Back to School Lunches With President’s Choice #cbias

In preparing for back to school as part of a sponsored post with Collective Bias, I shopped for and created two peanut free lunches for school.

This is a big school year for our household.  My oldest, my boy, is going into the fourth grade.  This means he’s going to the other side of the playground (cue ominous music here) and of course embarking on new learning paths.  We’ve moving to binders, loose leaf, and paper reinforcements.  It’s kind of a big deal!

My oldest daughter, our middle child, is finally starting Kindergarten!  I say finally because – due the rules in our school district, her November 24th birthday held her back an additional year from starting Kindergarten.  She’s been eager to go to school with her brother and now it’s happening!  Two (or three) full days each week for her, leaving just myself and my toddler home.

These exciting changes are not without some reservation from her parents.  Nevaeh, you see, has a nut allergy.  Diagnosed at 13 months, I remember being so scared and my biggest concern at that point was, “What’s going to happen when she starts school?”

Thankfully, I’ve had almost 5 years to work through that fear and the tool was knowledge.  I learned what she can and can not eat and learned how to read labels intensely.  While we’ve learned to relax some about her allergy, I’m often shocked by how uneducated people can be about nut allergies and how my daughter has been put at risk.  It’s a matter of education, and trust.

My kid’s school, like many (the majority?) in Canada is nut free.  That means no nut products are allowed at school, but of course there’s no x-ray detector checking backpacks to ensure this is so.  I have to trust the teachers and staff to keep a watchful eye on lunches, and I have to trust my daughter to be an advocate for herself which she has done an excellent job at so far.  “Does this have nuts?  I can’t have nuts, I’m allergic.”

So, when given the opportunity to participate in a sponsored insights study for Collective Bias on behalf of their client President’s Choice and shop for ingredients for two peanut free lunches incorporating President’s Choice products, I was all in!

The main thing parents know is that we can’t send peanut butter sandwiches to school with our kids, but beyond that, what’s OK and what isn’t?  Thankfully, food labeling laws in Canada have made it easier to read ingredient labels but brands are alert to parents looking for nut-free choices so they’ve taken additional steps to share the peanut-free or nut-free symbol on packaging, making it even easier for consumers to know.

Here are my two lunches that I made – in preparation for school – that are completely nut free and also include items from President’s Choice!  The kids thought it was great having some snack foods readily available in the fridge after our photos were complete too – win/win.

School Lunch Idea #1:

Bologna sandwich on white bread
Blueberries
Sliced cucumbers
President’s Choice Hummus Dip
President’s Choice Rich & Flaky Topping Crackers (Peanut-free)
President’s Choice Banana Bread Little Penguin Soft Cookie (Peanut-free)

School Lunch Idea #2:

Strawberries
Plain Yogurt Dip
Cucumber sandwich on white bread
President’s Choice Wild Berry Fruits (Peanut-free)
President’s Choice Little Penguins Snack Crackers (Peanut-free)

It’s not difficult to find lunch ideas for kids that are nut-free, thanks to labeling and tons of variety in stores.  Parents that are frustrated about not being able to send a peanut-butter sandwich to school have a variety of options available and can make responsible choices thanks to easy to read symbols on products like the President’s Choice ones above.  I appreciate schools helping to keep kids, like my daughter, safe from potentially life-threatening allergic reaction to nuts.

To see more photos from my #cbias Back to School Lunches With President’s Choice shop, see my Google+ album here!