If you follow me on social media, then you most definitely have seen pictures of my older son’s school lunches. My older son is not a celiac but he has a pretty strong intolerance to gluten. That combined with his on-going request to avoid hot lunches has made me have to get pretty creative.
From the many, many emails I get about packing school lunches, I think it’s fair to say that packing school lunch, let alone gluten free school lunch, stresses a lot of you out!
But, let’s keep it real – it’s not going away anytime soon. You feel me on this? We are looking at 12 or more years of packing lunch so let’s make it fun!
HOW TO PACK GLUTEN FREE SCHOOL LUNCH
Roll-Ups, “Sushi” and GF Bread:
While there are a few brands of Gluten Free bread that I really like, the truth is that they are ridiculously expensive so I don’t like to rely on them for packing lunch. I probably pack one “sandwich” every other week at this point. Instead, I like to make pinwheels, “sushi” or roll-ups. Basically, you take a larger piece of lunch meat like turkey or ham, lay it out flat, layer pepperoni or salami, maybe a piece of cheese, a squirt of mustard and start rolling. You can put these into the lunchbox as-is, or cut them into “sushi bites” or stuff them into crispy lettuce leaves for roll-ups. I do all of the above because my son loves variety.
Eat the Rainbow:
This is probably my #1 tip. Color. Color. Color. Look at the lunch and think about mixing colors. You know the saying Eat The Rainbow? It’s because the more colorful your food is, the better nutrition it usually has. Sometimes I’ll pull out a variety of veggies or fruits and then decide what to pack based on what color I feel is missing. This also helps keep lunch interesting. Kids love colors. If your child is vegetable adverse, a fun way to get them excited and trying new foods is to incorporate color themes.
- Red: grape tomatoes, red bell peppers, pepperoni, salami, watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, beets, radish, cherries, red apples, red pears, pomegranate and red grapes
- Orange: orange segments, carrots, cantaloupe, cheese, orange bell peppers, kumquats, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apricots, mangoes, nectarines and peaches
- Green: cucumber, green grapes, avocado, kiwi, green apples, green olives, broccoli, green beans, snap peas, snow peas, green bell peppers, pistachios
- White: coconut, cauliflower, jicama, chicken or turkey breast, macadamia nuts, parsnips, cheese, hard boiled eggs, peeled apples or pears and rice cakes
Cut Fruits and Veggies Into Different Shapes:
This comes back to the whole variety is key comment above. Keep vegetables and fruits interesting by switching up how you slice and dice them.
Ex. Apples: Core and cut into wedges, dice, thinly slice, mash, keep it whole.
What About Treats:
We are not a big dessert and treat household and my son’s school has a “no wrapped candy” policy with a few exceptions around Halloween. However, he is six-years old, likes treats like any other kid and I like to get his buy-in for his lunches. I have found that the more I involve him, the better choices he makes.
One of the lessons we are trying to encourage is eating real food first and saving the treats for last, like a dessert. By letting him pick his “treat”, he is usually way more motivated and excited to eat his lunch and snacks before enjoying it.
Some treats that we include are mini gluten free chocolate chip cookies, Medjool dates, toasted coconut, small pieces of dark chocolate, dye free gummies, gluten free yogurt pretzels and candied nuts of all kinds.
Snack Attack:
When it comes to snacks, I like to keep it easy. Not too many containers and extra utensils. Things my son can eat relatively quickly, get good fuel from and feel satisfied.
Some of the snacks we rotate through are applesauce pouches, high-quality potato chips (olive oil or avocado oil), organic tortilla chips, organic popcorn, fruit and dried fruit, seaweed packages and school-compliant bars.
I love the ones with chocolate on them but also really like cashue cookie. 🙂
I have never had a Larabar because I am unable to afford them. But I adore any combo of peanut butter and chocolate. Blueberry Muffin sounds delicious too as does Cashew Cookie.
chocolate chip brownie!! larabars are my FAVORITE 🙂
chocolate chip brownie <3 larabars are my FAVORITE!!
I love them all. If I must choose one, pecan pie…
Cherry Pie is my favorite with Pecan Pie running a close second.
Cherry Pie and Pecan Pie are my favorites!
Cherry pie all the way
I have to agree with choc chip cookie dough!
