7 School Lunches for Your Gluten-Free, Paleo or Vegan Kid

Gluten-free, paleo and vegan recipes

Prepping and packing a healthy school lunch is a priority for most parents. But what sounds good in theory can often get tossed out the window when life gets in the way (as it so often does). With busy schedules, limited time to shop and picky eaters, it’s no wonder parents often dread the hour before bedtime when the infamous question of “What am I going to pack the kids for lunch tomorrow?” always seems to invade our thoughts.

ParentMap talked with three food bloggers who have perfected the art of packing a healthy — and delicious — school lunch for kids with specific dietary needs, including Paleo, vegan and gluten-free.

Up next: Mexican fiesta

Mexican fiesta

Founder Karen of Healthy Gluten-Free Family knows how challenging it can be for anyone to pack lunches every day, and keep it interesting, delicious and healthy. She also understands that when a child needs to eat gluten-free, whether it be for medical reasons (such as celiac disease or a gluten intolerance) or by choice, packing school lunches requires additional planning.

The premise of this plate is to use tonight’s dinner for tomorrow’s lunch. The work has already been done in prepping dinner: You might as well benefit from it by enjoying the food for lunch, too. The plate can be easily adapted to tastes: substitute steak or tofu for chicken, rice for quinoa and add any vegetable your child loves.

What you’ll need:

• Smashed avocado: Mash a half or whole avocado with a fork, season it with salt and lemon juice to taste.
• Your favorite gluten-free tortilla chips
• Corn and/or tomatoes
• Cubed grilled chicken (or steak or tofu)
• Quinoa (or rice)
• Black beans

Note: Use tofu instead of meat to make this vegan. Substitute taro root chips, replace the quinoa with cauli-rice and sub the black beans with more veggies to make it Paleo.

Up next: Veggie hummus plate

Veggie hummus plate

Who doesn’t love a big appetizer plate? Now you can have your very own for lunch! Just assemble your child’s favorite vegetables, some hummus, cheese and gluten-free pretzels. You could also add some fruit for additional flavor points.

What you’ll need:

• Assorted vegetables: carrots, celery, broccoli, cucumbers, snap peas, etc.
• Your favorite gluten-free pretzels
• Your favorite cheese, cut in cubes
• Easy hummus (see recipe below) or your favorite gluten-free storebought hummus
• Optional: top hummus with a few roasted chickpeas

Easy hummus recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ½ c tahini
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup water
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Place all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. Add the olive oil by streaming while processing.
2. Process until smooth and creamy.
3. Adjust seasoning to tastes as desired.

Roasted chickpeas: Rinse and drain one can of chickpeas, toss them gently with a touch of avocado oil and salt, place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the chickpeas are just starting to crisp.

Note: Omit the cheese and use tortilla chips instead of the pretzels to make it vegan.

Up next: Breakfast for lunch

Breakfast for lunch

Switch it up and serve breakfast for lunch. This easy-to-make, deconstructed yogurt parfait is always a hit and can be easily adapted to tastes. 

What you’ll need:

• Your favorite gluten-free yogurt (regular or dairy-free), sprinkled with hemp seeds
• Your favorite gluten-free granola
• Seasonal fruit, such as peaches, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries
• Sunflower seed butter

Up next: Mini rainbow sandwiches

Mini rainbow sandwiches

When Natalie Monson and Amy Roskelley started Super Healthy Kids, they had no idea that their passion to educate families on how to prepare, cook and eat healthier would be such a huge success. With seven children between the two of them (Roskelley has three and Monson has four), they have learned a thing or two about how to make healthy eating a lifestyle.

Monson and Roskelley say that when you are looking for lunch box ideas, consider your fruits and veggies first. Their delicious mini rainbow sandwiches recipe is a quick and easy place to start when looking to prepare and pack a vegan lunch that your kids will be excited to eat.

Bonus: To make a complete rainbow lunch, the duo recommends packing other cut-up fruits and veggies in the rainbow, such as strawberries, carrots, blueberries, sugar snap peas or banana chips.

Veggie mini rainbow sandwiches

What you’ll need:

• Whole wheat bread, sliced into squares, or use a square cookie cutter
• Red peppers
• Yellow peppers
• Cucumber
• Purple cabbage
• Hummus as a spread

Note: Use gluten-free or Paleo bread to make this gluten-free or Paleo.

Fruit Mini Rainbow Sandwiches

What you’ll need:

• Whole wheat bread, sliced into squares, or use a square cookie cutter
• Strawberries
• Apricot jam
• Nut butter
• Blackberry jam

Note: Use gluten-free or Paleo bread to make this gluten-free or Paleo.

Up next: Bacon-ranch deviled eggs lunch box

Bacon-ranch deviled eggs lunch box

In 2013, Kendra Benson, founder of the website and blog Our Paleo Life, decided to set aside flour, sugar and milk in favor of healthier ingredients. She has always loved cooking and baking and wanted to find a better way to make meals for her family.

Round out this healthy lunch with grapes, sweet peas and a Paleo muffin.

What you’ll need:

• 6 hard-boiled eggs
• 1/4–1/2 cup Paleo mayo
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 2 tsp Paleo ranch dressing
• Sea salt to taste
• 3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into tiny bits
• Smoked paprika for garnish

Instructions:

1. Slice the hard-boiled eggs in half; remove yolks and place them in a bowl.
2. Add 1/4 cup mayo, mustard, ranch dressing and salt to the bowl.
3. Mash the yolks with a fork, mixing all of the ingredients together. If the mixture is too dry, add more mayo. Combine until mostly smooth.
4. Spoon the yolk mixture into a pastry bag or Ziplock bag. Snip off one corner and pipe the mixture into the eggs.
5. Sprinkle paprika on the tops of the eggs, then sprinkle the bacon bits on top.
6. Serve cold.

Up next: Chicken salad wraps

Chicken Salad Wraps

Round out these tasty wraps with almond slivers, strawberries, mini peppers and lettuce to scoop up the chicken salad. Or, try wrapping the chicken salad directly in the lettuce.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cans shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup Paleo lime mayo
• 1 sweet apple
• 2–3 dill pickle spears, chopped
• 1/4 cup pitted kalomata olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins or apple-sweetened dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup grapes
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients (except salt) in a large bowl and mix. If too dry, add mayo.
2. Taste to make sure you have the right amount of mayo.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within three days.

Note: Try substituting canned jackfruit for the chicken and vegan mayo to make the salad vegan.

Up next: Salad rollups lunch box

Salad rollups lunch box

This hearty lunch includes an Italian sub rollup, oil and vinegar blend, pickles, apple slices and chips.

What you’ll need:

• 4 slices each of Genoa salami, mortadella, soppressata, pepperoni, provolone
• Paleo lime mayo
• Shredded lettuce
• Avocado oil or olive oil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Italian seasoning
• Toothpicks

Instructions:

1. Layer the meat slices from largest to smallest.
2. Spread a thin layer of mayo on the stack, making sure to leave space at the top of the largest piece to keep it from squishing out when you roll it up.
3. Add a slice of provolone on top of the mayo, about halfway from the top. Add a small handful of lettuce to the lower half and top with desired toppings (optional).
4. Starting from the bottom of the cheese, gently roll the stack, pushing in any fillings that find their way out.
5. When you get to the end, secure the outer meat edges with a toothpick.
6. To serve, pour two parts oil and one part vinegar into a small dipping ramekin. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning on top. Dip the rollups in the oil-vinegar dressing.
7. Store extras in the fridge, wrapped individually in plastic wrap, for up to a week.

Editor’s note: This article was published a few years ago and has been updated for 2023.