If your child has food allergies, you know the challenges for him or her go beyond grocery shopping. There is the added cost of finding foods that are processed in peanut/tree nut-free facilities. There are things that are shared at parties or in class that he or she can’t eat. There is the ever-present anxiety that he or she will accidentally ingest an allergen out of simple, childhood carelessness.
One of the best strategies you can adapt in preparing your child for a world that is not tailor made for nut allergies, is to show them how wonderful foods can be that don’t use peanuts or tree nuts.
We’ve searched and found 11 recipes that are tasty, nutritious and most importantly, don’t contain either peanuts or tree nuts. Enjoy!
1. Adriana’s Favorite 10-Minute Pasta
We kicked off this list with a recipe that is great for toddlers all the way up to adulthood. With a prep and cook time at only 10 minutes, it’s a great choice for a last-minute meal.
This recipe contains hummus. If you’re buying prepackaged hummus, you should be careful, as some brands mix in peanut oil, or don’t separate their manufacturing process from peanut or tree nut products.
Instead, we recommend using some homemade hummus. How do I make my own hummus, you may ask?
2. Sesame-free Homemade Hummus
Hummus is just about the best versatile-food in the world. It is simultaneously a dip, a topping, an ingredient and can definitely be eaten by itself.
It’s incredibly healthy and full of good protein, iron and fiber.
This specific recipe avoids the usually inclusion of sesame tahini, which is a semi-popular food allergen, making it an extra great choice for birthday parties or entertainment opportunities.
3. Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup
Even the sweetest tooth will love the balance between sweet and savory flavors in this appealing in this healthy, filling soup.
Because this recipe calls for prepackaged ingredients, it’s a good idea to get in the habit of checking labels to make sure nothing includes nut products and is missing the disclaimer that the product was made in a facility that also processes peanut and nut products.
4. Asian Chicken Noodle Salad
As with the creamy pumpkin curry soup, Asian seasoning helps balance strong savory spices with sweet flavors. A salad may be a tough sell to your child, but once he or she takes a bite of this dish, they’ll be all in.
It’s delicious, full of vegetables and contains high levels of protein for growth.
5. Baked Mini Ham Cups
These treats are portable and tasty, making them ideal for a school lunch. Additionally, they are grain and nut free meaning every ounce is great nutrition for your child.
Oh, and they’re really easy and quick to make.
6. Sun-dried Tomato Pasta
This versatile pasta salad makes for not only great eating for you child, but he or she can help put it together also, which teaches that the food you make is the best food.
It’s full of delicious ingredients, flavors and sneaks in a lot of vegetables and protein.
7. Sneaky Veggies Meatloaf Swords
This recipe packs a ton of vegetables into a tasty meatloaf, and then allows you to serve them in a cold kabob form for your child’s lunch as leftovers. Fun, delicious and nut free!
8. Sunbutter and Jelly Sandwiches
Allergies aren’t only dangerous, they can be isolating too. While other kids are lunch are enjoying peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, your child may also want to have something similar.
Sun butter, made from sunflower seeds, can allow your child to feel like he or she is eating the kind of food his or her friends and classmates are.
9. Homemade Lunchables Pizza
Making your own lunchables is inexpensive and allows your child to put together his or her own food, adding a degree of interaction most lunches don’t have.
Plus, who doesn’t love pizza?
10. Fruit, Veggies and Sun Butter
Cut up crisp fruits like apples and veggies like carrots and celery and put a little bit of sun butter into a dish for your child to dip.
This snack combines sweet and savory flavors and lets your child decide how he or she wants to portion out the sun butter for each bite of vegetable or fruit.
11. Homemade Grape Fruit-Leather
What meal or lunch is complete without dessert? This recipe allows you to recreate Fruit by the Foot with nothing but green or red grapes. It’s simple, inexpensive and absolutely delicious.