food allergies at the lunch table

One day early last October, while I was picking up Chloe from school, I overheard an aggravated mother complaining to another mom about what she believed to be our school’s gross overreaction to food allergies. A few weeks prior, all the parents in my daughter’s class had received an email informing us that one of the children was allergic to a number of foods and asked that we please refrain from including any of them when packing our kids’ lunches and bringing snacks for the class (the latter of which all parents at the school are responsible for year ’round). The conversation between these two moms was heated, and while I normally don’t like to eavesdrop, school lunch is my business and I was very curious to get a sense for how different parents perceive food allergies—a subject that increasingly interests me.

This mother went on to say how incredibly annoying she found it to have so many restrictions put on what she was allowed to put in her child’s lunch box. She believed that the food choices deemed acceptable by the school were unreasonably limited, and not only did it put an unfair burden on her to figure out how to work within the guidelines, her child’s favorite foods—the things she took comfort in knowing he would actually eat—were among the very things now prohibited in the classroom. The mom felt that the allergic child’s parents should be the ones responsible for educating their son about what he should avoid eating while at school. “Why should the rest of us suffer?” was the remark that finally sent me over the edge.

Now, while it would be easy to single this mom out as unreasonable, insensitive, or just an isolated case, in my experience, she’s definitely not alone in her belief. A refrain I often hear these days from parents is, people are so over-reactive now, when we were kids no one was allergic and school lunchrooms served everything. It’s a reasonable statement to be sure, given that food allergies have been on the rise, with the number of reported cases doubling every five years since 1996. The Journal of Pediatrics reported that about one in thirteen children in the United States has a food allergy and nearly 40 percent of those suffered severe reactions.

Considering how inadequately most of us are educated on this most serious of subjects—I include myself at the top of that list—I can understand the frustration of any busy parent, already concerned about the diversity of her child’s diet and responsible for getting a balanced school lunch made every day, stymied by what seems like an increasingly long list of restrictions being imposed on her. Yet if we all truly comprehended food allergies—how serious they are, the grave risks they can present to children and adults alike, and the emotional toll they can take on both the afflicted children and their parents—our views might change drastically. For the better.

Food allergies are a most serious issue that requires the attention of every parent. I’ve spoken with countless moms with allergic children who literally fear for their kids’ lives daily. Many schools have taken a stance and banned nuts altogether, and the fact that EpiPen sales have gone through the roof, with a 76 percent rise in sales in 2011 alone, is a compelling statistic.

When I started weelicious, I did some basic research about food allergies merely as a matter of course. It wasn’t until my kids entered school and both of their classes contained children with food allergies that I fully grasped the severity and decided to delve deeper into the challenges these children and their parents face. The first thing I learned was that there is a difference between airborne and nonairborne nut allergies. Children with an airborne nut allergy can get extremely sick simply from being in the proximity of a nut. Children with nonairborne nut allergies are generally safe sitting next to a child who has nuts in her lunch, but could have an adverse reaction if they accidentally ingest them. It can be extremely tricky when it comes to younger kids, where the two forms of nut allergy can be equally dangerous. Since foods such as nut butters spread without much effort to common classroom objects via sticky fingers, a child with a nonairborne nut allergy can easily and unknowingly ingest nuts by touching a contaminated surface and putting her fingers in her mouth. She could become immediately ill or worse. In the hands-on environment of a school, it becomes obvious that whether allergies are airborne or not, the risk of a child getting sick is almost equal.

Since PB&J is probably the most popular and easy to make lunch for parents and arguably the most delicious sandwich in the world, not to mention ideal for vegetarian families who are already faced with fewer options and ways to make sure their kids get protein, allergies in the classroom pose a problem for most parents (a far less serious problem than an allergy, but a headache nonetheless). The good news for parents of children with nut allergies (as well as for parents of nonallergic children in nut-free schools) is that many seeds—sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, and flax among them—are fantastic high-protein substitutions for nut-free classrooms and can be used in almost any recipe calling for a nut butter. I’ve substituted sunflower butter for years in recipes like World’s Greatest PB&J, PB&J Yogurt Swirls, and Banana Dog Bites, and not only do my kids frequently not notice that I substituted something for their beloved peanut or almond butter, but they’ve actually requested seed butters on occasion.

And while parents are aware primarily about nut allergies, they certainly aren’t the only kind of food allergy. Dairy, gluten, and other foods present a risk of easy exposure in the chaos of the school lunchroom. What follows is a list of good, widely available alternatives in almost all these categories. Even some people without allergies prefer these options for reasons of either taste or diet.

