100 Delectable Gluten Free Recipes Your Kids Will Love

Every parent wants to provide meals for their families that are nutritious, healthy, and taste good but most of all that are quick and easy. There are many excellent websites and online resources for gluten free cooking. We access them all the time in order to find a new recipe that our families will devour and proclaim they can't tell it is gluten free. Children can be the hardest critics of all to please.

You can find many links in our recipe sections which can help you in your search for gluten free cooking, but there is one web page we ran across which is loaded with a few ideas which we thought you might find exciting for 100 quick and easy gluten free meals. It is loaded with child friendly recipes for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner options.

100 Delectable Recipes For Your Gluten Free Kid

For other great links, look in the ROCK Diner or in our ROCK Lunch sections.

Holiday Leftover Gluten Free School Lunch Idea

Hope your GF school year is going well. It gets boring about this time of year when they have eaten everything on your usual lunch box menu over and over and over again!

In the R.O.C.K. Diner we posted a recipe and pictures of the easiest GF quiches we had ever made.

When I made the first crust I had enough dough to make into 2, 4" round pie crusts and make mini quiches!

Seizing the opportunity for making a healthy, quick heat up lunch which could be frozen and reheated in a safe microwave;-)

Here they are:

GF Mini Quiches in 4" rounds made with xtra sharp cheddar cheese, broccoli, & Applewood smoked bacon

You can use the recipe found here: After Holidays GF Quiche
Bon Appetit!

Gluten Free Italian Pasta Salad - Back To School Side Dish

It's school time again and parents are beginning to prepare for the year's lunch challenges.

With the option of sandwiches on our favorite bread by Udi's Gluten Free Bakery my daughter likes to have a side dish to accompany it. And instead of just throwing some Utz chips in each and every time, I like to serve a side of gluten free pasta salad with some fruit to accompany it. Our favorite pasta for pasta salads is Farmo corn & rice Fusilli. But if you have a corn allergy to deal with, then Mrs. Leeper's Rice Vegetable Twists work nicely. I buy either brand at Healthy Home Market or Earth Fare in the Charlotte area.

This recipe is a take-off from the one on glutenfree.com and makes enough you can send it for a few lunches or to serve the next night for dinner. It's even better after a day of marinating in the fridge:-)

Gluten Free Mediterranean Pasta Salad

4 cups (uncooked) pasta, cooked according to package directions

3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

20 cherry tomatoes, quartered

3/4 cup roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, if tolerated

1/2 cup of minced red onion

1/2 cup of celery
3/4 cup of shredded carrot

4 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend

1/2 cup prepared Italian or Greek dressing (more if desired)

Combine all ingredients. Toss to combine. Chill for 1hour. Serve and enjoy.

Taste before adding salt as the feta and the olives are salty.

Kid Friendly Gluten Free Alternatives That Are Healthier & Easy

Two of the mothers of some of our R.O.C.K. Stars had an email thread going on recipes which I found to have some very good ideas for gluten free kid friendly treats. It is hard to find good ideas for inexpensive and easy gluten free recipes for kids which they adore and to also fill in the gaps so that they don't feel they are missing out on old favorites. If your kids are like mine, they eat pigs in a blanket or pizza rolls regardless of warm or cool...

And just think - You can actually make two options that are usually laced with questionable ingredients in a healthier way:-)

Gluten Free Pigs In A Blanket

One package of Chebe Pizza Dough

One package of Gluten Free Smoked Cocktail Sausages - There are many brands available in major grocery stores like John Morrell smoked sausages available at Bi-Lo. If you are nitrate free there are many available for mail order online:-)

Optional addition is cheese or cheese filled sausages

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the gluten free sausages on a pan and stick into preheated oven for about 10 minutes to precook them.

Prepare the Chebe dough mix as directed on their package but add a little more milk until the dough becomes slightly gooey.

