Healthy Nut Free Snacks for School

Many schools follow strict nut free policies to protect students with severe allergies. Even if your child doesn’t have an allergy, sending peanut and tree nut free snacks helps keep everyone safer. Choosing healthy nut free snacks also encourages better eating habits, since you’re often leaning on whole foods like fruit and dairy or healthy snack recipes made at home instead of sending highly processed foods to school with your kids.

When mornings are busy, having packaged snacks ready to go can be a lifesaver. Plenty of brands make snacks that are peanut and tree nut free. These are just a sampling of brands to look for:

• Skinny Pop® –  popcorn
• GoGo Squeez® –  applesauce or fruit‑and‑veggie pouches
• Made Good® –  cookies and granola bars
• Chomps® – beef sticks
• RW Garcia® –  gluten‑free crackers and tortilla chips
• Biena® –  chickpea snacks
• Zee Zees® –  fruit snacks and soft‑baked bars

Everyday foods like string cheese, pretzels, rice cakes, yogurt tubes, fruits, and vegetables are naturally free of peanuts and tree nuts. Popular snacks like Cheerios®, Goldfish®, Veggie Straws®, Triscuits®, and Nutrigrain® bars also don’t contain nuts. Just double‑check packaging for allergen warnings, since some brands may share equipment with products that contain nuts.

If you are looking for gluten free and nut free snacks, products like RW Garcia crackers, Made Good bars, or Skinny Pop popcorn fit the bill. For kids with dairy restrictions, many brands also offer dairy and nut free snacks.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking for nut free snacks:

• Check the label. Look for “peanut free,” “tree nut free,” or “made in a nut‑free facility” on the product’s packaging.
• Pay attention to “may contain” warnings. These mean that the snack may not be completely allergen-free or may be made in a facility that also processes nuts.
• Read ingredients carefully. Some products, such as cereal or granola bars, may be made with nuts or nut-based products, even if you don’t think they are. Check the ingredient list to be sure.

Snacks you put together at home give you total control over ingredients and are often cheaper than buying packaged foods. Here are some nut free snacks for kids that are easy to make:

• Fresh fruit and veggie cups or skewers
• Popcorn made on the stove or in an air popper
• Mini tortilla pizzas with tomato sauce and shredded cheese
• Hummus or guacamole with pretzels or veggie sticks
• Snack bites or bars made with oats, seeds, and dried fruit

The best snacks for kids mix convenience with nutrition. With a few store‑bought staples and a couple of go‑to homemade recipes, packing healthy nut free snacks for school becomes easy and stress‑free for you, fun and delicious for your child, and worry‑free for anyone in the class with nut allergies.