter loves tomato soup in her lunch.  Or buy a canned soup by Kettle Cuisine.
• Nachos – in the morning I will pack some GF Tostitos with shredded cheese in a microwavable container.  My daughter warms it at school to melt the cheese.  Pack a little container of GF salsa too.
• Macaroni and Cheese – Make Your Own or buy a frozen one from Glutino’s.
• Ian’s Chicken Nuggets

If a microwave is not available:

• GF bread with butter and cheese – Udi’s bread holds up really well in a lunchbox.  I toast it in the morning, add whatever toppings my kids like, and then seal it all up in a Ziploc bag.  Use Sunbutter if you cannot use peanuts.
• GF bread with Hormel Natural lunch meat or Boar’s Head deli meat and cheese
• GF bread with Nutella Hazelnut Spread
• We call these The Luke’s Special because my son invented it – take a GF corn tortilla, smear with cream cheese and add some shredded cheddar cheese.
• Go Picnic Meals similar to Lunchables but with GF options
• Glutino Gluten Free Bagels with Cream Cheese
• Quinoa Salad

FRUIT:

Okay pretty obvious, but something different to try:

• Satsumas
• Applesauce
• Bowl of raspberries, strawberries and blueberries mixed together
• Cantaloupe
• Dole Fruit Bowl of mandarin oranges
• Grapes
• Dried Fruit by Sensible Foods

VEGETABLES:

• Bags of carrots
• Pickles
• Celery sticks
• Cherry tomatoes
• Avocado (the first time she tried an avocado my daughter was hooked on them. Slice in half, remove the pit, and fill the bowl with GF balsamic vinegar)
• Can of V-8 Juice
• Sliced cucumber

SOMETHING COLD:

• This usually means yogurt for us; Chobani and Stonyfield are certified GF by the Gluten Intolerant Group.
• Sliced cheddar cheese
• Frigo cheese sticks

SNACK ITEM OR BAR:

• Hard Boiled or Deviled Eggs
• Microwave Popcorn
• Wonderful Pistachios are naturally GF.
• Our Favorite Homemade Granola Bars
• Eden Organic Pumpkin Seeds
• Glutino Gluten Free Crackers with slices of cheddar cheese.
• Food Should Taste Good A cross between a chip and a cracker, these are my favorite go to snack item. Certified GF.

  

• Snyder's of Hanover Gluten Free Pretzels. Snyder's has taken the extra step to certify their pretzels are GF.  A snack I can count on!

 

• Fruit Gushers, and Fruit Roll Ups by General Mills
• KIND Bars My GF Teens favorite snack bar – she loves the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew bar. 
• Kind Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters My GF Teens favorite snack!  A protein packed blend of peanuts and natural GF grains.
• Frito lays has an extensive list of gluten free chips that they have "validated through analytical testing that the following products contain less than 20 ppm of gluten."  They seem to add more and more chips to the list every few months.
• Halfpops Are just that – partially popped kernels with great flavor.  Gluten, trans fat, corn and preservative free!  Love these!

DESSERT:

• Whatever gluten free treat I made that week such as 123 Gluten Free Sweet Goodness Pan Bars or King Arthur Chocolate Brownie Mix Makes a delicious chewy and soft brownie that is not griddy at all! 
• Make your own Chocolate Brownies

• Udi Muffin My kids love the Double Chocolate Muffins but half of a muffin is more than enough.
• Candy Tree Organic Vines This great gluten free licorice is such a special treat and a favorite snack.
•  WOW Wheat and Gluten Free Cookies and Brownies These are the best of the best; Large, soft and delicious.  Much like you would find at the local bakery.  The price reflects the quality of the ingredients - organic ingredients, high quality butter, and cane juice. 

• Kozy Shack Chocolate Pudding

 

What do your kids pack on their lunch boxes?

Hold the Dairy Too - GFCF Diet

If you read this blog, you are probably already gluten free.  Some of us face the double challenge of being on a dairy or casein free diet and a gluten free diet, often times called the GFCF diet.  

There is difference between lactose intolerance and a true dairy allergy. 

