EASY Healthy Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Lunch Box Ideas

EASY Healthy Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Lunch Box Ideas

My daughter has been wanting to go Gluten Free for awhile now for many different reasons! I’ve been trying to figure out what to do about lunch at school. Options are obviously very limited especially when you add Dairy-free.

When trying to find ideas for gluten-free lunch box ideas, they also seem to involve buying bread substitutes. These ideas are usually expensive and taste not to great!! Here are some bread-free lunch box ideas that are not only gluten-free, but also dairy-free, peanut-free, and nut-free! YAY!!! PLUS they are packed with flavor.

• Easy Lunchtime Lettuce Wraps – Make salads more fun by wrapping chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad, or potato salad in a lettuce wrap. Boston lettuce leaves have a nice pliable and broad shape that works well for lettuce wraps. Larger leaves can even be wrapped around the filling burrito-style. For an extra taste and nutrition boost, add grated carrot and sliced olives to the salad.

• Teriyaki Rice Bowls – Combine wheat-free tamari or coconut aminos with honey or maple syrup to make a tasty teriyaki chicken and broccoli brown rice bowl. You can top almost any healthy food with a sweet teriyaki sauce and kids will eat it!

• Make-Your-Own Tacos – Assembly of tacos is half the fun! Pack seasoned taco meat (all-natural turkey or hormone-free beef), corn tortillas (crispy or soft), guacamole, chopped olives, and salsa in separate little containers.

• Thai Curry – Whip up an easy coconut-based curry (green, red, or yellow … mild, medium, or hot) the night before. Pack the curry sauce with meat and veggies in one container and a bowl of brown rice in another.

• Baked Potato w/ Chili – Who needs cheese and sour cream when you can top a small baked potato with some hearty chili! Put the chili in a separate container for pouring on top at lunch time. Alternately, you can simply pack a hearty bowl of chili with corn tortilla chips for dipping.

• Hard Boiled Eggs or Deviled Eggs – This is quick and easy protein to add to a snack-style lunch box. Pair it with trail mix, fresh fruit, and gluten-free crackers.

• Kebabs – Leftover chicken cubes or sausage threaded with fresh fruit or roasted vegetables (sweet potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, etc.) makes for a fun finger-food lunch. If packing for little ones, make sure to use kid-friendly skewers with blunt ends.

• Hummus and Dippers – This bean-based dip packs in some protein and healthy oils. For dipping, include rolled up slices of all-natural deli turkey, baby carrots, and gluten-free crackers or pretzels.

• Avocado in a Blanket – No bread required!!! Simply lay out some all-natural deli turkey or ham slices, and place a slice of avocado at one end of each. Sprinkle on nitrate-free cooked bacon crumbles, and roll them up. You can secure them with toothpicks, if desired. These little bundles of protein will fit nicely in a lunch box with some fresh fruit and healthy black bean chips or gluten-free crackers. You can also wrap them in lettuce leaves and serve with a dairy-free vinaigrette.

• Quinoa or Millet Salad – Add beans, chicken, tuna or salmon plus bite-sized veggies (i.e. diced carrots or peas) to a bowl of cooked quinoa or millet. Stir in your family’s favorite vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper to taste, spoon it into a travel container and let the flavors meld while waiting for lunch.

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