The best way for kids with allergies to stay safe is for them to learn to advocate for themselves. The good news is that even when certain foods are prohibited, there are plenty of alternatives and one way to empower kids is to focus on what they can have, not on what they can’t. Once when I was out of town and my husband was responsible for packing Kenya’s lunch, Kenya stopped his dad from putting walnuts into a snack bag of trail mix. “Julian can’t have nuts, Daddy. You can put seeds in instead.” My surprised husband was moved as he realized that until then he had kind of viewed food allergies as a burden on the parents and kids unaffected by them, while our son and his peers felt a great sense of responsibility, pride, and camaraderie about protecting their friends. What a great lesson in how educating and involving kids in food choices can empower them.

Some Common Allergenic Foods and Substitutions

Cow’s milk: rice milk, almond milk, soy milk, goat milk, hemp milk, oat milk, coconut milk

Nuts and nut butters: sunflower seed butter, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds

Eggs: flax “egg” (1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water, allow to sit for 5 minutes); 1 mashed banana works in many baked goods; Vegenaise instead of mayonnaise

Gluten: Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or tamari instead of soy sauce, King Arthur Flour gluten-free flour, Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats, gluten-free pastas (rice pasta, cellophane noodles, soba noodles)

If you suspect you or your child have a food allergy, consult your physician or an allergist who has medical expertise.

resources

School Lunch Initiative: www.schoollunchinitiative.org/downloads/sli_eval_exec_summary_2010.pdf

Fruit and Vegetable Sources: cuesa.org/seasons/autumn

Sugars: www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/carbs/simple-vs-complex-carbohydrates.xhtml#b

Lentil Chili Recipe:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentil (lentil protein fact)

Avocado Quesadilla: www.naturalnews.com/034370_avocado_nutrition_facts_health.xhtml

Pediatric food allergies: Stat that one in thirteen kids in the United States has a food allergy, via Robyn O’Brien, New York Times: www.nytimes.com/2012/09/08/business/mylan-invests-in-epipen-as-child-allergies-increase.xhtml?pagewanted=all&_r=0

pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/06/16/peds.2011-0204.abstract

PB&J Yogurt Swirls: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2011/09/30/greek-yogurt-vs-regular-yogurt-which-is-more-healthful

Weelicious Lunches Allergy Guide

Salads
Beet Carrot Salad	X	X	X	X
Caprese Salad	X	X	X
Apple Cinnamon Charoset	X		X	X
Vibrant Chopped Veggie Salad	X		X	X
Cheesy Pasta Salad		X	X
Shredded Chinese Chicken Salad	X			X
Greek-Israeli Couscous Salad		X	X
Couscous-Carrot-Raisin Salad		X	X	X
Tangy Seasame-Cucumber Salad	X	X	X	X
Mexican Corn Salad	X	X	X	X
Three-Bean Salad	X	X	X	X
Tuna Pasta Salad		X		X
Crunchy Tomato Bread Salad		X	X	X
Winter Fruit Salad	X	X	X	X
Fruity Cottage Cheese Salad	X	X	X
Red, White, and Blue Salad	X	X	X	X
Summer Melon Salad	X	X	X	X

Soups
Chicken Soup with Rice	X	X	X	X
Minestrone Pasta Soup		X	X	X
Zippy Lentil Chili	X	X	X	X
Silky Tomato Soup	X	X	X	X
with Grilled Cheese Crouton Bites		X	X
Mom’s White Chicken Chili	X	X	X	X

Sandwiches
Apple, Honey, and Cheese Quesadilla		X	X
Turkey, Bacon, Cheddar, and Tomato Melt		X	X
Banana Dog Bites			X	X
Bananamana-Cream Cheese Sammie		X	X
Banana Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread Lavash Wheels			X	X
Cheesy Waffles		X
Chicken Pesto Panini			X
Chicken Salad Roll-Ups		X		X
Cinnamon Roll “Sushi”		X	X
Egg Pesto Melt
Easy Croque Monsieur		X
Matzo Sammies		X	X	X
Eggplant Burger		X
Grilled Cheese and Pickle Panini		X	X
Ooey-Gooey Mozzarella Pesto Melt			X
Egg Pickle Salad Sandwich		X		X
Pimiento Cheese Sandwich		X
Mediterranean Pita Sammie		X	X
Prosciutto and Butter Sandwich		X	X
Pumpernickel Tuna Melt		X
I ♥ Grilled Cheese		X	X
Strawberry-Cream Cheese “Sushi Rolls”		X	X
Swiss Avocado Turkey Quesadilla		X	X
Tapenade-Cream Cheese Pinwheel		X	X
Turkey BETA Wraps		X		X
Turkey-Cheddar Panini		X	X
Turkey-Cheese Rolls		X	X
Turkey Cranber-wee Bagel Sandwich		X		X
Veggie Burgers		X	X
Veggie Tortilla Roll Ups		X	X	X
Whole-Wheat Pancake Mix		X
Raspberry-Mascarpone Heart Sandwich		X	X
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Bites		X	X
Amazing Veggie-Packed Sandwich			X
Sandwich on a Stick		X	X

