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PEANUT/NUT FREE TABLE |
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PEANUT/NUT ONLY TABLE |
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For schools working to make accommodations for a student with peanut or nut allergies, trying to find a balance that can accommodate all students can be a challenge.
Creating areas free of these potentially deadly allergens in classrooms and common areas (i.e. library, auditorium, etc.) makes sense, however, when you are struggling with what accommodations to make in the cafeteria, consider these suggestions below:
· If your hot lunch program serves peanut and nut products, than accommodate the student with food allergies with a “Peanut/nut Free” table in the cafeteria. This area is especially important for younger students since at the elementary aged level and younger, they can be quite messy eaters. While some schools are finding these tables to be popular, as friends often want to sit with their best buddies, sometimes that table can be a lonely place to eat. Schools should encourage “lunch buddies” so that a student never eats alone or feels isolated.
· If your school has removed peanut and nut products from their hot lunch program, as a compromise, allow non-allergic students to bring these products in their cold lunches, only to be consumed in the cafeteria. This can be a balance that allergic families and the non-allergic families should be able to come together on.
In this case, your school may want to consider a “Peanut/Nut Only” table. Since students with food allergies do not have the same choices as those students without allergies, those students that make the choice to bring in peanut and nut products in their cold lunches can then be directed to eat at this table.
Removing peanut and nut products from the hot lunch program significantly reduces the risks of exposure to students with these allergies. These students also are less likely to be isolated to a peanut/nut free table.
DON’T FORGET HAND WASHING! - Encourage all students to wash their hands before leaving the cafeteria. More and more schools are providing hand-wipes on cafeteria lunch tables for students to use before exiting the lunchroom. Hand sanitizers are not a good choice when it comes to removing peanut and nut residue from hands. It only spreads the oily residue around.
Remember, that accommodations made for a student with food allergies should be based on recommendations of that student’s physician. Food allergy is not a “one-size-fits-all” as some students may react just by ingestion, others may react from touch or inhalation.
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