6 Tips for Gluten Free Lunches

1. Buy a fun lunch box for smaller kids
2. Invest in a good thermos and lunch size cooler to keep things hot and cold
3. Let them plan their own lunches to be sure they will enjoy what’s in it
4. Substitute Sunbutter for peanut butter if your child is in a nut free class. It’s made with sunflower seeds, but tastes just as good
5. Remind small kids not to trade any food with friends and not to try anything from anyone else
6. Pack a treat – Even if it’s bite sized. It’s hard work being gluten free at school!

75 Gluten Free School Lunch Ideas

1. Breads that work well for PBJ’s – Canyon Bakehouse, O’Doughs, Udi’s
2. Grilled cheese sandwiches – try cutting in half then in 3’s to make finger sandwiches
3. Gluten Free Deli Meats – Hormel, Boar’s Head
4. Sandwich Petals, corn or rice tortillas for quesadilla’s
5. Sandwich Petals for Wraps
6. Leftovers from dinner
7. Frito Pie – GF Chili, Fritos, cheese
8. Hard Boiled Eggs
9. Deviled Eggs
10. Hot dogs (Many brands GF. Check labels)
11. Ian’s Corn dogs
12. Ian’s Fish Sticks
13. Chicken Nuggets – Ian’s or homemade
14. Pasta Salads full of veggies/seeds with Italian Dressing or Pesto
15. Mac and Cheese- homemade or Amy’s or Glutino
16. GF soups in a thermos- Amy’s, Kettle Cuisine, Some Progresso (check labels)
17. GF Sushi – our Asian friends bring this to school all the time!
18. Salads
19. English Muffin Pizzas – love Joan’s and Food for Life English Muffins
20. Tuna Salad or chicken salad
21. Potato salad – great with Italian dressing instead of mayo
22. Delimex taquitos and tamales – click for specifics
23. Nachos
24. Fried Rice with veggies
25. Burritos – GlutenFreeda or Amy’s Kitchen
26. Fresh Fruit- Grapes, apples, bananas, cantaloupe, oranges, etc
27. Dried Fruit- Raisins, Cranberries, Pineapple, Apples, etc.
28. Freeze Dried Fruits – Sensible Foods (available at Costco sometimes)
29. General Mills Fruit Roll Ups & Fruit Gushers
30. Trader Joe’s Crispy Crunchy Apple Clusters
31. Trader Joe’s Sunflower Crepes
32. Popcorn
33. Mini popcorn balls (make your own, bite sized version)
34. GF Chex Muddy Buddies
35. Chex Mix – infinite variations. Here’s one.
36. Kinnikinnick S’moreables Graham crackers
37. Graham cracker squares – Jules GF Graham Cracker Mix (Roll out, cut in 1″ squares and top with cinnamon/sugar before baking. Great bite size snacks! Addictive!)
38. Banana Dog – GF Hot Dog Bun with banana, Sunbutter and honey
39. Home Made Trail Mix – Chex cereals, M&Ms, Nuts, pretzels, seeds, dried fruits
40. Granola – Bakery on Main, Udi’s, Glutino, EnerG
41. Cookies – Pamela’s, Kinni-Toos, WOW Baking Co, Glow Gluten Free, Nana’s, Glutino
42. Cookies – homemade (check the dessert section for lots of choices), Joan’s Frozen or Jules Mix, French Meadow Bakery Frozen Dough
43. Brownies – GF Betty Crocker, WOW Baking Co, The GF Cookie Jar
44. Krispie Treats made with GF Rice cereal, Fruity or Cocoa Pebbles or Chex cereal
45. Banana or Zucchini Bread
46. Udi’s Muffins (1/4  or ½ of an Udi’s muffin may be enough!)
47. Muffins – homemade
48. Mini cupcakes – use a GF mix or a good recipe
49. Chips – Many Frito Lay, Lundberg’s Rice Chips
50. Salsa, Hummus
51. Celery with Sunbutter and raisins, or cheese
52. Sliced cucumber or jicama
53. Cherry or grape tomatoes
54. Carrots with dressing
55. Nuts, Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
56. String Cheese
57. GoGurt
58. Yogurt (Confirm label for ingredients)
59. Lara Bars
60. Glutino Bars
61. Rice Cakes – plain, flavored, or spread with peanutbutter, Sunbutter or cream cheese (Many rice cake brands/flavors are GF. Check labels)
62. GF Pretzels (Plain, or Glutino Chocolate or Yogurt covered)
63. Fruit Cups
64. Applesauce
65. Jell-O cups
66. Jell-O Pudding cups- most are GF
67. GF Crackers – Blue Diamond Nut Thins, Crunchmaster, Mary’s Gone Crackers
68. Homemade Copy Cat Cheez-its – these are amazingly addictive!
69. Bagel with cream cheese or strawberry cream cheese – Udi’s or Joan’s bagels
70. Baked Sweet potato chips – slice thin and bake until Crispy. Top with sea salt or cinnamon/sugar
71. Kinnikinnick GF Animal Crackers – KinniKritters
72. Kinnikinnick Donuts
73. M&Ms, or other GF candy bars
74. Pies in a jar (Make any flavor of pie you like and use any GF pie crust mix)
75. Note of encouragement from Mom and Dad

