Well, the time has come to share some amazing recipes from some very talented bloggers. This month I am hosting the blog event,
Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free, created by the lovely
Naomi Devlin. My theme was of course,
Ideas for Packing a Healthy School Lunch. I received so many submissions for this event that you may want to make yourself a cup of hot tea, sit back, relax, and enjoy what is to follow (or come back later when you have time). I know you'll leave the computer with oodles of new recipes and ideas for your child's lunchbox (or you own)!
My children go to a school where there isn't a hot lunch program so they have to pack their own lunches, although I know many children do indeed have an option for hot lunch. Unfortunately the majority of hot lunch programs throughout the United States offer food that is not conducive to health or mental attentiveness at all. For a look into daily meals of a typical hot lunch program please check out the lunch lady's blog,
Fed up with Lunch: The School Lunch Project. Reading her blog churns my stomach and saddens me to view what children across the country are served in schools. On a positive note, there are people and organizations working right now to improve the health of our children, reduce obesity, support local farming, and strengthen the community with programs such as the
Farm to School Program! Yes!
My girls pack their lunch every morning (sometimes they are super organized and work on it the night before, but not usually). I have created a
handy chart that you can post on your fridge to help as a guideline. When children pack their own lunch they are more likely to eat what is there. For example, if I were to pack a salad in my daughter's lunch...would she eat it? Maybe. But chances are, if she packs it
and it was her idea, she'll eat it. Packing a lunch and having the opportunity to
choose healthy foods is very empowering for young children!
The above photo is a typical school lunch that one of my daughters might pack (minus the cherry tomatoes, I added them for color). It consists of an almond butter and
Homemade Honey-Sweetened Jam quesadilla (on a steamed brown rice tortilla) placed into a reusable sandwich bag from
ReUsies.com (I just ordered some). They might also pack some fruit and greens and maybe a trail mix and place everything into a wicker basket with a cloth napkin.
Now, on to many ideas for packing a healthy school lunch from some fabulous blogs.......
And now on to Sea from Book of Yum! Sea shares healthy gluten-free, allergen-free recipes on her blog as well. Many of them are Indian-inspired such as this post for Indian Tiffin Recipes, including a recipe for Indian Quinoa with Peas, Baby Zucchini Curry, and Squash Blossom Pakoras. Can you pack my lunch Sea? Seriously though, my children love anything curry! Her Quinoa Masala recipe is fabulous too!
And now on to Shirley from Gluten-Free Easily! As you probably guessed, Shirley shares recipes that are gluten-free and easy! She uses ingredients that most folks can find at their local grocery store and keeps ingredients to the minimum. Today she shares a mouth-watering Protein and Fruit Bar Recipe using quinoa flakes, a fresh apple, and nuts and seeds all baked into a bar at a low temperature. I can't wait to make them! You might also like Shirley's easy dessert recipes such as her Crustless Apple Pie or her Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies.
And now on to Alisa from One Frugal Foodie! Alisa is the author of Go Dairy Free, a cookbook and resource guide packed full of information on dairy-free living with yummy recipes! Read a review I wrote here on this blog about her book if you would like. Alisa has shared an easy and nutritious Banana Oat Bar recipe that children love! If you are interested in more information on Dairy-Free living then check out her very popular Go Dairy Free website.
Next we have Valerie from
City | Life | Eats. Valerie has so many simple and super nutritious lunchbox ideas and recipes on her blog that you'll definitely want to check out her
Healthy Lunchbox Series! For this event Valerie has shared her recipe for a non-dairy
Chocolate Milkshake made with Sunbutter, raw cacao, spinach, and a few more key ingredients. Having a smoothie in your lunch is such a treat!
Next we have Melissa From
Gluten Free for Good. Melissa is a lover of anything veggie and has a host of nutritious gluten-free recipes on her blog. For this event she has shared a kid-friendly
Healthy Power Bar recipe. Oh my goodness do these sound amazing! Melissa has four grown children and spent many years packing healthy lunches for them....oh how I love to hear her stories. Having four young children myself, her perspective and wisdom go a long way. You might also want to check out her recipes for
Gluten-Free Veggie Pizza and
Homemade Vegetable Soup Stock!
