OMG - Kindergarten "approved snack list" - nut allergy related

JenniC1135

Both my twins are in classrooms with children who have severe peanut allergies this year.  At the end of the day, during centers time, the teachers will be putting out a snack that children can help themselves to.  I'm glad about that, because they eat lunch at 11:20, so by 3 o'clock, they are very hungry.  The way it works is that an approved list is sent home, and parents voluntarily send items in, and then when the supply runs low, the teacher asks for more.  Sounds like a great plan, but this is the list I got sent home today of approved snacks:

Cheese nips
Cheez-its
Nilla wafers (nabisco brand)
Goldfish
Oreos both regular & double stuff
Chips ahoy regular (in the blue pkg)
Hostess ding dongs & ho ho's
Ritz and townhouse crackers
Wheat thins
Triscuits
Pretzels (any brand)
Graham crackers (any brand)
Scooby snacks
Fruit roll-ups
Cheetos
Pringles
Jett puff marshmallows  

Now some of those items aren't so bad, but really - ding dongs, cheetos, and fruit roll-ups?  That is such artificial crap!  The list from the other teacher was similar, with other ideas like Lucky Charms and Cap'n Crunch cereals.  I refuse to believe that allergy moms are really feeding their children things like that. If this was once a week, I wouldn't mind, but snack is going to be offered every day and I don't want my kids eating those sorts of things every day!

 Could  some of you please suggest some non-junk food snacks that are also peanut / tree nut safe foods that you give to your children?  I'm going to ask about sending in things like raisins, grapes, baby carrots, etc. as well, but I think they are looking for non-perishable type things mostly.  TIA! 

luvmagoldn

Hi Jenni - Nice to see you here!

As an allergy mom I wouldn't be comfortable with anything about this set up.  If you let children choose of course they are going to choose the junk!  And the pretzels - a lot of pretzels are manufactured on lines that also manufacture peanut products so that could be dicey.

Our preschool requires you to send in a snack to be consumed only by your child and sharing food is not allowed.  It is a peanut/tree nut free facility so all snacks have to be individually packaged with an ingredient list so the teacher's aid can check the list before snack time.

Because of the ingredient list requirement it does send us in the direction of processed foods.  In our case, you aren't allowed to bring in grapes or other items from home because of the risk of cross contamination.

I usually send my guys in with Teddy Grahams, the crackers with the cheese spread and the little stick (I forget the brand), Cheese Nips, the individual packages of carrots and dip or apples.  But again, in your case, even if you send those things in you don't know if anyone will eat them.  They may just go to waste.  =(

I have gotten ok with with it because it's only a couple of days a week but I agree with you, every day I would not be thrilled about.  I wish I had better suggestions for you!

JenniC1135

This list was apparently approved by the parents of the child in Avery's class.  Alex's list was a little more specific as far as brands. 

elliotandnicole

I'm guessing they want the kind of snacks they can keep in the room and not have to keep cold or anything, but yeah, I give my son goldfish and crackers... def not ho hos haha.  

Our snacks at home are usually grapes and cheese cubes, or sliced apples with yogurt, or cheerios with plain applesauce.  Hope that helps.   

Ali080605

Wow!  What a preservative and sugar filled snack list!  I can see why you are bothered by it.  (Not to mention the choking issue with the marshmallows).

As a parent of a child with nut allergies, I would not be comfortable with the snack list or the snack plan.  Unfortunately I also would not be ok with my DD eating fruit or veggies cut at someone else's house, b/c cross contamination can easily happen on a cutting board (& DD has had a reaction in the past due to this exact scenario.)

I personally would prefer to provide my child's own snack.

It can be really difficult to find healthy / organic snack options for children with allergies.  Big brands tend to be more conscientious, but often have more additives.  Here are some peanut and treenut free options (these brands) that have worked for us (although usually as treats, not daily snacks):

- Craisins

- Sunmaid Raisins (read label for packaging info b/c a few items are packaged in plants made with nuts, but most are not and their labeling is very good.)

- Clif Organic Fruit Twists

- Fig (or other) Newtons

- Funky Monkey Snacks (freeze dried fruit)

- Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks

- Veggie Straw (the make apple straws too)

-  Cheerios (plain)

- Kellog's Raisin Bran

- SunButter (sunflower seed butter - like peanut butter)

- Mott's Apple Sauce

-  Dole Fruit Cups

- Rold Gold Pretzels

 - Strech Island Fruit Leather

 

 

 

mr+ms

oh well glad they listed both regular AND double stuff oreos... in case there would be any confusion, right?

