WIN-It-Wednesday: GoPicnic… Meals-on-the-Go!
Being gluten or allergen free means that you always have to think ahead. Just like Shelley Case said in her “Ask Shelley Case” column yesterd
ay, we must follow the Girl Scout’s motto and “Be Prepared”.
But as Shelley knows, it can often be tough.
On most days I can barely get myself out the door on time. I can’t think one step ahead, never mind two meals ahead.
When life gets a tad bit crazy, planning meals-on-the-go becomes no picnic. That’s why I was so excited when Shelley directed us to GoPicnic, quick and easy meals on-the-go, as a healthy and nutritious snack or meal options.
I am doubly-thrilled that GoPicnic offered to be this week’s WIN-It-Wednesday sponsor! Check out the GoPicnic website, and you will see why I am loving these products. More of a meal than an energy-bar, plus not needing refrigeration, these ready-to-eat GoPicnic tapas-type meals are the Go-To for the Super Mom, Super Kid, Super Jetsetter or Super Executive!
They have something for (almost) everyone. They offer gluten-free, kosher, nut-free, vegetarian, halal, soy-free, egg-free, fish & shellfish-free products that appeal to the kids (think Lunchables for the gluten and allergy free set) and for the adults (Think stashing in your glove compartment or briefcase for those times you need a quick & easy meal in a jiff).
For this weeks WIN-It-Wednesday prize, GoPicnic is offering THREE lucky BeFreeForMe members a Family Gluten-Free Variety Pack ! These packs consist of the following ready-to-eat meals:
• AnywhereBreak: Contains 16g of protein! Gluten-Free, No Fish & Shellfish ingredients.
• ZestyBreak: Contains 13g of dietary fiber & 32g of protein! Gluten Free & No Fish & Shellfish ingredients.
• ExploreMunch: Gluten Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, No Refined Sugars, Packaged in peanut-free facilities.
• SportsMunch: Gluten-Free, Soy-free, Egg-free, Fish & Shellfish-Free
• SafariMunch: Vegetarian, Halal, Gluten-free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Fish & Shellfish-Free
How Can You Win?!
Easy!
Reply to this blog post and tell us when you would need the GoPicnic meals the most (Me? I could really use one tomorrow during my Jury Duty! What if I get chosen? WHAT will I eat for lunch?!)
All entries must be received by Sunday, August 16, 2009 at 12:00 midnight EST.
BONUS: GoPicnic is offering BeFreeForMe members 20% OFF all orders by entering the coupon code: BEFREE at checkout through Sunday, 8/16/09! Check out their mailing list for future offers too!
Good Luck, and as always…
Be Free!
Tags: GoPicnic, Win-It-Wednesday
August 12th, 2009 at 12:51 am
OMG, is this the same company that supplies the snack packs to Allegiant Air?! They look identical! If so, I can already tell you where I would need them most because we bought two on the plane! And we seriously never buy anything like that on planes or in airports. None of the packs were completely dairy-free, but still had enough options for me and my husband which was great.
August 12th, 2009 at 1:15 am
Alisa-
It is true! See the reply I recieved back from GoPicnic:
“… It is true! GoPicnic meals fly on a number of commercial flights for buy-on-board programs—most of the time in custom packaging. Allegiant Air is one client that uses our GoPicnic branded “GoMeals” as is.”
Be Free!
Kathleen
August 12th, 2009 at 4:35 am
I’d bring it on the plane and for our weekend celebrating Deanna’s wedding. We don’t know Milwaukee and where any local health food stores are, so we’d just bring a few along to have on the plane and in the hotel.
August 12th, 2009 at 4:40 am
Hi Debra!
The GoPicnic meals would be great for your trip!
However, if anyone can help Debra in the Milwaukee area please post back!
Be Free!
Kathleen
August 12th, 2009 at 6:45 am
These meals are great! I would send them with my daughter to her friends house so other parents don’t have to worry about what’s safe for her to eat. I would also bring them with our family when we go on day trips. They are perfect if you are just not sure what food is going to be available.
