17 Allergy-Friendly Back-To-School Snacks Your Kids Will Love

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There are myriad reasons to send your kid to school with allergy-friendly snacks. The most obvious one is that your child might have an allergy themselves. But it's also worth thinking about the other kids at the lunch table. Indeed, the USDA estimates that one in every 13 children suffers from food allergies, which is why some schools have gone completely nut-free. While teachers may discourage children from swapping food with one another, it still happens underneath the table. After all, children are naturally curious and looking to indulge their taste buds. We therefore encourage you to pack your child's lunchbox with foods that are free of the "Big Nine" allergens: milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, soybeans, wheat, and sesame.

This doesn't mean that your kid will need to give up everything delicious, however. In fact, this is far from the truth, especially now that so many allergy-friendly brands sell snacks geared toward children. Your kid can still get all the nutrients they need while munching on foods like crackers, fresh produce, and sunflower seed butter. In this article, we'll suggest a variety of allergy-friendly back-to-school snacks that are frequently a hit among children. Knowing that this is a busy time of year, we have included options for both packaged snacks and homemade recipes. These suggestions can all be packed in a lunchbox, but they make for great after-school snacks as well. Inevitably, every child's palate is different, so if one food is a hard no, shake it off and try another. More information on methodology can be found at the end of this article.

Rice cakes, which are made by pressing together grains of puffed rice, are good vehicles for everything from hummus and avocado to sunflower seed butter and jam. In fact, you can get creative with the way you top rice cakes, even going so far as to use yogurt and blueberries. Children often like rice cakes because they are pleasantly chewy, but if you are having trouble convincing your child to try one, consider buying flavored rice cakes instead of the plain or salted varieties. 

For example, it's easy to be enticed by Lundberg's organic rice cakes, which come in flavors like Honey Nut and Cinnamon Toast. In addition to brown rice, some products are made with wild rice, red rice, or quinoa. You can even find chocolate-covered rice cakes. Always check ingredient labels, though, to make sure that your rice cakes are allergy-friendly; flavorings often contain allergens like dairy and soy.

A banana is one of the easiest food items to send your kid to school with (especially if you pack it in a BPA-free banana travel case to keep it protected). Strawberries and grapes are likewise easy to pack, and if you toss sliced apples in a dash of lemon juice, they'll last until lunchtime without browning. 

To make fresh fruit more of a well-rounded snack, pair it with a source of healthy fats, fiber, and protein. We specifically recommend a condiment like sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter. You can buy these products in bulk, or you can purchase single-serving packets from brands like Once Again and SunButter. To make it even more interesting and decadent, opt for flavored varieties. For instance, in addition to pumpkin seed butter, 88 Acres sells a delicious Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter and a Vanilla Cinnamon Sunflower Seed Butter.

Most mainstream cookies and graham crackers are not allergy-friendly. Classic Oreos, for instance, contain wheat and soy, as do classic Nutter Butters (with the obvious addition of peanuts). Thankfully, several brands have sprung up over the years to meet the demand for allergy-friendly versions of these sweet treats. 

Partake Foods is one such brand that sells nostalgic favorites free of the top nine allergens. Instead of wheat flour, Partake Foods incorporates more unique ingredients like buckwheat, tapioca, and cassava flour into its products. From chocolate chip cookies to vanilla wafers to graham crackers, your kid is sure to have their sweet tooth satisfied. Of course, you can also make homemade cookies and graham crackers at home using allergy-friendly ingredients like flax eggs. When it comes time to pack your child's lunchbox, consider packing jam or sunflower seed butter and a banana for topping the graham crackers.

Using gluten-free oats and these silicone granola bar molds, making your own allergy-friendly granola bars at home is a breeze. You don't even need to follow an allergy-friendly recipe; in most cases, you can simply swap the nuts for seeds and the milk chocolate chips for dairy-free chocolate chips. If your recipe calls for coconut oil, that, too, can be swapped with another neutral oil. 

With a sticky ingredient like brown rice syrup, your bars will hold together well enough to be wrapped individually in foil or reusable beeswax. Some recipes don't even require you to turn on the oven! If you want snack time to be more convenient, though, you can purchase granola bars from a brand like MadeGood; with flavors like Chocolate Banana and Mixed Berry, these bars are free of all nine major allergens. You might have a hard time not stealing from your kids' stash, though, especially when it comes to the Cookie Crumble Drizzled Granola Bars.

Popcorn isn't just for the movie theater! Brands like SKINNYPOP and Boom Chicka Pop sell popcorn in various sizes, making it easy to fit a small bag of popcorn into your kid's lunchbox. Plain popcorn is usually a safe bet when avoiding all major allergens, but if dairy is not a concern, you could purchase buttered popcorn, too. Dairy may not be entirely necessary, though, given that SKINNYPOP sells a superb Dairy-Free White Cheddar Flavored Popcorn. 

