My daughter's preschool is a nut-free school and many more schools are becoming this way. Long gone are the days when we could whip out an assembly line of pb&j and send all of our kids off to school with a pb&j sandwich in their lunch bag.
So the question is, what do we pack for lunch?
I read an article the other day about this where each idea offered was more laughable than the last. I am sorry, but what child will eat a broccoli and craisen salad for lunch!? Certainly not mine.
So I went on a quest for SIMPLE, HEALTHY, NUT-FREE alternatives for lunch and here is what I found:
Pack any flavor of yogurt, a bag full of granola and some fruit and let your kids make their own parfait by mixing the granola and fruit into the yogurt. No, they won't look this pretty, but they will taste delish!
Occasionally for dinner I will make bean and cheese burritos. I take a couple of cans of pinto beans and heat them on the stove until the juices are bubbling. They using a potato masher I mash the beans. You can season to taste. This is a healthier version of re-fried beans.
When I make these, I double the batch and make a bunch of burritos for school lunches. I wrap them up and freeze them. Then I just put a frozen burrito into the lunch bag. Yum!
You can put beans, cheese, rice or anything else your child would like in these! Add a small container of sour cream for your child to dip if they like as well.
Soynut butter tastes and looks similar to peanut butter, but if free of nuts. (since soy is not a nut although the name can be a bit confusing). Of course check the label to make sure it isn't manufactured in a place that has nuts if your school is extraordinarily particular about that. And label your child's sandwich so there will not be any question as to if it is peanut butter of not. I have found Soynut butter at Trader Joe's or at many health food stores.
Mix it up too, try different flavors of bagels and different flavors of cream cheese.
We can't forget the ever popular and simple alternative of a turkey, ham or cheese sandwich.
Make this on wheat bread for a healthier alternative to white, or try it on a pita, bagel or in a tortilla for a different twist.
Or try a Sandwich on a skewer
Use your child's favorite sandwich ingredients to make a sandwich on a skewer
A thermos full of your child's favorite soup (or leftover soup from dinner) is always a great idea for a cold winter day.
You can make it a sandwich or let your kids dip the pita in hummus, either was it is tasty!
You can use a marker to draw a face or write a note on the shell making this a fun lunch time food. (Plus it will be easy to distinguish the hard boiled eggs from the regular ones in the fridge!)
Is your child's school nut-free? If so, what are you packing for lunches this year?
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Janet
How awesome is this?! Who woulda thought there was this many easy alternatives to PB & J?<br /><br />Great ideas!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.iheartmygluegun.com" rel="nofollow">www.iheartmygluegun.com</a>
Family Mom
My daughter has mild allergies to peanuts AND soy. Her main reaction is eczema. Thankfully we don't have to worry about life threatening reactions. But until we found out about the allergy, she loved peanut butter sandwiches. <br /><br />Since we couldn't go with soy butter, our allergist suggested Sunbutter. It is made with sunflower seeds. It tastes much like peanut butter and
Sherry
My son has a peanut/legume allergy. Lunches can be hard. But we have found plenty of alternatives. At my sons school, they have a peanut free table and he can choose up to 2 friends to join him each day (their lunches get checked). Allergies to food are not fun! But we make it work!