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Posts tagged ‘Lunch’

25
Aug

Gluten-Free Lunch Box Ideas

href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/lunch-box.jpg"> style="background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;" title="lunch-box" src="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/lunch-box_thumb.jpg" alt="lunch-box" width="350" height="287" border="0" />

For ten years I was the only person in my family who had to eat gluten free.  While I do prepare gluten-free dinners that the whole family eats, I don’t always prepare gluten-free breakfasts or lunches.  I always thought it would be difficult to pack a lunch for a child who has to eat gluten free.

I home school my kids so I figured it would be a little easier if one of my kids did require a gluten-free diet.  But no, ten years went by with my kids doing just fine.  Then last fall, when my oldest was starting his second year of college, he developed a gluten sensitivity.  He happens to live at home and commute to college, so guess what?  I now have to think about packing gluten-free lunches for him.

He’s not a particularly big kid, but he does eat quite a bit, and since he car pools to schools, some days he’s there for many hours.  That means packing plenty of food.  Of course, he is old enough to pack his own lunch, and often does, but I need to have options available for him.

Some of the ideas below are foods my son takes to school.  Others he’s not particularly fond of, but your child might be.  If you need to pack a gluten-free lunch for a child or even yourself, I hope you find one or two new ideas here.

Please note:  I am not going into the gluten-free status of all these options.  You can read my href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2011/06/is-it-gluten-free-reading-labels/">series on reading labels  to learn more about determining if a food is gluten free.  href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2011/04/still-getting-gluten-part-1-gluten-free-food/">Still Getting Gluten is another series which might be helpful.

Sandwiches – These are standard lunch box fare, but when it comes to being gluten free, making sandwiches is a bit more complicated.  Many breads don’t hold up well, become dry, or are simply too expensive.

What I do is make my own href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2009/03/gluten-free-hamburger-buns-focaccia/">gluten-free hamburger buns from scratch.  One batch makes ten buns.  I keep several out and freezer the rest.  I find this recipe makes a nice soft bread and it much easier to make than a loaf.  The recipe is naturally dairy free for anyone who needs that.

href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2009/03/gluten-free-hamburger-buns-focaccia/"> style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TVBh9h_RA28/TUC-cdkAvTI/AAAAAAAADXk/xs8zwhTldBk/s400/humburger+bun+cut.JPG" alt="" />

I also keep a couple of loaves of Udi’s or Rudi’s bread in the freezer for those occasions when I’m out of buns and don’t have time to make more right away.

Fruit & Vegetables – Remember, fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten free.  They are a great healthy option for everybody.  Vegetables such as carrots, celery, zucchini and cucumbers can be cut into sticks.  Fruit can be washed and peeled or sliced so it is ready to eat.

Salads aren’t great for a young child, but older kids might like them.  You can add protein to the salad such as chicken, ham, tuna, cheese, nuts or seeds.

Protein – My son likes to have a sandwich for a late morning lunch and then have a high protein snack in the afternoon.  Some ideas include:

    • href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2011/06/chicken-salad/">chicken salad
    • href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2011/04/bacon-egg-appetizer-dip/">egg salad
    • nuts
    • href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2009/09/gluten-free-granola-bars/">granola bars
    • trail mix
    • seeds
    • hummus
    • cheese
    • href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2009/09/deviled-eggs-what-can-i-eat-thats/">hard boiled eggs
    • lunch meats
    • yogurt

href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2009/09/gluten-free-granola-bars/" target="_blank"> style="background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TVBh9h_RA28/SrKccyatGwI/AAAAAAAABVs/J6FYW168IbA/granola%20bars_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" alt="granola bars" width="350" height="264" border="0" />

Carbohydrates – You can skip the sandwich idea all together and combine a protein with a carbohydrate other than bread for your lunch box.  Here are a few ideas (all would need to be gluten-free, of course):

  • crackers
  • rice cakes (not my favorite, but I thought I should list them)
  • pretzels
  • chips
  • title="muffin recipes" href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/muffins-breakfast-food/">muffins
  • pop corn
  • href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2008/10/comforting-corn-bread/">corn bread
  • title="cinnamon rolls recipe" href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2009/08/cinnamon-rolls-revisited/">cinnamon rolls :)

Leftovers – This option is more feasible for adults who have access to a microwave at work.  My husband takes gluten-free dinner leftovers to work for lunch, and he doesn’t have to eat gluten-free.  Some children, depending of their school situation, might also be able to heat leftovers.

