Every Day Gluten Free - Tips on Living Gluten Free Day to day

Sending your Gluten Free Child to School:

One of the hardest places for gluten free kids to be is school.  This will vary greatly from school to school, but it is in this environment where they learn to stand on their own and make good choices about not eating all of the glutinous food offered.   It is also here that they confront some of their toughest gluten free challenges.  As parents, it is our responsibility to do all we can to make their school day as enjoyable and as safe as possible.

Notifying School Authorities and other Parents about the GF diet.

At the beginning of each school year, send out a letter to the school nurse, the receptionist in the front office, the Head of the School and the teachers.   Also request a copy be placed in the substitute teacher file.  It is often the other parents who bring in snacks so email a copy to all of the parents in your child's class. 

Follow this link to a sample SAMPLE LETTER TO TEACHER AND PARENTS

Classroom Stash of Gluten Free Snacks.  Provide the teacher with an assortment of gluten free snacks for those unexpected situations that will come up.  If you have informed the parents and teachers, hopefully you will be prepared for birthday and class parties.  But there always seem to be special treats that get brought in that you do not know about.  Provide snacks that are durable to withstand whatever may come their way in the classroom.  You also want to provide some healthy snacks that can be eaten in case of an emergency.  

• Kind Bars – my daughter likes the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew Bar
• Starburst candies - or some other GF candy that won’t melt if it gets hot. 
• Glutino Vanilla Cream Cookies – equivalent of a GF Oreo
• GF Pretzels
• PJ’s Beef Steak Jerky
• Almonds if they will allow them in the classroom
• Juice

I have found it easiest to put everything in a gallon zip lock bag that is clearly labeled with your child’s name and “Gluten Free Snacks.” 

Provide a container of kitchen wipes.  I also provide a container of kitchen wipes so that desks can be wiped down after other students eat gluten treats.

Gluten Free School Lunches.

The only thing our school provides that my daughter can have at lunchtime is the milk.  Therefore, she takes her lunch to school every day. The following are some tips on making gluten free school lunches as fun, and manageable, as possible.

Buy a Fun and Different Lunchbox.

Buy your child a fun lunchbox that is not like everyone else’s and clearly label it with your child’s name.  One year we had the standard issue Target lunchbox that several students had. One day I had to bring an emergency lunch to school because someone else had grabbed her lunchbox by mistake. 

Make it fun because they will carry this lunch box everywhere (school, sleep overs, parties).   We bought one at the M&M store in NYC that looks like a bag of Peanut M&M’s and my daughter loves it.

When my daughter out grew lunch boxes, we converted to using plastic bags from Target and the grocery store.  This made it easy for her to toss the lunch bag after lunch and not need to worry about bringing it home everyday.

Pack More Food than your Child Needs.

Even though most schools do not permit it, all kids trade food.  Remind your child never to eat anyone else’ food.  Having extra lunch in her bag to share lets her be a part of this lunchtime social exchange. It does not have to be your expensive special GF treats – we often pack a bag of sunflower seeds to pass around on the playground.

Additionally, you never know when a situation could arise where your GF 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.

Lastly, it is good to have extra food in the event of an emergency.   I feel better knowing my daughter has a little extra food.

Keep Lunches Fresh.

The hardest part about carrying a sack lunch everyday is keeping it 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.

Our lunch ingredients are broken down into six main categories: main entrée, fruit, vegetable, something cold, snack item, and dessert.   Sticking to these makes it easier for me (I don't have to think too much before my coffee kicks in) and for my daughter to make her lunch in the morning. She can put in whatever she wants, as long as there is one thing from each category.

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

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Visiting Family and Friends

As more and more people become aware of the GF diet, visiting family and friends for dinners or sending a GF child for a sleepover has become easier.  But you still have to take a few things into consideration.

There will always be someone who thinks a little nibble of gluten won’t kill you.  Let’s just say it upfront and move on.  No matter the detail with which you explain your diet, there will always be someone who thinks a little nibble of gluten will not kill you.  You can get really irritated about it, or you can just feel sorry for them for their lack of understanding and move on down the food line.

When someone invites you over for dinner.  Honestly, one of the hardest situations is when someone offers to cook for you or your family.  When you receive this kind of offer, first offer to bring safe food for your family.  In all honesty, this is the easiest answer for everyone and will leave you feeling the safest about what you eat.  If they won’t let you bring an entire meal, then you can also offer to bring a dish to share.  Make sure you serve yourself first before others contaminate it at the dinner. 

If they really want to cook for you and you are going to be eating food cooked by someone else in their kitchen, they need to understand the ins and outs of the diet as well as you do – they have to know what is and what is not GF and about cross-contamination.  Start by sending them an email with the same information that you would share at a restaurant. You can use this sample Gluten Free Dining Card.

Just to be safe, eat before you go.  I often eat before I go to a party or an event.  Even if I have been promised a GF meal, there have been too many times when I have arrived and something made me not feel comfortable about eating the meal.  I stick with the motto, when in doubt, go without.  If it turns out they have safe GF food for you, well you will just be extra full!

Sometimes you just need enough backbone to say “Thank You, but No.”  I have a great friend who is a wonderful cook and whom I thought understand our diet, but I have had a couple of meals at her house that have left me feeling awful. As hard as it may be, I just finally had to say “thank you, but no.”  This can be hard on friendships, but you have to protect your health and/or the health of your family.   

Sleepovers.  Your child needs to understand their diet and restrictions as well as you.  Life is pretty straightforward at home, but someone else’s home can be a minefield.  Make sure your child knows what they can and cannot eat and how their food needs to be prepared and handled so it will not be contaminated.  Also, talk to the parent and make sure they understand everything. Since they will most likely be involved in the preparation of the food it is important they understand contamination issues.  Send them a copy of the Gluten Free Dining Card so they can understand what is involved in the preparation of safe food.

Some parents will understand and some will say they understand, and then try to serve your child fruit they cut up on the breadboard.  That is why your child has to be aware of cross-contamination issues.  If the child is just too young or you have any doubts, then send everything the child needs for dinner, snack and breakfast and take away the doubt. 

For dinner, send food that is self-contained to prevent contamination issues and/or that can be warmed in a microwave.  If they are having pizza, make one at home and send in a container that can be microwaved or if the parent does not mind cooking, assembled a pizza at home on our own cookie sheet and send it with cooking directions.

Send plenty of snacks that can be shared.  What is a sleepover without a late night snack?  Popcorn is always easy and a hit.  Newman's Own Microwave Popcorn- Natural is GF.  Click HERE for a long list of GF snacks.  If the kids are eating other non-GF snacks, make sure your child knows to get their portion before the snack can be contaminated or send individually bagged snacks. 

Don't forget breakfast.  Sendgluten free cereal in a covered bowl or an Udi Muffin. 

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