Cool the sausages and then wrap a small bit of the Chebe dough around each one - A little goes a long way. (Wrap the cheese around them first if you want to add it)

Then place the dough wrapped sausages back into the oven for around 15 minutes or until the dough lightly browns. Serve with gluten free katsup, mustard, BBQ sauce or plain - Whatever you desire:-)

Click to view actual label of ingredients and nutritional values or lack thereof in Totino's Pizza Rolls

Gluten Free Pizza Rolls (Better Than Totino's)

Use Chebe Pizza Dough Mix to make "Totinos" pizza rolls...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare Chebe Pizza Dough Mix as suggested on package.

Roll it really thin, cut in rectangles and place pizza toppings in the middle of rectangle. Close up the rectangle by bringing ends together to make a "pizza pocket".  Bake for only about 10-12 min.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Spells Out Common Issues For All Parents

This season on ABC, Jamie Oliver is taking on a small town in Huntington, West Virginia in order to try and change the American school lunch system on the show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution which airs on Friday evenings at 9/8 Central time.
It is a very admirable and daunting task at hand and yet his winning spirit is shining through.

As a gluten free parent, I have hopes that if the school lunch programs were changed from processed food, that my daughter would be able to find healthy alternatives at school rather than in a packed lunch. I am sure that most parents would feel better about school lunches if that were the case. I think we forget that most parents are facing very similar struggles each week when the school lunch menu is revealed.

However, while watching the show there are a few facts that are shatteringly clear:

1. Not only are our gluten free children better off in the long run than on a regular school lunch program, but processed food could have been a catalyst for the onset of their medical issues to begin with. After all every immune disorder has to have a catalyst. How many of us were innocently opting for processed food all along from our children's conception to the time of their diagnosis? The question lingers for me quite often since diabetes and celiac are linked in some cases and other food allergies often accompany a celiac diagnosis.

2. Our children are blank slates begging for the knowledge of experiencing new things which includes starting a healthy relationship with their food by getting involved in the cooking. They are proven to be less likely to form negative opinions once they are taught about a new vegetable or food and then cook that very same food themselves - They will invariably at least try it.

3. Convenience and affordability outweigh the average consumer's viewpoints on food's nutritional values. Perhaps this is why movements like Slow Food or Food, Inc. have taken some time in becoming popular and only reach a certain faction of the general public. Thank goodness for people like Oprah and Jamie Oliver for at least making the subject matter more mainstream.

4. For gluten free parents, the struggles with providing nutritional alternatives are normal in the overall challenges that many parents face. The myth that the schools are providing our children with the right nutritional choices has got to be put to rest and we all need to get more involved with that process. The old saying, "It takes a village to raise a child" is clearly having to be revisited for parents everywhere when they watch The Food Revolution.

Kudos to Jamie Oliver for tackling the challenges and bringing the realities back home that we should have been aware of all along.

Here is a preview of one episode:

Watch The Food Revolution every Friday night on ABC.

Kids Love To Make Gluten Free Kabobs For Lunch

Kabobs are a fantastic way to use dinner left-overs for a school lunch box the next day. Those living gluten free have a plethora of things they can eat like: fruits, meats, and vegetables in their natural state before processing.

Gluten Free Meat Kabobs

The great thing about being gluten free is that instead of using processed luncheon meat you get to use home cooked natural meats. Grilling season is upon us and lunch boxes can be happier for a change of pace by using grilled chicken breast or even steak. I usually grill one extra breast or steak intended for that use.

The next day, you can just use a wooden skewer and place the washed vegetables out on the chopping block for them to assemble their own Gluten Free Meat Kabob with what they like. This gives children a bit of say so in their own creation and a sense of excitement about eating:-)

Gluten Free Vegan Kabobs

Nothing is a nutritious side dish like raw fresh veggies or grilled ones placed as an accompaniment to lunch. We do the same assembly method to make these and send them on their way maybe with a dipping sauce or hummus.

Gluten Free Fruit Kabobs

Seasonal fruit makes the perfect accompaniment in a lunch box and when assembled by kids, they have fun and get the fruits they want that day. You can even use bits of fruit leather which is usually gluten free and lends a bit of fun to the kabob. Or marshmellows to make a fruit salad with a sweet kick for dessert.

