Lunch Made Easy: HUNDREDS of School Lunch Ideas All in 1 Post!

I can't believe it's back to school time already! Time to gather up those school supplies, make sure clothing still fits, and dust off those lunch bags and lunch boxes that have been sitting in the back of the cabinet or pantry for the summer.

I've put together a BUNCH of my round-up posts all in one place. Just bookmark or PIN this post and you'll have HUNDREDS of lunch ideas right at your fingertips!

Beyond the Label: #SeedtoSunButter

I was given the opportunity to travel to North Dakota to visit Red River Commodities and the sunflower fields that make  Top 8 Allergen & Gluten Free SunButter Sunflower Butter and to learn about their processes, as well as, commitment to allergen control.  Below is the sponsored post as it relates to the brand and my trip. All opinions are my own. Disclosure.
I've been fortunate over the past few years to get to know many food allergy and gluten free brands on a deeper level. Having been afforded the opportunity to attend meetings, talk to the owners, and even travel on their behalf.
Although they're doing great things by providing us with a product, there are few out there that truly care about our community with drive and passion. It's not just a profit, they realize they're a part of something much greater going on. They're changing lives... saving lives. For me, SunButter saved ours almost ten years ago. 

{Nut Free} Sandwich Bros Pocket Sandwiches #SandwichBrosSmile

Sandwich Bros pocket sandwiches are a protein packed fun food option that is completely nut-free!  Products are not gluten-free. The following post is a sponsored review. All opinions are my own. Disclosure.
I have a great find for our nut free friends! As busy families, we're always on the go and looking for easy and delicious food items that can satisfy our kids.
I also love when I can find ways to turn those items into lunchbox smiles. Sandwich Bros offer protein packed pocket sandwiches, that are great for snacks, lunches, parties, and more. Available in snack meal & breakfast sandwich varieties.

Halloween Made Easy: Cupcakes for Two #Recipe with @EnjoyLifeFoods Baking Chocolate Snack Packs + Giveaway! #SnackFreely

Gluten Free & Top 8 Allergen Free "Cupcakes for Two" Recipe + Baking Chocolate Snack Packs Giveaway! This post is sponsored by Enjoy Life Foods. All opinions are my own. Read full disclosure here.
Anyone who has tried Enjoy Life Foods #1 Selling Allergy-Friendly Baking Chocolate knows it's hard to resist not eating them straight from the bag.
That's why their new Baking Chocolate Snack Packs are perfect for those chocolate cravings. Throw them in your purse, pack them for lunch, or bake up something delicious. Like my "Cupcakes for Two" recipe that is gluten free & top 8 allergen free. Just grab one Snack Pack and follow my easy steps!
{Giveaway} Make sure you enter below for a chance to win some for yourself! 

SunButter & Jelly French Toast Sandwiches {Egg Free #Recipe}

SunButter & Jelly French Toast Sandwiches are a fun treat for kids for breakfast or lunches! This recipe is allergen-friendly & egg-free, depending on the brand of bread you use.
Making french toast for breakfast is always a fun change-up in our household. We are typically a pancake or eggs kind of family. 
However, I always challenge myself to make things as allergen-friendly (and gluten free) as possible when I'm working on new recipes or ideas to share here. 
Years ago, I was playing around with my own recipe for egg-free/ dairy-free apple cinnamon french toast. I decided to circle back around and find a way to amp that up + make a fun recipe that could be used for both breakfast or lunches!

Sandwich Thins Recipe {Gluten & Top 8 Allergen Free}

Over the years I have followed amazing gluten free and food allergy free-from blogs. Some of the authors have even become personal friends. 
I look at their recipes. I drool. I want to make them. But I don't. And it's meant to no offense to them. 
Sometimes they contain a nut based flour. Or sometimes a flour that can't be purchased locally. Or more often than not, it's a flour blend where I have to literally go out and buy six bags of different flours just to create a special blend they want for the recipe.
I understand that it's what makes it "just perfect". But, for me, it's just not happening. 
If I can't make it with an all-purpose flour, then I'm not going to bother. I just don't have the money or pantry space to invest in the others. It's also sometimes difficult to find top 8 free alternative flours that are needed for those special blends. Many contain CC warnings. 
Thus why I started testing this Sandwich Thin recipe to begin with. I wanted it to be easy. I wanted it to use a gluten free AP flour, I wanted it to be top 8 allergen free, and I wanted it to be something geared towards my readers - something you could use in the lunch box, of course! 

