With most special diet regimens, breakfast can be conquered quite confidently, a lean meat and veggie dinner is surely a winner, sweets and treats are always fun to eat; but, for most moms that send their special-eater off to a fine school establishment each day, there is a large, dark, and ominous thought cloud lurking overhead which holds one unpleasant and unceasing word (hey - it’s hyphenated, so it counts) “SCHOOL-LUNCH !!!“ [Cue the thunder clap and the evil laugh.]

School lunches are by far the biggest challenge for a child on a special diet. The obstacles abound. In these last weeks of school, everyone, mom, student, and teacher alike, is running low on interest and attention. This is the most important time to keep your confidence in check. As you all reach that finish line of the school year, fuel your special-eater for success. Face those obstacles head-on with clarity and coolness. In this post and the next, I will address those obstacle and some simple solutions to conquering them confidently.

Obstacle #1: What to Pack

School lunches are the most challenging because you are throwing in an extra element to an already limited choice pool. The meal you send must be safe to keep at the temperatures you are able to manage, and must be able to eat without being cooked or re-heated (in most cases). Many schools have arranged for such situations now by providing refrigerators, but not everyone has this option. For those that do not provide this perk already, arrangements can often be made on an individual basis, but many school-age kids feel awkward having to do anything different than their peers.

Quick Tip: Purchase the right food storage containers, like Pottery Barn Kids Spencer Ice Pack Lid Food Storage (which are currently on sale!) or Fit Fresh Containers. Another favorite of ours is the well-known thermos, which is now BPA free. Your storage containers may carry an initial investment, but are an invaluable necessity to making your school lunch-packing a success.
Don’t get into a lunch funk. Use some of these great ideas to pack the perfect school lunch any day of the week:

The BACKPACKER’s CRACKER SNACKER: GFCF Crackers (try Back To Nature’s new Gluten Free selections), with Rice VEGAN cheese slices and fresh fruit.

P.E. PERFECT PASTA: My favorite pasta to use is Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta. Mix with some fresh veggies like organic grape tomatoes, organic broccoli, and organic cucumber. You can add in some leftover chicken from the night before. To dress, simply use your favorite oil and vinegar and spices, or see below for a creamy pasta sauce recipe.

Creamy Pasta Salad Dressing
¼ cup Organic Vegenaise
2 tablespoons Hemp Milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
2 tablespoons organic Apple Cider Vinegar
½ teaspoon garlic salt
Pepper, to taste

ALL A’s PARFAIT: Who says that yogurt is only for breakfast or snack? SoDelicious Coconut Yogurt (plain flavor is lower in sugar). Top with a chopped fruit and veggies salad (recipe below) and send with a side of homemade gluten free granola or our favorite at our house, Enjoy Life Perky’s Flax Cereal, to sprinkle over top.

Fruit & Veggies Salad
Blueberries
Diced cucumber
Diced Mango
Diced Honeydew Melon
Fresh Mint
1 tablespoon raw honey

MATH-WHIZ MUFFIN MEAL: Send a GFCF muffin (see recipe below) and some rolled up Applegate Farms Ham, or Boar’s Head ALL NATURAL turkey (**please read note below on Boar’s head meat products) . Get tired of lunch meat, simply bake off some Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon or Sunday Bacon and send that along for their lunch.

Math-Whiz Mango Muffins
2 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend (like Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour)
2 cups Zucchini, finely shredded
2/3 cups grapeseed oil
½ cups organic sugar
½ cup water
¼ honey
2 tablespoons egg replacer powder
2 teaspoons organic pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup chopped mango (fresh or frozen)
1 jar Earth’s Best Organic Baby Food Sweet Potatoes
pinch of salt

Simple Instructions: In a large mixing bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in all wet ingredients. Stir until well combined. Bake in regular size muffin pans at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean.

SAVE THE FISHIES SUSHI: These are fun to make and fun to eat! You can even prepare them the night before and have them ready to go in the morning. To make, mix your rice in a mixing bowl with about 2 teaspoons of Organic Vegenaise Mayo substitute. Lay out a piece of lunch meat, spread on a layer of your rice mixture, line the middle with veggies of your choice, and then roll tightly. Take a knife and slice ½ to 1 inch thick pieces.

PEP RALLY PEPPERONI PANINI: Use a Panini press or metal weighted food press to grill up your sandwich layered with Applegate Farms or other nitrite free pepperoni, Daiya Mozzarella shreds and your Muir Glen pizza Sauce. This Panini is still delicious at room temperature and is always a favorite for kiddos.

Gluten-Free Breads: Glutino, Schar, Rudi’s, Udi’s and all below…
Gluten-Free, Casein Free Breads: Udi’s Breads & Muffins, Rudi’s Gluten Free breads, Glutino, Ener-G
Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Egg-Free Breads: Food For Life, Glutino, Schar
Yeast Free Breads: Food For Life Multiseed, some of the Ener-G brand loafs

There are many fantastic products available. Be sure to check your labels carefully on each individual product to ensure you are not consuming a product that you may have a reaction to.

….. to be addressed next week…. OBSTACLE #2 : PEER PRESSURE and OBSTACLE #3 : SCHOOL STAFF

Healthy, HAPPY Eating!
** Boar's Head lunch meat selections boast their nitrite and additive free selections, but the optimal selections from Boar's Head are the ALL NATURAL meats. If it doesn't say All Natural, it is not raised antibiotic and hormone free, free of nitrates and nitrites, and free of msg and other preservatives.**