Thanks for the lunch ideas! I’m doing a lot of the same things you are, but it’s always great to get new ideas; I’ll be making the “sushi” rolls for sure! As for my favorite Lärabar flavor, hmm… if I win the variety pack, I will try them all and let you know ;-P. Seriously, though, I don’t know; I’ve never had one :-(.
Peanut Butter!!
Love chocolate chip cookie dough!
Cashew Cookie! I love cashews but will overdo it just eating the nuts, Larabar is a great way to get my cashew in a portion control yummy package!
Peanut butter or cashew!
Chocolate chip cookie dough. Great for a snack, quick breakfast or even a small lunch.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is yumalicious!
Pecan pie is my favorite. I love pecans. This is whole 30 compatible also.
Chocolate chip cookie dough
Fantastic article!!! I love peanut butter cookie, chocolate chip cookie dough, cherry pie…can I say I love, love, love, them all!!!!
Cherry pie! Yum!!
Peanut butter cookie is my go-to snack bar because it tastes just as good as the cookies Grandma used to make without all the refined sugar – YUM!!
We love cashew cookie larabars in our house!! My son’s favorite is appple pie!! Yum.
I love the chocolate chip cookie dough, but my husband is a fin of EVERYTHING peanut butter!
My fav is pecan pie! But I like them all!!
My husband is crazy about peanut butter cookie– I buy them by the box!!
Ps. Your lunches are BEAUTIFUL!
Luv…. Luv….Luv….Coconut Cream Larabar. So yummy and creamy….just like coconut milk.
And so healthy for you! ” I’m a real health nut…when it comes to COCO-NUT” 😉
Peanut Butter Cookie is my favorite! Love that they are only sweetened by dates. So good they are in our emergency bag 🙂
Peanut butter LÄRA Bars have a special place in my heart and I ALWAYS feel good because I know they are healthy.
Lol I meant to write that I always feel good when eating them because I know that its healthy haha
Cherry pie is my favorite!
Yummy…..coconut cream pie and then cookie dough…..drool!
Chocolate chip cookie dough! Unless on #Whole30 then it’s cashew cookie!
Who can pick just one? They are all YUM O!
By far chocolate chip cookie dough heated in the microwave for 15 seconds!!!!! Yum yum yummy!
I love so many!! If I have to choose one, Cherry Pie..yummmm
My favorite flavor is definitely Cashew Cookie, followed by Blueberry Muffin. Oh and I can’t forget Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
<3 LOVE LaraBars
Well I love all things coconut so the Lara
coconut cream pie bar is my fav!
Love the lunch box ideas and will be using them when my daughter is in full day school next year!
these lunch ideas rock. even for kids at home 🙂 i love cherry pie larabars! props to that company for keeping those ingredients c.l.e.a.n. woot.
Favorite Larabar – apple. Am sendin your ideas on to two of my daughters for their gluten intolerant husbands to encourage the whole family to take good care of their health and therefore happiness and comfort also.
Thanks for great ideas. My ten yr old grandson will like these.
Peanut butter cookie!!
Coconut cream pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i haven’t found one yet that i didn’t like….lol
Never met a Larabar I didn’t like but…if forced to choose…Coconut Cream Pie for the win!
Im inspired by your lunch ideas! Problem now is convincing our 15 year old son this is still what you should eat for lunch.
Luv peanut butter cookie larabar
I love anything PB but my favorite still has to be the Apple Pie <3
I wish I would of had those fabulous lunches as a kid! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love all your ideas for lunches. Nixon refuses tk eat school lunches and really I dont blame him so starting next week Ill be packing his lunch. Thank you for your tips. I love the blueberry muffin larabar. Delish!
I love peanut butter cookie bar and coconut cream pie — it’s a tie! My go-to travel companions.
The best is chocolate chip cookie dough. Cherry pie is a close second!
I enjoy peanut butter chocolate chip! Thanks for the lunch ideas!
When I am late in the morning, I take a Blueberry Muffin Larabar to work. I really enjoy it with a cup of hot hazelnut coffee. It is like my mom made me a treat for breakfast. I also warm the Peanut Butter Cookie bar and have it with a cold glass of milk as an afternoon snack,YUMMY? SoGood!
Love them all!!! Coconut Cream Pie is my fav.
Chocolate chip cookie dough Larabar is to die for!!!!