Ideas on Snacks That Are Gluton Free

Hi D.,
What about a fruit tray? Kids love grapes and apple slices, pineapples, orange wedges, strawberries, kiwi, etc.

Good luck!

As a mother of a child with a food allergy I think it s great that you want to provide a safe treat for the child but the teacher should make the child's parent aware of the celebration and they should send in a safe treat.

My child is allergic to milk and although another mom might try to send a safe snack I would wonder if she knew that whey and casein are milk derivatives? Does she think all margarines are dairy free and so on and so forth. I am used to providing a safe snack for my daughter at preschool and on special days I try to send a special treat so she feels like she is celebrating along with her classmates.

Quaker rice cakes w/ Philadelphia cream cheese (regular - NOT fat free or low fat)

Glutino pretzels (gluten-free pretzels) - come in a bag

any fresh fruit or vegetable

Fritos (plain - not any flavored variety)

A lot of CORN tortilla chips are gluten-free, but if you're not sure how to read the labels, you can always get Wegman's generic brand. All of Wegman's generic brand foods are labeled with a G on the front if they are gluten free.

Also, MOST yogurts and cheeses are gluten-free, as is Jello. (A lot of people with gluten issues may not be able to tolerate dairy, so if you're not sure, I'd stick with one of the above.)

I agree-- either get prepackaged food that is gluten-free (which is still risky) or talk to the teacher about having the child's mother send something that day. There is virtually no way that an inexperienced baker can safely prepare gluten-free food in their kitchen- you have no idea how easily contaminated food is. And you probably aren't savy enough of a label reader to know whether something is gluten-free... the list of things like "modified food starch" that aren't safe is a MILE long. Not worth the risk of making the child sick.

The mother may have given the teacher a list of foods that are ok... I'd check.

My Godchild is on a gluten-free diet and I make treats for her. Rice krispie squares are good but you have to make sure the brand of cereal you use does not have gluten in it. Regular Rice Krispies by general mills have gluten in them. I buy a rice cereal in the organic section of our grocery store. I also make brownies and cookies with a gluten free baking flour and substitute it for regular flour in my recipes. Namaste brand Perfect Blend Flour is a great mix made with brown rice flour.When I use it in my own recipes, no one knows the difference. If you need an easier snack that does not require work, corn chips and salsas or dips are perfect. Always check ingredients to make sure there is no wheat or gluten there.

Hi, D.:

Go to your local health food store.

Good luck. D.

Hi D.,
That is so nice that you want to include the child. My kids also follow a gluten free diet.
Your best bet for a snack would be popsicles or icecream cups. If you do the icecream cups check the ingredients for wheat. Some put wheat in the icecream cups. I think Acme and Walmart were okay, but they change the ingredients so often that you have to check everytime.
Hope that helps. I'm sure the mom really appreciates your thoughtfulness. I know I always do when a mom goes out of her way for my kids :-)
You could also call the parent and see if she has a stash of cupcakes in her freezer and then you could send in cupcakes and that child could bring their own.

I found some pudding snacks that were Glueton Free. I think the brand name was Kozy Shack

Hi D.,

Whole Foods has a lot of selections that are gluten free. Also, if you are in Pittsburgh there is a great gluten free bakery in Squirrel Hill called Gluuteny, they make great treats. I got my daughter's 1st birthday cake there and all our guests said how great the cake was. She had soy/milk intolerance (outgrown now), but they make sweets and treats that are allergen free so it should also be safe for anyone else with any other type of allergy. Hope this helps and happy birthday to your son!

Robert's makes chips like pirate's booty which are not gluten free, but they do have "Tings" which are like cheetos and gluten free. Chex has a lot of recipes for gluten free snack mixes since there rice chex is gluten free. check the website. Fruit is gluten free. Also most plain potato chips are gluten free. M & Ms are ok.

Check giant eagle. They usually have gluten free stuff in with their organic section.

D.,
It is so nice of you to think of this child, because I can tell I often feel left out and I am an adult. Wegmans has alot of Gluten free stuff and they even have it in one section to make finding it easier. Whole foods and Trader Joes also has gluten free stuff but alot of the normal every day stores are starting to get more stuff. At Wegmans you can get cookies, dognuts, muffins... some things are in the freezer so you will have to get them the day ahead. Thanks for doing this, it means more then you know!

S. C

THere are all kinds of selections out there to help. My son had food allergies as well and I used a product from Cherrybrook kitchens. Most of the local giant eagles have many of their products. Check in the natural food sections as well for many things.

Its wonderful that you are so thoughtful to think of him. Many do not, my sons preschool teacher wasnt very thoughtful. But the kids are very understanding about what they can and cant eat.

My first grade daughter has Celiac Disease which requires a strict gluten free diet. While it is very nice for parents to offer to make a gluten free treat for her, often good intentions pose a serious threat of accidental cross contamination to her. There are many rules for baking gluten free, including not using wooden spoons, not using baking pans that have already been used for a wheat containing food, and washing all bowls, dishes, etc before starting.

I very much appreciate the thought to bake something special for her, but it is safer for her to eat a treat that I have sent in. It only take a small (virtually invisible) crumb for her to have an immune reaction.

BUT there are some things that you could send to school that would include a child on a gluten free diet. Fruit is always a good choice, especially things like bananas or oranges which are self wrapped.

Food is a touchy subject. Since often we prepare food for other out of love or kindness, turning it down frequently feels like rejection or dislike. As a parent, I am always thrilled to hear about what the food plans are ahead of time so that I can send a similar safe treat for my daughter.

K.
www.eattolearn.com
Gluten Free Education

Check your local grocery store for cookie/cake mixes that are allergen free. My local store carries Cherrybrook Kitchens mixes and frostings that are free of several allergens. You can look at their website for more info on their products.

My son is also on a gluten free diet. I think it's Betty Crocker, but they have gluten free cake mixes and cookie mixes. You can find them at your local grocery store or WalMart. I've only tried the cake mixes so far, but they are really good. You could make cupcakes or try the cookies. Hope this helps!