Hello to all. I am new to this so give me a chance. My child goes to a public school that has requesed students not to bring any peanut products to school this year. I understand that there is a child that started kindergarden this year with a sever peanut allergy. My child is very finicky and peanut butter is one food I know he will eat at lunch. Besides that peanut butter is very afordable for me. We as parents where not givin any alternitive suggestions to replace peanut products. I did send my child to school with a peanut butter sandwich and it was taken away from him. I was not happy that my son didnt have lunch that day and that I was not notified by the school. I am not happy with the policy and I don't agree with it. I am willing to try to work with it. I understand the severity of the allergy. I have made appiontments with the principle and district office to discuss the matter and I would love some low cost suggestions from you so I may help other parents is my situation. Please dont tell me tuna, eggsalad, turkey sandwiches, my child just wont eat that. Thank you for your time. God bless you indeed! P.S. There are many low income students at this school.
Peanut producs banned at school
Posted on: Thu, 01/15/2004 - 3:58am
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I'm not sure if you live near a Trader Joes, but they sell a peanut free soy nut butter that is comparable price wise to most of the name brand peanut butters. I'm told that it tastes pretty close to peanut butter. If the ban doesn't extend to tree nuts, you could probably also use almond butter. I honestly don't understand why people think peanut butter is cheap... it really isn't unless you're getting it for free or buying it a gallon at a time. If you decide to use soy butter, definitely tell the teacher or lunch room attendant though, so they don't take the sandwich away.
Have you tried cream cheese and jelly sandwiches? How about cheese sandwiches?
You may not find a lot of sympathy here if you're trying to overturn a peanut ban, but I do understand your dilemma. My oldest child is peanut allergic (and tree nuts and soy), but his younger brother loves peanut butter sandwiches. I've found that using sunflower seed butter is a good alternative, although it's a little expensive.
If you're willing to go beyond sandwiches, my older son really likes it when I pack chicken drumsticks or leftover pizza in his lunch. Homemade pizza is pretty cheap, and it freezes well.
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Cheryl, mom to Jason (6 PA/TnA/other FAs and EAs),Joey (4 NKA) and Allison (1 suspected milk allergy)
Thank you for your responce. I'm not trying to overturn the policy. I understand the childs problem and it severity. I'm just not happy that the school offered no other alternitives. Which means 720 students have to acomidate for 1. Unfortunately we dont have a heath food store of any kind out here. Trust me I'm praying for one! Again thank you.
What about bagels or soup? Chicken tenders?
It is very frustrating that your school didn't give you the help you asked for. Many schools and districts have webpages devoted to this issue. Here are a few I've collected.
[url="http://www.lambtonhealth.on.ca/nutrition/Allergy/LUNCHES.asp"]http://www.lambtonhealth.on.ca/nutrition/Allergy/LUNCHES.asp[/url]
[url="http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/health/pdf/nm_peanutinsert.pdf"]http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/health/pdf/nm_peanutinsert.pdf[/url]
[url="http://www.tbdhu.com/factsheets/PeanutFreeLunches&Snacks.pdf"]http://www.tbdhu.com/factsheets/PeanutFreeLunches&Snacks.pdf[/url]
[url="http://www.mochasofa.ca/food/program/expert/01august20a.asp"]http://www.mochasofa.ca/food/program/expert/01august20a.asp[/url]
[url="http://www.hpechu.on.ca/System/AdobeFiles/PeanutAllergies/PeanutFreeLunches.pdf"]http://www.hpechu.on.ca/System/AdobeFiles/PeanutAllergies/PeanutFreeLunches.pdf[/url]
[url="http://www.region.halton.on.ca/health/programs/hearthealth/hearthealth_PDFs/nutrition/Peanut_Butter-less_Lunches.pdf"]http://www.region.halton.on.ca/health/pr...ess_Lunches.pdf[/url]
[url="http://pcchu.peterborough.on.ca/nutrnews_peanutfreelunches.htm"]http://pcchu.peterborough.on.ca/nutrnews_peanutfreelunches.htm[/url]
[url="http://home.cogeco.ca/~cmr/hapg/peanutbutterless_lunches.html"]http://home.cogeco.ca/~cmr/hapg/peanutbutterless_lunches.html[/url]
You sound like a very caring mom, I'm certain you are raising your child to be that way, too - involve your child in his meal plan as much as possible - it's been our experience that the young children really want to do what they can to keep their classmates safe (they feel terrible if something they did endangered another child) so a team effort for everybody's health and well-being works best.
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Jana
[url="http://www.seattlefoodallergy.org"]www.seattlefoodallergy.org[/url]
Thank you so much for the sites. I've been online all morning. My child also has allergies (Casews, peacons, watermellon, cantalope) so I do understand. Thank you again.
Jana,
Great post and your list of links is so wonderful. What a perfect, helpful way to respond. I'm really wondering if it should be posted permanently as a FAQ on the Home Page or at the top of the Discussion Board or something, because we get these kind of inquiries fairly regularly, and they sometimes degenerate into shouting matches.
April1649, welcome! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] I appreciate you coming to this board to get information. I do, however, disagree with your point that low income = pb. In fact, peanut butter that I have priced through the years, is actually not that cheap.
What about low cost meats like bologna? I know that this week my children chose bologna (not a meat I would choose for myself) as the meat they wanted for their lunches this week. I got a very large packet of it for under $2.00.
If you go to the Snacks and Schools section, there is also a Safe Snack and Lunch list that I posted. You do have to check it, to make sure that it is "safe" for where you live because it is Canadian specific.
I honestly feel if you're going to be asked not to bring pb and peanut products into the classroom or school you *should* be provided with some alternatives. This list (I'll re-raise it) also shows what other foods have the same amount of protein in them as pb would.
I have been dealing with PA long before my son entered school and on a very tight budget and it can be done. Honestly. I know that it's difficult and perhaps sometimes not as easy as spreading something on a sandwich, but it really sounds as though you're open to ideas, you just weren't presented with any.
I'll re-raise the Safe Snack and Lunch list, with the caution that if you're American, please check it.
Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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April,
First I'd like to say that I'm incredibly happy that you are taking the time to ask us for some help. I'm very sorry that the school is not helping out with suggestions.
Jana's links are wonderful. I hope that they will help out quite a bit.
On another note, though, if your child is allergic to cashews and pecans, were you advised by an allergist to keep away from all other nuts (including peanuts) as well due to a high level of cross contamination?
I do hope that you find good replacements for your child's lunch as I believe that there are many and perhaps you could give the school these same suggestions in hopes that they will send out a letter to all the others parents. I'd be willing to bet that if one parent is wondering what kind of substitute to use there are many others as well.
And thank you for helping out this other child who has a peanut allergy. To me, it shows that you come from a caring and supportive community. Thank you.
April, if you look under the Schools section, I re-raised two threads, the Safe Snack and Lunch list and also Excellent Package of Information thread which is put out by public health departments across Ontario and also has food alternatives to pb and peanut products.
I hope this helps, and again, really feel that you should have been given a list of alternatives.
Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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Thank you for your concern. I was not told to stay away from other nuts but as an allergy sufferer myself I know to. It seems that with all the products my child has consumed peanuts as long as it is not mixed with the other nut are fine.
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