Beyond A Peanut

Beyond a PeanutAttn: Giveaway at the end of this post!

Thankfully I do not have children with any food allergies. But MANY children do. So many do in fact that more and more schools are making rules that no kids can bring nuts or nut products in their lunches. My daughter’s school is one of them. You know these allergy attacks from nuts must be pretty darn bad if a school is willing to go to that length.

It is tough for me to make lunches for my daughter with no nuts, especially since I like her to eat raw as much as she can and nuts are a good source of protein. It must also be tough for parents of kids who have food allergies and their relatives.

I came across a really cool product though for them…flashcards from Beyond A Peanut that are designed to educate individuals with peanut and tree nut allergies and those caring for them. The flashcards come on a big ring and they are designed beautifully with great pictures. The go into basics such as cross contamination, the importance of label reading, and emergency situations. They also have cards for many different food types with info about how to handle them. Lots of great advice for how to handle eating out as well.

These are awesome for teaching just about anyone all about food allergies…kids, parents, grandparents, teachers, daycare workers. They get a big thumbs up from me.

Because I do not have a need for these cards I want to pass them on to someone else who does. If you would like the cards just leave me a comment and I will choose a winner at random next week.

 

16 Comments

  1. laura campanelli

    great information. my son hasfood and skin allergies.. vitiligo
    he still does not get it.. nice to be worry free.. i would love to teach him more..for one thing he has to wear sunbock and a hat when out side. i even gota note from the doctor.. but every teachrt takes it so lightly. poor ben even had first degree sunburn all over his face from camp. why dont people care.. any way.. there is my venting for the day. so yes i too would love the cards

  2. Amanda

    We’re unlucky enough to have nut allergies in three of our family members. I’m homeschooling, but would love the cards to help educate the kids, and the folks at the gym, as they just don’t seem to understand the seriousness of their allergies.

  3. Abe

    It’s nice to find a parent who is sympathetic. I know a lot of parents without food allergies feel resentful that they can’t pack PB&Js for lunch. I’m envious to hear your child’s school is so proactive.

    My daughter has many food allergies and I can tell you that it’s something I think about all the time. It’s consuming. I just pray she’ll outgrow them one day SOON!

    Anyway, I’m very interested in the card. If you send them down to me in San Francisco, I’ll share them with all my friends :)

  4. momof3

    We are a family that have food allergies – it is so hard to tell people over and over again . I feel sometimes I am winning, or just trying to be different. I am not, we are house o f saying no to so many things. I wish I could just say yes without even thinking about, or readhing the label,
    My almost 3 yr old and I have the peanut allergies ( and many more yuck). He also has allergies to eggs.
    Most people just don’t get it.
    And I hear you Abe it is consuming.
    Thank you for your give aways!

  5. Shelly

    I am an adult that has nut allergies and I know how hard it is to eat out or especially over people’s houses. More restaurants are aware of cross contamination, but the average home cook doesn’t think about it. I hope that who ever gets the cards (I don’t need them) will use them to educate their friends and loved ones on how to keep them safe.

  6. As a working mommy to a toddler with nut and egg allergies – these cards would be an AWESOME tool. Not only for continuing to teach him about his restrictions, but also to his pre-school teachers, babysitters and relatives and young friends.

  7. Rain Cloud

    Wow! These are are perfect for my son’s Special Needs preschool. He does not have allergies but I think these would make a great present for his teachers who deal with nut allergies everyday. These allergies do restrict what my son can bring and eat in school and it is tough sometimes. These cards would help other parents as well who are still learning about their own child’s allergies to keep them and others safe.

