This is the beginning of my series on Food Allergy and Asthma School Solutions. I’m so grateful for the options that now lay before us, 16 years ago, answers were painfully limited.
School Solutions. So simple, yet so perfect. Moons ago, my peanut, tree nut, sesame and poppy-seed allergic son’s science class earned a party. The teacher was in agreement that she did not want to support sugary, junk food treats as rewards. She was committed to not excluding food allergic students and wanted to teach health eating. Her solution: introduce the class to non-food treats AND wholesome allergen savvy snacks. Here is what a couple of moms dished up…
- Nut Free, Dairy free, egg free honey one bowl Vegan Banana Muffin
- Fresh squeezed Cara-Cara orange juice (we even brought in a juicer to show kids what one looked like)
- Festive cupcake holders with fresh fruit.
The end result was a class having the best party of year! Most students never ate homemade muffins before and asked for the one bowl recipe. Almost the entire class didn’t know juice could actually be fresh and the decorated cupcake cups added that party punch. For the next celebration, they were invited to play games and were given Rubber Duck Party Favors
This was a fun and great solution that kept food allergic kids included, broadened kid’s understanding of wholesome foods and to share an awesome secret, the fresh juice was a wild success!
Are you beginning to plot your school year? If so, what approach do you take to parties? Share your thoughts–magnificent ideas come from good conversation.
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..