To save those precious pennies, not to mention packaging waste, you could also make popcorn at home and pour it into an airtight container. This runs the added benefit of allowing you to mix in other ingredients for a more wholesome snack. For example, you can season the popcorn with furikake to make it more savory or toss in dairy-free chocolate chips for a sweet treat. Naturally, packing your child's lunchbox with an unpopped bag of popcorn is feasible, too, provided your child has access to a microwave at school.

Rich in protein and perfectly crunchy, roasted chickpeas are delightful when eaten by the handful. Homemade recipes for this simple, satisfying snack are abundant and versatile. You can cook up a large batch of dry chickpeas or strain the required amount from cans. You can roast them in the oven or in the air fryer. And you can toss them in your choice of seasoning; for instance, you can make them savory by adding nutritional yeast or make them sweet by adding cinnamon and sugar. 

Don't have much time on your hands? Brands like The Good Bean and Biena sell shelf-stable, allergy-friendly versions of roasted chickpeas. Just remember that no matter whether you make them from scratch or open up a store-bought bag, it's best to eat this snack when fresh. If you need to use up extra roasted chickpeas, consider sprinkling them onto soup or tossing them with salad in place of croutons.

Move over, Cheetos. Hippeas has made a name for itself by selling mouthwatering puffs in flavors like Groovy White Cheddar, Bohemian Barbecue, and Grillo's Dill Pickle — all without the dairy. In fact, Hippeas products do not contain any of the Big Nine allergens, and you can stock up on them at stores like Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, and even CVS. 

While Hippeas may be the most ubiquitous brand of puffs, your kids might also be interested in trying Vegan Rob's puffs, which are allergy-friendly and come in Cauliflower, Cheddar, and Dragon variations. Spudsy is yet another brand that offers allergy-friendly puffs, which are sweet potato-based and come in both vegan Cheddar and Cinnamon Churro flavors. Finally, it's worth noting that while we won't stop you from trying, this is one of those snacks that will be harder to make at home. Recipes for puffed rice, on the other hand, are a little bit easier to follow.

In general, veggie chips and straws may not necessarily be healthier than potato chips, but they are a way to at least get your kid curious about vegetables rather than flat out rejecting them. Veggie chips and straws are flavorful enough to eat on their own, though your child might like dipping them in ketchup or mustard. 

Depending on the brand, veggie chips might be baked rather than fried; regardless, you should keep an eye on whether allergens like soybean oil are used in the cooking process. Terra is one of the more popular brands of vegetable chips, and they are made using a few different root vegetables. For maximum control over what goes into your veggie chips, though, you should make them at home in an oven, air fryer, or dehydrator. Meanwhile, veggie straws are more difficult to make at home, but you can easily purchase them from a brand like Sensible Portions.

Tell your kid that you are sending them to school with crudités, and you will simultaneously expand their vocabulary and make them feel as though they are eating a gourmet meal. Crudités encompass a wide array of raw vegetables, which are often sliced for ease of consumption. All you have to do is fill a container to the brim with vegetables like carrots, celery, bell pepper, broccoli florets, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers. Then pack a separate container with a condiment like sunflower seed butter or hummus for dipping. 

To better suit your child's palate, you might opt to make homemade hummus with their favorite seasonings. Importantly, you should consider avoiding hummus recipes that employ sesame seeds. Though this is a traditional ingredient that packs a considerable amount of flavor, it is one of the Big Nine allergens. Don't forget to stick a reusable ice pack in the lunchbox to keep everything cool and crisp.

For a healthy dessert option, send your kid to school with a square of dark chocolate and one or two Medjool dates. Not only does dark chocolate tend to be dairy-free, but it also tends to have less sugar than milk chocolate. For a more nutrient-dense alternative, stuff the dates with sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter before (optionally) drizzling them with dairy-free chocolate. 

Another option is to make chocolate date energy balls, allowing you to sneak healthy ingredients like chia seeds and maca powder into your child's diet. In fact, dates can lend natural sweetness to many other recipes that star chocolate, including granola bars, brownies, and overnight oats (more on that later). Of course, any time you slip chocolate into the lunchbox, make sure it's not at risk of melting on a hot day.

Many fruit snacks are free of allergens and fall into the category of either fruit gummies or fruit leather. Despite their names, neither is guaranteed to contain much real fruit, with store-bought brands often pouring quite a bit of corn syrup and sugar into their products.

Although few healthy alternatives exist for fruit gummies, many parents find that fruit leather options like BEAR and That's It are preferable for kids because they don't contain any added sugar. You can even make your own fruit leather at home in the oven or dehydrator, perhaps adding ingredients like chia seeds for additional texture. It's a great way to use up extra fruit in the summertime, and you can even freeze fruit leather to extend its shelf life. That said, we do love the tongue tattoos featured on Fruit Roll-Ups, so no shame if you send them as desserts every once in a while.

