{Enjoy Life Foods Friday} Plentils Lunchbox Fun #GlutenFree #AllergyFriendly

I love our Enjoy Life Foods Friday posts. Seriously.  The challenge each month of creating fun foods & recipe ideas with their products that are great for lunch & snacks is something I love to do. 
Enjoy Life is such a staple brand for any food allergy family. No questions - you know that it's going to be top 8 allergen free, gluten free, non-GMO, and contain no artificial junk. 
The first post we did last year was using Enjoy Life Foods Plentils. They are the "chip with benefits" made from lentils and protein packed. 
The post was so successful, they asked me use them again in this months post! So, welcome to PART II with Plentils! 

Lunch Made Easy: OVER 25 Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly Lunch Box Ideas

I try to post daily Little Miss and my work & school lunches to Instagram and Facebook. Rounding-up all the photos, I have over 25 I knew I needed to still share here on the blog. No time like the present!
Here's a great round-up of gluten free & allergy friendly school and work lunch box ideas to help inspire!

Lunch Made Easy: BBQ Pulled Pork Leftovers {+ #Recipe}

A few weeks ago, I put out a teaser on Facebook for our newsletter subscribers. They received this special lunch idea & recipe before it hit the blog! 
Our newsletter is biweekly, so don't worry, I won't flood your email with annoying messages. Be sure to sign-up so you don't miss out on other special "subscriber only firsts"!
I love finding yummy ways to use up leftovers. As my Chief Mom Laura Fuentes at MOMables has taught me, "cook once and eat twice".
Our Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork recipe is one that is in my normal dinner rotation. It's simple and quick to put together in the morning before we leave for work & school. There's nothing better than walking in the door to dinner being complete.
So, what do we do with the leftovers besides serving it on another gluten free hamburger bun?

Lunch Made Easy: Spaghetti Sandwich #Leftovers

When we have {gluten free} spaghetti for dinner, Little Miss loves when I make "garlicky toast" (as she calls it) along side.
I typically make our garlic bread by toasting in the oven Udi's bread and/or bun slices (whatever is handy), add Earth Balance spread, garlic, and a little Italian seasoning.
Little Miss takes her slices and forks her spaghetti right on top of the slice eating it like an open faced sandwich. That's her absolute favorite way to eat it. Whyyyy it never occurred to me to pack up leftovers that way for her school lunch until now, is beyond me... but when I asked her if that's what she wanted, she gave a very excited "YES!" in reply. 

Little Lunch Lessons: David and Goliath #TuesdayTeachings

In case you missed the previous two weeks, I've started a new series on the blog called Little Lunch Lessons {Tuesday Teachings}.

This week we're focusing on GIANTS and faith, with the story of David & Goliath. 

As always, her school lunch is {allergy friendly}: Gluten, Peanut, Tree Nut, Dairy, & Soy Free.

{Enjoy Life Foods Friday} Pack Lunch with Plentils! #AllergyFriendly #GlutenFree

I'm thrilled to announce our new partnership with Enjoy Life Foods! 

Each month we'll be featuring a different line of their amazing allergy free food products. All Enjoy Life  products are free of the Top 8 Allergens & Gluten Free. They're made in a dedicated facility and have no artificial anything. They're also a member of the Non-GMO project.

For the month of September, I was challenged to "think outside the chip bag" and come up with lunch box ideas using Enjoy Life Plentils.  Plentils are crunchy lentil chips. Lentils happen to be one the best plant-based sources of protein. That's why they call them the "chip with benefits"!

Rather than just sticking a baggy of chips in with lunch, here are some creative ways you can use these allergy friendly crunches of goodness for your family:

Little Lunch Lessons: Noah's Ark #TuesdayTeachings

In case you missed the post last week, I've started a new series on the blog called Little Lunch Lessons {Tuesday Teachings}. 
Last week, Little Miss was reminded of the book of Esther. Teaching her to have courage and that any person, even an ordinary girl, can do great things.
Little Miss helped me make her lunch before bed last night for this week's Little Lunch Lesson. We decided to do one of the most well known Bible stories: Noah & The Ark. 

