Nuts

[Beck]

The kind you eat of course! What are everyone's favourite kinds and do you use them a lot in cooking? For those of you allergic to peanuts are you allergic to all nuts too?

I don't eat them a lot, though I used to like eating salted peanuts and I like peanut butter on occasion. I quite like cashews in some dishes but I don't use them in cooking often.

My kids schools are completely nut-free. That means they can't even have museli bars at school, or anything that may contain nut traces. Do you think that is how it should be, or should kids with allergies be responsible for not sharing or touching other kids lunches anyway?

[Bre]

I love cashews but otherwise I could live without most types of nuts. I like peanut M&Ms, but that's about the only thing I like peanuts in. BUT I love the outer shell of peanuts. Sooo nummy!

[shred]

I don't mind nuts. I think they are ok. I'll eat them but I can live without them. I find it weird to find nuts in my food though.

Jul 8, 2010 8:30:54 GMT 10 Beck said:

My kids schools are completely nut-free. That means they can't even have museli bars at school, or anything that may contain nut traces. Do you think that is how it should be, or should kids with allergies be responsible for not sharing or touching other kids lunches anyway?

I think it's ok to 'ban' nuts in school where the kids are young and they don't know any better. I don't think they should do that in High School though. Kids are old enough to know.

So what happens if a kid brings in food with nuts or nut traces in them? Will the kid get punished for it?

[Beck]

I honestly don't know, I have never sent my kids in with anything like that. The kids schools have a list of kids with allergies to nuts and their photos in their school sick room too, did everyone else's have that?

[shred]

Not for me. We didn't have anything like that. We were allowed to bring whatever we wanted.

Then again nut allergies aren't all that common among Asians.

[Beck]

They didn't at my school either, and there were no nut rules. They were starting to bring it in when I was leaving high school though.

[shred]

I think it's because the numbers of nut allergies are rising among the younger generation. Natural selection...

[Loz]

I'm fine with the nut thing in schools but that's mainly because of Shaun. I used to think it was a bit of an overreaction but not now. I like most nuts but I don't have them a lot these days. Cashews would be my fave.

[Nico]

I am allergic to peanuts, I got them at school, from the school and they caused my throat to close up I could barely breathe and couldn't walk. I don't know if I am allergic to other types though, I cut them out completely.

[Beck]

Have you had any other reactions since then, by accidentally eating something that had traces? I have always wondered how bad it would be for someone with a bad nut allergy to have something that doesn't have nuts but was made on machines that were used for other things with nuts. I don't know why they can't make the nut products on different machines honestly.

[Nico]

With me I only get a serious reaction when I eat peanuts directly, or anything made with high peanut contents. When I eat something that has traces of peanuts I usually just get sick, like stomach flu sick.

With the amount of food that says "may contain traces of nuts" I am glad I don't have such a bad reaction that the tiniest amount of peanut could be life threatening.

[Shaun]

I am the same as Nico, I have had sickness and some swelling from food I have later suspected may have had some traces of nuts. I get a reaction if I have anything that has a lot, I can't breathe, my throat closes up a bit, rash and swelling in my face and neck. I also have cut out all nuts, so I don't know if I am allergic to every single one.

They are potentially fatal for some people, so I don't see why it is wrong to have them banned from schools. I think they should be.

[Lizzie]

I love peanut butter, and peanut M&Ms. I also really like salted cashews

I do agree with banning nuts - it's a safety thing.

[Nico]

Especially since kids love to share food, at least me and my friends always shared our lunches in Primary school and that was before my parents were aware I had an allergy.

I was given my first ever pack of peanuts from the school after doing an exercise course for the school sports day, I didn't think anything of it and munched away, didn't take long to realize something was wrong but I was a kid and was just panicked.

[Beck]

You wouldn't have accepted any peanuts again from anyone though would you? Not knowing what happened last time. Something like that could have just as easily happened at home or at a friends house. I don't think they should sell nut products at the school but I don't like that all nut products are banned completely. I understand things like nuts themselves and peanut butter, but you can't even send in anything that *may* contain traces.

[Nina]

They should be banned from all schools they can kill kids who wouldn't know any better!

I dont like nuts but I love nutella and peanut butter lol

[RebeccaR]

I'm a nutter lol. I'll eat most of them, except pine nuts and pistaccios. I don't mind peanut butter but I hate that it's so sticky and hard to swallow