Inclusive Serving for Wellbeing

Whew! With May flowers come spring schedules bursting into bloom. Graduation ceremonies, final sports matches, musical events, and more pop up across schools and campuses to create a vibrant season.

It’s fitting, then, that Food Allergy Awareness Week is in May. In fact, the whole month is a special time of focus on the hidden costs of allergies.

Why? Because when we’re the busiest – when it feels like there’s no time to think – the food allergy procedures that foodservice directors have in place to safeguard all students become most critical.

It’s a Wrap! Reflect on Awareness

Review what you did for Food Allergy Awareness Week and what you plan to have in place for next year. What worked best?

Survey students, staff, and administrators. Continue to remind them:

• Food allergies are a life-changing, serious, and increasingly prevalent disease that affects more than 33 million people in the United States.
  
• One in every 13 children has a food allergy, which is approximately two children in every U.S. classroom.
  
• Research shows that the prevalence of food allergies is increasing among children and adults.
  
• There is no cure for food allergies.
  
• Allergic reactions to food can range from mild symptoms to anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can occur rapidly and may be fatal.

(Source: foodallergy.org)

Put Students at the Center

Inclusive menus are collaborative – built on empathy and support. They represent the needs of the student body. And how will you ever know what students need without asking?

Listen to students’ experiences living with a food allergy. Ask staff to share stories about a time they helped avert a medical crisis.

Some students and staff may welcome having a voice in front of the student body and at Allergy Awareness events. Others may be willing to share stories that are compiled anonymously as part of a Voice of Students with Food Allergies or Voice of Foodservice Heroes campaign.

Raise Collaborators

Remember, it takes the whole foodservice staff working in unison to create a positive environment for people with food allergies – from food prep to serving. People need to know what’s in their food.

Share how raising allergy awareness lifts the performance of the entire school or university.

For example, according to the American College Health Association, 13.1% of students in their 2024 survey reported having been diagnosed with a food allergy, and 10.3% said having allergies negatively affected their academic performance.

It’s likely that the same impact is affecting grade schoolers. Luckily, there are practical steps you can take to reverse that trend.

SunButter® Thai Chicken Pizza

Understand the Invisible Cost of Food Allergies

And What to Do About It!

Know That:
Students with food allergies don’t want to feel “different,” or like a burden to staff.

Do This:
Make it simple for students to line up and eat without hesitation by offering a variety of allergy-friendly options that are appealing to everyone.

• Create an environment where allergy-friendly dishes are the main attraction, not an exception.
  
• Streamline menus by using SunButter® Sunflower Seed Butter 1:1 in place of peanut butter and nut butters.
  
• Try trending, nut-free recipes like SunButter® Harvest Granola Bars and SunButter® Thai Chicken Pizza.
  
• Replace prepackaged snacks that pose a risk to nut-allergic students with allergy-friendly options like SunButter® Sunflower Seed Butter to-go cups. Creamy or Chocolate.
  
• Exclusively for Colleges & Universities: Serve nut-free Jammies® Crustless Sunflower Seed Butter and Jelly Sandwiches in retail venues, micro markets, athletic programs, and catering. These nourishing bites provide 10g protein per 2.6 oz Jammies®.
  
• Trending in Schools: Try summer global recipes like Asian-inspired Chop Salad with Ginger SunButter® Dressing. Add this zesty dressing to wonton strips, crisp lettuce, edamame, peppers, and other seasonal veggies.
  
  • For the SunButter® Dressing, blend canola oil, honey, rice vinegar, lime juice, SunButter®, soy sauce, ginger, Sriracha, and garlic. Contact your SunButter® Foodservice Representative for the complete recipe.
    

Know That:
Students commonly feel anxiety, panic, and fatigue about their food allergy. Students who fear an allergic reaction may limit their food intake as a result.

Do This:
Bring students and families into the planning process. Ask them about their concerns. Clearly communicate all the procedures you have in place for them to eat safely among their peers.

• Use clear allergen labeling / icons on menus.
  
• Make ingredient lists available for all foods.
  
• Educate all students about food allergy risks.
  
• Regularly assess dining spaces, signage, communication strategies, and staff interactions.
  
• Implement continuous improvement based on student feedback.
  

Product Pioneers

For Everyone Under the Sun

The origins of SunButter® are simple. We wanted to help students with food allergies eat safely like everyone else. We’re proud of creating the first nut-free spread for schools in partnership with the USDA. We’re the original, and we’re super passionate about inspiring simple, inclusive menus that nourish all students.