Gluten-Free Back-to-School Roundup
If you have school-aged kids, preparing for the new school year consists of a lot of moving parts. Things can get a bit more complicated if your child needs to be gluten-free, particularly if they have been diagnosed with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Our mission at GIG® is to make life easier for everyone living gluten-free and that includes helping parents, like you, to support a gluten-free kid. To that end, we’ve compiled some helpful articles to guide you through the process of setting things up for your child’s safety and success at school.
— Start with this article that highlights some of the situations and places during the school year where your gluten-free child might encounter gluten and how to prepare for it so they can enjoy their lessons and activities without worries.
Building Your Back to School Team — Having a back-to-school support system can help alleviate stress and keep your child safely gluten-free while at school. We outline who should be on your child’s back-to-school team including the school nurse, teachers, and others. You can also point school administration to the GIG School Nurse Resource Page and the GIG Teacher Resource Page.
— Learn how to request and set up a 504 Plan to address all aspects of your child’s gluten-free needs at school, from having gluten-free snack options at class events to avoidance of gluten-containing craft projects to school lunches and food on class trips.
Gluten-Free School Lunch Ideas and Tips—If your child is new to eating gluten-free, that could mean that you’re new to preparing gluten-free meals, including school lunches. No worries! We’ve provided some options from each food group to get you started. Make sure to include some of your child’s favorites but you can also introduce them to different types of beans, nuts, and delicious, nutritious fruits and vegetables they may not have tried yet.
Pre-School, Childcare, and Gluten Risks—If your gluten-free kid is still in daycare or pre-school, there are things you need to consider for keeping gluten out of their way.
Transitioning Your Child to a Gluten-Free Diet—Need some more tips to help transition your child from eating gluten to going gluten-free? We’ve covered the basics.
Parent Resource Page—Our parent resource page brings together in one place all the content you need as you transition your child to eating gluten-free and prepare them for school and other activities and situations.
Would you like additional support from parents who are also bringing up gluten-free kids? Consider signing up for Generation GF, family- and kid-specific GIG Support Groups that provide peer-to-peer support. It’s free to join, and your child will receive Generation GF magazine several times a year filled with tips, stories, and fun activities to learn about—and adapt to—living gluten-free. Locate a GIG Support Group or Generation GF group near you!
The information on this website is for educational purposes only. Consult your healthcare team when considering this information.
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