My Favorite Study Snack

It is Sunday evening, and I can already tell it's going to be a busy week. With several assignments due and quizzes in almost every class, I know that I'll have to work extra hard, which means I have to plan ahead when it comes to snacks. There are days when I'm so busy that I completely forget to eat, and that never ends well. I become lightheaded and hangry, losing my concentration that I so desperately need. That's why I love this chex mix recipe! It's not as unhealthy as chips, and I can grab a bag of it as I walk out the door in the morning, ensuring that I always have a snack on me.

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups Rice Chex

4 1/2 cups Corn Chex

1 1/2 cups Gluten-free bagel chips (I used Glutino)

1 1/2 cups Gluten-free pretzels (I used Snyder's)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

6 tablespoons melted butter

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

3. Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, and Worcestershire Sauce.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cereal, bagel chips, and pretzels.

5. Slowly mix in the melted butter mix into the large mixing bowl.

6. Spread everything out onto the baking tray.

7. Bake the Chex Mix in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring it every 10 minutes.

8. Let it cool down.

Enjoy!

-Sema

Gluten-free at LouFest!

Yesterday I went to LouFest (a St. Louis based music festival) for the first time ever! I've lived in St. Louis practically my whole life, but this year was the first year I went--and I had a blast. Beforehand I did browse the rules in terms of whether or not to bring a small bag of food, and after reading their guidelines I found that you could bring food as long as it was accompanied by a doctor's note. Realizing that I did not want to lug around a lunchbox (it didn't quite go with the outfit), I instead decided that if there absolutely wasn't anything I could easily leave for dinner and come back for the conclusion of the music acts (I absolutely could not miss Snoop Dogg.) It didn't even have to come to that though, and I enjoyed delicious tacos from Mission Taco, and scouted a few stands that had gluten-free options. This made my LouFest experience much better, as I didn't have to leave the venue to eat!

When you are planning to go to events like LouFest, always make sure that you know where you are going to eat. In this case I knew that I would be able to leave the venue to eat, but if that wasn't an option, I would have definitely brought a sandwich or some snacks. Going hungry should never be an option as it takes away from your experience at the music festival. In this case I was pleasantly surprised at the amount I could eat and will definitely be back next year!

-Sema

How to Establish a Gluten-free School Lunch Program

You have three options for school lunch:

1. Bring from home

2. Starve

3. Eat lunch prepared by the school.

I bet you are looking at option three and raising an eyebrow in confusion. Federal law requires public school to substitute meals for students with life-threatening food allergies and celiac disease.

Many of the meal options at your school might already be naturally gluten-free. Sometimes all that's needed to be done is use GF breads and exchange the cookie with a fruit cocktail. Food handling procedures, however, will have to be in place in order to ensure there are no cross-contamination issues.

Some examples of possible gluten-free lunches offerings can be:  

1. Beefy GF Tacos, Mexican Rice, Buttered Corn and Fruit Cocktail + choice of milk

2. Stuffed baked Potato, Mexican Salad, Carrot & Celery Sticks and Pudding + choice of milk.

3. Hamburger with GF bun/without , Potato Smiles, Corn and Chilled Pineapple choice of milk

4. Hamburger, Mashed Potatoes, Peas and Applesauce/Apple/Orange + choice of milk

5. GF pizza, Garden Salad w/light ranch, orange wedges, chocolate pudding + choice of milk.

6. GF pasta, salad, corn, pears + choice of milk.

7. GF blueberry muffins, corn, warm sliced apples choice of + choice of milk.

6. Salad, Mexican Rice, Carrot and Celery, Fruit Cocktail + choice of milk.

You can enjoy all these meals at school thanks to food labels and food handling procedures! So stop starving; this might be the right option for you!

NCFA provides great information on how to request a gluten free school lunch in your school district. check out the information: 

http://www.celiaccentral.org/kids/parents/guides/Kids-Youth/Navigating-The-School-System/209/

Training and education of foods service personal is extremely important! 

Here is a link to a great training option that your school district might want to consider pursuing:

http://www.celiaccentral.org/great/schools/

So, what are you waiting for?  There are so many options out there for you!!

-Sema