Avoiding allergens can be a particularly choppy part of parenting, whether your child has them or not.
An increasing number of campuses—from pre-K to postgrad—have gone nut-free or allergy-free in recent years, due to increased awareness of food allergies and how dangerous they can be.
Statistics shared by Food Allergy Research and Education state that 1 in 10 people in the US has a food allergy, with 1 in 13 children having life-threatening allergies.
The FDA has named nine major allergens that must be noted on food labels if present: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
It can be difficult to find suitable snacks for food-sensitive kids. Even if your child doesn’t have allergies, their school may require that you avoid certain ingredients, especially if someone in their school has a life-threatening allergy.
To help, I’ve identified five snacks available on Amazon that are free of the nine major allergens.
Not only are these treats free of the big nine allergens, they’re low in sugar too, with 4g per serving. They come in vanilla and birthday cake flavors to keep things interesting.
No need to worry about your kid sharing their snacks. These are free of the big nine allergens and vegan.
If your kid has a sweet tooth, YumEarth has a range of allergy-friendly treats that rival candy store classics, with suckers, jellies, licorice, sour sweets and chewy options.
If your family isn’t vegetarian or vegan, you can’t go far wrong with a protein-rich snack at recess is a great choice. Each stick contains 8g of protein and they come in chicken and jalapeno varieties, as well as classic beef jerky.
My family is all potato chip fiends, so I was pleased to find an allergy-friendly brand with such a wide range on offer. However, please note that some flavors of crinkle cut and canister chips contain dairy, as do the cheese balls. Check the company’s FAQs for details.
