The warm days of summer are getting shorter. August is the month of transition, from lazy days at the beach to thinking ahead to the fall. Whether your child is in preschool or college, the month of August means that school is just around the corner. From novice to veteran starting a new school year brings with it a certain amount of trepidation. Starting the school year gluten free can present its own unique challenges. However with careful planning, getting the right information to key people will make the process as easy as any first day of school.

No matter what grade level your child is entering the most important aspect of getting ready for school is being positive and planning. Open dialogue with the classroom teachers, school nurse, and cafeteria workers is vital. Although the issues of cross contamination, label reading, and maintaining a strict gluten free diet are of ultimate importance, emphasizing the ease of using naturally gluten free foods, the health benefits of less processed foods, and the focus on the good hand washing are a benefit to all.

In preschool and grade school snacks and crafts are probably the biggest hurdles. Check with the classroom teacher as well as the art teacher that your child has access to wash their hands after each activity. Although the hand sanitizers do a great job on the usual dirt and germs it will not remove any residual gluten found in some craft supplies. For snacks there are really two different issues. The first is the usual planned snack. For these you can supply you child with a wide range of gluten free snacks. Make sure the teacher understands the only one way share policy. This policy of allowing your child to share their snack so they feel involved but not exposed to gluten in another child’s snack. The second issue is the unplanned celebration. For these it is important to have a back up plan. One that allows your child to be empowered is to obtain a shoe box size container. Let your child decorate it and put his name on it. Let him fill it with his favorite snacks / even goodies! Then when there is an unexpected celebration that involves a snack your child can go to their snack box and pick any snack they wish!

In middle and high school the focus is on the group. Students strive to be like their peers. Being different from any perspective is cause for distress. Therefore a lot of background work needs to be done. Check with the cafeteria staff to see if they would offer naturally gluten free items on the menu for everyone. These choices are often healthier options like grilled chicken tenders, taco salad, and a yogurt parfait with fresh berries. If these foods are in the cafeteria in place of the breaded tenders or some other traditional fare it will be easier for your child to make a safe gluten free selection without appearing different. The other areas to do some background work are the local spots where the kids gather. The local pizza shop, the coffee shops even the diner. Talk to the managers ask for their help in either having a few gluten free items on their menus or having naturally gluten free items available. Go to each of these establishments with your child over the summer so they can practice ordering safe gluten free items and enjoy a great snack or meal with the satisfaction of accomplishment!

For college age students the dining halls tend to be somewhat easier as the students are more self assured and usually there is a greater variety of foods offered. Make sure to make an appointment with the food service director part of your usual college tour. Planning ahead with the director will ease the transition from home to school.

We have put together some helpful strategies, a sample letter and a cafeteria survival guide to help you maneuver through the school halls successfully.

1. Sample school letter
2. School planning strategies
3. Gluten-free school meal guide