And now onto Nicola from
G-Free Mom! Nicola has shared a post she wrote on
Easy Kid Lunch Boxes. She shares 13 lunchbox ideas in this post all with photos. It is very helpful to be able to visually see each lunch! While visiting her blog be sure to check out her
recipe page, which is full of easy, gluten-free family-friendly recipes.
Next we have Zoe from
Z's Cup of Tea. Zoe blogs about gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free food! Today she has shared her recipe for
Flourless Apple Pancakes. Although we tend to think of pancakes as a breakfast food, this super nutritious recipe would be perfect for a lunchbox! While visiting her blog you may also want to check out her recipe for
Pumpkin Muffins made with nut butter, eggs, and pureed pumpkin...oh they sound so yummy and nutrient-dense....the perfect treat for a school lunch.
And now on to Maggie from
She Let Them Eat Cake. Maggie blogs about gluten-free baking and living. Today she shares her recipe for
Vegan Chocolate Almond Cupcakes (just in case you want to add a healthy treat to the lunchbox)! Yum! These cupcakes are full of almond meal, sweetened with maple syrup, and have a yummy raw cashew frosting to top them all off! You might also want to check out Maggie's recipe for
Vegan Apple Bread!
Next we have Hallie from
Daily Bites. Hallie shares very nutritious, gluten-free recipes on her blog. For this event she created a
Sweet Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus. It gets its sweetness from the addition of sun-dried tomatoes. Anything dip-
able usually goes over well with children. My children are big hummus fans and I'm looking forward to trying her recipe. While visiting her blog you might want to check out her recipes for
5-Minute BBQ Sauce and
Vegan, Flourless Pumpkin Pecan Cookies!
And now on to Diane from The W.H.O.L.E Gang (whole organic living every day). Diane blogs about real, gluten-free food that is simple and delicious! She has shared her recipe for Roasted Chickpeas for this event. I think it would be the perfect addition to a child's lunchbox! Diane also has a post with School Breakfast and Lunch Ideas that you might want to check out. Diane has also written a cookbook entitled, The Gluten-Free Diner available as a PDF download on her site!
Next we have Andrea from Phyto Foods sharing her recipe(s) for Kale Chips. She says parents are often amazed to see their children eating one of these, and then another, and another.....and so on. Yes! Kids do eat kale when it is offered! Andrea shares healthy, whole food recipes that are often raw and always gluten-free! While on her site be sure to check out her recipe for Brown Rice Lentil Dosas! They look amazing! And don't miss Andrea's Easy Raw Chocolate Torte!
And now on to Kelly from The Spunky Coconut! Kelly shares gluten-free, casein-free, sugar-free, and ofter raw recipes on her blog. For this event she has shared her recipe for Teriyaki Veggie Cakes. Full of beans, vegetables, hemp seeds, and chia seeds, this recipe would be a super nutritious addition to your child's lunchbox. I love how Kelly has created a kid-friendly balanced lunch incorporating lightly steamed cauliflower, guacamole, and rice crackers. While on Kelly's site be sure to check out her recipe for Vanilla White Bean Cake....it is out-of-this-world amazing! Kelly has also published a cookbook entitled The Spunky Coconut Cookbook that is full of nutritious gluten-free, casein-free, and sugar-free recipes. You can read a Review I wrote here on this blog of Kelly's book if you would like.
Next we have Carol from Simply Gluten Free. Carol shares fabulous gluten-free recipes on her blog including many baking recipes. For this event, Carol has shared a post she wrote on Allergy Free Lunches for Kids which includes a recipe for Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps. Yummy and easy! Her post lists dozens prepared foods that are gluten-free, something that can be easily overlooked if you don't pay close attention to labeling! While on Carol's blog be sure to check out her recipes for gluten-free, dairy-free Cream Puffs and Polenta Chicken Pot Pie.
I also received a few submissions from non-bloggers but I was having difficulties copying and pasting their recipes into this post so I will save them for later this Fall.
Thank you all for your submissions to this wonderful blogging event! I think we can all walk away with many new ideas for improving our children's lunches!
I think I'd be missing the blogging boat if I didn't post a stuffed squash recipe this Autumn! This recipe veers away from the usual wild rice or quinoa mixed with nuts, cranberries, apples, and herbs. Not that those combinations aren't perfectly comforting and festive this time of year....but I was thinking of something a little spicier. 