August 12th, 2009 at 7:25 am
my 2 year old would probably appreciate having something else for lunch besides bologna and cheese rolls or leftover pasta, but since her dad and i both work full time time for packing lunch is limited so any help i can get would be awesome!
August 12th, 2009 at 7:25 am
I could use this on Saturday to go to an outdoor concert!
August 12th, 2009 at 7:40 am
The GoPicnic meals-on-the-go sound great. They would really be useful when we take the kids to see their grandparents – 12 hours away!!
August 12th, 2009 at 7:40 am
I would love to try Go-Picnic! I am new to the food allergy world with 6 food allergies and I am eating the same thing over and over and over!!! I would probably use it often – lunch when I am working and something quick when I have been on the run all day. Definately cannot just run through any fast food place anymore!
August 12th, 2009 at 7:46 am
I’ve recently become a first time grandmother. I enjoy spending time with my new grandson and often will visit for the day so that I can help out with housework and give my daughter a break from the constant care a new baby requires. Having easily accessible gluten free food that I can pull from my bag replenishes my energy and ensures my daughter is not fussing over my needs.
Margaret
August 12th, 2009 at 8:01 am
We could use that GoPicnic anytime! I have a 5 year-old, and during the summer we are always on the go! It’s our time together, since I am a teacher and we are always so busy during the school year. The summer is time to hang out and visit, but most of our friends still don’t have snacks for my daughter to eat. We always have to bring our own, and these would be perfect!
August 12th, 2009 at 8:03 am
Judy and Larc-
Yes! These GoPicnic snacks would be perfect to stash in a beach bag or overnight bag when your child is visiting friends.
I love the way the “kids” meals (ExploreMunch, SafariMunch and SportsMunch) also have a fun temporary tattoo, games, jokes & fun food facts in every meal! What’s NOT a kid to love?
Dare I say that the other kids may become… jealous!?
=)
Be Free!
Kathleen
August 12th, 2009 at 8:04 am
These would be great to send with my husband to work or with my son to school. I could have also used them on a recent road trip!
August 12th, 2009 at 8:09 am
I could use the GoPicnic Family Gf Varity Pack-when I am rushing out the door to my son’s baseball practice and running my daughter to her dance classes!! Some days it seems to not be enough time in each day!!
August 12th, 2009 at 8:12 am
My son races dirtbikes every Saturday we leave the house around 5 a.m. and return around 6 p.m. My food options during that time are little to none. Meals that I can take with me that don’t need to be refrigerated would be awesom.
August 12th, 2009 at 8:34 am
I think it would be a good thing for my daughter just now being diagnosed with celiac disease to try different foods that mom doesnt have to prepare and she could maybe bring for her 1st few days of school since i have no idea what to feed her
August 12th, 2009 at 8:44 am
My son is going to the Boy Scout Jamboree next summer and will have to bring food for 10 days. These sound like just the thing!
August 12th, 2009 at 8:56 am
I would use the GoPicnic meals anytime! Being gluten free doesn’t afford much for “quick meals” and some days you don’t feel like cooking. These would be awesome!
August 12th, 2009 at 9:04 am
When it’s hard to find any food to eat when you’re out on the go, just keeping it handy in a bag for unexpected hunger cravings, delays or ….stuck in traffic for hours :(. I think it’s a great idea. I know I’d certainly like to have them just for work because the vending machine are useless for me.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:17 am
We need meal choices like this all the time but we would need it most in two weeks when we’ll be spending the day flying. Airports do not offer great choices for our gluten-free kiddos and your meals sound like a wonderfully nutritious and appealing alternative.
Thanks for considering us!
August 12th, 2009 at 9:23 am
I would use these great meals when traveling. It is often hard to find “safe” meals.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:24 am
I can’t wait to try your meals. They would be great for lunch at work and when I am visiting friends or relatives which are not GF.
