Great Peanut Free Lunches

It is finally that time of year again. The summer weather is quickly fleeing, and children of all ages are returning to school.

If you are like most parents the mere thought of returning to a school-year routine makes you tired. The school year is a much more hectic time for families than the easy, lazy days of summer.

One of the many things you have to think about is packing the school lunch everyday. This can cause even the most creative of parents to quickly run out of ideas to keep things interesting. Every parent dreads when the lunch box comes home full and your child informs you that they are tired of eating what you are packing.

This situation can be especially stressful for families with children who have peanut allergies. There are far fewer standby items to throw into the lunch bag, due to the simple fact that you must take extra care when choosing the foods that your child eats.

The good news is that with a little forethought and some extra planning you can make sure that your child has a variety of lunchbox choices that will drive away the school lunch boredom.

One of the old standbys for many school children is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  There are many schools and daycares that have gone to a nut free environment so children with peanut allergies are not exposed.

If your child’s school is not nut free, you can still provide an allergy free version of the classic. There are many peanut free spreads that are commercially available that look and spread like peanut butter. This is helpful when you have other children who are allergy free, as it is often difficult to tell the difference.

Another treat that children with peanut allergies often omit from the lunch box are granola bars and snack bars. There are wonderful peanut free snack bars that are perfect for lunch or after school snacks, such as the AllerEnergy brand available here.

As you can see, families with peanut allergies can still incorporate many of the lunch box staples into their diets. The important thing to do is shop around until you find a selection of goodies that both taste great and are safe to eat.

You may also want to take some extra snacks to your child’s teacher or coach to substitute for those times when the class or team snacks together.