August 14, 2025 • 12 mins
It’s that time of year again – new backpacks, new schedules, and for gluten-free families, a whole new layer of planning.
Whether your child is starting kindergarten or heading off to college, keeping them safe, nourished, and included is a top priority. Today I’m sharing my best back-to-school gluten-free tips for parents and students – from packing safe lunches to navigating cafeteria lines and stocking a dorm room with quick, safe meals.
And stick around until the end for my bonus tip – it’s the single best way I’ve found to make sure my kids never feel left out at school events.
Come join us in our free Facebook Community, The Gluten Free Engineer.
It’s a space where you can connect with others living gluten-free, ask questions, swap tips and recipes, and get support from people who truly get it. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or a seasoned gluten-free pro, you’ll feel right at home.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Carrie Saunders (00:00):
Quick reminder before we get started on this
episode this podcast is based onmy personal experiences and
isn't medical advice.
It's that time of year againnew backpacks, new schedules and
, for gluten-free families, awhole new year of planning.
Whether your child is startingkindergarten or heading off to
college, keeping them safe,nourished and included is a top
(00:21):
priority.
Today, I'm sharing my bestback-to-school gluten-free tips
for parents and students, frompacking safe lunches to
navigating cafeteria lines andstocking a dorm room with quick,
safe meals.
And stick around to the end formy bonus tip.
It's the single best way I'vefound to make sure my kids never
feel left out at school events.
Welcome to the Gluten-FreeEngineer podcast.
(00:42):
I'm your host, Saunders.
In 2011, I was diagnosed withceliac disease, a moment that
changed everything, but I wasdetermined not to let it hold me
back.
With my two engineering degrees, I set out to reverse engineer
the gluten-free lifestyle,breaking down recipes, safety
tips, travel hacks andeverything in between to rebuild
a life I love.
(01:03):
Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or simply
choose to live gluten-free, thispodcast is for you.
Join me each week as wesimplify the gluten-free
lifestyle, make it fun and provethat you don't have to miss out
on anything.
Welcome back to the show.
Today we're talking all thingsback to school and gluten-free
and back to school can be veryexciting, but it can also be
(01:27):
very overwhelming, especially ifyou have celiac disease, gluten
intolerance or food allergies,and there are extra steps that
we want to make sure that wehave in place to prevent
cross-contact and ensure ourstudents have safe food.
So today we're going to betalking to two groups of people.
I know there are some parentswho listen out here of younger
(01:48):
kids, and there's also somecollege students that are living
on their own and listen intoour podcast.
So let's first address and youknow, honestly, you'll probably
get tips.
If you're only in one group ofthose, you're probably going to
get tips from the other grouptoo.
But for parents with youngerkids, we want to make sure we
communicate really with theschool what they need and how
(02:10):
they need it.
So I encourage you to talk toteachers, because usually
there's new teachers every year.
Talk to cafeteria staff, ifnecessary, and the school nurse
before the first day.
Let your teachers know.
This is something we've alwaysdone, is we let the teachers
know especially homeroomteachers or their core teacher,
what their symptoms are if theyget gluten so that they can be
(02:31):
empowered to help the studentand how to help them too.
Because for some of our kids,like my youngest for example, he
would get so angry andinconsolable you couldn't really
reason with him and so that'snot something you usually think
about.
When you think of somebodygetting gluten, usually think of
digestive issues.
So we had to let his teachersknow.
(02:54):
You know, if he becomes likeodd and a bit angry and not
quite himself, he's probablygotten gluten.
Please give him some extrapatience.
Ask him if he thinks hemight've gotten gluten.
That usually will bring himback.
You know.
Ask him if he thinks hemight've gotten gluten.
That usually will bring himback.
You know from where he was andhe will get back to.
You know, being a bit kinderkid and realize what's going on.
(03:17):
So talk to your teachers aboutwhat their symptoms are and how
things work If they're celiac,explain celiac or gluten
intolerance clearly andemphasize what cross contact
means.
This is very important,especially with the younger kids
because of, you know, treatscoming into school and things
like that.
And if somebody has a birthdayparty and brings in cupcakes or
cookies, you know we want tomake sure your child stays safe,
and we usually recommendproviding written guidance when
(03:40):
possible, because that canreally help them not forget.
You know they've got you know,quite a few students.
We want to make sure that theydon't forget the procedures for
your kid and it helps them feelconfident and better, you know,
able to help them.
And then we want to go to safelunches and snacks.
