Nut-Free Snacks for School – Gluten + Dairy-Free Options
This list showcases some of my favorite store-bought and homemade nut-free snacks for school. These allergy-free snacks are great for school, play-dates, daycare, preschool, work, and of course home! This list is also gluten and dairy free so will be suitable for all sorts of food allergy needs.
Parts of this blog contain sponsored material, but all my opinions are my own. This list contains products I personally enjoy and I only work with companies that I’m passionate about sharing. I am also part of the Amazon affiliate program, and some of the product links throughout my blog will link to Amazon. If you use an Amazon link of mine I earn a very small commission at no extra cost to you. Your use of my affiliate links is always very appreciated as it helps me continue to be able to provide free content while earning an income through affiliates and ads.
If you’re in the back-to-school mode you may be wondering what snacks you’ll be sending your kids to school with. Whether you’re a family with allergies or not, most schools require nut-free snacks for school. That’s why I wanted to put this easy and DELICIOUS list of store-bought nut-free snacks for school together.
If you’re new to the world of food allergies, DON’T WORRY! It’s not as intimidating as you may think. I hope this list can be an easy jumping-off point for your nut-free snacking needs.
These snacks are also gluten and dairy free so will be suitable for all different food allergy needs. Whether you’re hosting a play date for a food allergy kiddo or need a lunchroom-safe snack, this list should help!
Label Your Food Nut-Free!
Labels can be really helpful to let fellow classmates know that your child’s snack or lunch is nut-free. It can prevent teachers from mixing up snacks amongst students. It can also be nice if you have a home with mixed food needs. I also love to use labels when I’m bringing a dish to a potluck. When I make allergy-safe food I want people to know it!
Our Eat or Drink shop carries nut-free stickers to help you with any labeling needs that may come up. Check them out here…
Are you new to shopping with food allergies?
If you’re new to food allergies, don’t worry! It gets better. Whether you or a family member were recently diagnosed with allergies, or you have to buy nut-free snacks for school, I have a lot of resources to help you with your shopping venture. I’ve had food allergies since I was a baby and I can say first-hand, that shopping with allergies will become easy! This list should help you with your nut-free snacking journey.
If you need more ideas check out the following recipes and resources…
10 Gluten Free Foods at Walmart
15 Popular Halloween Candies that are Dairy Free
Disclaimer for Buying Allergy-Free and Nut-Free Snacks for School:
This list is not meant to offer medical advice and should not be used to make any final decisions on what’s right to eat or give someone with food allergies.
Eat or Drink does not guarantee or take on any liable responsibility for the accuracy of the information below. Articles like this should always be your starting point. This article provides information but in no way is meant to tell you what to do. I always urge you, especially if you have allergies or are buying products for someone with allergies, to verify any information before consuming new food.
While I try to do my due diligence – companies do change recipes and human error occurs. That is why even with my best efforts, I can not guarantee all information is accurate.
If you are unsure if a product is safe, please ask your doctor. Or when buying for an allergy-friendly school, check with the school to ensure it meets their guidelines.
Please do not hesitate to let us know if you see information that is not up to date – this blog post was last updated in September 2022.
This list only covers US-based products. Please note that even if you have one of these products in your country, the ingredients may differ.
Should You Buy Products with a May Contains Warning?
THIS LIST MAY CONTAIN PRODUCTS WITH MAY CONTAIN WARNINGS – YOUR DECISION TO PURCHASE THESE ITEMS SHOULD BE BASED ON YOUR OWN NEEDS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.
If you’re new to shopping for food-allergy-friendly food, one question you may have is, “what is this ‘may contain’ warning?”. Here is what the FDA has to say about that warning…
“Some manufacturers voluntarily include a separate advisory statement, such as ‘may contain’ or ‘produced in a facility,’ on their labels when there is a chance that a food allergen could be present. A manufacturer might use the same equipment to make different products. Even after cleaning this equipment, a small amount of an allergen (such as peanuts) that was used to make one product (such as cookies) may become part of another product (such as crackers). In this case, the cracker label might state ‘may contain peanuts.’
Information found on the fda.gov website
Be aware that the ‘may contain’ statement is voluntary, says D’Lima. ‘Not all manufacturers use it.'”
Ultimately this decision to buy products with this warning should be up to you and your doctor (or up to the person you are purchasing allergy-free products for). Allergies can fall on a spectrum. Minor cross-contamination may not affect one person at all but could be deadly for somebody else. That’s why I always urge you to be in charge of your own allergies and simply use lists like these as a helpful jumping-off point.
Let’s Get into the Nut-Free Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free School Snack Ideas…
Below you’ll find store-bought products as well as recipe ideas that are great for school snacks. All of the items on this list are nut-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. But as mentioned above some of them may contain a “may contain” warning. Read that section above if you’re unsure what that means.
