These Power-Packed Gluten-Free Energy Bites are the newest rage in our house…

The idea came from my good friend who has been making a version of these on a regular basis in her house. She can make a double batch and then have them disappear within days.

Not too long ago I decided I would come up with my own version of these (mainly because I could not get a hold of her to get her recipe on the day that I had planned on making them). So…I had to improvise.

I am not sure what she will think of my version compared to hers, but at least my kiddos made an official call that these rock  – especially because they can make them completely by themselves.

We have made them three more times since the original batch, and they are a coveted treat once the boys roll in after school.

They are a power-packed snack and go a long way in holding over the kids to get them through that “witching hour” after school.  And they definitely rank up there at the top of our list, along with our other favorite healthy treat, the Gluten-Free Oatmeal Granola Cookie Bars.

They boast a punch of protein, a hit of Omegas, and are totally nutrient dense. They are naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free (though you can easily add nuts to these too). They are also raw.

For a treat that takes only 5 minutes to throw together, you really can’t go wrong by keeping these stashed in the fridge for a quick and healthy snack!

And for my list of 10 Allergy-Friendly After School Snack Ideas, go check out my post on The Balanced Platter today to find even more ways to beat that dreaded “witching hour”.

What is your favorite after school snack? Do you have any new ideas for me?

This post is coming on the tail of my last post, What Scares You Most About Sending Your Food Allergic Child to School?

Many of you came and shared your stories and your very real fears about how you are really feeling about this. If you have not yet, make sure to go over and share how you’re feeling about sending your kids off to school with food allergies this year – your stories will help other moms and dads to see how NOT alone they really are right now.

I told you I would be sharing some important resources and tools to help you ease some of those fears and give you a good game-plan so that you feel more in control.

I have put together a number of tips, resources, and links to tools that you can print off while you are developing (or enhancing) your Food Allergy Action Plan.

20+ Resources, Tips, and Tools For Sending Your Food Allergic Child to School:

1.  Build an Alliance with the Teachers, the Administrators, the School Nurse, Extra-Curricular Teachers, Bus Drivers, and even the other parents in the class.

One way to build an alliance with the other parents is to:

2.  Write a Friendly Letter to the Other Parents in the class explaining the nature of your child’s food allergies and their possible symptoms and reactions to their allergens. Have a picture of your child at the top of the letter, so they can put a face with the name initially.

Chances are your child will keep many of the same friends through the years, so making the parents of these children aware early on will allow them to become very familiar with your child’s needs and food restrictions. This will also help as your child grows older and starts to gain more independence and can also help other parents understand to keep vigilant about keeping an eye on your child when you are not there.

3.  Help everyone (from teachers, to administrators, to other parents) understand that every single child with food allergies is different and that every reaction can look very different.

Of course, an important step to take for your food allergic child is to:

4.  Have a 504 Plan in place.

While this is a personal choice and is optional, a 504 Plan may be the best way to protect your child in the classroom. Even if your relationship with your school is very good and you have open lines of communication, having a formal, legally enforceable plan may prevent your relationship with the school from becoming adversarial. It helps ensure that expectations for everyone – parents, children, classmates, food services workers, nurses, and administration – should be clear after the 504 is completed.

5.  Make sure that everyone in regular contact with your child knows how to use an EpiPen and has had the right training to do so (if your child requires this as an action for a reaction). Make sure that there are multiple EpiPens available and that everyone knows where they are stored.

6.  Encourage your child to feel brave enough to immediately let someone know if they think they are having a reaction.

This is something I had to really work on with my own son…we had to do some coaching with him to overcome feeling embarrassed or afraid of letting someone know if he was not feeling right.

As they get older, their understanding of their food allergies becomes a blessing and a curse. A blessing because they understand far better what they can and cannot eat or be exposed to. A curse because they also have a greater awareness of the social aspects where embarrassment can begin to play a large factor.

7.  Make the School Nurse Your BFF… seriously. Become really good friends with him or her. They will be an extremely important part of your support team.  Making sure that they are in full understanding and completely on board with everything to ensure safety for your child will be crucial.