Always check labels to confirm gluten free status of products.

Have any other creative lunch ideas? Add them in the comment section below.

Before you send your gluten free student off to college, here are some suggestions to make going to college gluten free slightly easier:

1. Meet with the food services director and ask what accommodations are available to gluten free students and ask how many others are on the same diet
2. Tour the cafeteria when it is in use and speak to the cooks about food preparation techniques and ask about their knowledge of cross-contamination
3. If your college requires that you purchase a meal plan, but you realize early on that there is not much suitable for you to eat, ask if they will adapt the requirement for you.
4. Invest in a good microwave and refrigerator for the dorm room. Just about all colleges allow these within their wattage guidelines.
5. Check restaurants in the area online to find out all you can about gluten free options, then visit some of the most likely options and gather a collection of gluten free menus or options that your student can order. I just found a gluten free café that even delivers in my son’s college town!
6. Visit the grocery stores nearby the school to scope out gluten free options.  If your student has a couple of favorite GF items that you can get at home, but you don’t see in the store near the school, ask the manager if they will order a couple of things to begin carrying for you. They are often happy to do it!
7. Mail lots of packages of gluten free goodies from home – especially around finals time!
8. Move out of the dorm as soon as possible and get a place with a kitchen and a few simple GF recipes!

“It is possible that GM food and feed could contain proteins which may cause food allergies in both people and animals. Because of this, EU legislation requires that the possibility of allergens in GMOs and food and feed derived from GMOs be assessed before these products are placed on the market.”

There is no one way to accurately and simply asses the allergen content in the genetically modified foods, but EFSA’s GMO Panel initiated the process in order to update the current assessment procedures based on the most recent scientific data.

“In the opinion, the Panel describes how to analyze the sequence of the proteins in order to identify possible similarities with known allergens; how to test the potential of the proteins to bind with specific antibodies (suggesting they could trigger an allergic reaction); and how to assess the breakdown of the protein during digestion. In addition to assessing the new protein, the Panel recommends that for crops known to be allergenic, the whole GM plant is tested for allergens,” the EFSA stated in a press release.

There is no information given in this particular opinion on what will be done with the information gathered from the tests.

The full text of the EFSA opinion can be accessed on the agency’s Website.

Click here for an interesting website with more information of GMOs.

A few years ago it seemed hopeless that we’d ever see a good gluten free bagel. We dared not dream for a GREAT gluten free bagel. Well, Udi’s Gluten Free Foods bagels are even better than that- they’re awesome!

These bagels are enormous and light and airy, with a traditional chewy bagel outer crust. If you’re hoping to replace your old New York Style bagel, this misses the mark in consistency, but if you’re looking for downright great gluten free bread, this hits the bullseye!