I would also love them for my 6 year old grandson, to take the friend’s homes and school for snacks or lunch.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I could really use one next week when my work is going on a picnic – I’m still not sure what I’m going to do about the food issue. 🙂
August 12th, 2009 at 10:14 am
I would take them to a park, along with a blanket for a picnic under a tree near some swings! They look great!
August 12th, 2009 at 10:26 am
I would love to try Go-Picnic for my son and myself. We were recently diagnosed with celiac and have been trying to find new fast foods to grab and go. We live in a small town in PA and there are no stores in our area that carry GF foods, we need to drive at least 45 mins to shop. This product sounds great to grab and go to the park without having to do all the prep work!
August 12th, 2009 at 10:56 am
My biggest issue is that my family will not eat gluten free, so I end up fixing two dinners most nights. Sometimes after a hard day of work I just don’t feel like it so I make theirs and end up not eating healthy for myself, either by snacking or skipping all together. This would be perfect for nights like that.
August 12th, 2009 at 11:07 am
These would be great for my upcoming vacation! To not have to worry about finding GF meals would be awesome!!!
August 12th, 2009 at 11:31 am
I’m a stay at home mom of four children from ages four down to a newborn. My husband has been great at making meals while I’m home recovering from a c-section, but will soon go back to work as a teacher. My four year old daughter has Celiac Disease. She was recently diagnosed and I’m always looking for more meal options for her gluten free diet. My youngest son was born less than two weeks ago. My sister-in-law just told me about your blog and I am new to that company. If I won the free meals, I would use these for taking picnics as a family or for emergency meals for her, like when friends bring us a meal for the baby, which might not be gluten free. Thanks.
August 12th, 2009 at 11:38 am
I can’t wait to try your meals. They look so yummy!
I need them because I got to school and they woudl be great for something to grab and take to school and for on the go!
Also when I go to visit friends that are not GF.
August 12th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Road Trip!! My husband and I love to go on long drives, but it is difficult to do them at the last second when I have to think of what I will eat later.
August 12th, 2009 at 11:44 am
This would be great for after I leave the gym & head to work. No more packing a cooler!! Also, there are so many cookouts in the summer. This would be perfect!!
August 12th, 2009 at 11:45 am
These would be super for a spur-of-the-moment trip to the beach…or state park! No searching for a fast food joint where my Gluten-Free son can eat.
August 12th, 2009 at 11:49 am
There are many places these would be fantastic to have- for me it would be when I am taking an all day fitness training class that is out in the middle of nowhere and don’t have a lot of food choices, or on the plane ride to Mexico for a working vacation. For my kids- on a field trip or on those days when there just wasn’t enough time to get the lunch packed the night before because Mommy is working extra hours that week, and for my oldest son as an afterschool snack when he goes from Speech to horseback riding lessons and doesn’t get home until 7:30 at night. Can’t wait to try some of these. I do wish there were a few more options that are GFCFSF kid friendly.
August 12th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
These are exactly the kind of meals/snacks I try to put together myself but often run out of ideas… I work two different jobs and often find myself having to eat on the go and eating the same things over and over. I also have been doing a lot of traveling lately and can only eat so much trail mix! I’ve been planning a weekend getaway with my significant other for next weekend to a place I’ve never been before, and I’m very nervous about having food to eat while we’re gone. These meals would be so great for long hiking trips, car rides, plane rides, eating at my desk while finishing projects… how great to see there really are more and more options for those of us with dietary restrictions!
August 12th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
These would be great to fit between work, skating practice, yoga practice, and school. With a hectic schedule eating can be the greatest challenge! Wonderful, portable, and great option!
August 12th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
LUNCH! I love pasta, pot pies, rolls, breadsticks, Pad Thai- you know, all the yummy stuff just calling my name at the nearby restaurants. When I can’t leave my desk I often have a tuna lunch or just some peanut butter- both with crackers, of course. And what’s a cheeseburger or BLT without the bread? A whole lotta nothin’. And don’t get me started on sweets- cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts, etc. WOW, look at the time- 12:05- no wonder I’m hungry! How about Panera Bread today- hold the Panera Bread- anyone???