8.  Be aware of Non-Food Items in the classroom as well that could hold potential allergens and keep the teacher aware that these could possibly be an issue for your child: Play-doh, Finger Paints, Pastes and Glues, Bird Food, Science Experiment Materials, Furniture, Sponges/Dishrags, Utensils, Kitchen Slicers…

9.  Offer to do a Presentation to your child’s class or, better yet, to the entire school about Food Allergy Awareness and Bullying Awareness for children with food allergies.

10.  Keep an Allergy-Friendly Snack or Treat box in the classroom at school for your child. Have them help pick out some special and safe treats that they will enjoy eating when there are party treats or food events going on in the classroom.  Let them be involved in picking out what they want to keep there.

There should also be a “No-Food Sharing/Trading” policy in the classroom.

11.  Volunteer to help coordinate Food-Related events and parties in the classroom. This way you can assign allergy-friendly versions of food items and create a list of party-treats that may be safe for the children in the class with food allergies. I have found this to be a huge benefit in ensuring that safe treats are going to be involved during the events. It may require a bit of your time, but often the peace of mind is well worth that effort.

12.  Volunteer to be the Room Mother or Room Father. Again, a definite investment in time but the benefit is having a little more access and control to what food and activities will be involved in the classroom.

13. Team up with other parents in the classroom who also may have food allergic children. There is power in numbers and together you may be able to really work with the teachers to create a safe environment for your children. Perhaps you can also create a schedule and take turns attending the different events, field trips, and parties and help watch out for each others children.

14.  Plan for field trips and activities and know (and get in writing) who will be carrying your child’s epi-pen or safe food during the outing, if you will not be present.

15.  Do not let your children sense your own anxieties about their food allergies. Let them see you feeling in control. It will help them to feel more in control as well and it will give them a greater sense of confidence in dealing with their special diets. Plus, it will not put additional anxieties and worries onto them.

Honestly, I feel like #15 is probably one of the most important points. Our children are so in-tune with our emotions and will model our actions. If we are stressed and anxious….then, guess what? They will be too! It is so important for us to minimize the psychological impact of food allergies for our children.

16. Take advantage of the many amazing online resources for sending your child off to school. They will give you the tools, forms, and peace of mind to start this year totally prepared.

Here are some excellent resources:

10 Tips to Sending Food Allergic Child to a New School - from Kids With Food Allergies (written by Lynda Mitchell)

My favorite tips from this list are:

• Develop a coordinated care plan in advance of the first day of school.
• Form an on-going partnership with the teachers, school nurse, and school administrators
• Get a doctor’s letter

A Guide to Sending Your Food Allergic Child to Kindergarten – from SnackSafely.com

Some of my favorite take-aways from this post:

• Understand how the school operates
• Build Your Child’s Support Team
• Become An Influencer in School Policies

15 Free Featured Posts about Sending Your Food Allergic Kids to School – from Kids With Food Allergies.

And if you become a Family Membership Subscriber at Kids with Food Allergies, you will have access to their:

• Sample Section 504 Plans for Managing Food Allergies

• School Health Plans for Your Child with Food Allergies

Managing Food Allergies in the School Setting: Guidance for Parents – from FAAN. This free download is an invaluable tool. Please print off a copy.

Food Allergy Action Plan from FAAN – Has a Printable Emergency Action Plan that should absolutely be filled out and passed out to everyone in contact with your child to make sure that everyone knows the immediate steps to follow in case of a reaction.

The Safe@School Program from FAAN – has some great resources for for school nurses or administrators to conduct in-service training about food allergies and anaphylaxis along with an online food allergy tool kit for school nurses.

Food Allergy Education Modules from AllergyHome.org – have free food allergy training modules for school nurses, extended staff, teachers.

Allergy Alert Labels from Name Bubbles – laminated waterproof Customizable Food Allergy labels for backpacks, water bottles, cups, and lunchboxes.

So let’s get this year started off right and put our plans into action!

This post is being shared with Allergy Free Wednesdays!

Today is a busy day.

I have my first post up as a monthly contributor over at The Balanced Platter, the new site full of wonderful ideas for balanced, healthy living. I am sharing 8 Steps Towards Lifelong Health and a “No-More-Diet Challenge”.

