Tree nut allergies are one of the most common and talked about among the Top 8. It is the second most common among infants and children and once acquired is usually a lifelong food allergy, with only 9% of the population ever outgrowing it. This makes it common among adults as well. Tree nut allergies (as well as peanut allergies) can cause severe reactions and even death. Epi-Pens are usually a must with nut allergies and in some cases even the touch or breath of someone else who has just consumed the allergen could cause a reaction.
Tree nuts should not be confused with peanuts or seeds. Peanuts are legumes (beans), but in some cases, a peanut allergy may accompany a tree nut allergy and vise versa. There are many types of tree nuts and you may be allergic to one, two, a select few, or all of them. Coconut is also listed by the FDA as a tree nut, however, it is extremely for someone allergic to tree nuts to be allergic to coconut as it is actually a fruit seed. But coconut can still cause allergic reactions.
Because of the severity of many nut allergies, schools have started to make "nut-free" zones, classes rooms, etc. It causes controversy of course, but safety is most important in these cases. Some people even require an "allergy-detecting" dog that will let them know if the allergic substance is nearby or in the room. The only way to stay safe, as with any allergen, is to avoid the allergen (tree nuts) at all costs by reading labels, checking for cross-contamination and processing/manufacturing/facility practices, and keeping the allergens out of the house.
Grab this word search activity to help teach your kids which tree nut terms to look for on packages!
The good news is nut-alternatives have become more mainstream over the years and there are great safe options that can replace those of nuts.
Nuts can be replaced with seeds: hemp, sunflower, pumpkin, flax seed, sesame seeds etc.
Nut butters can be seed butters: Tahini, sunflower butter, pumpkin butter, maybe some great chocolate hemp butter, etc.! Hummus and bean spreads are also a great alternative to nut butters
Nut milks can be other plant-based: Flax milk, soy milk, coconut milk*, quinoa milk, rice milk, etc.
Great companies like Enjoy Life Foods, Cherrybrook Kitchen, Skeeter, SunButter, Good Karma Foods, Udi's (baked goods), Ian's Natural Foods, Freedom Foods, Soom Foods, PlantFusion, and many others with safe or dedicated facilities.
So tell me:
+ Do you or a loved one suffer from a tree nut allergy? If so, do you only avoid certain nuts or all of them?
+ If your or your child's school "nut-free"? Do you feel it's an inconvenience?
Other "What To Avoid" food allergy posts: Soy, Egg, Dairy, Corn, Wheat, Celiac Disease (Gluten).
Sources:
+ http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/tree-nut-allergy
+ http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/page/tree-nut-allergy.aspx
+ http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/nut-allergy
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Alana
Thank you so much for sharing these. My daughter has tree nut allergies so this info is very helpful.
Rebecca Pytell
Glad it helps!
Sapphire rose
My allergy was started with walnuts was hospitalised for a few days i now avoid all nuts as i really dont want to risk another bad reaction again,my grandaughter is also allergic to tree nuts as well as soy and dairy she is only 2 and its quite hard to find replacements for her so in behalf of us both thanks for a great informative article
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Glad it could provide a little help!
Joanne
This is such a bazaar allergy, I can eat Almonds, and Cashews but not Walnuts,
Brazil nuts, Pralines or Pecans. I could eat Pine nuts at one point then out of nowhere I had a reaction to them.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That's why it can be very scary. It can be hard to nail down and happen when you least excpect it!
Sherry
Thanks for sharing this great information!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Jennifer Stewart
Thanks for the great information! I am learning so much! I cook for my church on Wednesdays and have lots of people with allergies!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Now you can keep them safe!
Jenn Peters
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you so much for sharing this post! I don't have to worry about any allergies, but this is super helpful information for anyone who does.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Melinda
My adult daughter was just diagnosed with tree nut allergies. Now with all my allergies, we have to plan for hers too! I didn't even think about someone's breath causing a reaction, wow!
Thanks for the knowledge!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Nut allergies and peanut allergies can be very severe!
Sam @ PancakeWarriors
Love this list!! I'm seriously struggling with Dave's new found tree nut allergy. Sigh, everything I love he's allergic or sensitive to. But it's better than having him feel terrible all the time. Love the resource, I may send this to his family before the holidays! xo
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
At least you can revel in all the sunflower, pumpkin, and hemp seeds! (Hopefully coconut too!)
jane @ littlesugarsnaps
Great list. My nephew has nut allergies, so I know I'll be referring to this in the future when he's due to visit. Pleased to see a mention of marzipan, loved by so many kids as it's so utterly delicious. It foxed my Mum a few years back who made a nut free variation of her usual Christmas cake then completely forgot that marzipan=almonds, slavoured the cake in it and presented it as nut-free. Erm.....
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
O goodness! That's why it' so so so important to triple check everything when it comes to food allergies!
Deborah
Very informative. Thank you for sharing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Sure!