They only come in plain flavor currently, but Cinnamon Raisin and Whole Grain flavors are under development. They’re Gluten Free and Diary Free. They’d make a great sandwich bun, but only if you have a huge appetite. Half at a time is more than enough for me. One bagel is perfect for two lunchbox bagel pizzas.

INGREDIENTS: FILTERED WATER, BROWN RICE FLOUR, TAPIOCA STARCH, CANOLA OR SUNFLOWER OIL, EGG WHITES, POTATO STARCH, EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN, XANTHAN GUM, TAPIOCA SYRUP OR BROWN RICE SYRUP, YEAST, SALT, MOLD INHIBITOR (CULTURED CORN SYRUP, CITRIC ACID), ENZYMES. CONTAINS: EGGS

Udi’s are super convenient. They come in a package of 4 and are great right out of the bag or popped into the toaster for a minute. They are available at many stores across the US and on their website.

Click here to order on Udi’s website.

Click here to find Udi’s Bagels in a store near you.

Joan’s Gluten Free Great Bakes Bagels

Joan’s Gluten Free Great Bakes is the platinum level of bagels, if there is such a thing in bagel ratings. They are dense and heavy, loaded with a generous helping of seeds and things. This is the New York Style Bagel I’ve been looking for, and why shouldn’t it be? Joan is from New York, has raised her family and learned her crazy baking skills under the influence of the NYC skyline.

I’ve tried Joan’s Sesame and Joan’s Everything Bagels – and they do mean everything (tons of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic and onion flakes.) I made these for my son a few weeks ago, two at a time, until we ate them all, and I’m still finding poppy seeds around the house. He’d take one in hand and walk around the house, usually setting it on the piano to play a joyful tune until that bite was gone.

Shipping costs a bit more since the dough is shipped frozen and packed in dry ice. The beauty of that plan, though, is that you get a freshly baked, hot out of the oven treat every time, along with the luscious smell of freshly baking bread. They take a couple of minutes to defrost in the microwave and about 25 minutes in the oven. Make 1 or make them all.

Joan’s Bagels come in a package of 5 in 6 varieties – Plain, Everything, Egg Onion Poppy, Sesame, Poppy, and Cinnamon Raisin. You can also order any of their Bagels Dairy Free as well.

INGREDIENTS (PLAIN BAGEL): WHITE RICE FLOUR, TAPIOCA STARCH, WATER, EGG WHITES, CANOLA OIL, WHEY POWDER, SUGAR, SALT, YEAST, XANTHAN GUM, WHOLE EGGS (CAN BE ORDERED DAIRY FREE)

Click here to order on Joan’s website.

Click here for their store locator. You may be in luck if you’re in the North East.

The Winner

Okay, you figured it out! WE are the winners because BOTH brands are unbelievable in their own special way. Don’t think I say that because I’m easy to please. I’m really not easy to please at all when it comes to Gluten Free breads. These are both genuinely wonderful products!

Gluten Freeville Product Reviews: Products are either purchased by us or sent to us for sampling. If we don’t LOVE it, you won’t see it reviewed here. No money is ever accepted in exchange for a product review. The sole purpose of our product reviews is to introduce you to great new products we have found as a resource to you, the reader.

If that describes you – don’t give up yet! There are several companies putting out some awesome Gluten Free bread products, and right at the top of that list is Udi’s Gluten Free Foods. They have definitely cracked the code to soft, airy, tasty gluten free bread.

Their current product line includes White and Whole Grain Sandwich Bread, Bagels, Cinnamon Rolls, Granolas, Pizza Crust, Lemon Streusel Muffins, Blueberry Muffins, & Double Chocolate Muffins. (Click for ingredients and more product information.)

Udi’s has released some of their exciting development plans, but no release dates – so don’t ask where you can get these. You can’t yet – but watch for them!

