First Thanksgiving with Food Allergies? Check Out These Tips

You can learn to manage food allergies at Thanksgiving...
and you can eventually even have fun. No, really.

 

Dealing with food allergies at Thanksgiving for the first time this year? This can be a tricky business, but take heart: you can manage it and you are definitely not alone. As you sit down with the family this year, just keep in mind that millions of other parents are in the same situation.

 

Any holiday with a food allergy is difficult, but since Thanksgiving is focused almost entirely on the food served, this one is particularly challenging for families facing a new food allergy diagnosis. Any type of food allergy is cause for concern at Thanksgiving, but peanut and tree nut allergies can give you some heartburn as these foods show up with more frequency and as part of "secret ingredients" in recipes at this time of year. Autumn, especially, equals "tree nuts" so be careful!

 

Once you've been through a couple of holiday meals with the family, you will be better able to anticipate some of the pitfalls. However, if you are just starting out, both you and your family are still learning what it means to create a food allergy-friendly meal. The best policy is caution. Don't feel pressured to serve your child anything you can't verify is safe for them. A food is never worth risking your child's health for, so don't feel compelled to feed your child anything you have doubts about. This is a good policy to maintain at all times, and especially at the holidays where such a huge variety of different foods may be on offer.

 

While you are getting used to food allergies and family meals, it is always a good idea to bring a separate meal or at least some food items that you know are OK for your child to eat. This is much easier than trying to determine if every food you didn't make or bring is safe. The fact is, many times you have no way of determining that. Not having nuts as an ingredient is only one piece of the puzzle. A recipe may have no actual peanuts or tree nuts, but it may have had cross contact with these allergens during the preparation process. Sometimes even the cook is unaware that there may have been cross contact, or what that means, especially if they are unused to dealing with severe food allergies.

 

Unless a food has a label or you made or brought the food yourself, there is a risk factor there. Avoid the ER and avoid these unknown foods.

 

What else to watch out for while navigating Thanksgiving with nut allergies?

 

Turkey stuffing. Turkey stuffing often contains tree nuts such as walnuts or pecans. If a turkey has a nutty stuffing, this renders the entire turkey unsafe to eat because the stuffing can permeate the meat. Some breads are unsafe for those with nut allergies, too. If you are not hosting, you will want to be careful of stuffing.

 

Sauces and gravies. These often contain hidden ingredients, so be careful!

 

Buffet-style meals. A family favorite, but if utensils are used for more than one dish and anything contains nuts or other allergens, the other foods can be cross contaminated.

 

Desserts. Desserts are high-risk for nut allergens and other food allergens. Bakery desserts may be cross contaminated due to the environment in which they are made; the same goes for homemade desserts. Bring a dessert for your child to make sure they can have a "safe" sweet treat with the other kids; even better if you bring enough to share.

 

Any food with unknown origins, or catered foods. If you don't know what's in something or how it was prepared, don't serve it to your child.

 

Difficult situations.

Occasionally, you may have to do some fancy footwork to deflect a difficult situation while celebrating the Turkey Day feast. Here are a few common scenarios and how to handle them:

 

Friends or family who baked something "nut-free" especially for your child.  Awkward! Unless you have personally schooled this person in detail on allergy-free baking and they have a kitchen that never sees peanuts or tree nuts cross the threshold (hardly anyone, in other words) anything home baked by others is at risk for cross contact. And keep in mind that many people believe that "nut allergies" mean peanut allergies, only! If you must avoid tree nuts as well, you run twice the risk of cross contact from a home baked item.

 

What to do if offered a treat "that doesn't have nuts in it"? Not everyone is as invested in your child as say, grandparents are, so if this is a relative or friend you don't see often, you can just sidestep the baked treats.  Say something like, "Thank you so much. That was so sweet and thoughtful. I'd love to try one of your cookies." Then don't give any to your allergic child, whatever you do!

 

What if this is a close friend or family member? You can be a little more detailed, especially if this is someone you see often. Explain that because of cross contact risk, you are under doctor's orders to avoid any homemade treats but that you love the thought and you appreciate the effort. Offer to have them over to bake a treat with you and your child if this is an activity they would enjoy.

 

Questions about "why so many kids these days have allergies?" or "what will happen if little Susie eats peanuts?"

Let's face it: discussing life-threatening food allergies doesn't exactly make for appetizing table talk. If people are truly interested and are sincere in wanting to help you, offer to discuss your family's personal situation at a later time. You can always tell others that no one knows why there are so many allergies these days, but in the meantime you are following your doctor's advice on keeping your child safe. Then change the topic to a light hearted subject--or switch the discussion to politics or religion. Whatever it takes! (Just kidding, don't do that). A simple answer and subject change usually do the trick.

