How to prepare allergy-friendly lunches for children

Back-to-school lunch alternatives offered for children with allergies

Food allergies are caused when the immune system mistakenly targets a harmless food protein as a threat and attack it, according to USDA.gov.

Food allergies

Affect 1 in 13 children in the U.S.
Increased 50 percent between 1997 and 2011
Reactions result in more than 300,000 ambulatory visits a year

Studies indicate that 16-18 percent of school-age children who have food allergies have had a reaction in school. In addition, in approximately 25 percent of the reactions that occur at school, the student had not yet been diagnosed with a food allergy, according to Foodallergy.org.

The eight major food allergens are:

  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Peanuts
  • Tree nuts
  • Fish
  • Shellfish
  • Soybeans
  • Wheat

For children with a peanut allergy, the classic PB&J isn’t an option, but there are plenty of alternatives to peanut butter. Sesame, pumpkin, almond and hemp all have a nutty flavor and are available in a spread/butter form.

Tree nuts include cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts and others. People who are allergic to those types of nuts could use sunflower seeds as an alternative.

Soy allergies make eating something like pizza hazardous because of the soy found in most cheeses. Vegan cheese options are available at most grocery retailers and are typically made from fermented tofu.

Wheat allergies are common, but there are many substitutes for lunchtime staples. Tapioca and rice flower can be used as bread-based alternatives for a safe, healthy sandwich.

Want some fun facts to send in your student’s lunch box this year? Oureverdaylife.com has a few:

  • Apples float in water because they are one-quarter air.
  • Peanuts are used to make dynamite.
  • Peppermint candy numbs the heat receptors in your mouth leaving a cold feeling.
  • World’s largest watermelons can weigh more than 250 pounds.
  • Babies don’t have kneecaps.
  • Sharks don’t have bones.
  • Tigers have striped skin, just like their fur.

All food allergy facts and statistics were taken from USDA.gov.

Watch the video below for fun sandwich ideas.