While milk is the most severe food allergy for children under 16, nut allergies can also be extremely serious. Many schools have implemented no-nut policies, forcing parents to get creative when it comes to sending their kids to school with packed lunches and snacks—whether their kid has a nut allergy or not. For those unfamiliar with navigating the nut-free world, it can seem daunting as nuts are a staple in most vegan diets and products. However, there are plenty of options out there that don’t compromise on taste or texture—you just have to know where to look. Spare yourself the endless scanning of nutrition labels and check out these kid-approved, nut-free vegan snacks.
Sarah McLaughlin
1 Once Again Sunflower Seed Butter Graham Crackers
Just launched in the fall of 2021, these nut- and gluten-free snacks are ideal for lunch boxes and post-meal treats. Two lightly sweet graham crackers are sandwiched together with a thick schmear of sunflower seed butter making for a crunchy yet creamy, sweet yet salty snack. Our hypothesis is that they’d make fantastic s’mores. Have a fun family science experiment to test this out.
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Good Planet
2 Good Planet Snackable Wedges
We are still waiting on the promised vegan version of BabyBel cheese, but in the interim, we’re really excited about these vegan cheese wedges. Great for kids and adults alike, they’re nut-free (with the exception of coconut oil) and remind us of the iconic Laughing Cow soft cheese triangles we used to love. Flavors include Original, Pepper Jack, and Smoked Gouda.
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Miyoko’s Creamery
3 Miyoko’s Cheddar Sticks
We can’t say for certain, but we’re fairly confident the cheese stick craze was planted by the dairy industry. Parents send kids off with these plastic-wrapped cheese stalks, assured that they’re choosing a healthy option. While that’s far from the truth (hello, cholesterol, saturated fat, and inflammatory compounds found in dairy), the cheese stick trend isn’t going away. Let kids eat the same thing as their friends, just give them a vegan option. Both Miyoko’s Creamery and Daiya make dairy-free cheddar cheese sticks (Daiya even makes a mozzarella version) that are nut-free. Note: both brands use coconut oil, so heads up for kids also allergic to coconut.
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Raisels
4 Raisels
Sure, not all kids like raisins, but you’d be hard pressed to find a kid that doesn’t love Raisels. The company transforms thick and juicy golden raisins into better-for-you candy by coating each raisin with sweet or sour flavoring. They come in 70-calorie mini-packs which provide just the right amount of sweetness without inducing a sugar rush.
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Rule Breaker Snacks
5 Rule Breaker Snacks
Borderline dessert, these chickpea-based blondies, brownies, and bites are parent-approved lunchtime sweets. Each flavor is vegan and certified nut-free, gluten-free, and non-GMO. Send your sweetie to school with a fudgy Deep Chocolate Brownie, peanut-free P’Nutter Chocolate Chip blondie, or a handful of sprinkle-topped blondie bites.
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Hummus Pods
6 Hummus Pods
Pizza rolls were a popular after-school snack in the ‘90s and early aughts, but today’s generation of kids is snacking on a more sophisticated version of these oven-baked bites. Hummus pods take that soft-yet-chewy pizza roll dough and stuff it with flavored hummus. Served hot, they’ll satisfy hungry kids after school or practice without sacrificing nutrition. Kid-friendly varieties include Smokey Chipotle, Zesty Lemon, and Mediterranean Olive.
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Motts
7 Applesauce cups
An oldie but a goodie, there’s no denying the convenient portability and universal love of single-serve applesauce. Grab a pack at Trader Joe’s or virtually any supermarket. No cool pack needed—these fruity snacks are always good to go.
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Hippeas
8 Hippeas
Kids and puffs go hand-in-hand. While their friends may be scarfing down puffs with a famous, sunglasses-wearing cheetah on the bag, your kids can snack on something equally as satisfying without the chemical powders. Made with chickpea powder, these puffs pack in a good amount of quality nutrition—including four grams of protein, three grams of fiber, and no saturated fats. Flavors include Vegan White Cheddar, Nacho Vibes, Bohemian Barbecue, and Sriracha Sunrise.
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Nature’s Bakery
9 Nature’s Bakery
This wholesome snackery is completely nut-free and vegan. Products range from figgy and fruit-filled bars to oatmeal crumbles and better-for-you brownie squares. All are soft-baked, lightly sweet, and perfect for the kid who craves dessert at every meal.
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From the Ground Up
10 From the Ground Up pretzels and stalks
Made from vegetables such as cauliflower, cassava, and butternut squash, these crunchy, savory snacks are virtually guaranteed to never get traded at the lunch table. The pretzels come in twists and dippable sticks while the hollow stalks are light and deliciously crackly. Kids will love the vegan cheddar flavor, and parents will love the nutrition label.
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SunButter
11 SunButter to-go
If you have a kid with a nut allergy and you’ve yet to stumble upon sunflower seed butter, you’ve got to give it a try. The spread offers the same creamy texture and nutty taste of peanut butter—without the nuts. The SunButter company offers portable, single-serving cups and pouches which are perfect for lunch boxes. Great on its own or spread on apples or celery, sunflower butter is what allergen-friendly dreams are made of.
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SeaSnax
12 SeaSnax
Don’t be afraid to offer kids bold flavors—their palates can handle it. These light and crispy sheets of seasoned nori are a healthy, nut-free option for snack time at school. Flavors range from Original (just sea salt and olive oil) to Toasty Onion, Chipotle, and Wasabi.
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The Forager Project
13 Forager chips
More exciting than kale chips, these tortilla-style chips are infused with green powder to add a little nutrition to an otherwise nutrient-deficient snack. Kids will love the Cheesy Greens flavor—a completely vegan chip with a big cheesy punch.
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Snacklins
14 Snacklins
Light and airy yet crisp and crunchy at the same time, these minimal ingredient snacks have a lot going on in terms of texture. Made simply with yuca, mushrooms, onions, sunflower oil, and spices, these chips are great for after-school snacking that won’t ruin their appetite for dinner. Fair warning: the family (adults included) will fight over who gets the last bag of Snacklins, so buy in bulk.
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@Bldwithtiff/Instagram
15 The Snack Yard Shiitake Mushrooms
Better. Than. Chips. While there are flavored potato chips, these baked shiitake mushrooms come with all-natural umami—not artificial colors, flavorings, or powders that stain your fingers. They’re addictive, but not because they were manufactured that way. These super crunchy snacks are perfectly bite-sized for kids and a terrific alternative to the more processed food products constantly touted to the younger generation (and the parents who buy these foods for them).
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Imperfect Foods
16 Good ole fruits and veggies
In today’s world, it’s virtually impossible to be a parent and avoid packaged foods. We get it, and it’s totally okay to rely on some convenience foods to get through the day. However, there are a few whole foods that are super easy to prep and pack. Look for fruits that come in their own “package,” such as bananas, oranges, and apples. Buy pre-chopped celery and carrot stalks or single-serving packs of baby carrots. If you have an extra second, spoon some hummus into a mini to-go container or some nut-free, dairy-free ranch (Follow Your Heart makes a nut-free option). Have an extra minute? Ants on a log (celery stick slathered with sunflower butter and dotted with raisins) are a perpetual crowd-pleaser.
For more vegan kid tips, read:
5 Tips for Raising Vegan Kids
Follow Your Heart’s First Vegan Mac and Cheese
6 Ways to Get Your Children to Eat More Vegetables
Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
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16 Vegan and Nut-Free Snacks for Kids - VegNews
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