Does your child have an allergy or does your child have an allergy-friendly school? If you’re like us, it’s easy to fall into a bit of a rut when packing our kids’ lunch. Allergy restrictions can seemingly create a narrow set of options, and it’s easy to pack the same safe snacks over and over.

That’s where we come in! Level up your lunch game by adding these crowd-pleasers to your lunchtime rotation.

Two quick notes before you rush to read them. As most parents of kids with allergies know, it pays to read a product’s ingredient list. Both production methods and ingredients may change over time, so we advise taking a moment to double-check for restricted allergens before putting schoolbound treats in your cart.

Crispy Seasoned Chickpeas

If your kiddo is a fan of hummus and crispy snacks, give these roasted snacks a try. They are a great source of vegetarian protein, simple to prepare, and can be seasoned according to your child’s tastes. Below is our default, but feel free to edit and adjust.

Ingredients (Makes roughly 2 cups):
2 x 15 oz. cans Chickpeas (Garbanzos)
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
½ teaspoon Paprika
¼ teaspoon Cumin
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
1 ¼ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Cayenne

Instructions:

1. Set your oven racks so that one is in the middle slot.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
3. Rinse and dry the chickpeas as well as possible to maximize crunchiness.
4. In a medium bowl, add and mix the chickpeas, olive oil, and seasoning according to your family’s taste, tossing and mixing for an even coating.
5. Spread evenly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
6. Roast for 10 to 15 mins.
7. Pull them out and mix them around to cook evenly
8. Put them back in the oven for another 10 to 15, or until golden brown, crispy on the outside, but still a bit soft on the inside.
9. Set aside to cool and enjoy warm.

 
If you have an air fryer, follow the steps below for a speedier cook time.

1. Set air fryer temperature to 390 degrees.
2. Rinse and dry the chickpeas by hand.
3. Spread them out evenly in the fryer basket. You may need to make several batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
4. OPTIONAL: If you want to maximize crispiness, you can allow the chickpeas to dry in the fryer for about 5 mins before spraying them with oil and coating them with spices.
5. Spray the dried chickpeas with oil and coat with spices.
6. Cook for 10 to 15 mins., depending on whether you did the 5-minute advance dry.
7. Shake the basket at least twice during the cooking process to ensure an even cook.
8. Pull and cool when they are a nice golden brown.

Whether you roast or air fry, store the chickpeas in an open container to keep them crisp.

Quick and Easy Cinnamon Apples

Is it a topping, a filling, or a snack? Yes! This easy and truly tasty recipe is ready in less than an hour (prep included!)and only uses 7 ingredients! 7+1 if you include love, which you definitely should.

Ingredients:
3 Large apples – Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious are our top 3 varieties
2 ½ tablespoons Water
1.5 tablespoons Salted butter or coconut oil
1 ¼ maple syrup or honey
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
A generous pinch salt

Instructions:

1. OPTIONAL: Peel the apples if preferred.
2. Cut the apples into bite-sized pieces, making them as uniformly sized as possible.
3. Put the apples and water into a frying pan.
4. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 2 mins.
5. Uncover and cook, raising the temp to medium, stirring occasionally.
6. Continue until the pieces are slightly soft and the water absorbed (roughly 3 to 5 mins.).
7. Add the butter or coconut oil to the skillet and stir until the apples are well coated.
8. Cook for roughly 5 mins. more, stirring regularly, until the apples become a bit softer.
9. Add maple syrup or honey, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla, stirring until well mixed.
10. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the apples reach your desired softness.
11. Remove from the heat and serve, or let cool before storing in an airtight container.

Running late?

Rite Aid carries a selection of pantry worthy, allergy-friendly, and crowd-pleasing snacks including:

• Harvest Snaps Green Pea Snack Crisps
• Big Win Popcorn
• The Good Bean Grab and Go Chickpeas
• Pampa Apple Sauce

*Note: This article has been cross posted from Bartell Drugs