• New Bagel Flavors: Cinnamon Raisin & Whole Grain
• New Muffin Flavors including a Bran Muffin
• Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

Let it be on the record that I request a nice sourdough loaf, please!

Udi’s is available at Whole Foods, some Safeways (Colorado) and many specialty/health food stores. Use their store locator to find them nearby.

All products are also available on their website.

Read my reviews of some Udi’s Products:

• Udi’s Sandwich Bread
• Udi’s Double Chocolate Muffins
• Udi’s Lemon Streusel Muffins
• Udi’s Plain Bagels

The company said the new gluten-free line matches the “color, texture and flavor” of traditional pasta and will come in spaghetti, penne and fusilli shapes.

The Heartland gluten-free pasta is egg-free and dairy-free.

Pat Regan, American Italian’s senior vice president, says the new pasta, which is a blend of corn and rice (no other ingredients are listed on their site), is a no-compromise pasta choice.

“Because gluten-free foods typically cost about 79 percent greater than their normal counterparts, a gluten-free diet is more costly to maintain than a non-specialized diet is. With a suggested retail price of $1.99 to $2.69, however, Heartland allows consumers to serve great-tasting family meals that also are economic. “ (Earth Times)

Heartland Gluten Free Pasta is now available at Wal-Mart.

Read the entire press release here.

I saw today’s article on Gluten Free Weight Loss on Wall Street Journal Online, and was thrilled to see it, yet that was nothing compared to opening the Wall Street Journal that had been delivered to my porch and seeing the enormous space and focus this article was given. Granted it is in section D, but it’s almost the entire page, plus half of the next one. I almost felt like yelling out, “Hey, I know him!”

I still have people ask me “What’s Gluten?” don’t you? At this rate, will anyone get to the end of 2010 and still not know what gluten is? Probably not.

This article highlights the fact that many gluten free products are higher in fat and calories and lower in fiber than many of their glutened counterparts. “Gluten Free does not mean nutritious,” says Shelley Case, a registered dietician on the medical board of the Celiac Disease Foundation.

The main three groups of people on the Gluten Free diet are explained – those with celiac disease, those with wheat allergies, and those with gluten sensitivity. “As many as 20 million Americans appear to be sensitive to gluten without having full-blown celiac disease,” according to the article. Giving up gluten has its advantages for many, but losing weight isn’t one of them for most people.

Check out the entire article that goes on to discuss environmental links, testing, symptoms and labeling issues, click here. It’s nothing you haven’t read if you have been gluten free for a while, but it sums it up well for the rest of the Wall Street Journal Readers!

Joan’s Gluten Free Great Bakes

I recently made some of Joan’s Gluten Free Great Bakes Chocolate Chip Cookies. They come in little frozen balls, so you can make as many or as few as you’d like. A little parchment paper is all you need to come up with some pretty awesome cookies. They were such a nice surprise in the sea of mediocre gluten free cookies! These are unbelievably moist, heavy, chewy with slightly crisp edges, and don’t seem at all like other gluten free cookies.

They are the closest thing to real chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven that I’ve tried. I really love the convenience of not having to mix ingredients, and it’s certainly something that family members will grab out of the freezer and make a few every now and then. They come only 12 to a package, but sometimes you’re just worth it. Next time I may cut them in half to make 24 smaller ones as they come out pretty large and thick. (Consider placing a large order with a friend with several products to save on shipping. Products are shipped frozen.)

Ingredients: Gluten Free Flour Blend (corn starch, tapioca flour, rice flour) light brown sugar, sugar, butter, eggs, gf baking soda, xanthan gum, gf vanilla, chocolate chips.  Contains: eggs and milk

Click here to see this product on Joan’s site.

Jules Gluten Free

Then I tried Jules Gluten Free Cookie Mix. It comes in a bag of dry ingredients. In addition to the parchment paper, you need butter, vanilla, shortening, eggs, and any chips or nuts you want to add in. Mix all that together and you come up with the most dreamy, creamy real cookie dough that you can imagine. It seems many of the mixes that I have tried are a sandy crumbly mess before you even bake them, so there is very little hope they will be much better than that out of the oven.