Marla
Hi Rebecca,
Great information - tree nuts are such a common allergy that this information is very valuable.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Doreen Tapper
No one in my family has these allergies, but I work in a public school. Thank you for this info to help keep children safe.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Great!
Alex
Thankfully I'm far from a severe case, I just cannot do large quantities or uncooked versions. Small cooked/processed quantities of even hazel- and walnuts are fine. So I can still have the guilty pleasure of Nutella every now and then.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, well as long as you know your limits and safety!
sue
Nut allergies can be so dangerous so thank you for such a comprehensive list!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Emma
My youngest is allergic to peanuts and after a blood test we were told to avoid tree nuts as well. Since coconut always has the '*' I asked the allergist. He said coconut shouldn't be a problem, but offered to test my son for peace of mind. Wouldn't you know, my son tested positive for that allergy too!
He's young enough that we're hoping he'll outgrow the allergy. He's the first person I've ever known personally to have a nut allergy, so it's been a learning experience!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
O thank goodness you checked! Better to be 100% sure!
It is so common for children to grow out of these allergies! Only time will tell, but at least you know and he can be safe now!
Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
We are lucky to have no food allergies in our family but as our children get older and start going to school I keep learning more about allergies, like the different kinds of nuts. Thanks for an informative and helpful post. I really learned a lot.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks dear! I'm glad it was insightful!
Glenda Cates
We are lucky as no one in my family is allergic to Nuts. As for my sons school they do nothing special for people with these Allergies.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That's usually how it is. I also don't think they should do anything special JUST for nut allergies and neglect the other allergies too. Unless the allergy is one where the substance can't be in the same room!
Glenda Cates
I agree with you.
Ariana
One of my good friends has a tree nut allergy, and I'm always worried I'm going to forget and feed her something! Fortunately she's really on top of things 😉 I feel very fortunate in that I have never had to deal with a serious allergy of my own!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
When you have allergies you learn very quick that it's always sup to you to be safe!
Noreen
Having schools be nut free is an annoyance to those who don't have a child with a nut allergy. To those people who DO have a child with a nut allergy, a nut free school is a necessity.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It can be. I think there should be zones, for any life threatening allergy though. There needs to be a safe comfortable learning environment for all.
Chelsey
As someone with a tree nut (and peanut and sesame seed!) allergy, getting this info out there is SO important!! I think it's great that so many schools are nut free now because that wasn't the case when I went to school and I had to be so careful! Thanks for spreading the food allergy love, doll!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yea! Kids don't need more stress at school!
chrysta @ noshed
This is such great info! I don't have a nut allergy and I consume more than my fair share of them 😉 But I know a lot of people that do and I am always trying to learn as much as I can so thank you for this. Interesting on coconut too! I wouldn't have been sure what camp that one fell into. xoxo!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, same here dear 😉
It's one of those "cucumbers and tomatoes are fruit" kinda misconceptions 😛
Michele @ paleorunningmomma
My kids can bring nuts to lunch but not snack since they eat snack in the classroom. At lunch, supposedly the kids with peanut or nut allergies eat at a separate table. Not sure I love that setup, it might make more sense just to have the whole school nut free? Then again, most people don't distinguish between peanuts and tree nuts. My daughter actually taught her class that peanut are legumes last year and no one, including the teacher, had any idea. okay now I'm rambling, sorry!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yea! At the end of my "stint" in grade school, they started a "nut-free" table in the lunchroom, but only 1 or 2 kids sat there and it was more socially isolating and horrible.
Haha, I know!!! (That's why it's frowned upon by the paleos haha). But yea, I'll be doing a peanut post too.
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
Seeds are always there to save the day! Seed milks, seed butters, seed snacking, no one seems to have an issue with them. But you didn't include my favorite little black seed on the list! Just put a little disclaimer about the choking and dying issue 😉 lol
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hahahahahaha 😉 Trying to be safe here. I wonder if you could make chia butter? It's not really a "nut-mimicking" seed, that's why I didn't include it 😛
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
Ewwww no I don't think that would work! I'm imagining a lumpy glop that sort of resembles Floam (do you remember that stuff)...totally understand your reasoning now 😛
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hahaha! I mean, putting some whole chia seeds in a nut butter is good though! Like TJ's PB with flax and chia. But yea, not total chia butter...ew.
YES!!! I remember that stuff! They should have used chia and then it could be edible...well kinda. They would have to change the "caution" from don't eat because of chemicals to don't eat because of choking hazards!
Annmarie
So I don't have a nut allergy per se but I am supposed to be avoiding them on a low histamine diet- great info, I will definitely be referencing it!!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Annmarie!
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes
People ask about coconut a lot. Glad to know that allergies to coconut are rare. Crazy that cold-cuts can harbor nuts!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I know! Coconut is a tricky one, I wasn't sure myself!