gluten-free lunch ideas

Gluten-Free Meal Plan

Gluten-free meal plan prep has become a way of life for our family.  With myself and my daughter, highly gluten intolerant, we really have to be careful.  I wanted to show you an example of what I have given my daughter.  Practicing packing lunches for my kindergartener and I think this combo might be a hit!  Here is what I packed for her, food items I use all the time:

• Organic Sausage
• Almonds
• Carrots
• Raspberry
• Cantolope
• Black Bean BBQ Organic Chips
• Hummus

These items really are part of my gluten-free meal plan.  Now to get frilly toothpicks because these plain ones just won’t do. I love going the extra mile to treat my little girl like a lady.  She is only small once, I will never get this opportunity again. 😉

This gluten-free meal plan list, is really just a mix and match.  These are the main foods I give my kids.  I really stay basic and consistent.  I don’t really make it a big list.  My kids hardly ever have soda, and have never had fast food.  That is not to brag, we just don’t have those things as a family and we educate our kids on why.  We also keep our meals simple.  We have found they love all these food items probably because we just have not introduced them to the junk that we had before we got healthy.

• Oranges
• Bananas
• Chicken (Organic breast and thighs from Costco)
• Tacos (gluten-free tortilla shells, ground turkey, lettuce, home made guacamole, salsa, green onions, romain lettuce, yogurt, and black beens.)
• Grapes
• Eggs
• Spinach/Kale/Lettuce
• Dried Fruit
• Fish of any kind
• Gluten-Free Toast – we love Udis or Rudis.
• Organic Peanut Butter
• Vegan Chocolate Chips (the kids love these, we get them at a co-op near where we live.)
• Organic Fruit Snacks (Costco has some bulk options)
• Any vegetable!!
• Pamela’s Gluten-Free Pancake Mix (My husband makes pancakes once a week, but only uses about half a cup of mix and includes 7 to 8 eggs.  He calls them his “protein pancakes”.  It is probably the kids favorite meal.)
• Broccoli (it is a staple and our most eaten vegetable.  Just steamed with a little himalayan salt.)
• Coconut Chips (I already have a write up on these.  Love them!)
• Shakeology (Yep, they have it everyday….I practice what I preach!)

I will continue to add to this list.  But our gluten-free meal plan is simple.  Take basic healthy foods and have our kids eat them consistently.  (Here is another lunch idea I posted.)  We don’t keep them from eating junk occasionaly, but their main treats are included above.  Literally this is the list we eat from 5 to 6 days a week.  My husband BBQs chicken every week, he makes a braised leafy green and egg mix every day, which he shares with our son.  It is crazy how well our kids eat and mostly it is because we share what we eat with them.  We just all eat the same thing.  No one gets different food at dinner.

So be encouraged and make your own gluten-free meal plan.  It is not hard, but you have to be consistent with your kids and you need to eat it with them.  We can’t expect our kids to eat things we aren’t willing to eat.  Oh and I also give them gluten-free waffles for breakfast occasionally!  Anyways, I hope this helps, please share your ideas….I need all the help I can get!