No Gluten, No Problem: A Parent’s Guide to School-Year Eating

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By Molly Winsten, MS, RD

Wow, somehow, someway, it’s already August! Fall is quickly approaching, cozy meal ideas are on the brain, and of course, with the end of the summer comes back to school. Time for new supplies, new clothing, the start of a new year and everything that comes with it! For families managing celiac disease (CD), the new school year can also mean new obstacles to overcome in order to keep your family safe. A new school with a new cafeteria can be difficult to navigate, the beginning of an after-school activity means more snacks are needed, and the ease of summer and go with the flow meals starts to quickly fade away as we face the hustle and bustle of the school year. While a gluten-free (GF) diet poses its own challenges, we are here to offer all sorts of helpful tips, tricks, recipes and more to make this new year the best one yet!

Let’s start with school cafeterias. Depending on your school, your child might be able to have a safe, GF school lunch – if that is the case, that is AMAZING and we are so happy for you!!  Having a team that cares and understands your child’s needs is such a relief, and we are grateful to all teachers and school staff for making this possible. However, not everyone has a cafeteria that is able to handle CD or other restricted diets, and on top of that, there are many events and products within school that could include food that could pose a risk when it comes to keeping your child on a strict GF diet. Therefore, we feel it’s important to cover both easy, GF lunch ideas, and some strategies to navigate the classroom. For school lunch, a typical sandwich on very soft white or wheat bread just isn’t the case. We all know the GF bread can be difficult to keep together, and we don’t want any children feeling like they are making a mess or unable to eat their food in peace! So, while we love GF sandwiches, here are some non-sandwich, balanced GF lunch ideas that any kiddo could enjoy!

  • Mini charcuterie plate. GF crackers, cheese cubes, salami bites, turkey slices, carrot sticks, olives, chocolate squares, dried fruit – the possibilities are endless and it’s so much fun!
  • Chicken Caesar salad is great for protein and is meant to be cold so easy for a lunch box. Parmesan cheese crisps make a great crouton replacement too!
  • Pinwheels/rollups – GF wrap, cream cheese and jelly, turkey mayo mustard, chicken and hummus, soft cheese and veggies, so many combinations!
  • If your kiddo prefers more sweet to salty, a yogurt bowl is a great option! Greek yogurt or whichever is a favorite, fruit, seeds, chocolate chips and even some sprinkles!

In terms of school activities, it’s always a great idea to talk specifically to your child’s teacher about their needs and really make it clear that if there is going to be an activity in the classroom that involves food, to reach out to you at least a week in advance. This way you can prepare a GF option for your kiddo, or potentially even provide suggestions for a snack that’s GF for the whole class! With fall, the holidays comes lots of food, based projects and activities, so reaching out in the beginning of the year could make a huge difference. Another great option is to pack a basket of GF snacks so that your teacher can have them on hand in case a food activity comes up, and that way your child is covered and will never feel left out!

When it comes to older children in middle and high school, they often want more autonomy and want to enjoy eating out more with their friends. While packing lunch is still an option, it’s important to make sure your child knows that they too have some choice in possibly eating out or even at school if safe food is offered! There are some chain restaurants that are known to have good GF protocols, which is great for middle and high schoolers because eating out is such a big part of socializing! Some more exciting lunches could include beautifully plated salads with lots of colorful fruits and vegetables, vegetable spring rolls using rice paper wrappers, GF sushi from a celiac safe spot (keeps great in a chilled lunch box), and more elaborate charcuterie boards. All of these things feel a little more grown-up, but still provide great GF nutritious options!

For students of any age, investing in a good thermos is also a great idea! You can pack some amazing lunch into a thermos to keep it warm, and you can adjust it to be GF, but still be similar to what everyone else is eating! Idea for a thermos include GF mac & cheese, GF soup, GF chili (send with a bag of gf corn tortilla chips for the ultimate nachos or “walking taco”, recipe follows!), and even work for items like gf chicken nuggets or hot dogs! Another great option if your student has access to a microwave will be GF noodle cups – there are now many brands that make GF soup cups and they are very easy to take with you on the go. This is also a great option if your student has extracurricular activities after school, because they can bring these and they don’t need any refrigeration or anything, just some hot water or a microwave, and then they will be fueled and ready to go all afternoon!

Speaking of extracurricular activities, these can also have some food requirements! Make sure you talk with your child’s coach or instructor about if/when food would be involved so you can prepare. Finding a safe and good tasting bar or high protein snack such as a meat snack is great to keep your kiddo fueled! You can also make your own power bites at home with a variety of ingredients, recipe follows!

Before we conclude, it’s always important to know that with the start of school always comes the start of more and more food based activities as the holidays quickly approach. We will be sure to highlight more food options as the fall progresses, and just remember that while this does take a little bit of extra work, it is absolutely possible to have a full experience around food that is completely GF, great tasting, and just fun!! We hope this article provided some meaningful ideas that can help take some of the worry out of the school year starting and help bring everyone some joy and nutritious food!!

Walking Taco Recipe

  • Chili of choice (premade or homemade, GF of course), kept warm in a thermos
  • Single serve bag of your favorite chips
  • Sides of chopped tomatoes, onions, cheese, sour cream, avocado, and beans

Use your GF chili of choice packed in a thermos to keep it warm. At lunchtime, to assemble, simply open your bag of chips, and dump everything into the bag! Give it a good shake to mix it all up, and then you have a delicious walking taco all in one spot, fun and so easy to make!

Gluten-Free Power Bites

  • 1 cup dates, pitted, soaked in warm water
  • 1 cup seeds of choice, such as sunflower seeds, flax seeds, or pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • Dash of salt

Optional mix ins if your school allows or are eaten at home – peanut butter, almond butter, coconut flakes, pistachios.

And if you tolerate certified GF oats, adding 1/2 cup is great for texture!

Blend the drained dates alone first until they form a paste, then pulse in the seeds and dash of salt then fold in the chocolate chips by hand so they don’t get pulverized. Chill 30 minutes before serving to firm up. Play with your favorite flavor combinations! You can even dip these in chocolate for a more dessert feel!