Perhaps your children could make an assortment of kabobs to have their own kind of fondue themed lunch.I even get a bit creative and use grilled pineapple with pork chop cubes, kind of a sweet & sour taste combo...the sky is the limit if you just let your children's creativity lend for a more fun and interactive cooking experience.

Studies show that if they get involved in making their own lunch - they will be 9 times more likely to try something new:-)

Bento Box lunch container

We Just Want A Gluten Free PB&J We Can Sink Our Teeth Into

Have you tried commercially baked gluten free bread that tastes like cardboard? We know you have.

When my Doodle went gluten free, none of my family were the consummate bakers. Sure we made biscuits occasionally or even the Southern staple of cornbread - But we weren't in the habit of baking our own sandwich breads. We bought Ener-G Tapioca because we read it was a favorite of some kids. How this rumour came to pass we will never know because our child decided she'd rather go bread free than to eat that.

Luckily, the gluten free commercial bread offerings are like the old Virginia Slims commercial - "We've come a long way baby" - Because then came Udi's and Katz.

Udi's has been critically hailed by the gluten free community and for a small bakery out of Denver, Colorado they aren't doing half bad in taking the gluten free market by storm. The first gluten free bread I have had which required NO toasting or microwaving in order to make it palatable.

They are now available locally through Healthy Home Market, Earthfare, & A&S Natural Health Store. Their product offerings include two sandwich bread types which will make you think you are eating gluten bread again complete with airholes and chewiness:

Udi's Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread is their best selling product and not one gluten free child I know has complained about it tasting gluten free. The week we found this option, our Doodle ate PBJ's all week long. The poor dear had just about given up on them as she couldn't stand crumbly gluten free bread.

Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Sandwich Bread is the more wholesome of the two choices. Made with flax seed, brown rice flour, and teff flour, this bread is packed with nutrition and tastes better than some of the gluten versions on the market.

Katz Kosher Gluten Free Bakery is based out of New York and gives those who are living gluten free and also eat kosher some wonderful options. We do not eat kosher per se, but were amazed at the delicious options in bread they have come up with.

Our favorite Katz products include the Gluten Free Challah Bread & the Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread.

The Challah bread we found to be incredible as French Toast. The Whole Grain bread is high in protein and not only holds together but is punched with nutrients and keeps you feeling full.

So get ready for picnics again with sandwiches in tow - PBJ and all:-)

Gluten Free Soul Food - Pay It Forward

Every time I am out shopping for our gluten free diet, I run into someone in the gluten free section who looks lost and unsure. Especially when I am in the Healthy Home Market or Earthfare here locally, I see the same lost individuals and I try to help them every time. Yesterday I came home late because I took a lady on a tour through the whole Healthy Home Market on a gluten free school lunch alternatives shopping mission.

Her son is 16 and newly diagnosed. I knew because she had the same look I had on my face when Doodle got diagnosed - Sheer confusion. I asked her if I could help her find anything. She read me the ingredients for a gluten free saltine cracker recipe and then she opened up and told me her son's story.

So I start recommending products...and then I am telling her to follow me...and next thing you know she is standing there hugging me before I try to depart after grabbing a few of my things. I didn't care to realize that I had in fact missed two of my own shopping items out of losing my focus - But that hug and look of relief on her face was worth the extra 40 minutes added onto my day triple fold. That's what I call "Soul Food".

Soul Food is that feel good feeling we get in helping another human being not have to struggle as hard as we have. It's the knowledge that helping others gets appreciated and is worth the effort.
Soul food is also when you make someone smile who might have worn a frown - Even if it is just because all you did was listen.
Soul Food happens when you recognize yourself in someone else and can be there to comfort them so they are not alone.
Soul Food is why support groups work.
And the greatest part is Soul Food is not only fat free but it fills you up and lasts a long time:-)

So, next time you see a parent struggling through the transition of gluten free while shopping - Reach out and lend them a helping hand. I promise the rewards will far outweigh the convenience lost.

