Treats For Kids With Peanut Butter And Egg Allergies

Peanuts and eggs are two of the most common allergens. When your child is allergic to both, a lot of classic snacks and treats are suddenly off the menu. Fortunately, awareness of allergies and special diets is growing. With a little information and a few basic cooking skills, you can give your kids healthy snacks for everyday and delicious treats on special occasions.

Ants on a Log

Ants on a log is classic childhood snack. Traditionally made by spreading peanut butter on celery sticks and topping it with raisins, if your child is specifically allergic to peanuts and not tree nuts, you can make it with almond or cashew butter. These butters are available in health food stores and larger supermarkets. If your child is seriously allergic to peanuts, you may want to make your own nut butters, as manufacturers are not legally required to label products made in the same factory -- or with the same equipment -- that processes peanuts.

Apples and Cheese

Apples and cheese is another good everyday treat for children with peanut and egg allergies. Cheese provides muscle-building protein and bone-building calcium, while apples provide fiber, vitamins and minerals. Kids Health recommends pairing cheese with apples because the combination of protein and fiber helps keep kids full. Cutting the apples into slices and placing cheese between them makes a kid-friendly sandwich. Another good cheese option is low-fat string cheese; many children enjoy pulling the cheese apart.

Homemade Granola Bars

Granola bars are a good way to get healthy whole grains and dried fruit into kids, but commercial granola bars are often made with peanuts or peanut butter. Some even use eggs as a binder. Though federal law requires warning labels for peanuts and eggs, making granola bars at home is easy and gives you total control over what your kids eat. If you'd like to get your kids to help you make the bars, look for no-bake recipes, available in healthy cooking cookbooks or the Internet.

Egg-Free Baked Goods

When baking cookies or cakes for special occasions, it's relatively easy to avoid peanuts, Not so with eggs. Just about every cake or cookie recipe calls for eggs, but there are ways around that. Cookbook author Isa Chanda Moskawitz recommends using powdered, grain-based egg replacer for crispy cookies, pureed bananas in dense baked goods like gingerbread cake, and applesauce in lighter baked goods like chocolate cakes.