We want to invest, of course,in a dedicated lunchbox and
utensils for your kids, havethem labeled very clearly.
(04:02):
When they're young, we want topack easy favorites like
gluten-free sandwiches, fruitand veggie sticks with some safe
dip that they like, cheesecubes, yogurt cups and
gluten-free crackers of the like.
Now I will caution you, though,because a lot of times
gluten-free stuff has otherallergens in it, like peanuts or
(04:23):
nuts.
So also, you know, ask yourteacher.
Does anybody in the classroom,so you can be kind and courteous
to the other students in theclassroom does anybody in here
have a nut allergy?
So that you know whether yourgluten-free crackers or snacks
need to be nut-free as well tohelp be safe for the rest of the
classmates.
And then I always include atreat sometimes, so your child
doesn't feel left out, becausemany times, you know, when
(04:49):
they're little parents like togive a little treat in the
lunchbox to make sure you aredoing what you're comfortable
with, but also helping them notfeel left out.
And then I loved to send asmall stash of safe cupcakes,
cookies or snacks for ourteachers to store in the freezer
or in the little mini fridge.
We would get pre-packagedmuffins that they loved and
would store those in the fridgeso that if a birthday
(05:10):
celebration popped up and weweren't given a good enough
heads up notice, our childalways had something in the
fridge for them and that wayyour child can always
participate without this lastminute stress.
And then you also want toeducate your child.
You know they are littleversions of us, really, and you
know.
Use your best judgment, ofcourse, as far as what they can
(05:31):
understand at what age, but themore you educate them along the
way, the more empowered they'regoing to feel, the more in
control, the less frantic orpanic they're going to feel.
So talking in an ageappropriate way as to why they
can't share food or if they wantto share food, how can they
share food safely?
So for my oldest, he loved toshare his food with his friends.
(05:52):
That's just who he was.
So I had to teach him.
You know, tell your friend thatyou can share, but you have to
drop it into their hand so thatthere's no cross contact.
We can't have your friendsticking their hand in your bag
of gluten-free, whatever you'reeating.
So I would teach them to say,hey, I need to drop the food
into your hand.
And he got very good at that.
(06:13):
And you can also role play athome, especially if your child's
young and you're not quite sureif they understand what you
mean.
Do some role playing at home tosee if they get what you mean.
And then, as your kids getolder, you know obviously
they're going to be able tohandle this a lot more on their
own, especially if you'reproactive with them when they're
young.
So when they transition tomiddle school and to high school
(06:35):
, they're going to get evenbetter at this.
Now let's flip the script overto college students.
So this can be a very big,scary thing, especially if your
students are going to anotherstate or out of town.
I highly recommend you contactdining services early months in
advance of them coming to school, or maybe even before making
(06:56):
the decision, ask if there's adedicated gluten-free station or
prep area that can help yourstudent be safe.
I know here at our universityOhio University here they have
that.
Here now they have a dedicatedgluten-free area.
I've eaten at it and I've beenfine there.
It's been safe.
I also recommend meeting with ahead chef or dietician,
depending upon what'sappropriate for that school.
(07:17):
For us, here we have a headdietician that helps people with
food allergies and celiacdisease and talk with them about
you know, how does the kitchenwork with these things?
How can I make sure my child'ssafe?
They'll be able to get you alot of information for you and
clarify how do they preventcross-contact, so you can feel
comfortable too, and so yourstudent can feel comfortable.
(07:38):
And then we want to make surewe're stocking the dorm room
smartly.
We want to have dorm-friendlygluten-free staples like instant
rice cups, canned tuna orchicken, maybe some nut butter,
some gluten-free oatmeal packs,protein bars, maybe some
gluten-free bread so they canmake a quick little sandwich if
they get hungry.
You can also have smallappliances if they don't already
(08:00):
include these in your dorm,like a mini fridge or microwave.
Now, things like hot pots andtoasters or things like that.
You need to get permissionbecause some schools don't allow
those for fire safety reasons,but you know, ask what sort of
appliances can you have in thedorm so that your child can have
something that's, you know,completely safe and separate?
(08:20):
In case you know they're up lateat night studying and they're
really hungry and the dininghalls aren't available at the
moment and they need some foodand then when eating out with
friends, I recommend youresearch ahead of time local
restaurants using an app similarto like Find Me Gluten Free,
which our gluten free listenersget a $5 off a subscription
there.
So research local restaurants.
(08:42):
What's safe for your child?
Get in some free Facebookgroups that might be local to
them.
