Managing Life as a Gluten Free Student

It's not always easy being a gluten free student. It's hard seeing your friends eat things you can't have (it does get easier with time and practice). It's not fun packing lunch every day or standing in a different lunch line. Each day takes extra thought and planning, especially if you are involved in after school activities.

Growing children should start the day off with a healthy breakfast. My kids love GF oatmeal with raisins, eggs and toast, or GF cereal and milk. They take their lunch to school daily, but some schools provide safe GF menu options for kids. If your school does not have a GF food program check out details in my post entitled Gluten Free in School. This article provides everything you need to help your school initiate a GF food program. If you decide to send lunch to school with your kids, these Arctic Zone lunch bags are the best! Check them out. They come with amazing ice packs that keep food cold for hours. I wish you could buy these ice packs separately on Amazon but you can get more here. If they are out of stock, sign up and they will send you a notice when they have more in stock. They work wonderfully in any type of cooler or lunch bag. These Rubbermaid containers are our favorite for lunches. They have all of the good things about storage: dishwasher safe, microwave safe, stackable and easy to store, and durable.

Did you know you can safely send hot food with your child for lunch? This Thermos is the perfect size for their lunch bag. It will keep food nice and hot for at least 5-6 hours. No need for a microwave! Make sure you follow the pre-heat instructions and fill the Thermos with boiling hot water for 5-10 minutes before you fill it with food. The food should be steaming hot when you place it in the thermos. These steps will ensure hot food for lunch that is safe to eat! Perfect foods for the thermos include soups, casseroles, pasta, mac and cheese, meatballs, pulled pork, taco meat. The food must have a little moisture to stay hot and safe for several hours. Dry foods do not work well in the thermos.

Growing kids do not function well physically or mentally if they fast for more than four hours. This means they will need a snack in the afternoon. Make sure they have a supply of gluten free snacks in their locker. School lockers often get pretty congested with other things. You might ask the school administration if there is an office or a classroom cupboard where your child could stash some gluten free snacks. Maybe the school nurse would have a spot. You might be well acquainted with a teacher who would be willing to store some snacks in their classroom. Make sure this place will be easily accessible to your child. If you ask for help and get nowhere, ask someone else until you get what you need. With persistence, you will find someone who is willing to help! Our GF kids are so lucky because their dad is a middle school teacher. His classroom has been a wonderful, central location for them to store snacks. He even has a small fridge in his room where they keep a few cold things. This has been a luxury!

Need some good ideas for school lunches and snacks? Check out our Favorite Products Page and Top 12 Gluten Free Snacks Kids Love.

Lastly, it is common practice for kids in elementary school to bring treats for birthdays and holidays. Make sure you develop a plan with your child’s teacher at the beginning of the year. Pick up a supply of your child’s favorite GF snacks or candies and give them to the teacher for safekeeping. These treats can be used when your child cannot eat the cupcakes or special treats brought in by other students. If a parent calls you asking for ideas that are safe for your child you can refer them to my post entitled Gluten Free Party Treats Everyone Will Love. It has a good variety of 10 easy GF treats along with tips on how to prevent cross-contamination! SLAM DUNK! Also you can check out this amazing gluten free candy list .