Packing School Lunches the Right Way

Posted by Rebekah Lowe / Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Many schools throughout Northern Virginia are taking steps to ensure a healthy and safe eating environment for children with food allergies. Find out what you should be looking for and what to avoid packing.

Plan ahead: Many schools now offer individualized meal plans (also called an Individual Health Care Plan or IHCP). Meet with your school’s nurse prior to your child’s enrollment about what options the school offers for allergic children. ¶ In Stafford County schools, almost every item containing peanuts has been eliminated from their menu, and anything containing peanuts is labeled with an alert. ¶ Look out for schools that offer a peanut-free table in the cafeteria. Many NoVA schools have added these tables for children with life-threatening allergies.

Keep the school informed: Meeting with the principal and school nurse is important, but don’t forget you should also make sure your child’s teacher, cafeteria manager, custodian and bus driver are aware of your child’s needs, as well.

Know your rights: Food allergies are considered a disability under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Make sure your child receives the treatment he or she is entitled to receive.

Be knowledgeable: The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network updates their website with information regarding food recalls. Recently, Chef One, Corp. recalled four cases of boxed “Chef One Pork Egg Rolls” because the product was found to contain undeclared soy, milk and egg.

—Alexandra Scarfone

Tags: lunch, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, S.W.A.G, school