DCPS No Nut Policy - Do coconuts count?

[Anonymous]

DD was at a nut free DCPS elementary through this past year (heading to Deal in the fall) and there was never a prohibition on bringing in home baked goods and we brought in a lot over the years. We were of course careful about any kind of nut. I do not think that coconut was ever part of the ban but DD had a good friend with a coconut allergy so were were careful about that too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD was at a nut free DCPS elementary through this past year (heading to Deal in the fall) and there was never a prohibition on bringing in home baked goods and we brought in a lot over the years. We were of course careful about any kind of nut. I do not think that coconut was ever part of the ban but DD had a good friend with a coconut allergy so were were careful about that too.

It is really school and probably teacher specific. At my kids' elementary school they discouraged things like candy or cookies in lunches brought from home. For class snacks or parties, everything had to be store-bought or fruits/vegetables. If it didn't have an ingredient label it wasn't going to be served or even opened. We sent a lot of mandarin oranges back then.

[Anonymous]

Our DCPS ES is "nut free" (peanuts & tree nuts) and then our DD's ECE classroom was also egg free b/c of a little boy with an anaphylactic allergy. Totally reasonable in my book. They eat in their classroom and 3 years old is not old enough to fully understand either on the allergy sufferer's part or my kid's part. While the world doesn't have to accommodate all allergies everywhere, I certainly hope a school can accommodate documented anaphylactic allergies in kids not otherwise old enough to be safe... My kid just does not need to eat any specific food for lunch that badly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS ES is "nut free" (peanuts & tree nuts) and then our DD's ECE classroom was also egg free b/c of a little boy with an anaphylactic allergy. Totally reasonable in my book. They eat in their classroom and 3 years old is not old enough to fully understand either on the allergy sufferer's part or my kid's part. While the world doesn't have to accommodate all allergies everywhere, I certainly hope a school can accommodate documented anaphylactic allergies in kids not otherwise old enough to be safe... My kid just does not need to eat any specific food for lunch that badly.

As the parent of a boy with a life-threatening allergy, I can not thank you enough for this post. It means a lot to me and to so many other allergy families.

[Anonymous]

OP and others— in DCPS it is really by classroom. We have been in. No nut classrooms and in no allergy classrooms. Everyone abides by it or at least there haven been severe reactions. I did actually violate the “fuzzy fruit allergy” because I didn’t know strawberries are considered fuzzy. I was thinking peaches and kiwi. My child just couldn’t eat her strawberries and all was ok in the world.

I have definitely sent in homemade goods. Never with nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't find official guidelines on the "no nut" dcps policy. I'd like to start using coconut flour and oils in the baked goods I make for my kids, but I'm wondering if these are safe to bring to "no nut" schools. Thank you in advance.

Ew why are you using coconut oil and flour? Gross. Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter (about 64% saturated fat), beef fat (40%), or even lard (also 40%).

Disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't find official guidelines on the "no nut" dcps policy. I'd like to start using coconut flour and oils in the baked goods I make for my kids, but I'm wondering if these are safe to bring to "no nut" schools. Thank you in advance.

Ew why are you using coconut oil and flour? Gross. Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter (about 64% saturated fat), beef fat (40%), or even lard (also 40%).

Disgusting.

super helpful and mature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't find official guidelines on the "no nut" dcps policy. I'd like to start using coconut flour and oils in the baked goods I make for my kids, but I'm wondering if these are safe to bring to "no nut" schools. Thank you in advance.

Ew why are you using coconut oil and flour? Gross. Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter (about 64% saturated fat), beef fat (40%), or even lard (also 40%).

Disgusting.

super helpful and mature.

Um you’re the one poisoning the class with disgusting muffins.

[Anonymous]

Lot of schools have a no trading food policy which in theory should cover most allergy issues. Though not those with contact or dust level allergies.
We use a lot of gluten free ingredients and products due to celiac disease. Which certainly makes it harder with the wide net whole school 'not nuts' policy. Especially when no one in our kids class or grade actually had a allergy last year. Obviously the whole school didn't go gluten free for our one child even though it is listed on the food restrictions. Our kid has come how feeling horrible due to having a treat that was not obviously gulten containing. It is a hard thing for a lot of people to understand when so many go 'gulten free' as a trend rather than a fully on health condition. I am happy to try to accommodate others with health issues and limit what we send to school. I just wish school would really take the time to educate staff, parent and students on how important it can be for those with actual health issues and allergies.

[Anonymous]

Peanuts are trashy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Peanuts are trashy

Ignoring a no nut policy is the trashiest thing of all, almost as bad as using coconut oil in muffins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't find official guidelines on the "no nut" dcps policy. I'd like to start using coconut flour and oils in the baked goods I make for my kids, but I'm wondering if these are safe to bring to "no nut" schools. Thank you in advance.

Ew why are you using coconut oil and flour? Gross. Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter (about 64% saturated fat), beef fat (40%), or even lard (also 40%).

Disgusting.

super helpful and mature.

Um you’re the one poisoning the class with disgusting muffins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lot of schools have a no trading food policy which in theory should cover most allergy issues. Though not those with contact or dust level allergies.
We use a lot of gluten free ingredients and products due to celiac disease. Which certainly makes it harder with the wide net whole school 'not nuts' policy. Especially when no one in our kids class or grade actually had a allergy last year. Obviously the whole school didn't go gluten free for our one child even though it is listed on the food restrictions. Our kid has come how feeling horrible due to having a treat that was not obviously gulten containing. It is a hard thing for a lot of people to understand when so many go 'gulten free' as a trend rather than a fully on health condition. I am happy to try to accommodate others with health issues and limit what we send to school. I just wish school would really take the time to educate staff, parent and students on how important it can be for those with actual health issues and allergies.

If your kid really has celiac disease, it strikes me as bizarre you would let them eat any home baked treat offered in class. Like, of course, the treats were baked in a pan that often bakes gluten containing things. No kid with an anaphylactic peanut allergy would ever have parental permission to eat a home baked treat offered in class. Your post is where I get the idea that most gluten free kids are intolerant or some other nonsense or it’s lifestyle related and not at all akin to a real peanut allergy.

[Anonymous]

The real issue is that DCPS does not have a specific and well publicized message banning home baked items and the like. These policies should not be a grey area for parents to sort out on a forum. This lack of publicized message is a ticking lawsuit waiting to happen. A nut free, gluten free, shellfish free treat policy should not be teacher or school specific. There is no reason that parents should bring in home baked good items. I would NOT bring in a home baked item for fear that if a child suffered an allergic reaction I would be subject to the child's medical bills. In this day and age its much easier to provide a kosher, gluten free, egg free, diary free, nut free and soy free option than to be sued. For example, sorbet fruit popsicles as an alternative to cake or muffins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real issue is that DCPS does not have a specific and well publicized message banning home baked items and the like. These policies should not be a grey area for parents to sort out on a forum. This lack of publicized message is a ticking lawsuit waiting to happen. A nut free, gluten free, shellfish free treat policy should not be teacher or school specific. There is no reason that parents should bring in home baked good items. I would NOT bring in a home baked item for fear that if a child suffered an allergic reaction I would be subject to the child's medical bills. In this day and age its much easier to provide a kosher, gluten free, egg free, diary free, nut free and soy free option than to be sued. For example, sorbet fruit popsicles as an alternative to cake or muffins.

DCPS does not have a specific and well publicized message about a lot of things. There is a very diverse student body and the cultural considerations are vast. More children died in DC from guns than allergic reactions. Not to say we should not have effective policies for both - but you need a reality check on the food deserts and poverty across the city.