Pizza
White Wheat Pizza Dough		X	X	X
Veggie-Heavy Pizza Sauce	X	X	X	X
Homemade Pizza Your Way		X	X
Pizza Bagel Bites		X	X
Pizza Balls		X	X
Pizza Muffins		X	X
Pizza Panini		X	X
Two-Cheese Pesto Pizza			X
Pizza Quesadillas		X	X
Stuffed Pizza Rolls		X	X

PB&J
Apple Ring PB&J	X		X	X
Chocolate PB&J Cups	X		X
Peanut Butter Pancake Sandwiches
PB&AB Pancake Sammie
PB&J Cupcakes
PB&J Pinwheels			X
PB&J Yogurt Swirl	X		X
PB&J “Pop Tarts”			X
PB&J Croutons			X	X
The World’s Greatest PB&J			X	X

Mains
Mexican Mixture	X	X	X
Asian Fusion Mixture	X	X	X	X
Greek Mixture		X	X
Italian Mixture		X	X
Beany Cheesy Burritos		X	X
Healthy Refried Beans	X	X	X	X
Mexican Muffins		X
Easy Chicken Nuggets		X	X
Chicken Satay Bites			X	X
Chicken Teriyaki on a Stick	X	X	X	X
Crispy Chicken Bites	X	X	X
Falafel Bean Patties		X	X	X
Tex Mex Rice Cakes		X
Veggie Meatballs		X
Pressure Cooker Black Beans	X	X	X	X
Mexican Spiced Rice Balls	X	X	X

Veggies
Corn Wheels	X	X	X
Jicama Sticks	X	X	X	X
Radish Salad	X	X	X	X
Kale Chips	X	X	X	X
Crunchy Potato Chips	X	X	X	X
Roasted Carrot Coins	X	X	X	X
Roasted Vegetables	X	X	X	X

Dips and Spreads
Avocado Honey Dip	X	X	X
Avocado Hummus	X	X	X	X
Super Easy Hummus	X	X	X	X
Everyday Basil Pesto	X		X
Black Bean Hummus	X	X	X	X
Caramelized Onion Dip	X	X	X
Roasted Carrot Hummus	X		X	X
Carrot Ginger Miso Dip	X	X	X	X
Cucumber Yogurt Dip	X	X	X
Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread	X		X	X
Cheesy Olive Tapenade	X	X	X
Zippy Yogurt Tahini Sauce	X	X	X
Veg Wee Dip	X	X	X
Veggie Cream Cheese Spread	X	X	X
Kale Pesto	X		X
Pure Strawberry Preserves	X	X	X	X

Snacks
Animal Crackers		X
Chocolate Chip Granola Bars		X	X	X
Banana Upside Down Mini Muffins		X
Cinnamon Pita Chips		X	X	X
Cranberry Cheese Balls	X	X	X
Hubby’s Better Than Ice Cream	X		X
Fruit and Seed Bars	X	X	X	X
Mini Bagel Chips		X		X
Savory Chex Mix			X
Roasted Honey Cinnamon Chickpeas	X	X	X	X
Kenya’s Favorite Pickles	X	X	X	X
Whole Grain Fruit-Filled Bars		X	X
Peach Fruit Leather	X	X	X	X
Pineapple Fruit Leather	X	X	X	X
Chai Spiced Almonds	X		X	X
Polenta Berry Muffins		X
Soft Pretzel Bites		X	X	X
Ham and Cheese Muffins		X
Spinach Cake Muffins		X		X
The Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg	X	X		X
Toasted Pepitas and Sunflower Seeds	X	X	X	X
Baked Whole-Wheat Raspberry Doughnut		X
Whole-Wheat Cheddar Crackers		X	X
Sunflower Butter Bran Muffins		X

Desserts
Apple Cinnamon Muffins		X
Blueberry Oat Muffins		X
Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies		X
Chocolate Graham Crackers		X	X
Chocolaty Vanilla Wafers		X
Cocodate Cookies	X	X	X	X
Fruity Delight	X	X	X
Creamy Chocolate Pudding	X	X	X
Birthday Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Frosting		X
My Kind of Candy	X		X	X
Nature Cookies
Mini Doughnut Muffins		X
Oaty Muffins		X
Pumpkin Muffins		X
with Cream Cheese Icing	X	X	X
Pumpkin Pie “Pop-Tarts”		X	X
Rice Crispy Treat Balls	X		X	X
Double Chocolate Whole-Wheat Brownies		X
Whole-Wheat Lemon Blueberry Muffins		X	X
Whole-Wheat Crepes		X