11 Gluten-Free Lunch Box Ideas to Bring with You

Over the past decade, more and more people have been eating gluten-free for a variety of reasons.

Not just because they suffer from celiac disease – a serious autoimmune disease in which the digestion of gluten leads to damage to the small intestine – but also because they follow a Paleo lifestyle or a low-carb diet.

Personally, I’ve been experimenting with gluten-free foods as part of the Autoimmune Protocol. But there’s one meal I struggle with: lunch time.

You see, I’m from the Netherlands, and a typical Dutch lunch consists of a whole wheat sandwich with cheese or deli meats. We love our bread, so much so that we pack our work lunch boxes with ‘boterhammen’, bring bread rolls on a day out and eat toasties in lunchrooms.

Now when I’m at home, I don’t mind whipping up a veggie-packed omelet or heating up leftovers from last night’s dinner. But on days when I’m off to the playground with my kids, I really miss simply putting sandwiches in my bag and heading out the door. Carrying a thermos of soup around on my bicycle feels like a recipe for disaster, so what other portable, no-heat, gluten-free lunch options are out there?

Before we dive in, let me get one thing straight: gluten are not necessarily your food enemy. Not everyone has to avoid the protein found in grains like wheat barley and rye. But if you do want to go gluten-free, check out these 11 ideas for a gluten-free lunch box.