The Best Allergen-Free Snacks to Pack In Your Kid's Lunches
They'll never miss out on a fun and delicous snack again!
It’s time to head back to school! With food allergies on the rise, especially in kids, more and more schools are mandating a nut-free environment, and other schools are looking to be free of the eight major allergens: soy, wheat, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish and sesame.
Whether your kid has a food allergy or just needs an allergen-free lunchbox, there are so many great snacks out there. In fact, some of these are so delicious you won’t even realize what they’re missing.
What kid doesn’t love popcorn, especially when it’s drizzled with chocolate, frosting and sprinkles? The Safe + Fair company makes all of their products clean and free of the nine major allergens. They even donate back 3% of their proceeds to the Allergy and Asthma research center at Stanford University, so you can feel good about indulging and giving back.
These granola balls are the perfect pop-in-your-mouth size and are a great choice for school lunches or snacks. Not only are these snacks allergen-free and yummy, they are also packed with a full serving of vegetables that your kids won’t even be able to taste.
Crispy rice treats are always a fan favorite amongst kids, and these from Blake’s Seed Based make it easy to have all of the deliciousness without the worry about allergens. The birthday cake flavor makes the perfect in school birthday celebration treat — who can resist colorful sprinkles? The individual wrapped packages make it easy to throw in a lunchbox, too.
As a kid, do you remember how exciting it was to have candy packed in your lunch? Even kids with food allergies can have candy from Yum Earth, as they make allergen-free versions of favorite candies including lollipops and licorice. These individual packages of gummy bears are the perfect treat with none of the major allergens, high fructose corn syrup or artificial dyes.
The secret to these allergen-free brownies is chickpeas. Before you say gross, you’ll never be able to taste the protein and fiber packed bean, just a rich, chocolatey brownie. These make the perfect lunchbox dessert.
Jerky makes a great snack but often times it’s loaded with lots of yucky stuff, including nitrates, artificial flavors and tons of sodium. This version, which was designed by a mom who has her own food allergies (and so do her kids), has lots of flavor without allergens and with lower sodium than your average jerky. The grass-fed beef jerky packs 12 grams of protein per pack, so it’s a great snack before after school sports, too.
This allergen-friendly brand has a cookie for everyone with crunchy or soft varieties and a whole slew of flavors. Choose classic chocolate chip or even carrot cake. These cookies are free of all major allergens and are the perfect lunchbox or after-school snack.
Everyone loves a good cheese cracker, and the brand Everybody Eat makes it possible to enjoy that salty cheesy cracker without the dairy. These allergen-free, crunchy, cheese-less thins are the perfect side to any lunchbox main. We just dare you to not want to eat the whole bag.
The perfect topping to dairy-free yogurt or just to eat on its own, these buckwheat Clusterbucks have no wheat at all. In fact, buckwheat is more closely related to fruit seeds such as rhubarb. Either way, your kids will love the chocolatey crunch that’s packed with good-for-them ingredients.
Trail mix is typically off limits for kids with food allergies because it often contains a variety of nuts. Enjoy Life’s version contains only fruit and seeds and is free of 14 allergens, so you can rest assured that it’s safe. It’s the perfect lunchbox or morning snack.
A granola bar is a lunchbox staple but often contains or is exposed to stuff that isn’t allergen friendly. This variety pack from 88 Acres changes that. They keep their bars free from allergens, but they don’t comprise offering interesting varieties like triple berry and dark chocolate sea salt. Gluten free oats plus organic sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds make up the base of these bars.
Fruit leathers, rolls and snacks are always a popular lunch choice. You can rest assured that with Zego, all that you're getting is fruit and no other additives or allergens. Pear, cherry raspberry, strawberry and more — there is a flavor for every kid.
Let’s be honest — you can never have too many cookies. These might be free from a lot of things, but taste isn’t one of those things. With brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins, you won’t even notice what’s not in there.
This puppy-chow-style snack (without the dairy and peanut butter) is made with semisweet chocolate and is the perfect after-lunch treat your kids will want to have in their lunchbox so they don’t feel like they are missing out. This snack is free of 11 allergies, so you can rest assured that it’s safe to eat.
Having food allergies can be hard when they make you miss out on iconic foods. Luckily, these cupcakes look like one of those treats but without any of the allergens. In fact, these are made with chocolate ganache and real vanilla cream — perfect for classroom parties or just a fun lunchbox surprise.
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