As a parent, back-to-school means the daily tasks of folder checking, homework monitoring, and the dreaded lunchbox packing also resume. Packing lunch is tough enough as a parent — Are you sending in enough lunch? A healthy lunch? A sandwich in the shape of a princess with a sparkly cheese crown? Throw in a food allergy or two and that task can sometimes seem overwhelming. Whether its your own child you have a concern for, or a classmate, packing an allergy-free lunch to keep everyone safe, happy, and fed during the school day is always on your mind. From gluten-free to completely allergy-free, we have found some simple and yummy ways to pack that lunch box.
What’s on the allergy-free menu
Long gone are the days of scouring each and every label in the grocery store to find even just a few items that might be free of gluten, dairy, peanuts, or any of the other common food allergies. Now, entire aisles are dedicated to allergy-free foods, and several allergy conscience brands have emerged to help make the task of packing allergy free lunch boxes much less daunting. We’ve found that brands such as Enjoy Life, Go Organically, and Go Raw (just to name a few) are kid-tested, kid-approved when it comes to even the pickiest of eaters, and that, my mommy friends, is lunch box gold.
In addition to creating yummy grab-and-go allergy-free foods, we love that certain allergy conscience brands, like Crispy Green, are creating community awareness with amazing back to school programs. Crispy Green has the Produce for Kids, Power Your Lunchbox campaign. This program is in its second year and helps promotes proactive eating habits while donating $1 to Feeding America for every parent that takes the Power Your Lunchbox pledge. Knowing that you are able to help others while helping your own children enjoy allergy-free foods simply makes lunchtime that much sweeter.
Here are just a few of our favorite easy allergy free lunch box ideas.
Lunch Idea #1:
– Non-peanut butter roll ups (made with Sunbutter & Udi’s Fajitas)
– Go Raw Sprouted Flax Snack in Zesty Pizza
– Go Organically Fruit Medley fruit snacks
– Blueberries
– Enjoy Life Crunchy Minis in Chocolate Chip
Allergy free: gluten, dairy, tree nuts, soy, & wheat
Lunch Idea #2:
– Turkey meatballs
– Ginger’s Healthy Habits Veggie Trail Mix in Pepperoni Pizza*
– Enjoy Life Caramel Apple granola bar
– Strawberry and blueberry fruit mix
– So Delicious Yogurt Alternative
Allergy free: gluten, dairy, peanuts, soy, wheat, & egg
*contains almonds and cashews
Lunch Idea #3:
– Turkey and ham roll-ups
– Raw baby carrots and hummus*
– Red grapes
– Go Raw Apricot Chewy Bars
Allergy free: gluten, dairy, tree nuts, wheat, soy, & egg
*look for hummus without the ingredient tahini
Lunch Idea #4:
– Turkey roll-ups
– 1 serving of strawberries
– Enjoy Life Plentils in Garlic Parmesan
– Go Organically Tropical Fruit Snacks
– Go Raw Lemon Sprouted Cookies
Allergy free: gluten, dairy, wheat, soy, tree nuts & egg
Lunch Idea #5:
– Faux peanut butter and jelly sandwich (made with Sunbutter and All But Gluten Bread)
– Crispy Greens Fruit (We mixed the apple and bananas, but there are SO many good flavors available!)
– Watermelon
– Enjoy Life Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies
– Enjoy Life Fruit and Seed Mix
Allergy free: gluten, dairy, wheat, & tree nuts
In addition to our lunch box ideas, check out our allergy free lunch inspiration board on Pinterest.