Lactose is the sugar that is present in dairy products. The body produces lactase at the tip of the intestinal villi.  Lactase is the enzyme responsible for digesting lactose. If the villi are damaged, as can happen with Celiac Disease, not enough lactase is made and a person develops lactose intolerance.  Some people with lactose intolerance may be able to tolerate dairy on occasion and can treat it with lactase replacement digestive enzyme before meals.  As such, some foods labeled lactose free may contain milk derivatives such as caseinate and butter fat or butter oil.

Some people who avoid dairy are actually allergic to casein. Casein is the protein found in milk.  People who are on a Casein Free diet for medical reasons will usually avoid all dairy products.  In addition, some people pair a casein free diet with a gluten free diet to treat Autism Spectrum Disorders and difficult to treat digestive disorders like Crohn's Disease or IBS. 

The information provided here is for those on a Casein Free diet who are avoiding all forms of dairy. 

 

Foods that contain casein include but are not limited to:

Milk
Cream
Half & Half
Yogurt
Sour Cream
Cheese
Butter
Sherbet
White or Milk Chocolate
Ice Cream
Ice Milk
Creamed Soups and Vegetables
Soup Bases
Puddings
Custard
Whey

All bovine milk and milk products
contain casein.

 

 

Foods that may contain casein include but are not limited to:

Margarine
Tuna Fish
Dairy-Free Cheese (most brands)
Cosmetics, Medicines
Lactic Acid
Artificial Flavorings
Semi-Sweet Chocolate
Hot Dogs
Lunch Meats
Sausage
Ghee

 

Kosher is good. 
Foods certified as kosher non-dairy or pareve are free of dairy proteins.  Of course, Kosher free does not equate to gluten free, so you still need to check on the gluten content.

 

Casein-Free Alternatives:  By experimenting with our recipes, we have found that many can be converted to also be casein free.   There are also many over-the-counter casein free alternatives.

 

• Cow’s milk: Try a non-dairy alternative milk such as a GF Coconut, Almond, Soy or Rice Milk.  My first choice is coconut milk but it can taint some foods with that coconut flavor.  To avoid that, use almond milk.  Both have the consistency of a whole milk.  
• Coffee Creamers: So Delicious French Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer is heavenly.
• Butter: Earth Balance non-dairy spread.  Tastes, spreads and bakes like real butter.  For baked goods, try Spectrum Organic Shortening.  Olive Oil is another great dairy stand-in.  Pour it on your baked potato.  Pour some on a plate and add garlic salt and pepper and dip your gluten free/casein free bread sticks in it.  Top a pizza with olive oil, red peppers and some tomatoes.  Pour over your favorite buttered noodles and add garlic salt.
• Buttermilk:  Take GF Soy milk and mix with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice. Let it sit until it thickens.
• Chocolate Chips: Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Tropical Source Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.
• Cream Cheese: There are non-dairy versions available at natural food markets.  Make sure and check that they are GF as well.  Try Tofutti Brand Better Than Cream Cheese® but read about what they say about being GF HERE.
• Dry Milk Powder:  Dari-Free Non-Dairy Milk Alternative-Original: From Vance's.

• Sour Cream:  There are non-dairy versions available at natural food markets.  Make sure and check that they are gluten free as well.  Tofutti also makes a non-hydrogenated Better Than Sour Cream that is casein free. Best Foods Mayonnaise can also substitute for sour cream. When making tacos, I mix it with salsa for the taco topping. (My entire family does this now, even the ones that do not have a dairy allergy).  I use it in the same way when we go out to dinner. 

• Yogurt: There are many casein free yogurts.  I love the So Delicious Dairy Free Cultured Coconut Milk “yogurts.”
• Cheese:  Daiya makes a GF and CF cheese that comes shredded and in slices.  The flavor is fine but it takes some extra heat for it to melt.  If making a pizza, place under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp the cheese topping.

Recipe for Casein and Gluten Free Cheese Substitute.  The following is our recipe for a dairy free cheese substitute.  This is a savory cheese that works great in lasagna, calzones and pizzas.  It is not a substitute for baked sweet treats.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 - 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pound medium to firm tofu
• 3 Tbsp good olive oil
• 2 - 3 Tbsp ume plum vinegar
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• Additional optional spices such as rosemary or thyme

Directions:

Press the water out of the tofu by holding it between two paper towels and pressing firmly.

