GFCF Packaged School Snacks

I’m right there with all the mamas who want a quick, easy snack to send with my kids to school. Our school has a peanut free policy, but fortunately other nuts are okay. Here are the main packaged snacks I send with my kiddos. I’ll also throw in a cutie orange, bag of grapes or an apple, too, because they can have two snacks a day (which seems excessive to me!).

LARABAR (all peanut free flavors)

KIND Bars (these are 100% nut free and gluten/dairy free and found at Target or Costco)

Justin’s Hazelnut Butter Packs

REAL Sticks Turkey Jerky (my kids are obsessed with the Honey Mustard flavor)

NibMor Daily Dose of Dark Chocolate (these are a special treat)

What packaged GFCF snacks do you send to school with your kiddos? New ideas would be GREAT, so leave a note in the comments!

Costco Love

I feel like everyone I know is on the Costco bandwagon, but occasionally I meet someone on a gluten-free diet that doesn’t know how AWESOME Costco is. First, let me say that I do not work for/at/with Costco in any way, but that doesn’t stop me from shouting my appreciation from the rooftops. I’m working on my Master’s degree in Nutrition Therapy and even those of us who are deeply concerned with health and wellness bond over the gems we find at Costco. And of course, part of the excitement is the economic value over Whole Foods, Natural Grocers and Sprouts (which I also adore for items I can’t find cheaper at Costco). 

Product Review: Flax4Life Mini Muffin Brownies

I admit that for the past several years, I haven’t batted an eye when other people have lamented the nut-free restrictions at their kids’ schools. Why? Because it hasn’t actually been my problem until now. While the lunchroom is still fair game, snack time in our classrooms are anything but.  

Product Review: Heavenly Organics Honey Patties

I will admit that candy-filled holidays like Valentine’s Day used to intimidate the heck out of me. There are few safe candy options that contain no gluten, dairy or soy and while we love everything Yummy Earth has to offer, sometimes a kid just wants chocolate. Even better if the chocolate has a surprise creamy filling that is totally delicious.  

GFCF Foods We Loved in 2012

Happy 2013, everyone! Since 2012 saw GFCF Lunchbox go soy free in addition to gluten free and casein free, I thought I’d update last year’s list of our favorite GFCF packaged foods. Removing soy from our diets all but eliminated the middle section of the grocery store, but we found a few tried and true items at Whole Foods, Sprouts and (thankfully) Costco. I’ve been able to buy most of our favorite pastas, cereals, flours and candy in bulk online for much cheaper than retail. This is my go-to list for all things GFCFSF that come in a package.  

Product Review: Earth Balance Mindful Mayo + Cole Slaw Dressing Recipe

I understand that it might seem strange to write a product review about mayonnaise. But if you know how rare it is to find a mayonnaise free of any soy ingredients, you understand why I want to shout it from the rooftops. Probably the best thing I’ve ever done with mayonnaise is make a cole slaw dressing out of it; cole slaw that my GFCF daughter decided she loved more than anything just before we omitted soy ingredients from our diet. When a mother sees her child eating cabbage with such wild abandon, she will go to the ends of the earth to find the mayonnaise required to keep this dream alive.  

Our Favorite GFCF Packaged Foods

While many people were preparing to party down on New Year’s Eve, GFCF Lunchbox was in the throes of pantry organization. Not glamorous, admittedly, but since our #1 goal for 2012 is an organized life, we thought it best to start a day early. Aside from the embarrassing amount of clutter, we were most struck by the array of GFCF packaged foods that had been opened, tasted, and never touched again. We were horrified to see the money that had been wasted on items that looked great on the cover of the box, but ended up a total disappointment.

Product Review: Mrs. May’s Sesame Strips

At our house, we are major consumers of granola bars. Some are homemade, others are store-bought, but we are always on a quest for a quick, healthy boost to our day. Our ideal granola bar would be big on taste and nutritional value, low in sugar and miniscule on the pocketbook. While there are tons of gluten free granola bars on the market, far too many of them sacrifice taste, texture and budget-friendliness for the fact that they are GFCF.

Product Review: Laptop Lunches Bento Box Set

It should come as no surprise to any viewer of this website that I’m in love with Laptop Lunches Bento Boxes. I may be a little obsessed, but before I even get out of bed in the morning, I’ve already visualized what’s going into each handy little compartment. In our pre-bento-box-days, my daughter’s lunch box was piled high with plastic baggies and snap-wear, which did a fine job of holding the food, but it wasn’t very kid-friendly, contained BPA, and after one use, most of the contents went straight into a landfill.

Product Review: Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter Squeeze Packs

Sometimes,  a kid just needs to be a kid. When I was little, my mom would let me choose a sweet treat while we were doing our grocery shopping. I still remember those moments when the candy aisle stretched out like a dream before me; would I choose Chiclets, M&Ms, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? More often than not, the delectable combination of peanut butter and chocolate won out.