Gluten-free Lunch Ideas for Kids & Adults (2024)

By Laura Fuentes on Sep 1, 2021 Updated Jul 22, 2024

5 from 9 votes

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Having a child with a gluten allergy doesn't mean boring school lunches! These 10 gluten-free lunch ideas are simple, delicious, and allergy-friendly.

If you’re looking for gluten-free lunches your kids will love and are easy to pack, I’ve got you covered. All of these lunch ideas are kid-favorite recipes recreated and free of all gluten and grains.

Plus, these lunches are both filling and healthy so you can feel good about packing them for an office lunch too. Keep reading to see all the ideas, but first, watch this video to see how these easy gluten-free lunches are made.

Related: Top 5 Lunchboxes We’ve Tested

Having go-to recipes you know your family loves and are free of gluten will always come to the rescue. I have created an entire ebook with over 100 lunch ideas, and the majority are naturally gluten-free. When gluten is present in a recipe or idea there is always an easy swap you can make so that you can enjoy the recipe too. Click to download the book below.

101 Packed Lunches eBook

All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child’s lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive myPack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!

Gluten-free Lunch Ideas for Kids & Adults (1)

Grab the Book!

Gluten-Free Sandwiches

One thing people, especially kids, miss the most when going gluten-free is the easy access to bread! Finding the right, gluten-free bread for sandwiches can be tricky, and it’s why I started making my own as well as testing out favorites from the store until I found something we liked.

Here are the best gluten-free bread options you can use with your favorite sandwich fillings to make an epic gluten-free sandwich.

Grain-Free Blender Bread Recipe
Cloud Bread – perfect for low carb sandwiches
Canyon Bakehouse Gluten-free bread

Now that bread is back on the menu, you can get back to making your family’s favorite sandwiches like PB & J and pack them for lunch! If you happen to have a peanut allergy, I’ve got options for you! These 5 nut-free butter alternatives are all delicious and perfect for making sandwiches, toasts, spreading over fruit, or eating by the spoonful.

Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas

Avoiding gluten might mean checking every label of every food product you buy, but once you get used to living with a food allergy, you’ll start to figure out quickly what’s safe and what’s not. Add these 8 gluten-free lunch ideas to your school lunch rotation to make packing allergy-friendly lunches a breeze!

Picnic Bento Lunch Box

5 from 14 votes

Fresh, simple, and delicious is what you get when you combine fruit, veggies, and deli meat and turn it into a picnic-style school lunch!

Make This Recipe

BLT Salad Lunch

How to Pack Gluten-Free Lunches

A lot of gluten-free lunch recipes involve finger foods, hot lunches, and salads so having the right container goes a long way. Containers with compartments and thermoses have proven to be the most helpful when it comes to packing non-sandwich lunches and I’ve got an entire post reviewing the top MOMables lunch container recommendations which you can check out here.

Bonus! Gluten-Free Snacks

If you are on the lookout for gluten-free lunches chances are you could use a few gluten-free snack options as well. Am I right?!

What I love about the recipes below is they are made with all-natural, fresh ingredients and a healthier alternative to pre-packaged options. Of course, kids love these recipes because it reminds them of their favorite store-bought snacks.

Homemade Fruit Leather
Banana Chips
High Fiber Chocolate Bites
Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bites

If you want more packed lunch inspiration be sure to check out other posts like this fast and healthy office lunch ideas. Don’t be fooled by the title, all of these recipes are kid-friendly too and pack just as easily in a school lunch bag.

Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas for Everyone

Servings: 5

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Having a child with a gluten allergy doesn't mean boring school lunches! These 10 gluten-free lunch ideas are simple, delicious, and allergy-friendly.

5 from 9 votes

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Ingredients

Gluten Free Fish Sticks

½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
¼ cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons ground flax
1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, or vegan Parmesan topping
1 teaspoon ground paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 pound cod fillets, cut into ½-inch-thick slices

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and set it aside.
Add the flour to a plate and set it aside. Pour the coconut milk into a shallow dish and set aside.
In a separate shallow dish, combine the flax meal, bread crumbs, Parmesan, paprika, salt, and pepper.
To dredge, dip each fish piece into the flour, then the milk, and finally, the crumb mixture, coating both sides and pressing lightly to adhere.
Place the fish sticks onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown, flipping once halfway through.