Will you go on over and take the challenge? Well..wait. Don’t go until you first check out these 12 quick and healthy snack ideas below for the continuation of A New Year, A New You with my sweet friends over at Daily Bites and Lexie’s Kitchen.

For this event, I am tackling some quick and healthy snack ideas to get you through your day (and satisfied until dinner).

Now, I have a question for you.

Do you have a witching hour in your house? You know. That time right around three thirty or four o’clock in the afternoon. The time when every one is hungry. Dinner is not ready yet and all (kids, spouses, you) are starting to get grumpy, and whiny…and really really annoying.

My focus in this new year is to hit that crazy hour with a pre-emptive strike. My goal is to have some of these healthy ideas below ready and waiting when the kids walk through the door after school.

Consider this Operation-Cease-and-Desist-of-the-Witching-Hour. Do you want to join in on this covert operation?

Here is the plan (since all good operations need a plan, right?):

Get out a muffin tin. No. I am not making you bake right now.

Use that muffin tin to fill the openings with a variety of the snack ideas below. Put a couple of different dips in the center (in this photo, the dips on the left, from top to bottom, are homemade roasted pepper hummus, sunflower seed butter, and Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie Dip – recipe below). Then surround the dips with fresh and dried fruits, raw veggies, and some nuts and trail mixes and any other ideas from the list below or from your creative and ingenious minds.

These simple ideas below will refuel all of that energy spent throughout the day (but all of these are also wonderful mid-morning snacks that can be packed up in lunch boxes as well).

The other benefit is that if you add raw veggies and the kids are snacking on them, you do not have to worry so much if they are eating all of their vegetables at dinner time. And I have found that when my kids are starving they will eat those raw veggies sitting out.

Here are 12 Healthy Snack Ideas to fill up those muffin tins:

1. Sliced Bananas, Apples, Pears, or Celery with nut butter or nut-free sunflower seed butter for dipping.

2. Raw vegetables (sugar snap peas, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, celery, etc) with hummus or salad dressing for dipping (try pureeing vegetables into your hummus)

3. Kale Chips – there are many store bought ones, but making your own is way too easy: tear kale away from stems and then tear leaves into bite sized pieces, place on baking sheet, drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sea salt (and any other other seasoning of choice), bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Enjoy.

4. Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie Dip (Recipe Below) to dip fruit and veggies in (or even to eat with a spoon).

5. Smoothies - get creative and add different fruits, greens, chia or flax seeds (can put in a thermos for a snack on the road) – not for the muffin tin, obviously.

6. Trail mix with Dairy Free Dark Chocolate pieces for a treat (Enjoy Life Foods has great Nut-Free Trail mixes) or make your own with: chopped raw nuts such as almonds, pecans, cashews, pistachios, or macadamias (if not Nut-Free), raisins, dates, apricots, cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, dark chocolate pieces, etc.

7. Dehydrated Fruit (sulfite free).

8. Gluten-Free and Allergy Friendly Granola Bars cut into small pieces.

9. Home-made air-popped popcorn tossed with organic coconut oil and celtic  sea-salt.

10.  A small serving of dry Gluten-Free Granola, store-bought or home-made.

11. Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free “Bran” Muffins cut into pieces.

12. Raw, organic cheese slices (if not dairy-free) with grain-free or gluten-free crackers.

And now for that recipe…

Make sure to go and check out all of these other wonderful ideas for Smart Snacking today too:

• Daily Bites sharing Smart Snack Ideas and A Giveaway
• Lexie’s Kitchen sharing Sticky Toffee Power Balls
• Go Dairy Free sharing Cinnamon-Fig Cashew Butter Spread
• Silvana’s Kitchen sharing Gluten-Free Veggie Burgers

Okay, after you tell me what your favorite snack ideas are, go on over and take my challenge at The Balanced Platter!

In the words of Jack Johnson:

“Fall is here, hear the yell
Back to school, ring the bell
Brand new shoes, walking blues
Climb the fence, books and pens
I can tell that we are going to be friends
Yes I can tell that we are going to be friends.”

It is official. Our school year has begun. And I, along with so many of you, have also entered that time where, once again, we are facing those busy mornings and searching for tips and tricks to get us out of the door without all of that hectic stress.

