Need gluten-freee, casein-free, low-soy, nut-free school food ideas

[hergrace]

DS1 (6) needs to eat something with protein three times while at school or he has mood and behaviour issues. The one thing he will consistently eat at home is a nut butter sandwich, but he can't have that at school because the school is nut-free. He can't eat any dairy, doesn't like the taste of the casein-free dairy alternatives and won't eat bread or wraps other than as a nut butter sandwich.

If I send things that aren't finger food, they come back spread all over his backpack.

The only thing he will consistently eat is pepperoni. I need ideas.

He does a great job eating fruits and vegetables, so I don't worry about them. It's the protein that I struggle with.

[4Blessings]

Can you use Sunbutter/sunflower seed butter in place of PB? Some brands are labeled for shared equipment with soy though.

[cristeen]

Hard cooked eggs? Chicken strips? Meatballs? How about taking some sliced meat (leftover roast), and wrapping it around something... a strip of bell pepper, a pickle spear, an olive, etc.

[kjbrown92]

I haven't found a pepperoni yet that doesn't have lactate in it (which is usually a dairy derivative). What brand do you use that's safe for the dairy intolerant?

My DS is dairy, corn, soy, gluten free. We use "Healthy Deli" brand bologna from the deli, also Thumann's roast beef. Buckwheat has protein in it. I've made buckwheat English Muffins from www.buckwheatpete.com recipes, and I make our sandwich bread (my DS will eat the bread plain). My DS will also eat curried chickpeas hot or cold so we sometimes put that in his lunch. If you make dip out of beans (cannelini spread or hummus), will he dip veggies in it, or rice crackers?

[crunchy_mama]

Kathy- the Hormel has large uncured pepperoni in the Natural Choice line as well as turkey pepperoni. The lactic acid is derived from a bacteria, not dairy. I just called to double check. I asked about corn as well she said the medium that the bacteria is grown on has some corn derivatives but that there are none present at the finish and none added to the product itself- what that means for you guys I don't know but that is what she said.

[hergrace]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

I haven't found a pepperoni yet that doesn't have lactate in it (which is usually a dairy derivative). What brand do you use that's safe for the dairy intolerant?

There is one brand I can find in my local grocery that is okay, but I don't remember which one it is. I have to read the label every time. And we don't have any in the house right now, or I would check and use this as the excuse to memorize it.

The sliced meats wrapped around things used to work but he won't eat them any more. And he makes a mess of dips. I should try hard-cooked eggs again.

I'll look for seed butters. The last time I looked, they were prohibitively expensive.

Thanks. Keep the suggestions coming.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by hergrace

I'll look for seed butters. The last time I looked, they were prohibitively expensive.

They're super easy to make yourself if you have a food processor. A pound of seeds, dumped into the FP and let it run until long after you think it should be done. Just keep an eye on it... you want it to heat up enough to go from crumbly to smooth, but not so much it turns runny. Scrape it out and pack it in a jar - it's really that easy.

[hergrace]

Originally Posted by cristeen

They're super easy to make yourself if you have a food processor. A pound of seeds, dumped into the FP and let it run until long after you think it should be done. Just keep an eye on it... you want it to heat up enough to go from crumbly to smooth, but not so much it turns runny. Scrape it out and pack it in a jar - it's really that easy.

I should try it. Time is hard to find these days, but I have to feed my kids.

Do I need to do anything special to keep it? Refrigerate, I assume. Anything else?

[Ruthla]

Other than pepperoni, will he eat cold meats? I'm thinking bologna, roast beef, etc, cut into chunks or purchase the presliced "deli meat" (which can still be eaten as finger food without too much mess.)

Is the school seed free or just nut free? Would sesame seed butter be acceptable for the school? Would he eat bean paste such as hummus on a wrap, or only nut butters?

How long is his school day? Does he really need to eat 3 times every day, or is a good breakfast followed by an after school snack enough?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by hergrace

Do I need to do anything special to keep it? Refrigerate, I assume. Anything else?

Just pop it in the fridge. That's it.

[Trac]

I just come on to ask a similar question...so subbing!:

I was browsing appetizer recipes on-line and came up with a few that I'm going to try. Some that might help you are Roasted Chickpeas, Black Bean Nachos, Lettuce Wraps (which is something that my celiac "cousin-in-law" told me about - whatever filling you like wrapped in an iceberg lettuce leaf), devilled eggs (I don't know if my DS will go near one, but I'll try), assorted roll ups (turkey, bean paste, etc.) in a rice tortilla, black bean brownies.

Hope there's lots more suggestions!

[lorijds]

My kids do not have any health issues, but they don't like school lunch and are discerning eaters.

For protein, they like cold beans. I think it's weird and I don't like cold beans but they do. Not canned, though, those get mushy. In my oldest dd's lunch today, she took cold, shelled edamame. In the past both girls have taken cold black beans as their protein. Just plain beans. Cold. As finger food.

They also take a trailmix made of different seeds and nuts (I know your school is nut free, but check about seeds).

I think those are their protein choices that would meet your son's restrictions.