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5 Healthy Nut-free Snacks for School

It’s back to school time and lots of parents are asking the question, “What nut-free snacks can I pack for my child?”.  Having a nut-free policy is essential to ensuring the safety of those children with nut allergies.  However, removing nuts can make it challenging to provide snacks that are high in protein. Protein is essential for maintaining your child’s energy level and cognitive function.

Healthy Nut-free Snacks for SchoolPin
Lentils ~ Image purchased from: www.dreamstime.com

5 nut-free high protein snacks

1. Nut-free trail mix: Make a baggie of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pretzels, toasted soy beans and dried fruit. Easy to prep and portion in advance.

2. Hard-boiled egg: To make this boring snack a little more interesting, provide turmeric, curry spices, cayenne, paprika, chopped dill or sage to sprinkle on the egg or to dip the egg into for extra flavour.

3. Edemame: These are whole soy beans in their pods. Easy to find in the frozen vegetable section, they can be pre-boiled and portioned for the week. Sprinkle a little salt on them in the morning to enhance their flavour. Edemame make a fun snack as kids love to pop the beans out of their pods.

4. Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is high in protein and easy to find in pre-packaged containers for convenience. For a healthier option, purchase pure, unsweetened, unflavoured Greek yogurt in a larger bulk container. Divide into individual portion and add honey, cinnamon, berries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds or hemp hearts for added flavour and protein.

5. Mixed bean salad: Mixed beans are readily available canned. Be sure to rinse the beans thoroughly before use. You can also purchase the beans you like in dried form and make your own personalized mix. Dried bean require soaking and boiling before use so will add to your prep time. Mix all beans and flavour with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper, ginger, garlic, chili flakes, balsamic vinegar, basil, dill, thyme, cumin, etc. Bean salad is easy to make and you can basically flavour it however you like. An even simpler option is to mix a vinaigrette salad dressing into the beans for flavour, therefore no chopping/crushing of herbs required!

Involve your children in the snack decision making and preparation to figure out what flavours and textures they like!

Dr. Ellen Simone, Naturopath
Dr. Ellen Simone, Naturopathhttp://www.drellensimone.com/
Dr. Ellen Simone welcomes you to work with her under a holistic view of health which encompasses the understanding that the mind and body are connected to sustaining long-term health and wellness. As a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Simone focuses on family wellness and has special interests in women and children’s health. She loves working with women through different phases in their lives; to regulate the menstrual cycle, ease PMS symptoms, optimize fertility, provide support during and after pregnancy, maintain breast health and welcome menopause. Children are also a primary focus in her practice and she believes that setting healthy habits at a young age is important for long-term health and wellness.

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Comments

  1. These are some great examples. Thanks for sharing. My daughter has a child who is severely allergic in her class, so we try to be as careful as possible. When she does have real peanut butter or any nut products for breakfast I always ask them to wash their hands extra well to ensure there are no oils etc. I had a bad experience when a friend of mine had come over one time and touched something the kids had touched after eating peanut butter. Seeing how fast it can impact them is scary. Can’t imagine kids going through that 🙁

  2. I often get odd looks when I say to other parents that I actually like making school lunches! I enjoy knowing that my kids are eating real food and they say they can taste the love. These are some great snack ideas!

  3. I have just one comment about the “seeds” portion- it has been near impossible for my husband and I to find seeds that do not have the label “may contain peanuts or treenuts” or “made in a facility that processes peanuts and/or treenuts.” Do you know any brands that are “safe”?

  4. You’ve got some great snack ideas and I know that everyone gets sick of the same things in the lunch box so this gives different options

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