View Full Version : Trail Lunches with No Peanuts
Calaghan
07-19-2009, 10:59
I'm leading a trip for 8 girls aged 10-14 and I have a girl with a peanut allergy on the trip. Its a 5-day trip and I need to have lunches for the days. Cheese, summer sausage, and crackers are a favorite of mine that we can use for a few days and then I can suck up and do tuna packets with crackers- though with the age that I have usually tuna isn't a prime choice.
Are there some other ideas for trail lunches that don't include any nuts? I would love to hear some.
Most anythin edible could substitute for the nut free meals, as long as it doesn't have nuts in it.
Check out these 3 threads:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=51893&highlight=LUNCH
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=50394&highlight=LUNCH
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=48072&highlight=LUNCH
Panzer
there's a sandwich spread called Nutella that my daughter is "nuts" over... it's really chocolatey, like Koogle (for those of you old enough to remember that!) not sure what's in it, but she loves it. i don't think it's peanut-based.
there's a sandwich spread called Nutella that my daughter is "nuts" over... it's really chocolatey, like Koogle (for those of you old enough to remember that!) not sure what's in it, but she loves it. i don't think it's peanut-based.Nutella is chocolate-hazelnut based. Good stuff. Goes great on bagels for lunch. :D
chknfngrs
07-19-2009, 21:20
Please note that a hazelnut is subject to the same allergic reaction as a peanut and thus not a good choice in this case, roight?!
Cold lunches like Lunch meats, jerky, bagels, tortillas, honey, graham crackers, fruit, vegetables. Chances are they'll just be hungry and any old food will do.
spencerb
07-19-2009, 21:22
I've found in a few grocery stores and health food stores a powdered hummus that I love eating for lunch. Add cold water and some cheese on a tortilla and you've got a tasty treat. :)
Wise Old Owl
07-19-2009, 21:32
· bagels (cream cheese)
· Pita bread
· Logan Bread
· granola bars
· dried fruit
· GORP (nuts, M&M's raisins, yogurt, crackers, dried fruit, etc)
· Pringles
· crackers (the dense kinds at health food stores)
· Wheat Thins
· Cheeses (string cheese, blocks of mozarella, etc)
· Tuna (sold in pouches now)
· lunch meat
. Hard boiled eggs/ with salt packet
. jerkys pemmican
. Summer sausage (eg Landsjager) (80 cal/oz)
Snacks
String Cheese
Hard candy
Candy bars
Fig Newtons
Brownies
Fruit Cake
Pemmican
Beef Stick
raisins
Fruit leathers
Carob coated raisins
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower
Breakfast bars
give me a minute I will come up with a childrens source.
MikenSalem
07-19-2009, 21:49
Peanut allergies are deadly most are advised to never even physically touch a peanut or where it's been. If a facility even uses peanuts in another product they must list it because one peanut can cause a reaction. There are degrees of allergy, tree nuts are not like peanuts and some can eat them some can have no nuts at all. If there is a remote possibility of even a piece of a peanut, peanut oil it could go deadly. I'd let the parent help with that child's menu. :{D
Recently I worked with a lady who had felt totally helpless over how to make food for her son who has multiple bad food allergies and other things. Basically she realized that she had to take care of all of it, planning, etc but didn't know exactly how to get there. We shared many great emails and she successfully packed his food. I heard back from her this weekend that he finished his hike and had a great time (a 100 miler!).
So....how is this: if you have one child with severe allergies the parents HAVE to be involved. It isn't enough to just say "my child can't have this around". They need to do the homework and provide ideas that all the kids will like - if the allergy is of life threatening levels. If it is an allergy that causes issues, but won't kill then the parent needs to plan and provide the food for that child. If life threatening, then figure out a menu and explain in detail to the other parents why everyone has to have a certain menu (this of course prevents cross contamination). Then have everyone chip in to cover the food cost.
Now, about that food! The one thing that really worked for the lady I mentioned above was to pack the food he could eat and more so, loved to eat, at home. Tae what the child eats at home and find a way to make it trail friendly. Nearly everything can be figured out to be trail ready :)
With severe allergies often all food has to be made from scratch at home - no short cuts due to many foods being processed in large factories. This is where a dehydrator becomes priceless.
This is something to really talk about and find out what level of allergy it is....then proceed and have a good time!
PS: http://valleyfresh.com/ Their chicken pouches are some of the best out there. Nothing weird added and as well are gluten-free friendly! Use that instead of tuna and make salad with it. Almost anything can be added from Mayo, salad dressings, ranch dip, fruit, curry powder, other veggies, etc. Kids WILL eat that!
LaurieAnn
07-20-2009, 13:55
Be very careful and read all labels. Be sure to check for things like peanut oil. For snacks some of the major companies, such as Quaker, have granola bars and such that are clearly marked as peanut free. It is very important, especially where the child's allergy is severe, that no one brings nuts on the trip. Something as simple as contact with a nut skin or shell or another child's unwashed hands after a pb sandwich could put the allergic child in serious danger. Sarbar is right too - about the parents being involved.
Be very careful and read all labels.
And even then can you trust them. They may switch ingredients without notice, too.
I have several oddball allergies. Tuna in a can contains vegetable broth.
Th USDA allows 2 vegetables that mess me up in the 5 vegetables that must be in "vegetable broth."
Teach the kid well. At some point they need to be responsible for what goes in their mouth.
Good luck.