The kids have settled into a new school year. There’s a long list of activities, meetings, and routines that have shifted your daily rhythm from its smooth, rolling summer tempo to autumn’s faster, maybe even frenetic beat. The family is adjusting its pace and adapting to the regular pace and routines. Part of that routine may involve packing lunches and preparing dinners of the grab-and-go variety.
If you’re nodding in response to that statement and you’re wondering what in the world you’re going back to that’s fun, delicious, and allergy-friendly, without resorting to the same old thing every single day - keep reading. These recipes will help inspire some new ideas and give your go-to recipe cache some new life.
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
As written, this recipe from Tasty is free of the top 9 allergens. Yes, it’s for a sandwich, but you can serve this on a bread that works best for you – wheat-free options included. You can also use the chickpea salad in a lettuce wrap. It’s a protein-packed dish that will fill you up. The real bonus here is you can customize the recipe to match your specific taste. Not a fan of dill? Just skip it. Love a lot of garlic in your meals? Try a pinch more than the recipe calls for. Have fun with this one!
Taco Salad in a Jar
Let’s address the mason jar in the room, first. Maybe you don’t want to ship your first grader off to school with a glass container. That’s not an unreasonable consideration. Don’t let that stop you from trying this recipe. This one could just as easily work in a thermos or plastic container. The point is the layered ingredients, not the jar itself. And the real perk of Food Meandering’s recipe is that you can add or subtract whatever makes sense for your family.
Avoiding dairy? Swap out a safe non-dairy cheese or skip it all together. Grab a dairy-free sour cream. Prefer ground turkey to chicken breast? Sure. Go for it. The good news is that recipes like this can be easily customized. It’s a concept to inspire your own twist on a jarred to-go salad.
No-Mayo Chicken Salad
This recipe from Nourished by Nic is chock-full of flavor and crunch without the mayo (and therefore, without the egg). As written, this recipe is dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and wheat-free. You can serve your chicken salad as-is or create a sandwich on a bread that’s allergy-friendly for your family.
Fresh Spring Rolls
Yes, if you’re avoiding soy you’ll need to adapt this recipe from Love & Lemons to nix the tofu and you’ll want to skip the dipping sauce if you’re avoiding peanuts. Both are easy subs or a quick drop, however. The real fun here is the flexibility to create your own unique twist on a scrumptious hand-held treat.
Relying on rice noodles and paper wrappers makes this recipe a fun and flexible wheat-free sandwich sub. (Of course, check the ingredients to make sure they don’t have additional ingredients that could be problematic for you.) Experiment with different combinations of add-ins. Have fun rolling, folding, and tucking your own custom rolls.
Do-It-Again Dal
First, let’s talk about what dal is. For those not familiar with the protein- and fiber-rich dish, it’s a warm, creamy, plant-based Indian dish that uses filling lentils and spices to create a scrumptious plate. The flavors and texture can also deepen over time, making it a great option for a weekend dinner that translates into wonderful next-day lunches.
This recipe from Ambitious Kitchen uses coconut milk and warming spices to bring the lentils to life with creamy goodness packed with loads of flavor. Sending this stew-like delight for lunch? Warm it up in the morning, pack it in a quality thermos and enjoy when you’re ready for it.
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Quinoa is a great base for a filling, unique dish that can be prepped ahead and packed for a lunch or dinner when time is short. This recipe from The Kitchn is a good starting point. Your supermarket likely has some vegan/dairy-free variations of feta cheese if you want to make this one milk-free. Even better, this dish can be a great way to use up leftovers if you find you were overzealous in how much quinoa you prepped for last night’s dinner. Just add in the veggies and salad dressing for a fun lunch the next day.