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor except the optional spices.  Start with 2 Tablespoons ume plum vinegar and then add more as you desire.  Process until smooth and creamy.  Taste and add more salt if needed.  Add optional herbs and pulse until combined.

Yields about 2 cups.

Click HERE for a Printable Version of this Recipe.

Gluten and Casein Free Recipes.  Many of the recipes listed on this site are naturally casein free or easy to convert.  I include casein free alternatives in the recipes when available. 

Some recipes that are specifically gluten and casein free include:

• Gluten and Casein Free Quiche
• Chocolate and Soy Smoothie
• Gluten and Casein Free Macaroni and Cheese
• Ranch Salad Dressing

 

 

Related articles

Gluten Free Diet: What is Allowed and What is Not

Gluten Free - Just Like Me

Gluten Free Cold Pasta Pesto Salad

This cold pasta salad is so good!  I have been searching for a great GF cold pasta salad that would stay good for a few days.  Because of the nature of GF pasta, it tends to get hard after a day or two in the refrigerator.  I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman's Blog and knew I had to convert it to a GF Pasta Salad

Success!  It tastes so good and lasted three days in the refrigerator without getting stiff. 

This would be great as a summer BBQ side dish.

I added some garbanzo beans to give it a little more protein. I sent it to school for lunch and my GF Teen was so thrilled to have something new to try. 

Take your lunch to work?  Throw this in a container with a cooler pack and you are set.

 

Recipe for Gluten Free Cold Pasta Pesto Salad

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces Fusilli GF Pasta – I used Bionaturae
•  1/3 cup Pesto – You can Make Your Own Pesto or use Napoleon Basil Pesto which is available at most grocery stores
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
• 1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, Halved
• 1 cup Garbanzo Beans
• 4 ounces Mozzarella Cheese, Cut Into Cubes
• 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Cook the pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Then drain it and rinse in cold water.

Allow pasta to dry slightly and toss in a bowl with 4 tablespoons pesto.  Cover and refrigerate pasta until cold.

Make the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and milk with the rest of the pesto. Add salt and pepper, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed. The dressing needs to be somewhat thin and pourable in order to coat the pasta.  

Add the dressing to the cold pasta and stir.  Top with tomatoes, olives, garbanzo beans, Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Store in the refrigerator.

PRINT this Recipe.

How to make this Recipe Casein Free:

As most of you know, I am the only one in my family who is also Casein Free.   I enjoyed this salad by using Tofutti Non-Dairy Sour Cream and Almond Milk.  I served the cheese on the side and left it off my portion. I used my homemade Pesto which I leave the cheese out of.

Make your own Pesto: 

It is really simple and easy to make.  Store the extra in the freezer.

Recipe for Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

• 2 cups basil leaves, washed and dried
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper

Directions:

Pulse the basil, garlic, pine nuts and cheese in a food processor until finely chopped.  Drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube until pureed.  Add salt and pepper.

This freezes well in 6 ounce plastic containers.  Drizzle with a layer of olive oil before freezing to keep it green.

PRINT this Recipe.

 How to make this Recipe Casein Free:  Leave the parmesan cheese out or replace with Parma Vegan Parmesan.

The Best Gluten Free Cold Cereal

 

What is your favorite GF cereal?

There are several choices when it comes to gluten free cold cereal.  The first type that we tried was Gorilla Munch by Nature's Path EnviroKids.  That was eight years ago.

• Nature's Path continues to be a favorite GF cereal.  They offer enough kid friendly brands that keep my kids interested.   Gorilla Munch is a great alternative for Kix and Amazon Frosted Flakes are just as good as anything Tony the Tiger makes.  Plus all of the cereals are certified organic and non-GMO.

Finally, Nature’s Path is still committed to making safe GF cereal.  I recently received this email from them when I asked about the methods they use to ensure their cereal is GF.

Dear Jamie,


 

Nature’s Path is committed to producing quality organic foods, using the best ingredients available, while adhering to strict quality control procedures.

