Here we go again.......I need ideas for W/F and G/F lunch boxes

[hennipenni]

DD has had a "relapse" with her gluten and wheat intolerance and is now back on a W/G free diet but I'm going to struggle again with lunch box ideas to replace bread. She hatres and refuses to eat W/g free bread, she gets bored with rice cakes, pasta doesn't seem to keep well, but she does like the crackers. Have wondered about W/G free pitta breads? Do they need grilling to refresh and would they last long enough at school for lunch before going like carboard? TIA

I have got a couple of fab wheat free bread recipes if you are interested :O) DS loves them.

Yes plese, that would be fab. Does it keep well enough for pack lunches?

We haven't turned the bread into packed lunches BUT it keeps in our bread bin fine (I wrap it in a tea towel before I put it in there). I'm sure it would be :O)

I put recipes in a previous post so will go find them now...

White gluten-free flour mix
(Makes 650 g)

50g tapioca flour
50g cornflour
100g potato flour
450g white rice flour

Mix all together. Store in covered container, use as required.

Everyday White Bread

Makes 1 medium loaf

1 egg
350ml water
4 tbsp sunflower oil (I use tescos own)
1 tsp lemon juice
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp caster sugar
400g white gluten free flour mix
1 tbsp xanthum gum
1 tbsp active yeast

1. Beat together the egg and water, then pour into the breadmaker pan.

1. Add all the remaining ingredients in the order listed.

1. Set the machine to Basic, 1.5lb dark crust.

1. When cooked, switch off the machine and leave the bread to cool in the breadmaker for 10 minutes.

1. Turn the bread out of the pan on to a wire rack. When cool enough to handle, remove the paddle if necessary.

1. When cold, store in the bread bin for up to four days or slice and freeze.

Milk Loaf

Makes 1 medium loaf

1 large egg
275 ml milk
1 tbsp sunflower oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
225g white rice flour
2 tsp xanthum gum
1 sachet of easy blend dried yeast (6g)

1. Beat together the egg and milk, then pour into the breadmaker pan.

1. Add all the remaining ingredients in the order listed.

1. Set the machine to Basic, 1.5lb dark crust but allow to cook for 40 mins only or until golden and firm to the touch and shrinking slightly from the sides of the pan.

1. When cooked, switch off the machine and leave the bread to cool in the breadmaker for 10 minutes.

1. Turn the bread out of the pan onto a wire rack. When cool enough to handle, remove the paddle, if necessary.

1. When cold, store in the bread bin for up to four days or slice and freeze.

This is the one we are favouring at the moment! DS loves it and compared to prescription breads tastes like heaven lol. I have cooked it for the full time in my breadmaker (forgot it lol) and it was fine.

Neither bread rises hugely but the texture is still ok.

The book they are taken from is 'Amazing Gluten-free Bread & Cakes from your Breadmaker' by Carolyn Humphries

I have bought bread from here www.thecakehole.com/ sadly they are expensive but they are bl**dy good and taste near enough normal! £3.00 a loaf though. (they do mail order)

We have just madea white/brown farmhouse loaf, it didn't turn out quite like I would have liked it but DS LOVED it so will type that out as soon as I have time!

pitta pockets are fine, but I actually never bother with bread, I make up large veg or occasionally fruit salad plus maybe a some crisps or a rock cake

If she likes to have sandwiches for lunch, then the pittas are the only way to go. They need a quick toast, then cool and fill - they keep really well through the day.
For variation, if budget stretches to it, then order some sausage rolls/pasties from Lifestyle and keep them in the freezer. They are pricey, but taste great.
I eat a lot of leftovers for lunch - Lakeland do a great divided food thermos thing that you can pack chilli and rice in for instance.
The Rizopia pasta lasts well as a salad.

ds1 doesn't eat sandwiches and so for carbs I put in popcorn (i just put a bit of losalt on it), salt 'n' shake crisps with the sachet removed, homemade fruit muffin - when i did gf I made them from the a cook book that i can find if you like, I think that corncakes are nicer than ricecakes too.

Thanks for those ideas. Will try that bread recipe and will try her with the pittas. Her school is very strict with what can and can't go into lunch boxes, crisps are a deffo no-no, although they can take popcorn. She already has "special" permission to take in items that contain chocolate (as that is also banned from school) such as those sunny bars or mrs chrimbles macaroons.