Leftovers for Lunch: Ways to Use Chicken Leftovers!

When I am meal planning for the week, I purposely buy chicken and have it once a week just so I can have the leftovers for lunches. The fella actually teases me about my love of chicken leftovers.
It's my favorite! So versatile and so many ways to incorporate it into different meals.
I figured it would be a great idea to put some of those into one post so the next time you have a leftover chicken breast or two in the fridge, or a container of leftover chicken from a fryer or roaster, you'd be inspired to make some fantastic lunches from the leftovers!

Lunch Made Easy: Back to School Ideas!

For a family with food allergies or dietary restrictions, packing food never stops. It becomes second nature to always BYOF (Bring Your Own Food) wherever you go.

The same goes for school lunches. We pack, every day. And always have. 

You'll find me sharing what Little Miss is having over on our Facebook and Instagram pages, daily. Make sure to follow us there to not miss out on the daily fun!

I've put together a fun round-up of our favorite lunches we've packed for school so far (she started back in mid-July) to help give you inspiration for when your family heads back:

Enjoy #LunchFreely + a HUGE Sweepstakes! #BacktoSchool

This post and sweepstakes is sponsored by Enjoy Life Foods. All opinions are my own. Disclosure.
I've been keeping a secret from you all.
For some time now, I've been working with our friends at Enjoy Life Foods on a fun video and some lunch recipes that are free-from the top allergens and gluten!
Not only that, but today launches Enjoy Life Food's HUGE Sweepstakes and LunchFreely.com website! 
There will be ONE GRAND PRIZE and there will be FIVE Runner-Up Prizes each week!! New recipes and sweepstakes details are in the post below.

How to Keep Apple Slices from Turning Brown {Lunch Tips + Video}

It's Back to School Time!! That means time to start planning for school lunches and snacks.
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is how we keep our apple slices from turning brown?
I've put together a fun video with some tips and tricks that we use to keep our apples from browning. 

Lunchbox SunButter Spice Bars {Top 8 Allergen Free}

This post is sponsored by SunButter Sunflower Butter. All opinions are my own. Read our full disclosure here. 
It's that time of year again... back to school! Time to get those lunch boxes ready.
Little Miss started a school that follows a "balanced calendar" -  meaning, she is on an almost "all year school" calendar and school began back on July 18th. Crazy, but it's let her start developing friendships right away, which is great.
I'm always looking for simple lunchbox ideas and recipes that allow me to pack in protein and yummy allergy friendly ingredients she can enjoy at school. Just like these SunButter Spice Bars. They're gluten free and top 8 allergen free. 

Snyder's of Hanover Pretzels Peanut Free Giveaway #PretzelsBaby

This post and giveaway is sponsored by Snyder's of Hanover. All opinions are my own.
For years, I have admittedly bypassed the Snyder's of Hanover Pretzels on the shelves. Even when they released their Gluten Free Pretzels (which are now certified GF), I knew looming on the backside was that warning... "Made in a facility that handles peanut butter." 
While I appreciated their labeling, since it's not mandatory to label for cross-contamination, it was something my family could not eat.
WELL, THAT HAS CHANGED! Snyder's of Hanover production at its main pretzel bakery in Hanover, Pennsylvania is now dedicated Peanut Free. 
To celebrate the change, we're giving away a #PretzelsBaby Prize Pack + a $25 Visa Gift Card to one lucky winner! 

Homemade {Baked} Popcorn Shrimp Recipe

A while back I shared my yummy gluten free, dairy free, nut free {Baked} Popcorn Shrimp recipe on our Snapchat page. 
Thankfully, I was able to capture the video onto my YouTube channel so I could share it with those of you currently not on Snapchat. (Which you should be, by the way. So fun and so addictive!) 

Cybele's Free-To-Eat Cookie Giveaway!