  8. Jackie

    These look so cool! I have 2 nephews who are deathly allergic to peanuts and tree nuts and it is something we worry about all the time. One nephew is 10 and the other is 2. These cards would be great for us to help teach the little one about his allergy and those who care for him while his mom works. It would also be great for the 10 year old to help explain to his friends about his allergy. That is the obstacle our 10 year old nephew is facing right now – many kids in his class do not understand his allergy and give him a hard time about it. Thanks for sharing these – I had never seen them before : )

  9. Oh gosh. My son has an egg allergy, but his little friend at preschool has a level 6 nut allergy. She can’t be in the same room as peanut products. The school is nut free, and some parents are petitioning to be allowed to bring peanut products and just have her “deal with it.” SHE’S FOUR! They are seriously putting the life of a child over a stupid peanut butter sandwich. I would love to have these cards so that I can donate them to the school. (and maybe hit a few parents over the head with them)

  10. Mrsgarageflower

    These are amazing. Our youngest twin suffers allergies to beef, fish, egg, PEANUTS, soy, dairy and wheat! We live on veggies, fruits and chicken with occasionally ground turkey thrown in. We are in a constant battle for our daughter… at least it feels like that sometimes. Ever vigilant! Who knew the wheat in twizzlers would send us to the Children’s Hosp Pgh for a week.
    I even left my job in April to be able to be with her and am now a SAHM. I am constantly reminding, ah hem… re-educating our families about the foods she can have. And since she started kindergarten a few weeks ago I am barraged with school parties and birthday parties. It’s sometimes overwhelming all the defensive actions that I must take. Oh and Halloween is a couple of weeks away! Although we have told her that Mommy and Daddy will have all her special candy (thanks for the heads up on Pure Fun :) ) and she will be Trick or Treating for Unicef. It’s a great way to encourage empathy and giving – just a really great tool.
    These cards would be so helpful for school, for when she goes to her new playmate’s homes and for when we are at family functions. All the tools I can garner for my arsenal I will grab!

  11. Mrsgarageflower

    Jules,

    I just read your post and it breaks my heart. The same thing is happening in our district which is nut free. Some parents have even said that taking away a child’s PB&J is taking away their childhood.

    I have taken the position that I understand them. They are wrong, but I understand. I have asked them to consider that we are asking that their child not have peanuts (any form) for the 6 hours they are in school. That’s it. I asked them to consider that our family can’t have it ever. Our family can’t go to Dairy Queen or to any restaurant for that matter. We can’t enjoy holiday dinners at Grandma’s. And at Grandpa’s birthday party today I am making Lily’s entire dinner and her special cake this morning to transport to their house. This is our reality.

    They want me to homeschool our daughter. While this is the perfect option for many, it’s not for us. It’s not laziness. I would not be a good educator. My daughter would not receive a good education – but theirs will. And when it comes down to it my daughter is entitled to the same education and opportunities as any other child. That includes a long and healthy life.

    This year, Jules, it may only be that one child with such severe allergies, but sadly…. sadly…. I guarantee you next year it will be more. I have no idea why this is happening to our children. Our Lily is the only one of our 4. I constantly ask myself if it was all the processed food I consumed (I was the Queen of one dish meals made with canned soups!) or restaurant foods…. Who knows.

  12. Colleen Dabler

    These cards are a great simple way to have little ones and adults learn about the seriousness of allergies. These would be great for my nephew and toddler who are starting preschool.

  13. Lori Marie

    I have a 6 year old daughter with a severe life-threatening allrgy to cashews. It has been overwhelming to work at ensuring her safety in Kindergarten. It breaks my heart to see her struggling sometimes with the emotional side of her allergy, but I know it is making her a stronger person to overcome a small adversity. It is very difficult to hear of parents that complain about a no food birthday party policy or of having to leave nuts out of food sent to school. It could be a great opportunity for these parents to role model empathy and caring for others. Thank you so much for writing about this issue.

  14. Pam

    These cards sound great! I appreciated your post. It’s nice to find compassion in someone who doesn’t have to deal with it on a daily/hourly/moment by moment basis.

  15. Tina

    My friend’s son has nut allergies, which they found out for sure when he ate a turtle that I had given them in a goodie tray 2 Christmases ago. These cards sound great, and I’d love to pass them on to her.

  16. Carla

    I have one friend and another friend who had a small child with peanut allergies. I love to host dinner parties, etc, and would like to find a way to educate people on the dangers of peanut allergies.

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