Most tortilla chips are gluten-free, but be mindful that they could still contain allergens like soybean oil or wheat. In particular, Siete Foods has skyrocketed in popularity since debuting in 2014 and offers many varieties of grain-free tortilla chips. They do contain coconut flour, though coconut is not one of the Big Nine.

Late July Snacks is another prevalent gluten-free brand worth trying, with flavors like Sea Salt and Lime stealing the show. As for salsa, you won't have to fret too much over allergens there, either. Tostito's sells single-serving cups of salsa, or you can portion salsa out from a jar into smaller containers. This is a great opportunity to widen your child's palate by introducing them to different types of salsa, such as salsa verde and salsa fresca. Just stay away from salsa de cacahuate, which is a peanut salsa.

Traditional pretzels are made using wheat flour, but you might not have to look very far to find gluten-free pretzels today. Indeed, the popular brand Snyder's of Hanover offers gluten-free versions of this crunchy snack using ingredients like potato, corn, and tapioca starch. 

Snyder's gluten-free pretzels are even free of soy, an allergen that is sometimes present in the brand's classic pretzel recipes. It almost goes without saying that pretzels can be eaten by the handful, but they are also delightful when paired with condiments like mustard or hummus. If you are looking for dessert inspiration, consider drizzling your pretzels with dairy-free chocolate. Pretzel hugs, often eaten during the holiday season, are another fun option; for these, you can use Unreal Dark Chocolate Quinoa Gems instead of M&Ms.

There's not much difference between a cup of applesauce and a pouch of fruit or vegetable puree, so don't think twice about sending your child to school with a squeezable pouch of strawberries and bananas. While such products may indeed be found alongside boxes of formula and diapers at the grocery store, they can be enjoyed by kids of all ages (and even adults!). Plus, many brands use organic ingredients in their purees while also forgoing added sugars, so you can usually count on it being a healthy snack. 

To reduce packaging waste and the strain on your wallet, invest in a set of squeezable reusable pouches and fill them with homemade purees. Get creative by adding in a variety of spices, as well as by mixing and matching produce items. For instance, you can add cumin powder to sweet potato puree for a savory snack, or you can go with cinnamon powder for something sweeter.

Once you have stocked up on gluten-free oats, the world is your oyster (unless, of course, you are allergic to shellfish — wink, wink). Jokes aside, kids tend to love oat-based snacks, from soft oatmeal cookies to handfuls of crunchy granola. Overnight oats are just one way that you can make your life easier while also pleasing your kids' taste buds. It takes less than five minutes to assemble jars of overnight oats during your weekly meal prep, and all you have to do the night before is add water or a gluten-free oat milk (we suggest a brand like Planet Oat). 

In the morning, top off the jar of oats with fresh fruits before sealing and packing it in the lunchbox. To make overnight oats even more of a well-rounded snack, consider drizzling in sunflower seed butter, stirring in cacao nibs, or naturally sweetening the mixture with chopped dates.

Chia seeds are chock-full of healthy fats, fiber, and protein that will help keep your child full for longer. That's not to mention the many vitamins and minerals they boast as well. Like overnight oats, you can batch prep chia pudding and opt for soaking it in gluten-free oat milk. 

It's true: Chia pudding is not for everyone. Its texture can be slimy or clumpy, especially when prepared with an incorrect proportion of chia seeds to liquid. However, if your child has never heard that chia pudding "tastes gross," they might be in a position to appreciate it without bias. In fact, children who have grown up in cultures where tapioca pudding is more common often have no problem with chia pudding; the two dishes feature similar textures. Besides, you can always blitz chia pudding in a high-speed blender to give it a smoother texture.

Luckily, if you are trying to add more fruit to your child's diet, you can easily purchase cups and pouches of applesauce at the grocery store. Plus, brands as popular as Mott's offer products with zero added sugar. Some applesauce products are flavored with cinnamon, while others feature fruits like strawberry, blueberry, and cherry. 

It's not difficult to make your own applesauce at home, either. All you need to do is chop your apples, simmer them in a bit of water until soft, and then blend the chunks into a puree. In fact, you don't even necessarily need to peel your apples before cooking them. While applesauce is lovely on its own, it can work as a base for gluten-free granola and as a topping for gluten-free pancakes, too.

Each snack included in this article can be packed in a lunchbox, and we have included both packaged snacks and homemade recipes to better accommodate parents' shifting needs. For the most part, when we have suggested flavors of specific products, they do not contain any of the nine major allergens. However, exceptions were duly noted. 

Furthermore, we did not make it a point to note whether the suggested products are made in facilities alongside common allergens. For some snack categories that we suggested, such as granola bars, "allergen-free" is not the norm. Readers should always check nutrition labels and remember that brand recipes frequently change. Every child has unique preferences, and some children are pickier than others, so do not expect your kid to fall in love with every suggestion on this list.