August 12th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Tara-
Your post made me crack up! =)
Hope you had a good (breadless) lunch!
Be Free!
Kathleen
August 12th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I could use GoPicnic meals anytime! I do alot of driving around for errands and going to meetings and would love the convenience of something easy and healthy to eat to make my day more nutritious and be able to have something good and simple.
August 12th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Planning a road trip from Boston to Florida to take my son to college.
While he eats those Burger King meals I’ll enjoy a nutritious and safe treat with the Go Picnic Variety Packs!
Also, want to put some aside for emergency meals in the event of a disaster. Hurricane season is coming!!!!!
August 12th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Maria-
These would be great to stash in a “hurricane kit” (or any other disaster kit) Thanks for the idea!
Be Free!
Kathleen
August 12th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I would need a GoPicnic meal most of all for my children for their lunch for school. They get so tired of the same lunchmeat sandwich everyday. They would love a new treat. I would use it for myself just about anytime too. We go on mission trips with our church once a year and these would be great for traveling, you never know what you can eat on an airplane or at the airport, or when you get to your destination.
August 12th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
So glad to hear that something like this exists. I am just starting a 1 year Fellowship in Sports Medicine and am constantly on the go. Not to mention that my schedule has me here, there, and everywhere. There is really not consistent pattern to what is available to me to eat. I am usually pretty good about packing a lunch, which is no big deal since I am used to it. But when you are stuck for 7 hours doing sports physicals on college freshman when you planned to be there for 3 and the offered complimentary dinner is PIZZA-A GoPicnic meal would be the perfect thing to have in your “Gluten-Free Emergency Kit”. Can’t wait to give all of them a try.
August 12th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
These would be great for work!
August 12th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
This one of the most exciting products I’ve seen in a while! I am still pretty new to all of this and find planning means challanging. This would make life a breeze until I figure things out and even then…the convience factor would keep me buying.
August 12th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Where WOULDN’T I use them? They’d be perfect to stash my gluten-free hubby’s briefcase, in my children’s lunches, and for me at my desk. While I work from home, sometimes I get too busy to even dash into the kitchen to cook something healthy – GoPicnics in my fridge would be the perfect insurance policy to keep energized and eating healthy.
August 12th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
HarpTonya-
They don’t even have to be refrigerated! So you don’t even have to “go out” (aka: down the hall!) for lunch and can keep one right at your desk! =)
Be Free!
Kathleen
August 12th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
This looks awesome! I get up at 5:30 every morning to make it to work by 7 a.m. Lunch is always the most challenging part of my day. I’m GF and try to bring my lunch and snack as much as possible- and, if I’m lucky, my husband will roll out of bed and help me make something. But to have a nutritious, easy to go to meal and snack that I could just grab would be great! I’m also tired of eating rice chex for snacks every single day. I guess I should probably try something new- like going to the grocery story (ha!) or ordering this!
August 12th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
While driving to NC to visit family or in between classes and work.
August 12th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
I would love to try these – we travel a lot by motorcycle and packing something to eat on the road would be a great help! Also on Saturday’s running errands it is so hard when there is really nothing you can get at a fast food place that can be eaten on the run, and that is healthy too! I would LOVE to win!
August 12th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I’ll be cruising through the fridge at 4:45 in the morning searching for anything that would qualify as an at office lunch, and not much is to be found other than condiments because supper was so awesome last night that there were no leftovers…. this product sounds like just the ticket to smooth out my morning rush and simplify the occasional lunch.
August 12th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
We were stuck at McDonald’s (in Augusta Maine) on the way home from vacation, no Uno’s in sight. My daughter had a plain hamburger and Ihad a parfait, that was after calling the company from the parking lot to see what was GF. We need help on the go!
August 12th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I would use these meals when traveling, especially in October when we will be flying. Airports don’t have much to chose from.
August 12th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Finally something for my daughter. If by some chance I forget to pack something for Im in trouble. These would be ideal!! THANK YOU!
