Top Allergy Safe Lunch #11

Around here, breakfast for lunch is a huge hit. I like to make a double batch of pancakes and either refrigerate or freeze the extras, depending on when my kids plan to pack them for lunch. The lunchroom is a social place, and because of that, a fun lunch experience (like eating pancakes with mini maple syrup) is something I can get behind. 

This lunch is Top 8 Free, so it has no peanuts, tree nuts, egg, dairy, soy, gluten, fish or shellfish. The pancake recipe is below and though my home is not gluten free or egg free or soy free, these pancakes are the ones we make regularly. Yeah, they're that good. This lunch also features coconut milk yogurt, carrots, dried banana, kiwi, raspberries and a sweet note from me. 

Top 8 Free Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut milk yogurt
1/4 cup water
1 flax egg (1 tablespoon of flax meal + 2.5 tablespoons water)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons avocado oil, plus extra for frying (feel free to substitute coconut oil) 
1 teaspoon vanilla
optional: 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients. Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Add the oil to a frying pan on medium high heat. Spoon in the batter to make the pancake size you desire. When the top bubbles a little, flip them. Fry for another minute or two until done. 

 

Top 8 Allergy Safe Lunch #10

Let's talk leftovers. Don't toss that leftover rice! Fried rice is a fantastic way to use up leftovers and scraps and in fact, it's best when made with cold, leftover rice. The hardest part of making fried rice is the chopping involved, and if you can enlist your kids to help, it's a no brainer. 

This lunch has fried rice made with ham (not deli ham), carrots, broccoli and chives. You can interchange scallions and chives for this recipe, and of course you can use chicken or any other meat in place of the ham. Here's what to do: 
Heat avocado oil on medium high heat in a frying pan and add the veggies. Any veggies will do! Bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, etc. After about two minutes, add the rice and stir to combine so that the oil is evenly distributed. Add the ham (or turkey, or beef, or any sliced meat) and mix thoroughly. The dish is finished in a matter of minutes! 

This lunch also features raspberries, kiwi and banana oat blueberry bread. Check back to Allergy Safe Lunch #7 for that recipe. 

Top 8 Allergy Safe Lunch #9

Rosemary chicken is a staple in my house for dinner. My kids are dark meat fans, so often I buy packs of just drumsticks or whole legs. You really can't beat the simplicity: place the pieces in an oven safe dish lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, paprika and rosemary and roast at 375 for approximately 35-40 minutes. When I see that my kids have requested leftovers for their lunches, I buy extra and roast all at once. Chicken legs are fun to eat (no utensils required!) and yes, they're gobbled up cold. 

This lunch features a leftover chicken leg plus a strawnana kebab, leftover steamed zucchini and carrot, orange slices and dairy free chocolate chips. 

Top 8 Allergy Safe Lunch #8

Rice paper wraps can be a great way to jazz up lunch! This lunch has salad wraps with rice noodles, lettuce, carrot, avocado and gomasio, with baked purple sweet potato (topped with sesame seeds), hummus with gluten free crackers (see Top 8 Allergy Safe lunch #5 for more info on the hummus and crackers). This lunch also has mango and raspberries with a piece of dairy free dark chocolate as a snack. Naturally, if your family cannot eat sesame, just leave that out. 

Here's how to roll those rice paper wraps: 

Top 8 Allergy Safe Lunch #6

This lunch has vitamins, fiber, protein, good fat and absolute deliciousness. Here we've got hummus (made with just chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon and salt - this recipe is my favorite) with loads of veggies to dip plus gluten free crackers. That plus avocado and apple (make sure to rub both with lemon or lime juice to prevent browning), with popcorn and dairy free chocolate chips as a snack. 

There are several brands of hummus that are free of soy. Be sure to check the label. This one and this one are the two that we use when I don't make my own. The crackers are from Mary's Gone Crackers and they're the Super Seed Classic. They are free of gluten, dairy and soy but they are produced in a facility that also produces items with soy, so if that's an issue for you, take note.