The ABC's of Nutritious Gluten Free School Lunches

As you've seen on the site so far - March is National Nutrition Month as designated by the American Dietetic Association. Their campaign this year includes the slogan "Eat Right", which of course we all should eat right but we fail to meet the mark sometimes.

When I began this journey as a parent, the thought of nutrition had been simplified by the school feeding my daughter what I thought was less than adequate. However, as a single mother with all I could handle on my plate, I mistakenly had ignored the fact they might not be providing her with the right options. When her stomach was hurting her 80% of the time as an untreated Celiac, she would complain that her stomach always hurt after every school lunch. The enigma of why it hurt was dumbfounding to everyone in the family and her teachers. Obviously, the fact that probably 75% of their food was processed and therefore loaded with the belly-aching wheat was why.

After becoming gluten free, as a parent you really begin to take more notice of the complete nutrition needed for your child and the responsibility of being the one who provides it makes you invest quite alot more thought into their lunchtime fare.

So what exactly is a nutritious meal for someone with Celiac Disease comprised of?

Besides the obvious full range of vitamins, those who suffer with Celiac Disease usually risk lacking in vitamins K, D, & B. These missing nutrients can lead to serious health issues like: anemia, malnutrition and other serious issues. When planning meals, stretch out on a limb to find highly vitamin infused options. Those options are easy to come by if you just try to eat a balanced diet without getting into a rut with your food.

The Vita Vega Min Break Down
Vitamin K
contained in green leafy vegetables like kale, collard greens, spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts

Vitamin B
There are of course many forms of vitamin B
B2
also called riboflavin and is found in milk, meat, eggs, cheese and peas
B3
also called niacin and is found in protein rich foods like meats, fish, brewer's yeast, milk, eggs, legumes, potatoes and peanuts
B6
also called pyridoxine and is found in liver, meat, brown rice, fish, butter, and soybeans.
B12
necessary for digesting carbohydrates and is found in liver, meat, egg yolk, poultry and milk
B9
also called folic acid and can be found in yeast, liver, green vegetables

Vitamin D
There are very few foods naturally with vitamin D in them. These are: fish, egg yolk, liver, beef, and swiss cheese.

Studies show us that multi-vitamins are the only way to insure that your child gets the most of all these vitamins. This holds true especially because non-wheat flours are not fortified and the link between gastrointestinal disorders and lactose intolerance makes the usual fortified milk not an option either.

However, just because you are supplementing your diet with multi-vitamins doesn't mean you can just ignore the food aspect of giving your body what it needs. So here is a nutritional guideline as to how to get all those servings of good food into your system.

Nutritional and Diet Plan Guidelines

1. Commit to consuming 4 - 6 small meals and snacks everyday.
2. To succeed, you must plan ahead by packing your foods the night before. Thus, you should always have fresh and low-fat foods around.
3. Keep it simple. Don't get too caught up on the specifics or your diet. Start by simply just counting calories. 
4. Eat your foods slower. 
5. Make healthier food selections like fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, and beans, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, low fat meats, fish and skinless poultry. 
6. Avoid foods that are high in fat and calories.
7. Avoid foods that are high in sugars such as pastries, candy bars, pies and candy.
8. Use a variety of fruits and vegetables in your nutrition plan. Start by trying to eat 5 total vegetable and fruit servings every single day.

And that my friends, is how you plan a nutritious meal plan for school lunches. Just a little food for thought because I refer back to it often.

Making Gluten Free Lunches Can Be Creative

One of the single biggest challenges to living gluten free and having children who are is the school lunch menu. Parents struggle with making quick and yet super nutrition packed choices.

This week, the website GOOD held a contest for great school lunch ideas even if they weren't necessarily gluten free. We loved the results in big color pictures to give you an idea of how other parents are creating meals which are healthy.

Click here to see the article and results of their contest: Make a Student Lunch Contest: Submissions!
Click here to see the second batch of lunches with pictures: Make a Student Lunch Contest: More Submissions!

Because sometimes all we need is the spark of a creative idea.

Don't be afraid to step out on a limb and remember to always include your little ones in making their lunches. We have found it to be true that if they help make their food, they are twice as likely to try new alternatives.