 

Resentment from others about a food item banned from the meal. This is a tough one, because many people don't understand that the mere presence of certain foods might pose a risk. Thank your family and friends for avoiding anything on your child's behalf and offer to work together in the future so that everyone can be happy with the meal while also keeping it allergy-friendly.

 

If this type of thing is a big problem for those in your circle, you can always host the meal yourself and make it clear that it is "free from" whatever you need to avoid. Then anyone who attends has fair warning and can make other plans if they would like. After dinner or the day after Thanksgiving might be a better time to gather if prohibited foods become a big issue for family members. Thanksgiving is about tradition, so many people have strong ties to foods. If everyone communicates and realizes there are no "perfect" solutions, you can usually work out some sort of compromise.

 

http://nut-freemom.blogspot.com/p/my-e-book-new-nut-free-mom-now-available.html

 

For more information on educating others about allergies and navigating life in general with nut allergies, check out my e-book The New Nut-Free Mom: A Crash Course in Caring for Your Nut-Allergic Child." 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! 

How Food Allergies Affect a Marriage: My Guest Post on Reboot This Marriage!

Today, I'm excited to share a guest post I wrote for the web site Reboot This Marriage by Tanja Pajevic, my college buddy! Reboot This Marriage is a terrific site dedicated to the topic of how kids affect your relationship. It has lots of good info on parenting, relationships and life in general.

Tanja's son has peanut allergies, so she wanted my input on how this can affect the relationship with your spouse. In fact, this is something I talk about in my e-book. It's a big topic! How you and your spouse work out the details of food allergy management makes a difference in everything that you do together. Naturally, you want to have a system everyone can live with, but it also has to be one that keeps your child safe and healthy.

It's not always an easy balance to strike. In fact, many of you have e-mailed me, commented on this blog or posted on Facebook about family and spousal issues with regards to food allergies.

Here is the link, if you want to read the complete article:

With the holidays coming up and family issues on the horizon, it helps to have your spouse on your side, no question.

Thanks again to Tanja for the opportunity to write about this issue!

Food Allergy and School: Love for the Peanut-Free Table

Nut-free or not nut-free...table. That is the question facing

many school-aged kids with allergies.

 

If your school-aged child is severely allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, or both, you've probably been offered (or maybe you've asked for) a nut-free or peanut-free lunch table. Our current school district recently went one step further to offer an "allergy-free table" that addresses multiple food allergies. Since these tables are frequently part of a child's 504 plan or Individual Health Plan, they are likely to continue cropping up at an increasing number of schools.

In general, though, it's usually a peanut or nut-free table being talked about at school. If your school is offering you this option, that is a sign that they are taking allergies seriously which is a very good thing. Unfortunately, the peanut-free table has gotten a bit of a stigma. Some of the common objections: nobody wants to sit there, it's punishment for having allergies, kids are isolated and alone, it's not the "real world" way of doing things, etc.

Please believe: I do understand why some of us might have that perspective, but as a parent whose child has used and benefited from a nut-free table, I want to reassure parents that it doesn't have to be that way. Especially in the younger grades, when kids are not as able to manage their own allergies, a nut-free table can provide a safe place to eat during the school day. For the "real world" objectors, I also am a strong proponent of helping kids live in the real world. But the fact is, in the real world, they can get up and move if allergens are presenting a problem for them. Not so in most schools with strict seating and behavior policies.

In particular, I want us to remember why these tables are being offered in the first place: to provide allergic kids with a clean, allergen-free place to enjoy their midday meal that reduces the risk of exposing them to a potentially dangerous allergic reaction.

From a social point of view, the table should be open to non-allergic kids who have brought an allergy-friendly lunch. Encourage your child to ask his or her friends to join them. Seriously, most kids are so used to the "free-from table" concept that they happily accompany their buddies to this table. If you are not finding this to be true for you, ask your child's teacher for some help in bringing kids to the table to join your child.

One day I asked my youngest (no food allergies) where she sat at lunch that day and she said "I tried to sit with my friend at the nut-free table, but it was full." This turned out to be a common occurrence--so many kids wanted to sit with the friends who had nut allergies, that they ended up having to take turns. I know that this doesn't always happen, but most kids will not want to sit apart from their good friends and will want to join them at lunch, no matter what table it is.

An alternative to an entire nut-free table that we were provided with at our previous elementary school was an "allergy-free zone." This was an assigned seat for the kids with allergies, usually at or near the end of a table. Only kids with cafeteria lunches (nut-free) or those without nut products sat in or near this zone. Because they had ample lunchroom supervision, this worked really well for my daughter. She still got to sit with her class and friends, but she was not plopped in the middle of a group of kids eating PB & J, something she felt uncomfortable about due to the severity of her allergy.

