Back To School
To help school children stay safe and eat well as they return to education this autumn.
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Useful Information
Ready for Lunch
Tips to prepare ahead for the week
Keeping lunch boxes varied and nutritionally balanced can be quite a task! And when everything needs to be made without gluten there is an added challenge. But it doesn’t need to be as big a challenge as it seems with the following helpful tips!
Planning and involving the child when making things for the lunch box is a great way to ensure everything is eaten. Lunches provide around one third of a child’s daily nutritional needs, so it is good to include a balance of protein, dairy, good carbohydrates, fruit, and vegetables. Some of the recipes here will include ways of sneaking in extra veg and fruit.
Remember if you are including a food which is new to a child, they will need to taste it several times before liking it so don’t give up if it comes back on the first day!
As parents are sure to know, planning lunches ahead of the week saves you both time and money. If you’re looking for some alternatives to bread that can be cooked in bulk, check out our tips!
Most kids love rice. You can cook batch rice on an evening when you’re also using it for dinner to save on cost and time.
Cool the extra rice thoroughly under cold water, drain it and put into a container. Put lid on and keep it in the fridge.
When cooling rice. It must be cooled completely under cold water and strain, keep in the fridge. It must be totally cold right through the rice to avoid the growth of bacteria, which could cause food poisoning.
This can be used for the next 3 to 4 days.
Upcoming Webinars
Wednesday, 21st August 2024 – 1:00-2:00pm
Join Dietitian Sarah Keogh for a talk on getting the Coeliacs in your life ready for the classroom. Pre-registration for this online seminar is required, and can be done at this link.
Thursday, 22nd August 2024 – 7:00-8:00pm
Join Dietitian Sarah Keogh with Chef and Food Consultant Frances Buckley for a talk on how to ensure young Coeliacs are safely fed while in care outside the home. Intended for teachers, childminders, special needs assistants, creche caterers and catering professionals. Pre-registration is required, and can be done at this link.
Family Cinema Day
Friday, 16th August 2024 – 9:30am-2:00pm
Join us for a fun cinema event for all the family on Friday, August 16th. We’ll be hosting a private screening of Inside Out 2 at the UCD Student Centre Cinema in conjunction with our Back to School partner, BFree.
The event begins at 9:30am, and will also include a talk on childhood nutrition, school lunches, and being gluten free in the classroom with our staff nutritionist.
This is a ticketed event with limited availability, so booking in advance is essential. Tickets cost €5, and can be purchased using our online shop or in person at our Clondalkin office. Tickets come with a gluten free goodie bag on the day.
Link to purchase tickets here. Full details can be found in the ticket description.
BFree Lunchbox Products
