Packed lunches and allergies

[Sprinklestar]

DD is in a cohort at school with a number of children who have allergies to various foods and food groups. I don't know what the right answer is here as obviously some of these conditions are extremely serious. However, the cumulative effect of the list of restrictions on what parents can send in as part of a packed lunch is so restrictive, I'm actually struggling to put together healthy and balanced meals. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm trying to see it from the point of view of the other parents - it must be awful to think that a certain food could have fatal consequences for you child. All credit to the school for being so strict and enforcing these guidelines. But - at what point do the needs of those with allergies trump those without? Could the children with allergies be seated elsewhere? I'm not just talking peanuts here - the list is endless! No nuts at all, no seeds (inc e.g. no pesto as it contains nuts), no eggs, no products with egg, no hummous/tahini, and then a range of fruit and veg as well. I make dinner so many times and am able to use the leftovers for DS for his pack up the next day but can't do the same with DD. I also don't think it is fair that her diet has to be compromised for the rest of her school days if she stays with this group. As a family we don't eat meat, so at the minute her protein intake at lunchtime is pretty much limited to a cheese sandwich (and not on healthy granary as I'd prefer due to the seed allergy above).

Has anyone come across similar?

Nut allergy can be serious and, in some cases, contact with someone who has eaten nuts can set off a reaction.

DD had a friend who was allergic to seafood and the smell made her queasy so she sat in a separate 'no fish' table on most days or she and a friend ate in another room if fish was part of the school provided meal.

All those other things like eggs and citrus should not require a ban. DH is allergic to egg but can cook me an omelette and sit next to me while I eat it! DD is intolerant to tomatoes but can prepare them and once they have been cooked she can eat a moderate amount.

At my school we have children who are allergic to milk but all the other have their milk without anyone having any reaction.

Definitely ask the school to get the school nurse involved to clarify what does and doesn't need to be banned.

midnite that's awful, how did you find out, did the parent tell you?

I'd personally have turned round and asked which she thought came first, the people or the food?

Hope she was well and truly put straight on that.

Parents I the pta by any chance.

That's ridiculous list. I get nuts but other stuff is maf

Sounds a bit extreme. It's all a question of balancing risk. the more extreme the reaction of the allergic child, the more strict the school needs to be, but it must come to a point where to ban so many food groups from the packed lunches unreasonably restricts the diets of the majority, and perhaps the school ought to think about putting the allergic kids on a separate table under supervision.

Utterly ridiculous, will they ban bread when they get a coeliac? My DD and DS's reaction to gluten Is just as severe a crumb can cripple them

But they have had to learn to live in the real world, we focus on clean hands and not sharing

I've taught a girl allergic to water, I wonder how the school would deal with that!

It does sound overzealous.

I've heard of citrus being a problem when a fruit is peeled and that releases some spray into the air, but that was dealt with by requesting that fruit was already peeled off-site rather than an outright ban.

It is possible but rare for non nut allergies to be triggered by being in the vincinity, and it sounds like a lazy blanket policy rather than specific to the needs of the children affected.