Soup – We don’t do this much, but soup can be kept hot in a thermos and taken to school.  There are such varieties of soups, especially if you are making them yourself.  Plus, you can put vegetables, proteins, and whole grains all into one food.  Wolfgang puck has several gluten-free organic soups and Pacific Foods has a number of gluten-free soups.  Here is a link to title="Amazon affiliate link" href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=amb_link_85212971_13&bbn=16310241&rh=n%3A16310241%2Cn%3A16319621%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A114329011#?_encoding=UTF8&tag=theglutfreeho-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gluten-free soups at Amazon style="margin: 0px;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theglutfreeho-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />.  I’m not sure of cross contamination risks on all these soups.  Please check that before buying.

This post is part of a roundup of lunch box posts coordinated by Lynn of href="http://lynnskitchenadventures.com/lra/" target="_blank">Lynn’s Recipe Adventures.  The following lunch box posts are not gluten free, but you’re sure to find some naturally gluten free ideas as well as other foods that can be adapted.  Stop by and tell these ladies I sent you.

Amy from href="http://amysfinerthings.com/lunch-ideas-for-school-or-home" target="_blank">Amy’s Finer Things /> Amy from href="http://www.momstoolbox.com/blog/2011/08/22/easy-lunchbox-ideas-for-kids/" target="_blank">Mom’s Toolbox /> Liz from href="http://hoosierhomemade.com/back-to-school-pack-a-special-lunch" target="_blank">Hoosier Homemade /> Lynn from href="http://wp.me/pymyY-3wA" target="_blank">Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures /> Shannon from href="http://forthemommas.com/?p=98915 " target="_blank">For The Mommas /> Toni from href="http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/back-to-homeschool-lunch-ideas/" target="_blank"> The Happy Housewife

In additon, Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free did a href="http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/gluten-free-lunch-round-up/" target="_blank">Gluten-Free Lunch Round Up this week. Check out all the great gluten-free links in her post.

href="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2011/03/kitchen-tip-storing-celery/blue-question-mark/" rel="attachment wp-att-1223"> class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1223" title="blue question mark" src="http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/blue-question-mark-e1298321302301.jpg" alt="question mark" width="50" height="75" />I’m sure there are more great ideas out there.  What do you pack for a gluten-free lunch?



23
Jun

Fat Burning Lunch Ideas

Lunch time can be a difficult time to navigate when someone is on a fat burning a.k.a fat loss (weight loss) diet and workout program.  Here are some fat burning lunch ideas to help you stay on your diet and reach your fat loss goal. 

One of my favorite lunch time fat burning diet meals is the grilled salmon salad.  Whenever I feel my diet needs a strong health boost, I head over to Gerlach’s Grill in Pasadena and order their grilled salmon salad.  It’s a great fat burning lunch idea if you need a little help.  If you’re not in Pasadena, look for a place that makes a good grilled salmon salad, or try making it yourself.  If you have a recipe, submit it in the comments. 

Another great fat burning lunch idea is the chickens salad.  You can pretty much get a chicken salad at any restaurant and at all price levels.  Experiment with trying different ones and then set up a list of go to places for yourself when you’re in a bind and need to get in a good fat burning diet meal.  There’s a few different places that I like in Pasadena an often visit.  The chicken salad is a fat burning diet saver!

These are just a few fat burning lunch ideas that stick closely with the Fat X Diet principles and philosophy.  Try different things and if you have a lunch idea, feel free to post in the comments, or you can also post it on the Fat X 101 Facebook page. 

Don’t let lunch get in the way of your fat burning a.k.a fat loss and fitness goals.  There’s plenty of fat burning goal benefiting meals that you can utilize at lunch.  Work hard, focus, and stay on track. 


17
Apr

Frugal Lunch and Dinner Ideas

I apologize for not have a giveaway for you all today.  I have several in the line up, but either haven’t finished sampling them or have not heard back from the company with final giveaway details.

Instead, I’m giving you a list of frugal lunch and dinner ideas that come from some of you.  A couple of weeks ago, someone posted this question on my Facebook page:

“I have a question to ask other gluten free moms out there….what is the cheapest gluten free lunch or dinner idea you have? As a mother of 5 and family of 7 all gluten free (4 celiacs, one gluten intolerant) it gets pretty tight money wise at the end of the month. Ideas?”

There were a number of responses and I thought I would list the ideas here to share with all of you.  I will break them down by dinner and lunch, but some could go both ways.

plate with tomato

Frugal Gluten-Free Dinner and Lunch Ideas

(suggested by others on my Facebook page)

Always check your ingredients to make sure they are gluten free. In the ideas below, it is assumed that gluten-free ingredients (such as pasta, taco seasoning, rotisserie chicken, etc.) would be used.

