10 Tips On Packing School-Safe Lunches

If you're anything like me (and I'm betting most of you are), lunch-packing is left to the last minute every single day. It's a morning frenzy around here as I rifle through my cupboards and wonder if uncooked oats would go over well with the kids. (The answer is always NO.) Between working around their preferences and food restrictions for their individual classrooms, sometimes it's enough to make me scream. Or cry. Or just ask someone else to pleasepleaseplease pack their lunches. Please? 

The average lunch for my kids consists of fresh fruits and veggies, some raisins with a few star sprinkles (added for fun), leftover homemade pizza, and some graham crackers. My kids prefer a mish-mash of items over a sandwich, so I'm always chopping up this and that, and balancing foods groups, to make it appealing. I consider it a win when the containers come home mostly empty.

When it comes to purchasing pre-packaged, allergen-free snacks, a lot of the options are full of ingredients I don't want my kids eating, but the options are limited. I'm always really happy to try out new products that are allergy-safe, so when Sunrise Soya asked if we'd like to try out their new allergen-friendly snack, Super Squeezies, I said, "Absolutely!" (You'll have to check to be sure these are safe for your school, but they are definitely safe for my kids' schools.

Super Squeezies are dairy-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, cholesterol-free, peanut-free, and are rich in DHA. They're a pudding snack in a tube, and I have to tell you, they're pretty delicious frozen. I put them in with the kids' lunches to keep neighbouring snacks cool, and by snack time, they're the "perfect cold", according to one picky junior kingergartener in our home.

The kids loved the flavours (we tried two: chocolate fudge, and strawberry-banana), and I love that they're made with non-GMO soybeans, they contain no added preservatives, and they're a safe snack to send to school with the kids. That's a major win for us! Super Squeezies are available at major grocery stores across Canada. Pretty great, if you ask me. These are definitely being added to our regular school treat rotation!

Many schools now limit homemade snacks because of hidden allergens. In my son's class, nuts, dairy, and eggs are banned, which makes finding snacks an adventure! In my daughter's class, we just need to avoid peanuts, and thankfully, that is becoming a lot easier to do.

Whether your child has allergies or not, here are some tips to help make your lunch-packing routine safer and easier.

Tips on Packing School-Safe Lunches

1. Take note of the allergies in your child’s classroom, and be aware of which foods they may be hidden in.
2. Ask questions! Sometimes a child may be allergic to dairy, but having yogurt in the class isn’t a problem. Clarify, and it’ll make everyone’s life much easier. And if it’s your child who has the allergy, be very clear about your expectations and requests.
3. When looking for pre-packaged snacks, choose brands that label their ingredients well, and even better, pick the ones with the handy no-peanut symbol. Bonus points if they also avoid other allergens.
4. Educate your allergic child and let them be their own advocate. Impress upon them the repercussions of eating an allergen, and make sure they know to only eat the food you send.
5. Choose whole foods: It’s far easier to avoid allergens when your ingredient list is one item long. There’s never a doubt about what goes into those freshly cut carrots.
6. Never assume a food is safe. Always, always, always read the ingredients.
7. Refer to resources such as SnackSafely if you’re wondering which snacks are safe. This is a U.S.-based resource so you’ll always have to double-check Canadian lists.
8. Offer to help advise other staff and community members about allergies. It’s amazing what a little face-to-face education does.
9. Encourage the classroom to not have shared snacks (like birthday cupcakes) that aren’t pre-packaged and clearly labeled. This helps keep everyone safe, and nobody is left out.
10. As the parent of an allergic kid, choose an attitude of gratitude. It doesn’t hurt to extend a heartfelt thanks to other parents who may find it inconvenient to have to adapt to our kids’ needs. A little thanks goes a long way to grow empathy!