What the heck do I pack for lunch when every place we go is "nut free"?!?!?

[Anonymous]

I pack nut-free lunches & snacks all the time, not a big deal. I wouldn't ever want to risk a kids life over peanut butter. My non-allergic kids can eat it at home.

I pack: sandwiches, crackers, cheese, yogurt, cheese sticks, vegetables, fruit, cookies, chips, etc.., plenty of options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeez people. Seriously, how many children die from nut allergies every year? Children for in car accidents and from falling out of windows, yet we still drive and have windows in our homes. Those are far greater risks than the kid at the next table eating a PBJ. If your child is so fragile, keep them home and stop procreating with your crappy ass genes.

Smart people talking. Shhhh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sun Butter is very similar to peanut butter, and it's nut free.

And unfortunately made on the same lines as roasted soy nuts, which my kid is allergic to, so that option is out for us.

Our school is tree nut/peanut free and we have enough options to send in for lunch and snacks. Soups and pasta in a thermos, sandwiches, etc.
I honestly don't get why people think pb is so unhealthy. I could understand if you're talking about the chocolate infused pb, but the "natural" ones? What's wrong with those? We also use the natural jelly (no added sugar, fake sugar, or high fructose corn syrup).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If PB sandwiches are all your kid will eat, you have bigger problems.

Sunbutter is a great substitute. Also load up with a big breakfast and have a snack at the ready for pick up. A picky eater won't starve a kid with a peanut allergy might die.

[Anonymous]

My DD is gf. We do a lot of foods that are free of the big 8 allergens because I know the production lines are safe for her. There's still plenty for her to eat.

I think you've received great examples here and if you feel that you need more, try some of the food allergy support sites. The families trying to keep their kids alive still manage to feed them everyday.

[Anonymous]

Burgundy farm is a nut free school/camp to answer PP's looking for a nut free environment.

[Anonymous]

I send my kid to camp with a slice of bologna and fritos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeez people. Seriously, how many children die from nut allergies every year? Children for in car accidents and from falling out of windows, yet we still drive and have windows in our homes. Those are far greater risks than the kid at the next table eating a PBJ. If your child is so fragile, keep them home and stop procreating with your crappy ass genes.

Smart people talking. Shhhh.

You're missing the point. The point is that the OP is complaining because ALL she can apparently feed her kids are PB&Js and other children with pesky lethal food allergies are ruining her menu planning. Of course kids die in all sorts of tragic ways - no shit. But if it's a matter of just not packing nuts or nut butters in your kids' lunches, isn't it worth not endangering another child's life?

Knock on wood, my kids don't have any allergies, but I am sure as hell not going to put some other child at risk so they can eat peanut butter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I send my kid to camp with a slice of bologna and fritos.

You need to add some fruit snacks and strawberry milk so that it's a complete meal

[Anonymous]

Cream Cheese and Jelly for lazy days!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Use sunflower seed butter - they sell it at Trader Joes and Whole Foods. I think it tastes better.

+1.

also, your kid will be fine if her lunch isn't chock full of protein every day.

Not mine. My own child's health issues would have precluded me sending him to a nut free camp. Way too hard to keep my child's metabolism controlled without the nuts.

I feel for you, OP.

Fair enough, but kids like yours are very very rare. In addition, any reasonable camp is going to figure out a way to reasonably accommodate your child, but the strategies that work to accommodate one child eating nuts (child eats far away from nut allergic child in a location that can be easily and instantly cleaned, with an adult to escort to and supervise handwashing) require too much adult supervision to work for a whole class of kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Careful with the sun butter…I gave it to my daughter 3 times as a PB&J substitute. The good news is she couldn't tell the difference. The bad news is it caused diahrea all 3 times

This happened to us as well!

Luckily our ES ha a 'nut-free' table so it works out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Use sunflower seed butter - they sell it at Trader Joes and Whole Foods. I think it tastes better.

+1.

also, your kid will be fine if her lunch isn't chock full of protein every day.

Ok. I'm fine going nut free, but that is not true at all. My kid NEEDS the protein at lunch to fill him up. A lunch of just carbs and veggies is not enough from 8:30-4:00. He's got a pretty high metabolism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's this nifty invention called a Thermos. It keeps things warm in a lunch box. No microwave required. Google it. Then buy one, and fill it with whatever foods besides PBJ that your children like.

My oldest loves PBJ but it's not a hardship to avoid that in the lunch box. And there are plenty of other snacks that are high in protein besides nuts. Your child must eat something other than peanut butter, right?

Kids at camp do not always eat at tables. They eat lunch picnic style and a thermos would not be ideal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Use sunflower seed butter - they sell it at Trader Joes and Whole Foods. I think it tastes better.

+1.

also, your kid will be fine if her lunch isn't chock full of protein every day.

Ok. I'm fine going nut free, but that is not true at all. My kid NEEDS the protein at lunch to fill him up. A lunch of just carbs and veggies is not enough from 8:30-4:00. He's got a pretty high metabolism.

But the school/camp isn't asking for you to send a lunch of carbs and veggies. It's ruling out one of many different types of protein. There are still many options to choose from.