We have high hopes and anticipations that this will be the year. The year that we are on time. The year that everyone skips happily out the door with all necessary homework, permission slips, and lunches in tow.  The year that we can give ourselves a pat on the back for our new organizational skills.

This will be that year. Right?…Right?

I have a special printable tool that just may help with one aspect of that below. But first….I have a question!

How come none of you told me that by packing lunches the night before, I would preserve an incredible amount of my sanity?

Seriously! Where on earth have I been? I honestly am not sure how it has taken me over two years of rushing around in the morning to figure this out.

I am sure most of you already knew this and are rolling your eyes at me being so slow on the uptake. But I just had to share my joy in this new-found calmness I have discovered in the mornings.

Okay. Back to the real reason for this post.

I have put together a printable list of over 50 Mix-and-Match Allergy-Friendly Lunchbox Ideas for you. It is long, but I just wanted to show you the many possibilities to keep you out of those lunch-packing ruts that we all fall in to.

So. Print out the list. Bring it to the grocery store. Stick it on the fridge. Keep a copy on hand to whip out whenever you feel like you are running low on creative juices and come up with a host of new ideas.

Note: this is an updated and modified version of my  allergy free and gluten free lunch post I did last year and from my lists in my iPhone App and iPad App.

And for more amazing school lunch ideas and recipes, go download the FREE E-cookbook, put together by Alisa Fleming of Go Dairy Free and One Frugal Foodie.  Smart School Time Recipes: The Breakfast, Snack, and Lunchbox Cookbook for Healthy Kids and Adults is full of wonderful healthy recipes from many bloggers.

This post is linked to The Whole Gang’s Friday Foodie Fix

These rock. Seriously. These chewy Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Granola Oatmeal Cookie Bars really take the cake.  They taste like an oatmeal cookie. They look like a granola bar.  Yet they have the nutrition of a power-packed snack.

My kids call these dessert.  I call these another of my sneaky tricks.  My husband? Well…he just calls me annoying.  He has long since stopped being amused at how excited I get when I know my family is eating well, even when they do not.

My favorite part about these is how easy they are to whip up. Just throw the dry ingredients into a bowl, add wet ingredients to a well in the middle, mix (aka, squish) everything together with hands, press into pan, bake, and viola. That is it.  Thirty minutes later you have a delicious and nutritious treat.

You can feel good about serving these as a snack.

Or for dessert.

Or even for breakfast.

In fact, this morning, I gave each boy a nice sized bar (excuse me, cookie), a hard-boiled egg, and some fresh fruit (kiwi and Gaiya melon, to be exact). And as they bounded out the door and off to school, I actually felt pretty good about what their brains would be fueled with for the next few hours.

And then I went and took a little nap.

I wish. Who am I kidding? But I bet I had you going…or at least a little jealous of this said nap.

Granola Oatmeal Cookie Bars Filled with Dried Cherries, Dark Chocolate Chunks, and Chopped Pistachios

This post is linked to:

Monday Mania

This post has been updated to be part of September’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! This event was created by Naomi Devlin of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried and is being hosted this month by Ali and Tom of Nourishing Meals.  The theme of this month’s round-up is… IDEAS FOR PACKING A HEALTHY SCHOOL LUNCH!

Yes. It is that time again. Summer vacation has come to an end. The routine-less days are now filled with structure and schedules.  The lazy pajama-filled mornings are now replaced with rushed outfit changes and mismatched socks.  Four course breakfasts lasting all morning are now replaced with meals that have to pack a big punch in a fast way (says the woman who dubs herself the “Breakfast Seargent” – I have strict rules about what is going to be fueling their brains until lunchtime).

I am a solid believer in the amazing power of nutrition and its’ hold over the function of the rapidly growing, neuron firing child’s brain.  Great nutrition is essential to good education and learning potential.  In order for the brain to function optimally, it needs a hearty supply of healthy fats, proteins, carbohydrates, water, vitamins, and minerals.  When children are missing these essential nutrients from their diets, they tend to be less curious, less attentive, less active, and more anxious.  These deficiencies can lead to cognitive impairment and delayed learning capabilities.

