Nut-free lunchbox ideas

[Phteven]

I'm curious as to the lifestyle changes that would eradicate allergies? I would have thought obesity would be at the top of the list of things that should be fixed, that causes many many problems for individuals and society yet that is swept under the carpet. I often get upset looking at the rubbish people eat then my boy gets the allergy when we eat very well (sigh)

Hopefully Meow will pop back in and reply but.....
there is a large body of research that suggests that our homes are too clean (because of all the amazing cleaning chemicals we use) and that children benefit from eating dirt more often. An allergic reaction (not an intolerance) is an out of control immune response. Basically we have an immune system that is designed to cope with a certain level of dirt and parasites and without the dirt it can react to harmless stuff. In one study they gave people who had allergies tape worms. In most cases the allergic responses they had reduced and at the end of the study a lot of them chose to keep their tape worm because they had coped so much better with life while they had parasites.
Also processed foods and the traces of nuts - apparently the traces might cause allergies because in traces the body mistakes it for pathogens not food.

And I don't think that obesity is swept under the carpet. Every time I go to the shops I go past the signs for the swap it campaign.

And if you go back hundreds of years they may not have eaten peanuts in a spread but yes, they did eat nuts. We eat more of everything than we did before.

Spare a thought for the bee-sting kids - it's not like anyone can ban bees

[nothing2lose]

Kids are taught to take it very seriously (at least at my DD's school). She won't eat peanut butter or nutella at all at home because she says it could get on her hands or clothes and she could smear it on something in the classroom. She also worries about breathing peanuts on her classmate.

[LimeSlice]

Hello,

Saw this and had to reply.

My DS has a nut allergy. I get annoyed with people's blaise attitude to it. My son isn't anaphylactic but we have regular testing and you never know... It is quite scary to watch a reaction. I'm sorry it is a pain for you not to bring nuts but I think every child deserves to be safe at school. We encounter this problem everywhere so it would be nice not to have to worry about it at the place he will be spending so much time in!

No, you actually didn't "have" to reply at all - especiialy since you didn't actually address the question. But thanks ever so much for turning my thread asking for help into a debate, without contributing to solving the original question posed (which one would imagine you could do given your position of having to live nut-free 24/7).
It isn't a "pain" as you put it, it is beyond a "pain", as my daughter has *other* intolernaces and diet restrictions that mean nuts are an integral part of her diet. So NOT being allowed to use them at all poses a very real issue for me in practical terms, hence why I was asking for help. I use nut-based flours, oils, spreads, whole nuts...in everything from cakes and slices to frying and her meusli. Her standard snack is nuts. She has been to a day care, a kindergarten and a primary school here where despite them having nut-allergies in the school, they do NOT enforce a blanket nut policy, which I appreciate, as it isn't JUST nuts that cause problems for some kids and in fact the nuts that are the SOLUTION to those families.
So, I assure you, I am not blasé about anything, simply trying to find a solution to a problem that is *frustrating* to me and many others.

If you would like to debate, vent, or otherwise argue the merits for or against these policies, or societal responses to allergies or obesity or anytring else UNhelpful to the OP, please start a thread. Otherwise, would appreciate you stepping out or offering something valuable to the question posed.

[Phteven]

Maybe you should approach the school regarding an exemption and to find out if there are currently any children at the school with life threatening reactions. Because some schools are nut free just in case and that's, ummm..... Nuts.

[LimeSlice]

lol Yes, there are actually several kids with nut allergies in the school. The nut-free thing is fine with me, but it is frustrating for some people, myself included, just as I am sure *having* the allergy in the first place is frustrating to those families.
Hence why I have asked for some help in finding alternatives that can work for us.

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

"and it makes me cross she isn't allowed to eat them."

I didn't have any intention of hijacking your thread, I got upset when I read the above. No need to get nasty, don't write something like the above if you don't want someone like me to comment on it. If you had simply asked for suggestions and that was it I wouldn't have needed to reply like I did. I was actually going to give you suggestions until I read the tone of your thread.

[LimeSlice]

That is how I feel, how I felt when I wrote it. I didn't invite comment on it, nor was it a tone for anything. I asked for suggestions for the situation I was in, nothing more. When I want a morallity and ethics lesson from you, you can be sure I will spell it out plainly, not in a passing comment on my state of mind.

