WOWBUTTER at School: Frequently asked Questions and Answers for Schools and School Boards

Parents and caregivers are frustrated when peanut butter is restricted without a viable alternative solution being offered. As a result, in many cases the nutrition needs of their child are not being met. It is a struggle to find simple, convenient, inexpensive healthy foods for lunches that their kids like. Lunches come back home uneaten because their child won't eat what is sent. The nutrition needs of all kids are not being recognized and addressed!

Why do we need WOWBUTTER at school?

WOWBUTTER helps solve this difficult lunch nutrition problem that has risen from the necessary peanut free and peanut aware policies implemented by socially responsible Schools. Moms and dads no longer have to struggle with what to pack in their kids' lunch box. Many kids do not like sandwich meats or hummus spreads, which results in limited options for protein sources. WOWBUTTER provides the necessary high quality protein needed for school lunches to ensure children are receiving proper nutrition, is quick and convenient to make and kids love it!

What's in school lunches now?

Our research shows that realistically, most schools have little idea about the contents of school lunches, nor can they in most cases. It would be completely naive to think that all school lunches are peanut and nut free and healthy with the current lunch environment and lack of awareness and education at all levels.

We have heard countless stories from parents regarding the continued use of peanuts and nut products in lunches at peanut and nut free schools. Some parents knowingly send product containing peanut butter due to the lack of school support for peanut butter alternatives and some parents unknowingly send them because they do not take the time to properly read labels. This has been verified from lunch box studies by dieticians. Besides the overall general poor nutrition of the lunches many were packed with poor food and drink choices such as cold hot dogs, gummy treats, sugary fruit beverages and packaged cookies. The dietician also discovered that:

"Despite the ban on peanuts in the schools because of allergies, peanut butter cookies and other foods containing nuts were found as well"

Although these findings are disappointing, they are generally a result of:

1. Lack of education by the school about the severity of allergies and acceptable food choices for a peanut aware school
2. Lack of education about acceptable food choices for a peanut aware classroom and how to find them by properly reading food labels
3. Lack of education on how to properly label and identify homemade foods sent to school

The Bottom Line: Education by the school and/or classroom teacher is required to maximize effectiveness of peanut free and peanut aware policies. Allergic students need the support and co-operation from everyone, especially the school where it is required by law. NON-Allergic students also need help to assure compliance with peanut free lunch requirements and access to safe, nutritious peanut free foods such as WOWBUTTER.

What is WOWBUTTER?

WOWBUTTER was designed and developed as a peanut free spread to provide the necessary protein and nutrition that all kids need, while providing a safe school environment to those allergic to peanuts and nuts. It provides a 100% peanut free school lunch solution for the traditional school lunch staple, the peanut butter sandwich. WOWBUTTER is a safe and nutritious new food staple that is 100% Peanut & Nut Free and is supported with an accompanying School Lunch Procedure for lunch identification.

WOWBUTTER with the accompanying School Lunch Identification stickers included with every jar is the only product available that addresses the needs of allergic kids, non-allergic kids and schools all at the same time. Every effort has been made to assure the safety of peanut allergic kids, the compliance of school peanut free policies and the lunch nutrition needs and taste demands of non-allergic kids.

How can a school determine the contents of a lunch?

Informed parents are following the School Lunch Procedure detailed online when sending WOWBUTTER to school. Voluntary support of a school peanut and nut free policy increases with the use of WOWBUTTER and the accompanying Safe-for-School lunch identification labelling system. An identified and labelled lunch is the only truly safe lunch in the school. It is being discovered by schools that the common sense approach of lunch identification of unknown foods made at home in conjunction with WOWBUTTER results in a more educated, united, safer and healthier school. Give parents the resources to make the responsible decision to pack a nutritious peanut and nut free lunch that their kids will eat and protect the safety of allergic kids at the same time and they WILL.

LUNCH IDENTIFICATION STICKERS ARE NOW INCLUDED WITH EVERY JAR OF WOWBUTTER for easy access by parents and easy WOWBUTTER lunch identification by schools!

How do we make sure everyone knows what to do?

It's not complicated, many schools have already done it: a simple statement or letter from a school or school board to parents indicating that: If you wish to send WOWBUTTER to school as a nutritious and safe peanut butter replacement, the lunch must be identified and labelled using the Safe-for-School labels that are INCLUDED WITH EVERY JAR. All lunch identification stickers are the same and everyone will then know what is expected of them. Information brochures available for printing online provide all the information that a parent will need about WOWBUTTER and where to review the SCHOOL LUNCH PROCEDURE.

If the schools support the parents on this issue, the parents will support the schools. The labelling requirements are outlined as part of our School Lunch Procedure detailed online and included as part of the "terms of use" attached to the Safe-for-School labels.

SCHOOL LUNCH PROCEDURE

What awareness support for WOWBUTTER is being provided for schools?

WOWBUTTER is the solution to an existing problem that has not previously been satisfactorily solved and continues to cause various school lunch issues. Increasingly being recognized as the only good and acceptable solution that satisfies the needs of all kids, HUNDREDS of schools have already requested and sent home WOWBUTTER samples and information brochures as an education and awareness initiative for parents. The number of schools requesting samples and information continues to increase. These samples and information are provided FREE of charge by WOWBUTTER Foods for every child in the classroom and can be requested by each school directly from the WOWBUTTER.com website. This informs all parents about WOWBUTTER, it's safety and benefits and directs them to the necessary procedures required for sending WOWBUTTER to school and finally provides a school lunch solution.

The response to samples already sent home by schools has been very positive: "Many parents have appreciated the sample that we sent home and making them aware that this product is available. The kids really enjoy the WOW Butter and so do the parents. We have had no negative responses."

What else can a school do to improve the learning environment?

The very purpose of schools is to educate kids. Students must learn how to make responsible, accountable decisions that respect the safety of their fellow students at school and in society. It is important to educate them about the potential dangers of allergies and how to determine the difference between safe and unsafe foods by reading labels so that they can make the responsible decision to recognize and help protect those with life threatening allergies. Encouraging a learning environment on this topic has far reaching benefits for all of society.

Promoting awareness and cooperation for a better, safer society both inside and outside of the school environment should be the number one priority. Everyone must be reminded to carefully read food labels, as it's the only thing you can rely on. Labelling laws have been improved for this reason and are strictly enforced by government officials to ensure that everyone knows the contents of the food they consume.

We also have reminder posters available that can be printed and displayed in the classroom to remind students that their lunches containing WOWBUTTER must be labeled. It also better informs the lunch monitors.

You can download and print this poster

direct from this website.