Jumping through the Pringles Loophole

I know that Pringles (which are NOT gluten-free) as well as many other mainstream chips are just not good for you, you will get no argument from me on that one. However, raising a child with celiac disease can be very difficult when it comes to social situations, as any parent with a child that has a dietary restriction knows. Our children often have to do without and “brown bagging” it to school everyday can leave some children feeling alone, different, etc., especially when they see their classmates getting “hot lunch” or pulling out a Lunchables meal… much “cooler” meals according to Sam.

My approach to parenting is one of being a mentor/coach. I am trying to teach my son how to navigate in a gluten world. Small things, like a GF Lunchable can help kids realize that being gluten-free is sometimes a daunting obstacle but one that can be overcome with a little creativity.  At some point, all of us as parents will have to mentor our children through the realization that something is “different” about them, whether it’s poor eyesight, struggles with weight, public speaking, etc.  Mike and I figure we can either teach Sam to simply “accept” his condition and slowly view any situation with food as something to avoid, or he can learn that whatever setbacks he faces in life can be used as learning experiences and opportunities to “raise his game.”  Every child will face some sort of setback at some point in their childhood, and in a way I am grateful that I have this opportunity to teach Sam a valuable life lesson at an early age, so that hopefully he is better equipped emotionally to handle the next challenge he might face.

Sam has recently been talking about how some kids take the little pre-packaged Pringles to school. I reminded him that he has chips that look just like Pringles (Lays STAX)… “yea, but they don’t have the same package.” Sam is so funny to me, you can tell he feels bad for caring about packaging, but he is 6 and that is what most 6 year olds do, which is why company’s market to children!

So, I set out to find a package! I recalled having seen a little Pringles container years ago, so I went shopping to look for one. Apparently, the “Pringles POP Box” is no longer sold in the US! Not one to let that stop me (my stubborn determination can be useful at times), I found them on Ebay, but they are physically located in the United Kingdom, so there was some added shipping involved. I bought 3 POP Boxes for about $25 (give or take) after shipping costs were added. We don’t eat out much so this is what I splurge on instead!

Now for a gluten-free version of the stacked curvy chip that I remember turning into a “duck bill” as a kid!

Lays STAX are gluten-free. We bought one of each that was available at the store so I could take some photos of the ingredient labels:

Original Flavor

All of the STAX containers are labeled gluten-free.

I took photos of the other ingredient labels as well…

Sour Cream and Onion Flavor,

Mesquite Barbecue Flavor,

Salt and Vinegar Flavor

Sam and I had a nice little talk about the ingredient labels and “he” recommended we just stick with the “Original Flavor.”

The POP Boxes hold 10 chips (just under the technical serving size, so that is a little bonus) and the chips stay in one piece until lunchtime!

Sam has been so excited about these. He wants to “bling out” the black POP box with Darth Vader stickers…. fitting.

Next week I will be doing several posts on lunchbox ideas to tie in with a super cool lunchbox system I found, there will be a giveaway too!!