Lunch Made Easy: SunButter & Honey Apple Sandwich #AllergyFriendly

It's been a beautiful weekend. I spent it with my best girl, Little Miss, on Saturday in the Ann Arbor & Detroit area for the day. Sunday is always filled with praise, worship, and reflection... and now once again, football. Yes, I'm an NFL junkie - sorry!  
Sunday is also the day Little Miss and I love spending time in the kitchen together creating and coming up with yummy foods. Her SunButter & Honey Apple Sandwich is one of those delicious ideas. 
{Allergy Friendly} Gluten, Peanut, Tree Nut, Dairy, & Soy Free:

Little Lunch Lessons: The Story of Esther #TuesdayTeachings

Today starts a new lunch series on KMG Blog:  {Tuesday Teachings} Little Lunch Lessons. 
My intention is to focus each week on a different Bible story, verse, or life lesson. Inspiration could even come from a Christian song. 
I have felt compelled for some time now to share this new series - while sitting on the plane to NYC for the Mylan Summit a few weeks ago (post on this coming soon), it finally all came together in my head and I immediately started making notes. I'm so happy to share it with you, and most importantly, with Little Miss!
This week we are focusing on one of Little Miss' favorite books from the Bible: The story of Esther. 

Lunch Made Easy: First Day of Third Grade! #BackToSchool

Little Miss went back to school yesterday. The first day was only a half day of school, so today is our official first full day and also the first school lunch of the year!
My baby is in third grade, how did that happen!!??!
She loved her first day of second grade lunch so much (we did all the items in groups of two), I decided to repeat it this year making her foods in groups of three!
Back to School: Kids Lunch Idea! Gluten, Peanut, Tree Nut, & Dairy Free {Allergy Friendly}

Giveaways for Days: EasyLunchboxes Complete Lunch System {Day 6}

{Day 6} GIVEAWAYS FOR DAYS! Helping you win goodies for back-to-school & beyond!
If you scroll through the lunch posts on KeeleyMcGuire.com, it's pretty apparent the lunch box we used most are our EasyLunchboxes. 
So, what better way to kick off back-to-school then to give a complete system away! 
Day 6: WIN an EasyLunchboxes Complete Lunch System! (1) Set of EasyLunchboxes - 4 Pack: Choice of Classic or Brights Lids, (1) Lunch Cooler: Choice of Cooler Color, & (1) 8-Pack Set of Mini-Dippers. 

Giveaways for Days: @MOMables Subscription {Day 2} #LunchRevolution

Welcome to {Day 2}of GIVEAWAYS FOR DAYS on KeeleyMcGuire.com!
If you missed {Day 1}, don't worry! You can check it out by clicking HERE.
Day 2: WIN a 3 MONTH SUBSCRIPTION to MOMables School Lunch Menu Service + a $25 Amazon Giftcard to buy lunch supplies! Let MOMables do the work for you!

Giveaways for Days: @Lunchbox_Love Notes {Day 1} #LBLmoms

Today {Monday, August 12th} kicks off our GIVEAWAYS FOR DAYS fun on KeeleyMcGuire.com! Each day we'll be posting a new giveaway, giving you multiple chances to win multiple prizes! WOO! Get excited. 
Day 1: Rock your kiddos lunch box and back to school  with Lunchbox Love Notes!  We're giving away a FOUR-PACK of Lunchbox Love Notes for Kids  (3 volumes of trivia & 1 volume of jokes)

Lunch Made Easy: Shark Week! #GFCF #NutFree

We decided to kick off this Monday morning with a little lunch box fun! 

It's SHARK WEEK! So, why not make a bento? Really, it was just a great excuse to some of our sea creature cutters. 

This lunch is {allergy friendly} gluten, tree nut, peanut, soy, & dairy free:  

Back to School with Food Allergies & Intolerances ~ MUST HAVES!