[Jessiebean]

I find it really difficult to feed my boys nut free for the same reasons, other dietary restrictions mean that nuts are a valuable source of protein, fats and other micro-nutrients which aren't addressed by many suggestions. the school says "sandwich and fruit" but doesn't suggest what a sandwich for a vegetarian child could be. Lunches would be boring and not eaten because of the lack of variety. I personally feel that if the school wants to have food policies they should be feeding the children. I was told that any nutritional deficiencies caused by not having nuts or eggs in food should be addressed outside of school hours (regardless of whether there are ANY allergic children at the school the policy remains in force) yet they insist on having "healthy eating policies". Grrr. but anyway I would love some helpful nut and egg free and filling suggestions for vegetarian children that can be prepared in advance. Pasta, rice and noodle salads don't get eaten unfortunately so I am running out of food that will last them the distance!

[RhiChiChi]

TBH I didn't realise how easy I have it in relation to food choices for my daughter. I did post what we give her for lunch & snack for kinder however, given there are other food intolerances/allergies I have no idea if they were helpful or not? There is a website that is gluten, dairy & wheat free called the naturopaths kitchen and in addition Janella Purcell does do some lunchbox ideas that are a little the same way inclined & she is much more vegetarian friendly as she eats that way everyday. Perhaps have a look at those sites Jessiebean & Limeslice (?) and see if they are of some use. I hope you can find something suitable and not so boring for your little poppets.

[nothing2lose]

Falafel
Vegetarian mini pizza
Salad wraps
Veggie skewers

[Olive]

our kinder is nut, egg, seasme and smearable dairy free ,hard cheese is allowed)
but our school has no restrictions as a whole...and there are kids with serious allergies so i assume its done on a class by class basis

[Mother Goose]

We pack a variety of different things and I try to do any "baking" stuff on the weekends. But here's a snap shot of what dd gets for snacks and lunches....

"the Deli Select" aka kabana, cheese, rolled up ham.
Popcorn
Crackers and dip (hommus is the fav)
Vegemite sandwhiches
Plain butter sandwhiches (I dare not argue)
Home made mini muffins
Veggie sausage rolls
Chicken schnitzle (we have to have it for dinner once a fortnight so she can have left overs for school)
Fruit tubs
Yoghurt tubes
Ham and cheese with crackers
Sausages
Cucumber sticks
Mini tomatoes
Mushrooms

Good luck. I find lunch boxes to be very frustrating at times!

[Jessiebean]

TBH I didn't realise how easy I have it in relation to food choices for my daughter. I did post what we give her for lunch & snack for kinder however, given there are other food intolerances/allergies I have no idea if they were helpful or not? There is a website that is gluten, dairy & wheat free called the naturopaths kitchen and in addition Janella Purcell does do some lunchbox ideas that are a little the same way inclined & she is much more vegetarian friendly as she eats that way everyday. Perhaps have a look at those sites Jessiebean & Limeslice (?) and see if they are of some use. I hope you can find something suitable and not so boring for your little poppets.

Thanks for the tip offs for the websites I will have a look!
olive-wow sesame and smearable dairy free as well.. I would just cry! I feel for the parents who have allergic children but I think I would just have to choose another kinder as that list takes out most of the food I make!

[Jessiebean]

http://www.phoenixallergynetwork.org...lylunchbox.pdf
this has some more interesting ideas.
I am stuck on muffins and pikelets at the moment and biscuits for the egg free school lunch (chocolate is allowed however!)

[Olive]

its not that bad tbh...egg is fine in muffins etc..just not boiled etc...
DD has stuff sucn as fruit, hard chesse, a mini muffins, vegie sticks, rice crackers etc..

[Jessiebean]

I had a think overnight here is a list (which I want to expand on as I am not happy with variety)
pizza scrolls (or cheese and sweet chilli or spinach and cheese)
toasted seeds(pumpkin and sunflower with soy and sweet chilli)
carrots
muffins
yoghurt with berries
fruit
cheese and crackers
honey and tahini sandwiches
cheese sandwiches (avocado as well for five year old)
pita chips and dip (tbh the dip is rarely eaten unless we are at home)...
will wrack my brains for more after school run...
there is so much cheese on this list!

[PumpkinZulu]

Chickpea patties, pita bread filled with spinach, olives, capsicum, cucumber, hummus, focaccia with roasted veggies, tuna and rice, grain salad (grains, capers, sultanas), homemade veggie chips. The list goes on. There are SO many lunch options without nuts, even without meat and dairy, it's just a matter of getting creative.

[Jessiebean]

popcorn
pikelets
red capsicum strips...
Ok now I am becoming obsessed and must find lot's of ideas and add them to my pinterest...