August 12th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I would love to have one of these handy for long days at school, where the only food available is (not gluten-free) pizza or a sandwich! They look like great hiking or traveling or just need-a-portable-snack food, too. 🙂
August 13th, 2009 at 1:25 am
I would use these meals anytime I am on the go and especially for my daughter when she has to go places that I don’t know what they offer.
August 13th, 2009 at 7:02 am
This would be great to have when you are out and about and need something to eat quickly.
August 13th, 2009 at 8:56 am
They would be an essential part of my day. I work two jobs and am rarely home except to sleep. I start my day on the road about 7:00 a.m. and don’t get home at night before 11:00 p.m. I usually skip dinner because I go directly from one job to the other and don’t have time to eat. These would be great to eat in the car on the way to work! Anything that doesn’t have to be heated or refrigerated would be fantastic.
August 13th, 2009 at 8:57 am
I have been considering purchasing these for school field trips. They are something a little special and outside the norm of what I send daily and are completely disposable, which is usually a requirement for field trip meals. Would love to win some and try them out!
August 13th, 2009 at 9:56 am
These would be wonderful for my daughter to take to school. She can’t get hot lunch, so everyday she has to bring a lunch. She use to get a treat of hot lunch once a week, but now that she is eating gluten free, there isn’t anything for her. She would think this was a real treat!
August 13th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I’d love to try something simple and new. Hubby can buy the ready to eat meals, but have to cook my own, even to take out sometimes.
August 13th, 2009 at 11:42 am
I would use these at my races for the post event meal. I’m always in a new city and never know where to go eat something “safe”.
August 13th, 2009 at 11:45 am
I used to travel for work to unfamiliar areas at least twice a month for 3-4 days at a time. I wish I had known about Go Picnic back then. I would have taken them on the plane and stashed a few in my suitcase to use for working lunch meetings or back at the hotel after a long day when the last thing I wanted to do was sit in a restaurant by myself, trying to explain my food allergies to a waiter or waitress.
They’d be great for me now too! I typically work from 9:30 to 3:30 without much of a break or the opportunity to “run and grab something” so it would be nice to always have an option with me.
August 13th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
These would be great for my rafting trip next month, and perfect for sporting events
August 13th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Wow, these packs look great! I would use one so many places – in my gym and soccer bags, for a snack after sports (especially for when the team goes out to a pub and I can’t eat anything), at work for when there are speakers over lunch, taking on planes, eating a weddngs, and just to keep in my car!
August 13th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I am in Toronto on a teacher exchange from Australia and we are away every other weekend on a car trip. I am a bit tired of McDonald fries for breakfast, lunch and tea, so these would be a great alternative while the rest of the family chow down on their food.
August 13th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I’m the celiac in the family so I would use them when I’m traveling or maybe take one along to a cookout/picnic that won’t have much I can eat.
August 13th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
My Aunt just got one of these and I realized they would be fantastic for summer picnics at the Hollywood Bowl! My friends bring boxed picnic sandwiches from the local deli and I could bring a GoPicnic box.
August 13th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
My son is going to full day kindergarten next month and I would love to be able to leave some of these in his classroom, just in case he ever forgets his lunch. It would help ease my mind knowing he has a safe lunch he can eat. His teacher also has celiac so we would love to pass one along to her too!
August 13th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
These would be great for all those emergencies that are just waiting to happen with young children. 🙂
August 13th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
In a week and a half I start my last semester of college, and my first since finding out that I am gluten intolerant. I still am learning how to cook for myself and how to cope with trying to eat on the go, but I have so many concerns about packing lunches for myself every day. I want something healthy, easy and fast. My old go-to was a sandwich, probably all our old go-to lunches. Now I just want to know what to take every day. What a learning process it is to feed myself every meal.
August 13th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
At a ballgame
August 13th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I could really use these because I’ve been hesitant to travel too far away from home due to my celiac disease. Not having a car and living in a city sometimes limits my options for food when I’m on the run because unless it’s within walking distance, I’m outta luck! 🙂 I also have a blog on which I could review the food and get word out to fellow Celiacs! I have a few upcoming trips and having plane food would be almost ethereally otherworldly to me at this point!