I house, for example, agluten-free Athens Ohio Facebook
group here in Athens Ohio tohelp those in the community, and
a lot of college parents andstudents join that to help them
understand how to navigategluten-free here in Athens.
And then I also want you tomake sure they document one or
(09:04):
two safe spots that they cansuggest to their friends ahead
of time whenever they want to goout to eat.
I know when friends get it theyare super accommodating.
I know my friends are andthey're like, well, where can
you eat?
And that's where we start withon the list of where to go, so
you know, empower them and havethem feel comfortable and safe
there.
And then you want to have anemergency backup.
(09:25):
So keep non-perishable snacks,recommend having it in your
backpack for days when safe foodis hard to find.
I recommend that for mychildren as well, to make sure
they always have some accessibleway to get to safe food.
So that could be gluten-freebeef jerky or turkey jerky, some
sort of trail mix that's alsogluten-free.
(09:46):
Make sure you check the labelson these that they're not
processed with wheat orshelf-stable cheese snacks.
Make sure that those areobviously shelf-stable and that
they are gluten-free.
And then here's a bonus tip forschool events, sports banquets
or club parties.
I keep something at home alwaysthat's ready either in the
freezer or in the fridge, like asafe cupcake or dessert that's
(10:08):
already pre-made, a wrappedsnack ready for them.
If one of my kids would havetold me at the last minute that
there was something coming upabout a party, that they need to
go to a banquet event orsomething like that, that way I
can grab those things that Ialready have and have something
special that they can enjoywhile everyone else is eating
(10:28):
like typical cake or pizza orsomething like that.
It has saved us a lot from somany left out moments.
If you haven't already, makesure you join our newsletter.
It's an every other weeknewsletter where I share you new
podcast episodes, recipes andtips on how we live and thrive
gluten-free.
Just go on over totheglutenfreeengineercom and
(10:50):
click on the newsletter link andyou can sign up right there.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of the Gluten-Free
Engineer.
If you found value in thisstory, please share it with
someone who might needencouragement on their own
gluten-free journey.
For more tips, recipes,resources and even links to my
YouTube channel, head on over totheglutenfreeengineercom.
(11:11):
It's your one-stop hub to makegluten-free living simple, fun
and full of flavor.
And don't forget to subscribeso you never miss out on an
episode.
And we will see you next week.
The Gluten-Free Engineerpodcast is for informational and
entertainment purposes only.
I share my personal experiencesand stories about living with
(11:31):
celiac disease and navigating agluten-free lifestyle.
This podcast does not provide amedical advice.
Always consult with a qualifiedhealthcare professional for
medical questions, concerns oradvice specific to your health.
Quick reminder before we get started on this
episode this podcast is based onmy personal experiences and
isn't medical advice.
It's that time of year againnew backpacks, new schedules and
, for gluten-free families, awhole new year of planning.
Whether your child is startingkindergarten or heading off to
college, keeping them safe,nourished and included is a top
(00:21):
priority.
Today, I'm sharing my bestback-to-school gluten-free tips
for parents and students, frompacking safe lunches to
navigating cafeteria lines andstocking a dorm room with quick,
safe meals.
And stick around to the end formy bonus tip.
It's the single best way I'vefound to make sure my kids never
feel left out at school events.
Welcome to the Gluten-FreeEngineer podcast.
(00:42):
I'm your host, Saunders.
In 2011, I was diagnosed withceliac disease, a moment that
changed everything, but I wasdetermined not to let it hold me
back.
With my two engineering degrees, I set out to reverse engineer
the gluten-free lifestyle,breaking down recipes, safety
tips, travel hacks andeverything in between to rebuild
a life I love.
(01:03):
Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or simply
choose to live gluten-free, thispodcast is for you.
Join me each week as wesimplify the gluten-free
lifestyle, make it fun and provethat you don't have to miss out
on anything.
Welcome back to the show.
Today we're talking all thingsback to school and gluten-free
and back to school can be veryexciting, but it can also be
(01:27):
very overwhelming, especially ifyou have celiac disease, gluten
intolerance or food allergies,and there are extra steps that
we want to make sure that wehave in place to prevent
cross-contact and ensure ourstudents have safe food.
So today we're going to betalking to two groups of people.
I know there are some parentswho listen out here of younger
(01:48):
kids, and there's also somecollege students that are living
on their own and listen intoour podcast.
So let's first address and youknow, honestly, you'll probably
get tips.
If you're only in one group ofthose, you're probably going to
get tips from the other grouptoo.
