Looking for allergy-friendly snacks to pack for your kids? It can be tricky coming up with creative, allergen-free snacks that can be eaten — and enjoyed — in any classroom! Research shows that 1 in 13 kids have food allergies (about two per classroom!), and that rate is on the rise. Whether or not your child has an allergy, it’s important — and often required — to make sure what’s being brought into school is safe for everyone.
How to Follow Common School Rules for Allergy-Free Foods
The Top Nine Common Allergens
Almost 90% of food allergies can be attributed to one of nine ingredients:
- Dairy
- Egg
- Peanut
- Tree nuts
- Soy
- Wheat
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Sesame
Schools present a different risk for people with food allergies than more controlled environments. They’re high-contact areas because of the number and age of students, and shared surfaces like books, tables, cubbies and lockers.
So, What Are the Rules?
Generally, individual districts write their own school allergy policies, so they aren’t standardized from place to place. Federal guidelines are voluntary, and you can find them here! But certain states have their own that get included in districts’ policies. Right now, 18 have published statewide guidelines:
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
Not all schools treat food allergens the same, so it’s key to be well-informed as a parent or caregiver and know how to avoid sending potential allergens to school.
A great first measure is to ask for a list of allergies for your child’s classroom that you can tuck away in a kitchen drawer or tape inside your pantry. That way, it’s easy to refer to for everyday snacks your kids will be eating, or special occasions where other students might also be enjoying the same food.
Where to Take a Closer Look
Spaces that may increase exposure to cross contamination are the cafeteria and anywhere else food is shared, science projects that involve food-based ingredients, and even some activities in art class.
Likewise, food that’s brought onto the bus, or into the school for fundraisers, bake sales, or after-school programs should also be given a little more attention.
It’s also important to know which common food allergens are considered airborne or have particles that can be inhaled, and which can present a risk through skin contact.
For example, in the cooking or baking process (imagine a classroom activity of making holiday cookies), flours made of soy or wheat, and any powdered dairy or egg products could present a different risk. In that scenario, a quick, easy and allergy-safe fix would be using a wheat-free 1:1 flour alternative instead!
Peanut products are prohibited in many schools, which can be a huge relief. While research can’t conclude that peanut allergens are airborne, there can be cross contamination through surfaces, like traces on a plate or table, so sanitizing surfaces and handwashing are important, too.
Rule of Thumb
Label, label, label! Once you’re certain the foods you’ve bought, cooked or baked don’t include airborne allergens that could be a risk for someone in the classroom, make sure to label platters, bags or Tupperware that might have a potential risk for a classmate if consumed.
Something that’s always super helpful and can provide lots of peace of mind for school faculty and community is listing all ingredients where possible, just in case!
Easy Ways to Pack Allergy-Free School Snacks for On the Go
Keep it Simple
A fail-safe (and antioxidant-rich!) way to pack a healthful, allergy-friendly snack is to use whole fruits and veggies. Prepping those safely at home avoids all allergens and provides plenty of fiber, too.
Use small cookie cutters or hobby knives to turn apples into fun shapes, give carrots textured edges, and turn watermelon slices into animals!
To add in a protein, use seed butters from 88 Acres, committed to allergen-free production.
Remember, if you’re going to pack a dip with your veggies, be mindful of ingredients. Hummus generally contains tahini, so prepare or buy a sesame-free one!
Popcorn is a great go-to that’s easy and can be popped at home or store-bought!
Rice crackers are a satiating wheat-free carb and base for other add-ons.
Allergy-Friendly Snack Recipes
- Double Chocolate Breakfast Cookies
- Chocolate Nut-Free Trail Mix
- Maple Sunflower Granola Bars
- Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites
- Applesauce
- Chia Seed Pudding
The Best Allergy-Free Pre-Packaged Snacks for Your Child to Bring to the Classroom
Morris Nejat is a specialist in adult and pediatric allergy and immunology in New York who emphasizes: “Prepared foods often have hidden ingredients that are not obvious. The rule is, if you didn’t make it, know how it was made,” so be sure to buy from allergy-friendly brands you trust!
- 88 Acres Allergy-Free Roasted Pumpkin Seed Butter Pouches
- 88 Acres Allergy-Free Vanilla Cinnamon Sunflower Seed Butter Pouches
- 88 Acres Allergy-Free Granola
- Prevail Allergy-Free Beef Jerky
- Partake Gluten-Free Allergy-Friendly Cookies
- YumEarth Allergy-Friendly Fruit Snacks
- MadeGood Crackers
- Hippeas Puffs
Sharing Resources
Several resources share great lists and printouts for parents to have, as well as strategies for food allergy safety in and around schools.
- Classroom strategies for How to Protect Students with Food Allergies at School
- Food Allergy Resource & Education’s Toolkit for Allergies in the Classroom
School Nutrition’s Frequently Asked Questions for Food Allergies in Schools