52 Nut-free Lunch and Snack Options for All Kids

When my daughter was 15-months old, I gave her a tiny piece of a Girl Scout cookie that contained peanut butter. Two hours later, we were in the emergency room as she was covered in hives, eyes swollen and feverish. Since that day, I've been a mom on high alert.

Now that my daughter is in kindergarten, I worry even more about her elevated, potential exposure to peanuts. For all the peanut allergic (PA) families and non-PA families, here is a list of 52 healthy (and some not-so-healthy), nut-free lunch and snack options.

Please ... help keep our little, allergic friends safe. Together, we can all ensure the health and well-being of our kids. 

NUT-FREE LUNCH & SNACK CHOICES*

1. Apple slices 
2. Seedless grapes
3. Tube yogurts (Go-gurts)
4. Cheez-Its 
5. Cubed cheeses
6. Most pretzels
7. Raisins
8. Apple sauce pouches (Go Squeeze)
9. Jelly & Sunbutter (made from sunflower seeds)
10. Cream cheese & jelly sandwiches
11. Ham & cheese roll ups
12. Cheese & cucumber sandwiches
13. Turkey & cheese hoagie
14. Baby carrots & ranch dip
15. Golden Grahams 
16. Cheerios (most varieties)
17. Dole fruit cups
18. Mandarin oranges
19. Motts applesauce
20. Pepperidge Farm Goldfish
21. Keebler Club Crackers & cheese slices
22. Berries
23. Bananas
24. Cucumber slices with ranch
25. Pirate's Booty popcorn 
26. Fruit snacks
27. Celery sticks with sunbutter & raisins
28. Soy crisps (most varieties)
29. Mini-rice cakes (most varieties)
30. Danimal drinkable yogurts
31. Polly-O string cheese sticks
32. Ritz crackers
33. Nutri-grain fruit and cereal bars
34. Graham crackers
35. Fruit Newtons
36. Ritz Crackerfuls (most varieties)
37. Leftover spaghetti
38. Macaroni and cheese 
39. Seapoint Farms shelled edamame with Dora on package

SWEETER & SALTIER NUT-FREE OPTIONS

1. Rice Krispy Treats
2. Oreos
3. Homemade brownies sans nuts
4. Fruit Roll-ups  
5. Herr's ripple chips
6. Cheetos
7. Special K pastry crips 
8. Teddy Grahams
9. Jello chocolate pudding cups
10. Chips Ahoy chocolate chips
11. Hershey chocolate kisses (non-holiday varieties)
12. Swedish fish
13. POP-tarts

Always read the labels for known allergens. 

Many companies will list allergens in bold. Also, try to avoid foods that are made in or on shared equipment with peanuts. My daughter once reacted to pretzels made in a nut-factory, whereas she is normally fine while eating pretzels.

Looking for more snack options? Check out this PDF from snacksafely.com.