There was a time at my kid’s schools that I had to adapt to peanut free lunches. It was a rude awakening considering they liked to eat peanut butter with apples, peanut butter on celery, peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and honey on tortillas. Seriously, none of them ate deli meat or any of those expensive peanut butter alternatives. I was stuck.
Then one day it occurred to me that if I offered hot foods then it would open up so many more options. I realize that the food isn’t going to be super hot when they eat it, but they don’t care at all! In fact they prefer it.
So I ordered a couple of thermoses on Amazon and I often just heat up left overs to piping hot and put them in aluminum foil in the thermos inside of an insulated lunch box. Some options include Mac and Cheese, Pizza, Chicken Nuggets, anything they eat at home!
Once you think beyond the confines of cold lunches it isn’t too hard to come up with peanut free lunches for even the pickiest of eaters. I have to admit I haven’t done any hot lunches in a while because my daughter has been on a kick where she really loves having bacon and cheese inside a tortilla. I know that’s weird, but most days her go to is water, grapes (or other fruit), and a tortilla with a slice bacon and two slices of colby jack cheese topped with another tortilla.
So, for all of the desperate parents on Facebook asking about peanut free lunches, I hear ya. But I would encourage you to experiment with different things. Don’t worry about if it looks like a typical lunch. Your child may eat a yogurt, carrots, strawberry’s and edamame for lunch. Or maybe you have left over meatballs with a side of oranges and strawberries. If your kid likes it then who cares! Sometimes you’ve got to think outside of the “lunch box”.
I hope these tips were helpful. For more kitchen related advice check out the whole 31 day series. Captain of the Kitchen at MessyMom.com.
Natalie, these are great suggestions. I get stuck sometimes because my child is rather picky, but I need to try again.
Such great tips! My daughter was in a peanut-free classroom last year, thank you for sharing this!
Such creative ideas!
You clever girl. Thinking outside the (lunch) box!
Luke is allergic to peanuts. We buy almond butter, but he prefer jelly only sandwiches. Silly boy!
Oh my goodness, I didn’t know that he had a peanut allergy. My kids don’t like almond butter either, but a lot of kids do. All you can do is experiment until you find something that clicks.