Lunchbox Ideas for Kids with Food Allergies

Feb 14, 2017

We recently received a request from a mum wanting lunchbox ideas for her son who had an extensive list of severe allergies. Our wonderful lunchbox-packing community on Facebook came to the rescue with a huge list of things to try...so here they are! Obviously, each child with allergies will have different no-go foods and requirements, so just pick and choose the ones that might work for you :)  

  • Homemade sushi - fillings could include chicken, salmon, carrot, avocado
  • Vege sticks/skewers (carrot, peppers, cucumber)
  • Mini fruit salad with diced watermelon, grapes, mango, pawpaw
  • Thick rice cakes with avocado and ham
  • Banana pancakes using GF self raising flour, apple puree and no egg substitute
  • Rolled oats, sunflower seeds, dried dates and apricots soaked in hot water for 10mins, a little bit dark chocolate and cocoa. Blitz in the food processor until it clumps together and press into silicone muffins moulds to make 'chocolate slice'
  • Mini potato/kumara hash browns
  • Salami/bier sticks
  • Mince and vege meatballs
  • Chicken drumsticks or wings
  • Dairy-free pannacotta
  • Substitute sunflower butter for nut butters and ground sunflower seeds for almond meal
  • Savoury muffins using GF self-raising flour, no egg substitute, can grate in any veges they can have eg: carrot and courgette. Add angel foods non dairy cheese if appropriate
  • Cauliflower pizza
  • Zucchini wraps
  • Chia seed puddings (maybe made with pear juice or milk substitute) & tinned cherries or plums
  • Choc puffed rice bars
  • Banana oat mini muffins
  • Kale chips
  • Cucumber shapes (use tiny cookie cutters)
  • Jelly
  • Home made pear fruit leather
  • Kumara chips or wedges
  • Zucchini/cauliflower nuggets made with gluten free flour and flax seed to replace egg
  • Cheese crackers made with gluten free flour
  • Roast vegetables in stick shapes
  • Fresh snow peas
  • Pear slices
  • Celery with a homemade roast capsicum dip
  • Salmon and cream cheese wrapped in seaweed
  • Rice paper rolls
  • Banana chips
  • Tinned tuna and rice
  • Avocado and spinach sandwich
  • Rice crackers
  • Grapes
  • Low allergen 'rose' variety of apple
  • Nashi pear
  • Scroggin mix with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, DF chocolate bits, banana chips and GF special K flakes
  • GF pumkin spiced mini muffins
  • Gf pasta salad
  • Cured meat (eg prosciutto)
  • GF marshmallows melted down for home made rice bubble slice
  • Watermelon and prosciutto
  • Cauliflower rice stir fry
  • Frozen peas
  • Tinned salmon
  • Ham & dairy free cheese sandwiches with gluten free bread
  • Egg-free dairy-free carrot cake
  • Sliced GF sausages
  • Vege fritters
  • Dinner leftovers
  • Organic dried seaweed snacks

The following websites and Facebook pages were also highly recommended:

Are you making lunchboxes for kids with food allergies or food sensitivities? What's working for you? We'd love you to share your suggestions below so we can build up a huge resource for other mums and dads!  
Back to Lunchbox Diaries