Seed Protein Powder by Naked Nutrition
A big thanks to Naked Nutrition for sponsoring this blog post. I’m so happy to have connected with them. After trying their seed protein powder, I was thrilled to share about it. Guys, this stuff is AMAZING. So many protein powders leave me feeling bloated (and gassy). This one has such clean and simple ingredients, I just feel comfortably full after enjoying it. And I LOVE the taste. The pumpkin seeds bring a really nice “nutty” flavor. But of course, there are no nuts in this protein powder. The only ingredients are pumpkin seed protein, sunflower seed protein, watermelon seed protein, and chia seed protein. No junky fillers or unnecessary sugars.
Since the ingredients of this seed protein powder are so simple, you can really make it your own. I love making banana cinnamon smoothies for my kiddos. Since there’s no added sugar in the protein powder I can comfortably add a drop of maple syrup and know that I’m not overdoing it.
This nut-free protein powder by Naked Nutrition would be a great option for a school snack. Send your kiddos with a delicious smoothie or use it to make homemade protein balls or bars. Click here to check out this seed protein powder. And check out some recipes by Naked Nutrition here to get some ideas on how to use this delicious protein powder.
Blake’s Seed Bars
These bars are DELICIOUS! So far I’ve tried the raspberry and s’mores flavors and I love them both. They have a great crunch and delicious flavor. They’re a great nut-free snack for school or if you’re a mom to littles like me I love keeping bars like this in my backpack for long errands or outings. I have found them at Walmart but can’t seem to find them there lately. Luckily, you can buy them on Amazon here.
Heavenly Hunks
I first tried these when I found them on the shelf of Marshall’s/T.J. Maxx and I was obsessed. They are just these awesome little hunks of goodness. It’s like a cookie meets a bar, they’re dense, chewy, and sweet. My favorite flavor is the oatmeal white chocolate chunk (which contains delicious dairy free white chocolate). Please note, that not all the flavors are nut-free so proceed with caution and check the ingredients. They also do contain coconut which can SOMETIMES be an issue if someone has to avoid tree nuts. The white chocolate oatmeal ones are nut-free though. You can find the oatmeal white chocolate ones on Amazon here.
Bada Bean Bada Boom
These are an awesome snack! They are crunchy roasted FAVA BEANS! If you have to miss out on toasted nuts because of an allergy or school regulations due to allergies, these are an AMAZING replacement! They come in so many different flavors and they’re already in little travel bags making them a perfect allergy-free snack for school. I have seen them in some health-food stores, but you can also snag them on Amazon here.
Enjoy Life Foods Seed and Fruit Mix
It wouldn’t be a nut-free school snack list without some Enjoy Life products. Enjoy life is well known for its top-8 free products. This seed and fruit mix and an awesome trail mix replacement. You’ll get protein from the seeds and sweet bites from the dried fruit and mini dairy free chocolate chips. Plus they come in awesome little travel-sized pouches so they’re all ready to pop into your lunchbox. Most grocery stores I’ve been to carry Enjoy Life products. If you can’t find these though you can find them on Amazon here. Some other Enjoy Life favorites of mine are their breakfast ovals and chewy bars. Check those out as well!
Hippeas Vegan “cheese” Puffs
These vegan cheese puffs are delicious! I’ve been enjoying Hippeas snacks for years now. They are nut-free, gluten-free, and plant-based making them a great snack for any kid. Unlike the unhealthy puff options on the market, these have clean ingredients and are actually filling. Since they’re made from chickpeas, they aren’t just empty calories. They have a nice amount of protein and fiber to fill your kiddo up when they get those mid-day munchies. Most stores seem to carry them now, but if you can’t find the individually packaged bags, you can find them here on Amazon.
FreeYumm Soft Baked Bars
I’ve actually only found these bars on Amazon, but they are SO good! They are soft, sweet, and free of the top NINE most common allergens. These are great allergy-safe snacks to send your kid to school with. You can find them on Amazon here.
Made Good Star Puff Crackers
I just recently tried these for the first time and I LOVED them. My daughter and I fought over who got to finish the bag. Obviously, she won because she’s 3 🙂 We tried the pizza flavor and it was delicious! It really reminded me of a goldfish cracker but it’s actually filled with some great nutrients. This is a great nut-free snack for school. I have not seen them in very many stores yet, but you can always grab them from Amazon here.
This list obviously only skims the surface of some amazing nut-free and allergy-friendly snack options. If you have some favorites that didn’t make my list, make sure to share them in the comments below! I love to keep the conversation going and if I get enough ideas, I’ll make a part 2!
Homemade Allergy-Friendly School Snacks
Those are some of my favorite packaged and store-bought allergy-free snacks for on-the-go. Here are some great homemade options that I hope you’ll love.
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