Peanut-free meal ideas (in two parts)

I have little time to focus on this today but I did not want to skip a post.  Ironically, today was my son's preschool orientation and they covered something similar.  His school is peanut free and I learned a few things that I had not known before about peanut-free foods.

Dunkin Donuts is the only donut shop that has peanut free facilities.  So, while not my favorite, yay for knowing who is peanut-free!  "Mmm...gotta make the donuts..."  (Does that date me?)

Sunbutter is a safe peanut butter alternative, according to our preschool director, who took a class on peanut allergies before the year started.  It is a butter made from sunflower seeds, apparently it tastes pretty good and is not a risk for allergic students.  (If I get a chance to try some, I'll let you know what I think!)

Also, Hershey's milk chocolates, including Kisses, chips, and bars, are all from peanut-free facilities.  Good to know, if you are planning to bake cookies for the class.  I have not looked into their Special Dark or other blends, but can tell you that the milk is definitely fine.  When in doubt, read the label.

Cheez-its, Goldfish, Ritz, Rice Krispie Treats, Nilla Wafers and certain marked fruit snacks are also safe for kids with peanut allergies.  Most products will list any possible contamination in the labeling, usually with bold print.

Also, on of my family favorites are Annie's products: the Graham Bunnies, Whole Wheat Bunnies, and fruit snacks.  From their website, I am assuming that they are safe if the label does not include a warning.  Here is the wording, make your own decision:

• While there has been no product reformulation or change in manufacturing facilities, Annie's  has recently decided to go above and beyond FDA requirements and include an allergen statement on all of our products that are manufactured on shared equipment with any of the top eight allergens. Our manufacturing facilities meet with the highest standards of cleanliness, and we maintain all allergen cleaning, and Quality Control protocol on file. We recognize the needs of our customers who have allergies or sensitivities to nuts, gluten, certain spices, etc. Annie's always fully discloses all ingredients on the ingredient statement and will answer any questions that will help consumers decide what products they can safely consume. At Annie's, we take every precaution to ensure that cross contamination of ingredients does not occur in our production facility. We run the products in a particular order to reduce the risk of cross contamination, take the equipment apart and thoroughly clean it in between runs of product. However, we want you to know that some products are produced in a plant that processes foods containing wheat, dairy, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, crustaceans/shellfish, and egg. This is why we voluntarily chose to update our packaging to include this allergen information.

Now, I'm not saying that you have to avoid products that were manufactured in a peanut facility, but if you were planning to do so, or needed to worry about doing that for a class party or play date, at least here are a few suggestions for you.   :)

Tomorrow, I will try to follow up with some actual meal ideas.  I've pulled some together, but have not had the time to format it for your viewing pleasure!  ;)

[And by the way, I have in no way been paid to endorse any of the above products, I just felt it was worthwhile to share the suggestions that the school made for us, in the hopes of helping you with future ideas.]