My son requested M&M’s in the cookies since you can choose your own add-ins. He would not likely take the time to mix all this stuff up on his own, although he certainly could, so these are slightly less convenient than Joan’s. They turned out to be very tasty, but a little flat for my liking. I think next time I will add a tsp of baking powder to see if I can get them to rise a bit more. The flavor was definitely a hit, though. Not too sweet, nice and soft and light and really ungluten-freeish. Is that a word? The mix makes about 60 cookies (minus a few for all the dough you will likely eat.)

Ingredients: Jules’ Gluten Free All Purpose Flour[Modified Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Corn Starch, Corn Flour, White Rice Flour, Thickener (Xanthan Gum)], Brown Sugar, Cane Sugar, Baking Soda, Salt, Vanilla Powder, Baking Powder (Aluminum Free).

Click here to see this product on Jules’ site.

The Winner

Okay, so it’s not quite a smackdown. If you are familiar with my reviews, you know I only review things I LOVE, so both would have to be in that category to begin with to make it into a Gluten Freeville review. My tasters were split on their favorites, but both were worthy competitors, and WE are all the winners! They are quite different from each other, so fortunately I don’t have to choose one. I can enjoy them both! Both cookies were pretty incredible and I’d be thrilled to serve or be served either one. I will definitely be making both of these again.

Gluten Freeville Product Reviews: Products are either purchased by us or sent to us for sampling. If we don’t LOVE it, you won’t see it reviewed here. No money is ever accepted in exchange for a product review. The sole purpose of our product reviews is to introduce you to great new products we have found as a resource to you, the reader.

New Gluten Free Food Network Star

Last weeks winner of the “Next Food Network Star,” the show that pits amateur cooks against each other for the coveted prize of their own Food Network show, appears to be a fun and talented cook, as well as a new gluten free foodie.

Food Blogger Aarti Sequeira’s new show debuted yesterday with three recipes, (Sloppy Bombay Joes, Creamy Pistachio Pops, Massaged Kale Salad) that, if using a gluten free bun, could all fit into a healthy gluten free diet, as could the Quinoa breakfast recipe on her blog.

Her healthy fare with an Indian flare impressed the judges week after week.

She explains why going gluten free in May, she “broke up with gluten,” because “on the inside, I suspect he’s poisoning me, causing my skin to break out on my face, and to itch somethin’ awful on my legs (psoriasis). He also gives me some really awful heartburn.”

She doesn’t claim to be on a gluten free diet permanently, but I suspect we’ll see quite a bit more gluten free recipes from Aarti, and perhaps a bit more great publicity for the cause.

Watch Aarti Paarti at noon on Sundays on Food Network.

“The newly re-designed online store has packed in many more features and items to help their customers with Food Allergies and many other food restrictions. The site provides informative videos, resource links, urgent Food Recall notices, new information on Food Allergy research, along with great new Allergen Free Recipes to try at home.”

Customers can search for products free of the top Allergens: Gluten, Wheat, Peanut, Tree Nut, Dairy, Egg and Soy. Additionally, they can search for products that are Kosher, Organic, Salt-Free, Yeast-Free, Cholesterol-Free, Vegan and Vegetarian. More allergen search options will be coming online in the next few weeks.

I checked every single box for one search and still had a few products show up.

One of the best features I found on the site was the recall news of products with allergen containing ingredients. If you have severe allergies to certain ingredients, an undeclared ingredient in a product can potentially be deadly, so the more places that can share this information, the better.

I also found the “Ask the Dr.” section interesting. It featuresDr. Stephen Wangen, founder of The Irritable Bowel Treatment Center in Seattle and author of two books, “The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution” and “Healthier Without Wheat”. He answers five readers’ questions per month, allowing you to ask and read answers from past questions that are helpful.

Click here to read the entire press release.

Click here to check out the Allergiesandme.com store.

They ship within the United States and Canada.