Years ago, when Little Miss was first diagnosed with food allergies, there were not all the resources we have today. Looking online, I'd find little information that was reliable and what this mother needed in order to feed her baby and feel secure.
One person I did come across during that research, was Cybele Pascal. Her books were some of my first comforts during a new scary time of our life.
Fast forward, now Cybele is sharing her experiences through baking and food allergy motherhood in her line of delicious Free-To-Eat Cookies. 
We've shared about these gems before, but I don't mind taking some time to do it again... and while we're at it GIVE SOME AWAY to FIVE lucky people!

Nut Free {No Bake} SunButter Energy Bites

There are a number of recipes I've made so frequently over the years that I no longer measure them. Just get out the bowl and start eyeballing the ingredients needed. 
Our Allergy Friendly {No Bake} SunButter Energy Ball Bites are one of those recipes.
Each time I share about them or pack them in a lunch I post on Facebook or Instagram, I get messages or comments asking for the recipe. And each time I tell myself, "Next time I'll measure!" ... but I never do. 
WELL, I FINALLY DID! While Snapchatting last night about dinner and knowing I needed to make more of these bites, I made sure to measure so I could *finally* share them here. 
They're gluten free and top 8 allergen free (that means they're nut free and great for school snacks)! 

#SweetFreely Giveaway from @EnjoyLifeFoods & Keeley McGuire!

Double the fun, y'all! I have some sweet news for you!
Right now, Enjoy Life Foods is hosting a giveaway on Instagram & Twitter for a #SweetFreely Valentine's Box. Not only that, I'm giving one away right here on Keeley McGuire Blog! That gives you TWO sweet chances to WIN! Woo!
And you know I couldn't let a special day like Valentine's go by without sharing some deliciously fun ideas for you & your family:

Lunch Made Easy: Thanksgiving Bento for My Little Turkey

Life has been so incredibly busy (and great) lately that Thanksgiving completely snuck up on me!
While at the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference the weekend before last (#FABlogCon), I was talking to Allison of Allie's GF Goodies and she made mention of needing to get back right after the conference to begin all her Thanksgiving baking. I must have given her a funny look, because she then went on and said "uh yeah, Thanksgiving is a week and half away!" *begins fanning self* How did that happen? Wasn't it *just* Halloween?? Oy.
Anyways, since I got back it's been work work work and in my spare time planning for the big Turkey day for my little family. However, I couldn't let the year go by without some Thanksgiving lunch box fun!

20+ Easy Lunch Ideas for Work or School

When your child has food allergies and/or dietary restrictions, you pack lunch. Daily. It's just part of the normal routine. 
Some days, we get creative and make (what I call) "silly sandwiches" or sometimes the lunches are completely sandwich free. They don't have to be complicated or artistic, but it is fun to mix it up from the usual.
Lately, life has been busy. I've been traveling a lot for work and due to my health issues I require a lot more sleep than I use to. That's why having an arsenal of easy and quick fix lunch ideas are a necessity. I still want my daughter to be excited for her school lunches, and not feel left out, but keep my sanity intact. I'm sure many of you feel the exact same way!
Here are 20+ inspiring ideas for work or school lunch:

Lunch Made Easy: Cupcake Surprise! {Happy Birthday Little Miss}

I can't believe my baby girl is ten years old today.
People have said since the day she was born, cherish each moment... they go by quick! Man, they weren't kidding. How did ten years happen so fast?
I remember her learning to crawl, learning to spell her name, mispronouncing words, her first day of school, her first lost tooth... and now she's ten?! 

Excuse me while I curl up at my desk and cry.

When Little Miss' birthday falls during the school week, I always try to make her a special breakfast and/or lunch to celebrate. Today, I packed her a fun cupcake surprise! 

Happy Birthday to my baby girl!

Lunch Made Easy: Fun Football Ideas

If you've followed our site for a bit, it comes at no surprise to you that we are a football family. Obsessed even.
So, as you can imagine, this time of year is our absolute favorite. College football season is kicking off and the NFL preseason is just winding down. Plus, ya know, I have a Fantasy Football title to defend. Big things are at stake here people! ;)
Today happened to be College Day at school for Little Miss, where the kiddos were encouraged to wear their favorite college shirt. She, of course, wore her University of Michigan shirt (the fella and her favorite) and since they play football tonight against Utah, I knew a fun lunch was in need. 
Details on this lunch are included below (click that expand and read more button!) + fun football lunches we've made in the past, for added inspiration, for the fan in your family!