That list pretty much contains everything I would not want to feed a kid.

Do you have a trader joe's near you? There are a few semi-acceptable shelf stable snack foods they carry: roasted plantain chips, various dried fruits (incl. freeze dried which are crunchy), rice crackers, roasted seaweed. An easy to find snack would be popcorn (ideally without some weird powdery coating). Can they cut up apple slices, bananas?

There must be access to a fridge somewhere, no? Some items that would last at least a week in the fridge: cheese slices or sticks, various vegetables like carrot, celery, lightly steamed green beans. Grapes. Yogurt cups.

magdusia

way to go on teaching children healthy habits.  I'm surprised by this list, some aren't so bad, but some is just plain crap.

My first thought was raisins, but you have that already.

- There are no-nut granola bars
- Baked chips are so much better
- Dry fruit (other than raisins)

How about a loaf of whole wheat bread and sunbutter next to it?  Not sure if a jar of sunbutter needs to be refrigerated.

You should also suggest once a week one mom brings a small fruit basket (and put away the other snacks)

But apples, pears, oranges.. and some other fruit can stay in a basket for a few days.. so fruit should also be suggested. 

 

luvmagoldn

I went to orientation last night and they provided some examples of nut free snacks that are allowed at school.  Here it is.

 Welch's Fruit Snacks

Fruit Roll Ups

Pop Tart Mini Crisps

Rice Krispie Treats

Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars

Archer Farms Real Fruit Roll Ups

Revolution Food Mash Ups Squeezable Fruit

Oreos

Lays Potato Chips

Cheetos

Fritos

Doritos

Sabra To Go Hummus with Pita

Cal-Organic Carrots & Ranch, Celery Stick & Ranch, Snap Peas

Dole Smiles Orange Sections

Dole Pineapple Spears

Driscole Berries to Go

Chips Ahoy

Teddy Grahams

Cheez Its

Goldfish

Rold Gold Pretzels

Chex Mix

Pringles

Del Monte Fruit Snacks

Foodles (Available at Target) - cheese, pretzels, apples, grapes, deli slices

 

There are plenty of chips on this list but some of the other options I need to check out - some sound pretty good.  Hope this helps.

g_belle

There are a lot of good options above.  I also thought of:

- kix or chex cereal

-nutrigrain/cereal bars

-Annie's brand anything (chedder or grahm bunnies, fruit snacks etc.)

-apple chips

-Terra chips (I know TJ's sells them- made from sweet potatoes, radishes etc.)

aniceucchik

we do mini-oreos (which are surprisingly dairy free), multi-grain crackers; frosted cheerios; graham crackers; baked plain chips; pop-tarts (rarely since he isnt supposed to have food dyes due to his masto); veggie chips; berry-berry kix...thats all i can think of. Man i dread the day when I have to send him to school with regular kids yikes!

julandjo

As a Celiac, this list makes me want to scream!  People are so dependent on gluten, it's crazy.  And yeah, none of that is food I'd be okay with my kids eating as a snack every day.  There's a difference between a snack and a treat... shouldn't the school be helping to teach kids that basic concept?  

Cookie427

I follow a blog www.100daysofrealfood.com and the mother had the same reaction to her childs nut free snack list, so she convinced the principal to recreate one. Her children do not have allergies but she did a great job with the revision. Visit her site, she recently posted the nut free list! You'll love it!

Ali080605

Just a heads up - some of the freeze dried fruit at Trader Joe's is made in a facility that processes treenuts and is not safe for children with treenut allergies.  The mangos seem ok though.

MrsWiggles

Just a lurking teacher here but could you ask or suggest that they divide the list into everyday snacks and special treats for celebrations?

If the parents of the kids with allergies helped make the list, they may have just rattled off what their kids are allowed to have. They may have been thinking if someone sends in a birthday treat their kid can have DingDongs or Oreos but didn't really make that distinction to the teacher.

A KG teacher won't want a class full of kids hopped up on sugar every day so I'm sure they wouldn't mind limiting the daily stuff to pretzels, goldfish, etc. 

jghdgj

but I think they are looking for non-perishable type things mostly.