 


We do make other cereals that contain gluten. However, our strict production schedules and quality assurance methods ensure that the least sensitive foods are produced first. The products that contain gluten, soy and finally nuts are made and then the entire line is cleaned and the process re-starts. The equipment and cereal is periodically inspected & tested for gluten contamination. To ensure the safety or our gluten free products, ingredients used in gluten free products are stored in a segregated area of the facility. Before each product is made, we do a full allergen cleanup on the production lines. We use various cleaning methods such as rinsing, hot scrubber machines, vacuums and organic compliant cleaning solution followed by protein tests on the equipment. Cleaning is supervised and checked off by Q.A. To further ensure that our equipment is free of gluten, a specified portion — at the beginning of the run — is not utilized in gluten-free cereals. A sample of the final gluten free product is tested specifically for gluten to 5ppm as per regulatory requirements for gluten free products in North America.

 

Our gluten free products are certified through the Gluten Free Certified Organization (GFCO). Their logo appears on the packaging of our gluten free products.

 

WHILE WE TAKE EVERY MEASURE TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH OF CONSUMERS, WE RECOMMEND YOU ERR ON THE SIDE OF HEALTH & SAFETY. Highly gluten sensitive individuals should consult their healthcare provider to determine if Nature’s Path gluten-free foods meet their particular dietary needs. 



 

Kind regards,



Chloe

• Barbara's Gluten Free Cereals makes five GF varieties that are free of artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, non-GMO verified and free of refined white sugar.  Their GF varieties include:

• Multigrain Honest O’s – toasted O’s made from certified pure oat flour for a bowl of crunchy, authentic goodness
• Organic Corn Flakes – organic corn crafted into scrumptious flakes
• Brown Rice Crisps – airy crisps of organic brown rice, simply sweetened with fruit juice and non-GMO certified
• Honey Rice Puffins – a family favorite made from whole grain brown rice with a hint of honey
• Multigrain Puffins – crunchy pillows, made from certified pure oats, corn and brown rice

 

My kids give two thumbs up to the Honey Rice and Multigrain Puffins.  The Brown Rice crisps work nicely in GF Rice Krispie Treats. 

 

Although Barbara’s is not a gluten-free facility, they told me that "our GF products run on lines only when other lines in the vicinity are not running or are running other gluten-free products.  The machines receive extensive cleaning before the production and are tested for gluten throughout the run before packaging or shipping the product.  The ingredients coming in are gluten tested to guarantee their gluten free status."

In addition, 

Barbara’s commitment to a true wheat-gluten free product led us to purchase “pure” oats.

These oats cost almost four times as much as conventional oats but the result is a truly wheat gluten-free oat. Our oat products are certified by the Gluten-free Certification Organization (GFCO) and tested by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).

• Glutino Cereals offers several types of cereal including a Honey Nut Rings that is like a Cheerio.  Glutino products are not certified gluten free but extensive testing is done to ensure all products meet the standard of less than 20 ppm.

• Enjoy Life Foods also makes a Crispy Rice and Flax cereal. 

• Erewhon's Gluten Free Cereals makes ten different GF cereals including a Corn Flake and a Crispy Brown Rice. They also make a a Buckwheat and Hemp cereal for those looking for alternative grains.  Erewhon cereals are also organic, non-GMO and certified GF. 

• General Mills Honey Nut Chex General Mills now makes six gluten free cereals so your GF kids can keep on enjoying some of the brands they ate before going GF. General Mills states, "we follow the FDA guidelines for a product being gluten free. We do clean the lines and we do test regularly."  If the cereal is not clearly labeled GF, then you should not consider it as such, as they state "if there are no gluten- containing ingredients listed in the product ingredient label, but the product does not make a gluten free claim, it is because we cannot fully assure that this product is gluten free. While we have not added gluten-containing ingredients, factors such as sourcing, conditions of manufacture, etc. do not allow us to provide the full level of assurance that a gluten free claim requires." 