And as we again face those frenzied mornings that signal that school is back in session, it is a wonderful time for us to take stock of what we are using to fuel our children’s brains.  By sending them off to school with breakfasts and lunches that are full of nutrient dense foods packed with the proteins and amino acids that will keep those neurons firing long into the afternoons, we are fostering amazing learning potentials.

However, in the rush of the mornings, we often lose sight of what the best options are to pack in that healthy punch.  Convenience can trump healthy.  Here are some easy ideas to help overcome those mental blocks that we can face during the hectic spin of the mornings.  The ideas below are all geared towards the gluten-free and allergy-friendly lunchbox – the list may seem long, but I wanted you to really see how many options there are for those of us with dietary restrictions.   I will soon be doing a similar post full of breakfast ideas as well.

These are the Lunchbots – Stainless Steel Lunch Containers that I send in my son’s lunch box everyday. I LOVE THEM!

Sandwich/Wrap choices -

Note: These ideas focus on Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free choices.  You must ALWAYS read labels and ensure that your allergens are not included in any ingredients.  Manufacturers can change their ingredients at any time. Something that you may have once considered safe, may no longer be so. Also, any food may cause an allergy, not just the most common ones, so please always take your necessary precautions to keep your meals safe.

Note:  Any of these ideas can be put on gluten free bread (Udi’s is our favorite), gluten-free pita bread (GFL Foods, Inc is our favorite), gluten free tortillas or wraps (Sandwich Petals are delicious), gluten free crackers, gluten free bagels (again Udi’s are our favorites, hands down), or even home-made gluten-free whole-grain or grain-free pancakes (like these from Elana’s Pantry) and waffles (like these from The Spunky Coconut).  Just have fun, think outside the box, and mix and match your sandwich fillings/toppings with what you put them on.

1.  Try out different nut butters topped with fruit slices (instead of your typical PB&J) on any of the above. If your child’s school is nut-free, try Sunflower Seed or Soy Butter (I always sprinkle a little chia seed or flax meal inside my kids nut-butter sandwiches for a little extra omega goodness).

2.  Home-made (or store-bought) Hummus topped with cucumbers and/or shredded carrots on any of the above (minus the pancakes/waffles – your kids may not  quite appreciate hummus spread on them)

3.  Mashed avocados with a little squeeze of lime, some mild salsa, and shredded cheese, Dairy or Vegan (such as Daiya) on gluten free tortillas

4.  Organic Nitrate-Free turkey slices (such as Applegate Farms – only kind of lunchmeat I buy), Avocado slices, Roasted Peppers, Dairy or Vegan Cheese slices inside a gluten-free pita, in a sandwich, in a wrap, or on a bagel.

5.  Organic Nitrate-Free turkey slices (such as Applegate Farms), Roasted veggies and hummus inside a gluten free pita, in a sandwich, in a wrap, or on a bagel

6.  Mashed beans topped with shredded cheese, Dairy or Vegan, on a tortilla

7.  Chicken (or tuna) salad: in a pita, on a sandwich, or on a bagel – Try a mixture of leftover chicken or tuna (or a gluten-free rotisserie chicken), diced celery, diced apples, cut grapes, a tiny bit of organic mayonnaise (or use Egg-Free mayonnaise), a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper to taste.

8.  Cucumber slices and Dairy or Vegan cream cheese on a bagel (my son also loves smoked salmon on his)

9.  Black Bean burgers with avocado slices on a sandwich or gluten free bun (like these from Lexie’s Kitchen).

10. Shredded veggies mixed with cream cheese and spread on bagels or wraps.

11. Sandwich on a Stick – this is a fun idea from the Disney’s Family Fun Site

Other Hearty Main Dish choices –

1. Cooked brown rice mixed with cannellini beans, garlic, and shredded dairy or vegan cheese

2. Cooked brown rice or quinoa tossed with diced chicken, broccoli florets, dried cranberries, a bit of canola or coconut oil, and a splash or orange juice

3. Fun shaped Pasta noodles tossed with cooked broccoli, shredded carrots, diced black olives, and 1 Tbsp vegan salad dressing

