Packed lunches are a great way to make sure a coeliac child eats a healthy gluten-free meal. They can be tricky though especially if your child doesn’t take to eating gluten-free bread cold. Many gluten-free breads have to be heated or toasted to be at their best.

Gluten-free pita breads usually keep well (without crumbling or becoming soggy) in a lunch box. Fill with salad, cheese and gluten-free ham or turkey; or peanut butter and banana; or egg salad. It's important to keep varying the lunchbox as much as possible.

Choose a balanced selection from the list below. Your dietitian can help you with balanced packed lunch options.

Dairy products

• Cheese
• Yoghurt*

Fruit and Vegetables

• Fresh vegetable sticks such as carrot, peppers, baby sweet corn, sugar snap peas or cucumber
• Fresh fruit
• Dried fruit*
• Fruit in jelly

Carbohydrates

• Gluten-free pasta* salads with egg, vegetables, fish, meat, poultry or seafood
• Rice salads with egg, vegetables, fish, meat, poultry or seafood
• Potato salads*
• Bean salads
• Egg fried rice
• Cold gluten-free pizza*
• Crisps*
• Tortilla chips*
• Gluten-free crackers*
• Rice cakes*
• Rice crackers*
• Gluten-free cereal bars*

Protein

• fresh fish, meat, poultry or seafood
• egg
• peanut butter
• Sausages*
• Frankfurters*

* Remember to always check the Food List for those items marked with an asterisk.