August 13th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
This is fantastic! Great items to take to work!
August 13th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
While out and about, it would be nice to keep handy so I don’t have to worry about finding someplace that has gluten-free food. It would also be handy when attending conferences, where a lunch is offered, but I often cannot partake – due to it being sandwiches or wraps. This offers variety and flexibility to those of us with dietary restrictions… and sounds yummy too!
August 14th, 2009 at 9:17 am
I could really use these at work, I am a manager and rarely get a break that is long enough to allow me to eat a good meal. I work 12 hour days and I am exhausted and hungry but snacking is usually my only option. My husband just lost his job and we are struggling very badly financially and every little bit would help us. I could really use this food and would be very grateful for it.
August 14th, 2009 at 11:01 am
We would use them when the kids are invited to play with friends and need a snack/meal that is GF. Travel times would be much easier with this kind of product. It is great for the GF community!
August 14th, 2009 at 11:29 am
These look great for me during work, play or any other time of the day. Great idea.
August 14th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
This would be perfect for going to a ballgame when the concessions are hotdogs and pizza!
August 14th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
I need these next month when I’ll be driving for 15 hours to visit my daughter and my 2 grandbabies in Texas. It’s an extremely loooong drive and everyone else wants to stop at McDonald’s for a quick bite. All I get is a quick bathroom break!! Oh, and a med. iced tea to go. Travel is always difficult because you always have to take along your own food. And there is no guarantee that the grocery stores will have gluten free food when you get where you are going.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
I would use this on a Senior Saints mission trip. I accidentally got glutenized on our last trip and suffered dearly! The 9 hour drive to our destination was also difficult with no safe place to eat along the way. Others don’t really understand the gluten problem and are not very cooperative with food preparations. It is best to take all my own safe food with me. I am determined to not let CD turn me into a recluse.
August 15th, 2009 at 7:13 am
This looks like a great product with a lot of options.
I would use the Go Picnic foods:
-to keep in my desk at work. I already pack food for an 8 hour day. But there is that last minute curve ball that turns it into a 11-12 hour day. This is a better option than the box of soup that is currently in my desk.
-weekend, short notice day trips.
-a back up meal to put in the car when going to an event (weddings, work events, the christening that I have this weekend and do not know what if I can eat anything on the menu)
August 15th, 2009 at 10:00 am
These sound interesting! I could really use these on afternoons that I get stuck in town and can’t find a gluten-free snack anywhere. Which would be just about every Friday and Saturday!
August 16th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I would be so grateful to have a GoPicnic Meals To Go boxed meal. As a busy special ed teacher, I use my lunch break as a planning time. I take “fast” gluten free food that is not very nutritious to work. GoPicnic Meals would be a great alternative. Nutritious gluten free food that I can eat without preparation; that’s what I would like!
August 17th, 2009 at 7:44 am
I am always running somewhere or doing something. both my son and I could use these.
August 17th, 2009 at 8:28 am
I would love to try one of those. They would be really handy on long bike rides or races, or even just to keep with me for when I get stuck in town and without food I can eat.
August 17th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
There is hardly a day that goes by when I wouldn’t find these helpful! Especially now that my Celiac son is visiting friends’ homes, staying overnight with Grandma and Grandpa, and having field trips with a class! Count me in! Thanks for the chance to win!!
September 8th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Let me count the ways….an actual picnic, school lunches, long car trips, working late, no time to cook, I cook for the Gluten lovers (and need something for myself), when visiting relatives who don’t get it! The annual company retreat where they have pizza & salad with croutons every year (and nothing for me, for eleven years!!! The days I pack a lunch and forget to take it with me! GoPicnic can be left in my file cabinet at work, in the car – I could go on and on – but I have to go to the GoPicnic website to order some NOW, so Bye! Happy GF Munching!