But for parents with youngerkids, we want to make sure we
communicate really with theschool what they need and how
(02:10):
they need it.
So I encourage you to talk toteachers, because usually
there's new teachers every year.
Talk to cafeteria staff, ifnecessary, and the school nurse
before the first day.
Let your teachers know.
This is something we've alwaysdone, is we let the teachers
know especially homeroomteachers or their core teacher,
what their symptoms are if theyget gluten so that they can be
(02:31):
empowered to help the studentand how to help them too.
Because for some of our kids,like my youngest for example, he
would get so angry andinconsolable you couldn't really
reason with him and so that'snot something you usually think
about.
When you think of somebodygetting gluten, usually think of
digestive issues.
So we had to let his teachersknow.
(02:54):
You know, if he becomes likeodd and a bit angry and not
quite himself, he's probablygotten gluten.
Please give him some extrapatience.
Ask him if he thinks hemight've gotten gluten.
That usually will bring himback.
You know.
Ask him if he thinks hemight've gotten gluten.
That usually will bring himback.
You know from where he was andhe will get back to.
You know, being a bit kinderkid and realize what's going on.
(03:17):
So talk to your teachers aboutwhat their symptoms are and how
things work If they're celiac,explain celiac or gluten
intolerance clearly andemphasize what cross contact
means.
This is very important,especially with the younger kids
because of, you know, treatscoming into school and things
like that.
And if somebody has a birthdayparty and brings in cupcakes or
cookies, you know we want tomake sure your child stays safe,
and we usually recommendproviding written guidance when
(03:40):
possible, because that canreally help them not forget.
You know they've got you know,quite a few students.
We want to make sure that theydon't forget the procedures for
your kid and it helps them feelconfident and better, you know,
able to help them.
And then we want to go to safelunches and snacks.
We want to invest, of course,in a dedicated lunchbox and
utensils for your kids, havethem labeled very clearly.
(04:02):
When they're young, we want topack easy favorites like
gluten-free sandwiches, fruitand veggie sticks with some safe
dip that they like, cheesecubes, yogurt cups and
gluten-free crackers of the like.
Now I will caution you, though,because a lot of times
gluten-free stuff has otherallergens in it, like peanuts or
(04:23):
nuts.
So also, you know, ask yourteacher.
Does anybody in the classroom,so you can be kind and courteous
to the other students in theclassroom does anybody in here
have a nut allergy?
So that you know whether yourgluten-free crackers or snacks
need to be nut-free as well tohelp be safe for the rest of the
classmates.
And then I always include atreat sometimes, so your child
doesn't feel left out, becausemany times, you know, when
(04:49):
they're little parents like togive a little treat in the
lunchbox to make sure you aredoing what you're comfortable
with, but also helping them notfeel left out.
And then I loved to send asmall stash of safe cupcakes,
cookies or snacks for ourteachers to store in the freezer
or in the little mini fridge.
We would get pre-packagedmuffins that they loved and
would store those in the fridgeso that if a birthday
(05:10):
celebration popped up and weweren't given a good enough
heads up notice, our childalways had something in the
fridge for them and that wayyour child can always
participate without this lastminute stress.
And then you also want toeducate your child.
You know they are littleversions of us, really, and you
know.
Use your best judgment, ofcourse, as far as what they can
(05:31):
understand at what age, but themore you educate them along the
way, the more empowered they'regoing to feel, the more in
control, the less frantic orpanic they're going to feel.
So talking in an ageappropriate way as to why they
can't share food or if they wantto share food, how can they
share food safely?
So for my oldest, he loved toshare his food with his friends.
(05:52):
That's just who he was.
So I had to teach him.
You know, tell your friend thatyou can share, but you have to
drop it into their hand so thatthere's no cross contact.
We can't have your friendsticking their hand in your bag
of gluten-free, whatever you'reeating.
So I would teach them to say,hey, I need to drop the food
into your hand.
And he got very good at that.
(06:13):
And you can also role play athome, especially if your child's
young and you're not quite sureif they understand what you
mean.
Do some role playing at home tosee if they get what you mean.
And then, as your kids getolder, you know obviously
they're going to be able tohandle this a lot more on their
own, especially if you'reproactive with them when they're
young.
So when they transition tomiddle school and to high school
(06:35):
, they're going to get evenbetter at this.
Now let's flip the script overto college students.
So this can be a very big,scary thing, especially if your
students are going to anotherstate or out of town.