• Freedom Foods Tropico's are a good replacement for Fruit Loops.  Manufactured in a GF facility. Click on the photo below to order from Amazon.com

• Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles tested to less than 20 ppm gluten

• Kellogg's Rice Krispies A lot of people were happy when Rice Krispies launched a GF brand. But buyer beware,  there's room for confusion. Kellogg's didn't replace its original Rice Krispies cereal (which contains barley malt) with the new gluten-free version; instead, it's marketing both, and most stores are selling both.  Make sure you grab the box that is clearly labebed Gluten Free.

• Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Buckwheat Flakes is a low fat and cholesterol free lightly sweetened whole grain cereal.

 

You can save money and order most of these Gluten Free Cereals on Amazon.com.

Have you tried LesserEvil Snacks Kettlecorn? What are your favorite premade GF snacks?

What are your favorite premade Gluten Free Snacks?  Forgive me for a minute, as I am not talking about fruit, veggies and cheese, which are our regular snacks.  I will say it once again, that the best and easiest way to go GF is to go naturally GF and eat more fruit, veggies and cheese.

But this is real life and every once in a while we have to grab a premade snack.  You know, the kind that comes in a shinny bag, that you can grab as you are running out the door to do one-more-errand before the kids get home from school.

I have been updating my Snacks list and just heard from the very nice people at LesserEvil that their Kettlecorn is made "in a dedicated factory where no other products are made with gluten."  They also  "require detailed written confirmation from each supplier, that ingredients supplied are free from gluten" and they "conduct random sampling and independent testing of finished products to confirm
our products are gluten free and our testing is below 5ppm."  Lastly, they have "ongoing employee training at our production facility that ensures that everyone involved in the process is acutely aware of the importance of their role in producing a safe product."  Now that is GF Cross-Contamination Policy that I like! 

Some of our other favorite snacks include:

• Crackers  In order of preference:

Glutino Gluten Free Original Crackers Our favorite everyday crackers.  They taste great!   But buyer beware, a lot of times we find that 1/3 of box has broken cracker crumbs in it.

Zero Grano Straight from Italy these are saltine-like crackers but actually much better!  Light and crunchy with a hint of rosemary.  Great with soup.

Schar Table Crackers Another saltine-like cracker.  And I remember the day when you could not find one good gluten free cracker.  All of the Schar products and facilities are 100% dedicated gluten-free.

Cheddar Crackers by Outside the Breadbox Craving a gluten free cheesy cracker that will remind you of a Chez-it?  Look no further we have found them and they are made in a dedicated GF bakery.

 

Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers A lighter cracker that works well with a dip or spread.  Certified GF!  You can find these at Costco.

Edward & Sons Brown Rice Snaps Our favorite flavor is cheddar cheese flavored.  The kids like these with sliced cheddar cheese and Boar's Head meats.

 

• Pretzels, Chips and Salty Snacks

Snyder's of Hanover Gluten Free Pretzels. Snyder's has taken the extra step to certify their pretzels are GF.  A snack I can count on!

Glutino Original Bagel Chips Love these GF Bagel Chips – great for dipping!

Food Should Taste Good A cross between a chip and a cracker, these are my favorite go to snack item. Certified Gluten Free.  We love the Sweet Potato chip dipped in hummus. 

The Better Chip These Chips are surprisingly good for a healthier snack item - made from double corn masa, 40% fresh veggies and enhanced with a smidgen of sea salt or natural seasoning for a better tasting chip. They only use natural ingredients. No preservatives. No gluten. Nothing genetically modified.   Naturally gluten free and processed on GF lines. However, "they are packaged in the same facility and sometimes on the same pack lines as gluten-containing products. Through 3rd party certification we have verified that The Better Chip® line exceeds current FDA requirements for gluten free labeling and we perform ongoing testing on finished products to ensure continued compliance with our strict gluten-free standards."

Frito lays has an extensive list of gluten free chips that they have "validated through analytical testing that the following products contain less than 20 ppm of gluten."  They seem to add more and more chips to the list every few months.

Halfpops Are just that – partially popped kernels with great flavor.  Gluten, trans fat, corn and preservative free!  Love these!

Lesser Evil Kettle Corn What is better than the taste of sweet chocolate and salty popcorn?  No trans fatty acids and low fat as well.  Best of all, my kids love it. 

 

Okay - what are some of your favorite GF snacks?