Gluten-Free School Lunch Tips and Menu Ideas

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(republished post from 2016)

School will be back in session in just a few weeks. When it comes to packing lunches, I will be packing Jack's lunch every day, 5 days a week, 20 days a month, for 40 weeks out of the year. That's a lot of lunch packin'! But, I don't complain, as it keeps my boy healthy.

But, you gotta get creative, so it doesn't get boring and your child says, "Do I have to eat that again?"

Below I have some tips to offer you and some gluten-free menu ideas.

3 TIPS: 

• Lunch doesn't mean having a "sandwich"- anything nutritious that fills your kiddo up until they get home from school will be just fine.
• Packing a lunch full of iron and protein packed foods, will help provide energy for the afternoon math test.

3 DO(s) FOR PACKING LUNCHES:

• Healthy Foods - Fruit, Cheese, Yogurt, Turkey, Veggies 
• Milk or Water
• Pack a little treat - other kids at school will bring all types of treats and even buy ice cream from the cafeteria. 

3 DON'T(s) FOR PACKING LUNCHES

• Sugar Drinks 
• No items that are too hard to open - they need to focus on eating, not trying to open something for 10 minutes
• Minimal plastic baggies - it really is a waste - find a great plastic container to reuse  

GLUTEN-FREE SCHOOL LUNCH IDEAS

Lunch 1:

(Jack's Favorite lunch)

Hard Boiled egg
Strawberries
Spinach leaves (yes, he eats SPINACH!)
Yogurt
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Milk

Lunch 2:

Turkey and Swiss Cheese Roll-ups
Strawberries
Carrot Sticks

String Cheese

Yogurt

Milk

Lunch 3: 

PB and Jelly sandwich on your favorite GF bread
Lay's Potato Chips
Pear Slices
Carrot Sticks/Spinach Leaves
Yogurt
Glutino's Chocolate Chip Cookie
Milk

Special treat in this one! And extra ketchup packets, save
them for lunch!

Lunch 4:
Perdue Breaded Chicken Tenders  
Fritos
Grapes
Carrot Sticks/Spinach Leaves
Cybele's Cookies
Milk

Lunch 5:

Pizza Squares - Udi's Pizza Crust or Kinnickinnick Pizza Crust - bake, cut in squares, put in thermos to keep warm.

Mandarin Oranges
Carrots/Spinach Leaves

Yogurt

Milk

Here are some products to get you prepared to pack lunches every day! From lunch containers to an individual cupcake holder for parties and more, I got you covered! 

Happy lunch packing! 

Best wishes for a great gluten-free school year!