Dinner:

  • Hamburger Hash – Potatoes and hamburger.
  • Tacos – Hamburger can go a long way.
  • Taco salad
  • Nachos
  • Chef Salad
  • Taco Soup with lots of beans
  • Beef Stew – Thick with corn starch or a pumpkin & white bean puree.
  • Anything with eggs – fried rice
  • Scrambled eggs with any meat in a tortilla with cheese.
  • Breakfast for dinner.
  • Plain meat, veggie, and a fruit.
  • Quesadillas made with corn tortillas in the microwave.
  • Veggie Chili – cans of tomatoes, beans, cubes of sweet potato, onion, celery…Serve with a big salad and homemade corn bread.
  • Lentil Soup – lentils, celery, onions, carrots, canned tomato, oregano, thyme.  Serve over rice to make it go further.
  • Lentil Stew or Red beans and rice.
  • Meatballs made with potato flakes instead of bread crumbs.  Serve with pasta, rice, carrots..
  • Beans and cornbread
  • Beans and rice (change the flavors with different spices).
  • Spaghetti with pasta
  • Grilled chicken and a veggie
  • Soup (corn chowder, clam or tuna chowder, chili, lentils, split pea, taco)
  • Frittata or quiche served with salad (tomato salad, quinoa salad)
  • Shepherd’s Pie – ground beef, mashed potatoes, frozen vegetables, and gf bouillon
  • Fajitas
  • Baked chicken with rice and corn.
  • Chicken nuggets – make a large batch and freeze them.
  • Rotisserie Chickens stretched to several meals – chicken with salad and veggies, chicken tacos, chicken and vegetable soup.
  • Rice paper wrappers filled with lettuce, carrots, shredded chicken, mint, etc. to make your own spring rolls.  Dip them in 1/2 gf soy sauce, 1/2 rice vinegar with tsp. of peanut butter mixed in.
  • Hamburger and rice – cook both separately than mix together.
  • Chipotle style rice bowls with beans and/or meat
  • Egg and hash brown casserole
  • Mexican Enchilada Lasagna – corn tortillas, refried beans, and cheese.
  • Sloppy Joes
  • Grilled Hamburgers
  • Spaghetti (use pasta or spaghetti squash) with ground beef or turkey spaghetti sauce.
  • Chili
  • Pizza or lasagna casserole

Lunch:

  • Cheese Quesadillas – corn tortillas filled with cheese
  • Corn tortillas wrapped around a hot dog.  Bake or fry like an enchilada.
  • Tortilla chips and bean dip with cut veggies on the side.
  • Salad
  • Yogurt (with gf granola)
  • Hard boiled eggs
  • Veggies and fruit
  • Leftovers packed in thermos bottles
  • Homemade hummus or bean dip with veggies or chips
  • Beans (cooked fry dry beans, not canner), rice, and veggies salad with Italian dressing or homemade vinaigrette.  Make lots of brown rice for dinner and use leftovers to make salads.
  • Peanut Butter Roll Ups – gluten free tortillas with honey, peanut butter, and maybe chopped bananas, rolled up.
  • Rice cakes with melted cheese
  • Celery with peanut butter
  • Cut up ham and cheese served with gf crackers and fruit
  • Peanut butter on rice cakes with yogurt.
    Thanks to everyone who contributed their ideas.  How about the rest of you?  Do you have a frugal lunch or dinner idea to add?  Let us know in the comments.

Frugal Lunch and Dinner Ideas originally appeared on The Gluten-Free Homemaker on 04/17/2011.



15
Aug

Saturday Breakfast + Lunch

Oh how I miss not being able to bake or cook during the week.

++ Banana Chocolate Chip Millet Muffins ++

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Sautéed Veggies with Brown Rice which was very similar to this recipe.

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DSC06245

I also harvested a bunch of lavender from my garden.

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25
May

Fast Detox Cleansing Diet Lunch Recipe

Just had this today and it was excellent, tasty and refreshing.

First get 2 cucumbers and 3 Fuji apples. Cut them up and Juice them in your juicer.

If you don’t have a juicer see the ones listed on the sidebar and grab one from Amazon. Free shipping right now I think.

Then to round it out and make it a solid meal grab an Avacado and some full grain or better yet multi grain bread. I like mayonaise but if that bugs you try olive oil. To season it I add some Lemon Pepper and garlic powder. Writing this is making my mouth water.

I have a quick trick for putting the avacado on the bread that you might appreciate. I cut it in half, take out the pit, then squeeze each half together right over the bread. It all mushes out just fine and right now. Then I chop across it a bit so it all fits. One medium avacado is fine for one sandwich.

Fill in the form and get on my list and I will send you a nice recipe once a week.

Related posts:

  1. Detox Cleansing Diet Pomegranate Salad Recipe
  2. Detox Diet Cleansing Dinner Recipe
  3. Simple Detox Diet Lunch Recipe