24 Days Till School: 5 Nut-Free Peanut Butter Alternatives

Each day of the month leading up to the first day of school, Oakland Township Patch will bring you useful back-to-school information, tricks, trends and tips.

Peanut butter is a common lunch and snack item. It's sweet, kids like it, it has protein and it won't spoil before lunch time. And while some schools allow peanut butter and other nut products, other schools or classrooms are strictly nut-free due to allergies.

So if your child's school or classroom is nut-free – or if your child has nut allergies – here are five peanut butter alternatives your child might enjoy.

1. Sunflower seed butter. This sweet spread is not only nut-free, but also tree-nut free and gluten-free. It's sweet and creamy like peanut butter, so your child may not even notice the difference. SunButter is a popular brand of sunflower seed butter.
2. Soy nut butter. This peanut butter alternative is also nut-free, tree-nut free and gluten-free, and it's available in several flavors, including chocolate. I.M. Healthy is a popular brand of soy nut butter.
3. Hemp seed butter. It's creamy, nut-free and green. Yes, green. Manitoba Harvest produces several hemp products, including hemp butter.
   
4. Hummus. Made of chickpeas, hummus is high in protein, fiber and iron. Kids can eat it with pretzels, crackers or a few pieces of pita bread.
   
5. Apple Butter. This highly concentrated form of applesauce is great for spreading on bread, crackers, french toast and pancakes. It's nut-free, and with cider mill season coming up, it will be easy to find, too.

Countdown to School

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