August is among us, my friends. That means back to school!
Time to have the kiddos try on their sneakers and jeans, find out what still fits and what doesn't. Make sure there are no rips, holes, or stains on backpacks, coats, etc. and go buy new, if need be.
Supply lists of notebooks, pencils, scissors, markers, and crayons. Barbie folders or Hello Kitty? Tough decisions. 
It also means for food allergy families (or those on special diets with an intolerance, for example) refilling numerous prescriptions - like inhalers and epinephrine injectors, 504 meetings and plans, and figuring out how to clearly manage the school year as safely and educated as possible.
I'm often asked what are my favorite lunch boxes, allergy ID tags, bracelets, food allergy t'shirts, and labels for my own daughter for school. So, I decided to put together a nice post of "Must Haves", featuring just some of the items we love, that can help give you ideas for your own family as you prepare for back to school!
ETA: This post has been updated for 2016

Lunch Made Easy: Weelicious Veggie Nuggets #Recipe {Gluten, Dairy, & Nut Free #GFCF}

Finding new and creative ways to sneak vegetables into our diet is a fun challenge! 
We love baking breads, muffins, and even desserts with hidden veggies. I say "hidden" but since my Little Sous Chef is always helping me, she knows they're in there! 
When dealing with different food allergies or intolerances in a family, meal time can be challenging. That's why I love my Weelicious One Family. One Meal. Cookbook. I have it downloaded onto my Kindle. 
One of the recipes I had been hankering to make was the Homemade Veggie Nugget recipe. I made some slight changes/ adaptions to fit our family's likes & dietary restrictions (gluten, dairy, & nut free - GFCF). An instant dinner time and lunch box hit!

Lunch Made Easy: NEW @PlanetBox Shuttle System Review! #BackToSchool

I have long coveted the PlanetBox systems. 
Their sleek stainless steel look. Compartmentalized for perfect portion control. Dishwasher safe (though I still need a dishwasher to actually enjoy *that* part, HA!). Fun magnets that are appealing to kids. Waste free and eco-friendly.
So, imagine how thrilled I was when PlanetBox offered me one of their new Shuttle Systems for review and use. 
Little Miss and I have both put the box to the "test" and enjoyed packing our allergy friendly & gluten free lunches inside! 

Lunch Made Easy: Quinoa Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly Ideas

This week Little Miss and I both had fun trying Quinoa Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly recipes in our Work & School Lunches!
I've included links and recipes in the post below. If you've not experimented with Quinoa, this is a great way to try! Quinoa is a gluten free and a complete protein. It actually has all nine of the essential amino acids, as well as, being a great source of fiber and iron. Offering 100% whole grain per serving (even though it's actually a seed, not a grain). 
Towards the bottom of the post you'll also find our Quinoa Raisin Muffin recipe. Great for lunches, breakfast, or snacks!

Lunch Made Easy: WEXY Lunch & Munch Bags {BPA Free}

This week my Little Miss had a field trip to the zoo. I was glad I was able to take the time off to help chaperone, as well. 
This trip also required disposable lunches for the both of us. We love reusing/ recycling strawberry containers or other leftover items when we have field trips, but this week we were excited to use our new WEXY Bags for the trip! 

Lunch Made Easy: Mommy & Me @CrunchAColor Lunches

I was honored to be asked again to participate in the Crunch A Color™ Healthy Lunch Challenge! 
Little Miss really enjoyed it the last time around, after we put ourselves to the challenge for a weeks worth of school lunches. 
Our Chicken Salad Stuffed Brussels Sprouts earned us one of the winning spots and a feature in the Huffington Post and on Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution website! How cool is that!? 
I always reiterate the importance of packing healthy lunches for Mom & Dad, not just the kids. So this week, I decided to get involved in the challenge right along with Little Miss. Packing a weeks worth of school and work lunches, trying to follow the Crunch A Color formula: At least 3 Colors, Healthy Grain, and Protein. 

Just because you're trying to keep up with food allergies or avoiding gluten, doesn't mean you can't still pack fresh & healthy school lunches!