First, I'm going to show you pictures of 62 gluten-free lunch ideas.

Then, just when you might be thinking that this is too much work, too complicated, or not something you can do, I'm going to break it down so you realize that it's actually pretty easy, uncomplicated, and totally doable.

Use one idea, several ideas, or all of the ideas, but remember...packing a gluten-free lunch for school should be healthy, fast, and realistic. Lunchbox packing should be a stress-free activity!

Gluten-free lunch ideas for days...

Breakfast for lunch

yogurt with berry syrup (homemade)

bacon and leftover pancakes

waffles and bacon with syrup, boiled egg with sea salt

bacon and hard boiled egg

yogurt with Love Grown cereal

yogurt with Love Grown cereal

Using leftovers

leftover DIY Burrito bowls

leftover chicken and potatoes

leftover sausage

leftover rice and salmon, with tamari sauce

How to pack these gluten-free lunch ideas in less than 5 minutes

1) Prepare!

Some foods are easy to throw in a lunch box straight from the fridge as is, while other foods need a little prep ahead of time so that they too can be thrown straight into the lunch box.

"I'm going to wake up an hour earlier just to make the perfect school lunch for my child." - said no mom EVER.

Take away message: You can still make the most delicious, healthiest, and diverse lunches for your child without waking up at the butt-crack of dawn. You simply need 1-2 hours of prep on a weekend or weeknight.

[thrive_leads id='5706']

Foods to prep ahead for lunchboxes:

• bacon (made extra for Sunday brunch and save half for lunches throughout the week) #cookonceeattwice

• hard or soft-boiled eggs

• cut veggies and fruit

• Kale Chips (check out this easy recipe that is so delicious!)

• Protein-packed Banana Nut & Raisin Muffins

• Smoothies travel really well in these containers and offer another way to "sneak" veggies like kale and spinach into your child's tummy :) Make the smoothie the night or day before, and double it for a couple days' worth. *you may want to get 2 of these smoothie containers!

• gluten-free waffles and pancakes (these are SO easy to make!)

When you prep these gluten-free foods ahead of time, 100% of these lunchboxes can be prepared in 5 minutes or less.

What to stock your fridge & pantry with...

*some of these options would be a no-no for schools that require lunches to be nut-free

Having healthy, easy grab items to throw in lunch boxes can make all the difference in the world. Here are some great gluten-free foods to stock your pantry and fridge with:

Refrigerator

• string cheese

• Fruit! (berries, apples, mandarins, cantaloupe, watermelon, pear, grapes, kiwis, etc)

• Veggies! (baby carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, jicama, celery, snap peas, bell peppers - mini bell peppers are fun, etc)

• olives

• avocado

• organic, pastured, uncured meats (salami, smoked salmon, ham, turkey, chicken, hot dogs - my kids love these mini grass-fed beef hot dogs, I microwave them in the morning and pop them in a thermos!)

• Spreads and dips (cream cheese, hummus, guacamole, olive tapenade, ketchup, etc)

• Nut and seed butter spreads, like Nuttzo (Chocolate Power Fuel is my kids' favorite)

• gluten-free tortillas (we happen to love Siete and Mikey's brands - which are also grain-free, and the rice flour tortillas at Trader Joe's)

• whole milk, organic yogurt (regular or Greek)

• organic cottage cheese

Pantry

• Roasted chickpeas (we like these)

• Gluten-free crackers - Simple Mills almond flour crackers (our favorite flavors are Fine Ground Sea Salt and Farmhouse Cheddar!), Mary's Gone Crackers (we especially love the "Real Thin Crackers"), Back to Nature multi-seed rice thins

• Late July gluten-free and organic tortilla chips (definitely try Jalapeño Lime, Bacon Habañero, and Dude Ranch!)

• vegetable chips (we especially like these because they're free of highly processed vegetable oils)

• Sejoyia Cocoroons

• chocolate coconut chips (we like these)

• Larabars and Larabar bites

• unroasted and unsalted nuts and seeds (cashews, almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, etc) - you could also keep these in the fridge for a longer shelf life

• dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, bananas, apples, blueberries, etc)

• Love Grown cereal (serve it dry with some yogurt to add it to, or simply dry as a snack)

• Gimme organic roasted seaweed snacks

• Cauliflower pretzels (and other cauliflower-based snacks)

• Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs

• Nature's Bakery gluten-free fig bars

• chocolate covered raisins

[thrive_leads id='5706']

2) Get the right gear

These are the 4 main lunchboxes I use:

1. PlanetBox (both Shuttle and Rover size)

2. OmieBox

3. Bentgo Kids

4. LunchBots (mostly the medium quad snack container)

There are pros and cons to each lunchbox, so I recommend checking out this blog post to help you decide which one is best for your needs.

Accessories

Accessorize and level up the fun factor!

You can make any lunchbox 10 times more fun and amazing (and therefore likely to be eaten and enjoyed) by using simple accessories. Sometimes I grab a small toy (like the cheap kind you get in birthday party favor bags) and other times I use one from my lunchbox accessory stash.

You can see all the accessories I use and get your own in my shop.

Now you can pack like 3 months of lunches!

Happy lunchbox packing,

You might also like:

• School lunchbox packing ideas & tips, Part 1 and Part 2

• How to be Supermom; 17 ways to quickly pack a healthy Planetbox lunchbox

• How to make a lunchbox go from OK to amazing!

• What is the best kid's lunchbox?

• The Lunchbox Gallery

• My Lunchbox Shop

[thrive_leads id='5706']