Snacks / Snack Policy

During the year and on birthdays: NO PEANUT BUTTER OR SNACKS CONTAINING NUTS. Also, please limit your child's snack to one (l) snack and a drink. (See the information on hidden sources of nuts, below.)

The EEC requires the children to have a barrier between their snack and the table it is served on. We are asking each child to have a cloth napkin or placement in his/her lunchbox, which would go back and forth with him/her everyday. This would cut down on paper usage and help our environment.

Due to Gardner's increased cost of trash removal, we would appreciate your help in keeping our costs down. Please send your child's drink in a thermos/rubbermaid, either a reusable container or a recyclable one. The snack should also be in a reusable container. You might find something at a dollar store. This will help tremendously in reducing our costs.

Please reinforce with your child that there is no sharing of daily snacks or bringing in a snack for a friend.

Food Labels & Hidden Sources Of Nuts

Food Labels may use the following words to identify a peanut or other types of nuts:

Peanut (a legume)
Tree nuts (walnut, hazel nut/filbert, cashew, pistachio nut, Brazil nut, pine nut, almond)
Peanut oil or a specific tree nut oil

Some Hidden Sources of Peanuts

Artificial nuts can be peanuts that have been deflavored and reflavored with a nut, such as pecan or walnut. Mandelonas are peanuts soaked in almond flavoring.
Arachis oil is peanut oil.
Peanut-allergic patients are advised to avoid chocolate candies unless they are absolutely certain there is no risk of cross-contact during manufacturing procedures.
African, Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes often contain peanuts, or are contaminated with peanuts during preparation of these types of meals. Additionally, foods sold in bakeries and ice cream shops are often in contact with peanuts. It is recommended that peanut-allergic individuals avoid these types of foods and restaurants.
Many brands of sunflower seeds are produced on equipment shared with peanuts.
Many nut butters (i.e., cashew nut butter), are produced on equipment used to process peanut butter, therefore making it somewhat of a risky alternative.

Some Hidden Sources of Tree Nuts

Mortadella may contain pistachios.
Tree nuts have been used in many foods including barbecue sauce, cereals, crackers, and ice cream.
Kick sacks, or hacky sacks, bean bags, and draft dodgers are sometimes filled with crushed nut shells.