4. Gluten-Free Gnocchi or Ravioli (Conte’s makes a good option) with Marinara sauce for dipping

5. Gluten-Free Spaghetti and Meatballs

6. Meatballs and Sauce in a Thermos – send some allergy-free bread or rolls for a Meatball Sub

7. Mac and Cheese – Dairy based or Dairy-Free (try VegNew’s Vegan Version )

8. Homemade soups in a thermos (I will be posting many soup and stew recipes as soon as it cools down)

9. Meatloaf Muffins with Brown Sugar Glaze – (these are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and easily egg-free)

10. Black bean Salsa with Gluten Free corn chips for dipping

11. Plain Gluten Free yogurt (Dairy or Non-Dairy) mixed with any fresh fruit and a small squeeze of honey

12. Pesto Sauce and Gluten-Free Noodles (try my gluten-free, dairy-free pesto sauce with recommendations on how to make it nut-free)

13. Hard-boiled eggs or Deviled Eggs, if you are not Egg-Free

14. Risotto with sautéed veggies – I usually make my leftovers into risotto cakes that the kids love for lunch

15. Any leftovers, really

Sides  –

1. Bananas, Apples, or Celery with a small container of nut butter, sunflower seed butter, or soy butter for dipping

2. Raw vegetables (sugar snap peas, broccoli, carrots, celery, etc) with hummus or salad dressing for dipping (try pureeing vegetables into your hummus)

3. Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Marinara Sauce for dipping

4. Fresh Fruit Kebabs with Dairy or Dairy-Free yogurt for dipping

5. Fruit dipped in pumpkin pie dip: pureed pumpkin or sweet potato mixed with pumpkin pie spice and a little honey. This is good with apple or pear slices

6. Roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

7. Smoothies in a thermos – can get creative and add different fruits, greens, chia or flax seeds

8. Nuts: if not allergic and your school allows them

9. Trail mix with Dairy Free Dark Chocolate pieces for a treat (Enjoy Life Foods has Nut-Free Trail mixes)

10. Dehydrated Fruit

11. Home-made Gluten-Free Granola Bars

12. Home-made air-popped popcorn tossed with organic coconut oil and celtic  sea-salt

13. Gluten Free Granola in a container with a separate thermos of Dairy or Dairy-Free milk to pour over it.

14. Cornbread muffins (pair with a turkey sandwich and dried cranberries, or even cranberry sauce)

Treats –

1. Homemade Rice Crispy Treats made with Organic Brown Rice Cereal

2. Muffins – sweet potato, carrot, banana, or zucchini muffins are all healthy ideas – you can really bake any pureed vegetable into a muffin and kids will eat it (I always throw in a little flaxmeal or chia seeds in to my batter as well)

3. Fruit Crumbles made with healthy ingredients (such as these GF, DF, EF, SF Berry Crumbles that my boys actually made themselves)

4. The famous Nutty Flax Bars (they are actually nut-free and really good for you) – try One Frugal Foodie’s version

5. Dates with Cream Cheese, Dairy or Vegan.  Sounds weird but so yummy!

6. A couple of home-made or store-bought allergy-friendly cookies never hurt anyone

Try to mix and match your choices each day, throw in a note or a joke to put a smile on your child’s face, and arm yourself with some fun eco-friendly reusable lunch containers.  You really cannot go wrong with filling their lunch boxes with whole grain, plant based options, and avoiding the highly processed, nutrient void convenience foods.  Have fun with your creations and then sit back and know that you have done a major part in fostering your child’s learning potential.

And for more amazing school lunch ideas and recipes, go download the FREE E-cookbook, put together by Alisa Fleming of Go Dairy Free and One Frugal Foodie.  Smart School Time Recipes: The Breakfast, Snack, and Lunchbox Cookbook for Healthy Kids and Adults is full of wonderful healthy recipes from many bloggers.

What are you going to be packing in lunchboxes this year? Any ideas to add to this list? We can all add to this and turn it into a Master Lunch Box List for the Allergy-Free crowd, of sorts!

If you like what you see here and do not want to miss a post, don’t forget to subscribe to my feed or have my recipes delivered directly to your inbox (you can enter your email address at the top of the page).

This post is also linked to:

Allergy Friendly Friday

Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Gluten Free Wednesdays,

Real Food Wednesdays.