I highly recommend you contactdining services early months in
advance of them coming to school, or maybe even before making
(06:56):
the decision, ask if there's adedicated gluten-free station or
prep area that can help yourstudent be safe.
I know here at our universityOhio University here they have
that.
Here now they have a dedicatedgluten-free area.
I've eaten at it and I've beenfine there.
It's been safe.
I also recommend meeting with ahead chef or dietician,
depending upon what'sappropriate for that school.
(07:17):
For us, here we have a headdietician that helps people with
food allergies and celiacdisease and talk with them about
you know, how does the kitchenwork with these things?
How can I make sure my child'ssafe?
They'll be able to get you alot of information for you and
clarify how do they preventcross-contact, so you can feel
comfortable too, and so yourstudent can feel comfortable.
(07:38):
And then we want to make surewe're stocking the dorm room
smartly.
We want to have dorm-friendlygluten-free staples like instant
rice cups, canned tuna orchicken, maybe some nut butter,
some gluten-free oatmeal packs,protein bars, maybe some
gluten-free bread so they canmake a quick little sandwich if
they get hungry.
You can also have smallappliances if they don't already
(08:00):
include these in your dorm,like a mini fridge or microwave.
Now, things like hot pots andtoasters or things like that.
You need to get permissionbecause some schools don't allow
those for fire safety reasons,but you know, ask what sort of
appliances can you have in thedorm so that your child can have
something that's, you know,completely safe and separate?
(08:20):
In case you know they're up lateat night studying and they're
really hungry and the dininghalls aren't available at the
moment and they need some foodand then when eating out with
friends, I recommend youresearch ahead of time local
restaurants using an app similarto like Find Me Gluten Free,
which our gluten free listenersget a $5 off a subscription
there.
So research local restaurants.
(08:42):
What's safe for your child?
Get in some free Facebookgroups that might be local to
them.
I house, for example, agluten-free Athens Ohio Facebook
group here in Athens Ohio tohelp those in the community, and
a lot of college parents andstudents join that to help them
understand how to navigategluten-free here in Athens.
And then I also want you tomake sure they document one or
(09:04):
two safe spots that they cansuggest to their friends ahead
of time whenever they want to goout to eat.
I know when friends get it theyare super accommodating.
I know my friends are andthey're like, well, where can
you eat?
And that's where we start withon the list of where to go, so
you know, empower them and havethem feel comfortable and safe
there.
And then you want to have anemergency backup.
(09:25):
So keep non-perishable snacks,recommend having it in your
backpack for days when safe foodis hard to find.
I recommend that for mychildren as well, to make sure
they always have some accessibleway to get to safe food.
So that could be gluten-freebeef jerky or turkey jerky, some
sort of trail mix that's alsogluten-free.
(09:46):
Make sure you check the labelson these that they're not
processed with wheat orshelf-stable cheese snacks.
Make sure that those areobviously shelf-stable and that
they are gluten-free.
And then here's a bonus tip forschool events, sports banquets
or club parties.
I keep something at home alwaysthat's ready either in the
freezer or in the fridge, like asafe cupcake or dessert that's
(10:08):
already pre-made, a wrappedsnack ready for them.
If one of my kids would havetold me at the last minute that
there was something coming upabout a party, that they need to
go to a banquet event orsomething like that, that way I
can grab those things that Ialready have and have something
special that they can enjoywhile everyone else is eating
(10:28):
like typical cake or pizza orsomething like that.
It has saved us a lot from somany left out moments.
If you haven't already, makesure you join our newsletter.
It's an every other weeknewsletter where I share you new
podcast episodes, recipes andtips on how we live and thrive
gluten-free.
Just go on over totheglutenfreeengineercom and
(10:50):
click on the newsletter link andyou can sign up right there.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of the Gluten-Free
Engineer.
If you found value in thisstory, please share it with
someone who might needencouragement on their own
gluten-free journey.
For more tips, recipes,resources and even links to my
YouTube channel, head on over totheglutenfreeengineercom.
(11:11):
It's your one-stop hub to makegluten-free living simple, fun
and full of flavor.
And don't forget to subscribeso you never miss out on an
episode.
And we will see you next week.
The Gluten-Free Engineerpodcast is for informational and
entertainment purposes only.
I share my personal experiencesand stories about living with
(11:31):
celiac disease and navigating agluten-free lifestyle.
This podcast does not provide amedical advice.
Always consult with a qualifiedhealthcare professional for
medical questions, concerns oradvice specific to your health.
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