The start of the school year can bring with it many ups and downs. There are many things to look forward to such as a regular schedule (I’m definitely excited about that one), new friends, old friends, fun after school activities, and more.
There are also unexpected things like receiving a letter from your daughter’s school on the first day saying that all nuts, nut butters, sesame, soy in any form, as well as strawberries are forbidden. Not only is that kind of notice a huge bummer for any mom trying to offer variety everyday in her kids’ lunch, but it’s left many parents at our school in a tizzy. And it’s especially challenging for kids who prefer a vegetarian or vegan diet. One mother told me that she’s at a total loss since her daughter basically lives on peanut butter and hummus (both on the no-no list) and she dislikes cheese and any kind of meat.
However there’s still hope. I’m determined to turn this negative into a positive and this month I’ve devoted myself to working on recipes for families whose children fall into any of the aforementioned allergy categories. I’m hoping these new recipes have the added benefit of opening kids’ and parents’ eyes alike (my own included) to a whole host of new food ideas they may have never thought of before.
Take for instance these Vegan Veggie Buns. It may not be high in protein, but it’s a filling sandwich and Chloe loves it because it features some of her favorite foods. It’s a lunchtime entree with tons of eye appeal and a supremely satisfying taste. Plus it passes a lot of allergy tests!
Vegan Veggie Buns
Ingredients
- 1 persian cucumber, seeds removed
- 1 avocado
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- kosher salt
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 whole wheat hot dog buns
Instructions
- Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater, and squeeze out the water.
- Place the avocado, lime juice, and salt in a bowl and mash with a fork until chunky. Gently fold in the tomatoes.
- Spread the avocado mixture inside the hot dog buns and top with the grated cucumber.
This sounds great! I am sharing this on Pinterest!
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Hi
I know this post is a little old but for those looking for vegan / vegetarian options I thought I would mention I make “hummus” without the tahini. My Husband doesn’t like the flavor of tahini but I like my hummus… So I add either an extra garlic, a little more sun-dried tomatoes or green chilies(flavor how ever you want)instead of tahini and we love it. You can also make black bean “hummus” add a bit of chili powder. It is not a true hummus but gives you the protein you need with out the sesame. Children who choose to eat vegan might like this as an alternative. Just a thought. Best wishes
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In case you hadn’t noticed, the box contains strawberries which . . .
Cannot wait to make this…looks great!
Why is there such a feud between parents regarding the food allergy issue? I have friends with kids with food allergies, and definitely understand the seriousness. But I agree with Catherine, if our school were to go nut free, I would be at a loss!!! Does it make me a horrible, insensitive person that I would be frustrated and clueless? No, and stop acting like it does. I would have no problem complying, but it would be a difficult transition for my kid who loves her PB. I would be more than willing to adapt to keep other children safe, but let’s honest, for us non-allergy parents, it would definitely take some creativity (and awesome recipes from Weelicious). It does NOT mean I don’t understand food allergies, or that I don’t want to do what I can to keep you child safe.
We need to stop being so judgemental of each other, and let’s come together to educate parents and keep kids safe.
So happy to run into this post. My usually-great-eater is in a lull right now with veggies and has pretty much been subsisting on fruit and cheese. I’m going to give these a try for dinner tomorrow night -they seem like they’ll be a hit!
adding garbanzo beans to that will help boost up the protein and keep them full longer. all those ingredients tastes great as a salad too. thanks for the idea
Love this idea! And this recipe looks scrumpsh! We’re also in a no nut school and my son isn’t liking the taste of meat or cheese in a lunchbox (don’t ask). I’m looking forward to seeing more of your creative recipes and will definitely try this one. Thanks again – your recipes are the best!!
Absolutely! That is why I am working with all the moms at our school to come up with lots of healthy options for lunch and snacks! It can be difficult for non-allergic parents when they are faced with changing their child’s diet for the first time! Same goes for families who find out their children have a severe allergy.
Allergies are a life or death issue for some children, and it’s parents who don’t have to constantly be concerned about the well-being of their children who can’t seem to understand this. Dealing with food allergies as a school community is an excellent opportunity for parents to model compassion and tolerance instead of complaining about the inconvenience another family’s child’s life or death issue is causing the rest of the families. It’s a privilege to be trusted, as a school community, with the well being of a child who has severe allergies and a wonderful opportunity for others to expand their knowledge of food issues and alternate food preparation.
Hi mamas,
My son is allergic to nuts, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Unfortunately – in my eyes- our new school is not nut free. I know it is an inconvenience to people without allergic children – but us mamas live and breathe reading labels and protecting our kids. I wish our new school was nut free like our last one. So on behalf of the allergy families at your schools – I thank you. I don’t think anyone can relate to this unless you carry an epipen and benedryl everywhere you go. Thanks for making the sacrafice to keep our little ones safe. And thanks to Catherine for alternative recipes. Love and light to all! Marissa
Just investigated this on my own (as I like them too and have noticed them in a bunch of her photos!). It’s Black + Blum bento boxes sold on Amazon.
Who makes this container? Looks like a great size.
You can make your own hummus.
My recipe leaves out the Tahini(sesame paste) and tastes way better than any store bought. My recipe would pass these allergy restrictions.
Yum on this recipe, by the way! Thank you!
One of my favorite things is seeing how my son and his friends band together to protect their peanut-allergic friend! You’re right, it is a great lesson in compassion and working together.
Just an FYI that you can also make hummus with sunflower butter if that is a safe option. As a Mom to a child with a severe peanut allergy, thank you to help keeping food allergy children safe. I know it may seem like a “pain” to figure out different lunch options, but I think it helps kids branch out eating wise and teaches them compassion! I find that is sometimes more the parents that have a hard adjusting to the “food rules” and the kids are willing to do anything to keep their friends safe.
Please be conscious of the message you are sending, too. Just because we adults understand and support changes that keep kids in schools healthy, doen’t mean we have to like it. I don’t think it’s fair to expect anyone to pretend that this scenario is not a challenge for people that can eat what they choose. While I completely understand that these policies are sometimes necessary for the safety of some of the kids, I would call that more than a bummer, myself, especially being sudden.
I love this idea! I can’t wait to try it out for my kids’. Thanks!
It isn’t easy to have to suddenly change your child’s diet. Especially when that means eliminating favorite foods. So yes, it can be a bummer because it is a new thing that needs to be dealt with. This is why I am working with our school and all the moms in it to come up with lots of healthy lunch recipes that will be safe for ALL the kids in the school!
I agree – to be honest -it stings.
Please be conscious of the message you are sending to food allergic kids and their parents by describing an allergy notice like the one you receive “a bummer”.
Thanks so much for the tip! Sunbutter is an option for many allergic families!
As a parent of a child with multiple severe allergies I’m pretty used to figuring out how to make things work for her. While I certainly dont want to open that debate I just wanted to offer up that Trader Joe’s offers up hummus without tahini so I’d venture to say it might not be that hard to make. And then I’d wonder since sunflower is a seed if sunbutter is also an option. Good luck to all with the wonderful challenge of instilling healthy eating habits.
I know that Ghiradelli and Dagoba list only cocoa on the ingredients list! Those should work.
This is very timely as my sons preschool class is dairy, nut and peanut free. We have to bring snack for the whole class. Thankfully they provided a list of safe prepakaged snacks, but that is something we stay away from. Do you know of any cacoa powder that would be safe?
Wow! That’s a long list of no-no’s! My daughter is at a nut-free school and it’s been actually a good thing getting her to branch out beyond her beloved peanut butter. 🙂 I think with this one she’d eat the veggies and then eat the bun, but not together. Silly girl!