Today, I asked a local expert -- my daughter -- what she thought about nut-free tables in elementary school and if there was anything she thought parents needed to know about them. (Since she's sat at a nut-free table or in a "nut-free zone" of the cafeteria her entire school career up until now, I hope you will agree she's probably an expert on this topic.) She brought up some good points. She told me that as long as she could bring a couple of friends to the nut-free table, she definitely preferred sitting there at lunch for peace of mind. She told me she can't really enjoy her food if she's worried about cross-contact, which can result in an accidental ingestion.

However, there have been some struggles and she emphasized to me that everyone needed to know about the table and the rules for the table. That includes all the lunchtime supervisors and the kids, too, so that everyone understood that a few friends could sit at the allergy-free table provided they had a "safe" lunch and that the table would be reserved "allergy-table" use only. (A sign on the table itself proved helpful in this case.)

No one should be forced to sit at a specific table and every parent and child will have to make the decision about what seating option works the best for them and their situation. Work with your school to find the best solution. Based on our family's experience with the "nut-free" table, I've found that like most things in life, this table is what you make of it. If you view it as a safe place for a child to eat lunch and a way to reduce allergy risk so that they can get on with their school day, there is a good chance your child just might view it positively as well.

Food Allergy Memoir: "Feeding Eden" by Susan Weissman

"Feeding Eden," by Susan Weissman is a new memoir that speaks to the heart of what it means to parent a child with severe food allergies, everything from finding safe foods to exploring medical care, and ultimately, learning to live with your new normal.

When her young son Eden is diagnosed with multiple food allergies (peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, fish, shellfish and several fruits), a new world of complications and parental fears are awakened for Weissman and her family. Ms. Weissman shares with us the terror of watching a child having anaphylaxis, the fears of what dangers he may face during "normal" activities like school and birthday parties and many other things that only food allergy parents will recognize as their own experience.

One of my favorite anecdotes was when Weissman described "cheating", not as extramarital, but as eating allergenic foods with her husband when Eden isn't around. (Show of hands for anyone else who has ever done this? I feel guilty for days if I go to a Thai restaurant on date night.)

So much in this book is validating for the food allergy parent, who is often ridiculed or taken to task for their cautious approach to what others think of as harmless activities. Says Weissman in her book, "When I break from routine, there is always a risk particular to Eden. Whether I hire a new baby-sitter, purchase a new brand of tortillas, or plan a family day trip by ferry, I chance the unforeseeable." Well said and truly understood only by another parent facing food allergies.

In a warm, humorous and engaging style, the author explores her family's struggles and ultimate triumphs in a way that really spoke to me as a parent who faces the same concerns. I appreciated Weismann's honesty about her battles, some of them quite poignant and some very humorous, such as her experiments with allergy-friendly baking (not always successful and joy-inducing). She even takes on those "surprise" classroom treats that are the bane of a food allergy parent's existence in a story that will have you laughing and maybe even crying if you've ever had to deny your child "what all the other kids are eating."

And what about food as love? When you have a child with multiple food allergies, this can seem impossible, yet Weissmman describes coming to terms with this notion, despite her son's many allergies: "Loves comes out of my hands when I cook...my food safety habits are my love."

I must share one other note about the author. A few years ago, Ms. Weissman wrote a terrific guest blog post for "The Nut-Free Mom." Here is the link: it explores the ups and downs of how she found a "safe" restaurant for her son.

Any parent of a child with life-threatening food allergies will find much to savor in "Feeding Eden." If you want more information on author Susan Weissman including how to buy her book, visit her author web site.

Food Allergy Tips for Spring Break!

Lots of you are heading out for Spring Break soon, or maybe you are already contemplating a summer vacation. Food allergies add some stress to travel, but if you plan ahead and know what you're dealing with in advance, you can help things to go much more smoothly.

We've flown and traveled several times with our severely peanut and tree nut-allergic daughter and I've covered this topic quite a bit over the years. The important thing is to use all of the same caution you would use at home. For example, check out the restaurants before heading to your travel destination and do your homework on them so that you have an idea of where to go ahead of time. And if you're heading to a warm climate, take advantage of the outdoors and have picnics! If every meal doesn't have to be in a restaurant, it's always more relaxing (and hey, you might even save some money).

And have your medication on hand at all times and be ready to use it, especially if you haven't dealt with a reaction in awhile. Having your meds on hand is crucial no matter where you are.

I have many more strategies that have worked for my family, so click the links below to read more. And happy, safe travels to you all!

Spring break air travel tips

Dining out tips when you are away from home

Food Allergy News: The Nut-Free Mom on WBEZ's news magazine "Eight Forty Eight"

It was a beautiful day to be at Navy Pier in Chicago and that's where I was today as a guest at WBEZ, the local Chicago affiliate of National Public Radio. The morning news magazine "Eight Forty-Eight" (named after the Grand Ave. address of the Navy Pier building)featured the topic of food allergies and I was honored to appear as the parent voice for this topic. My daughter Alexandra (pictured above) joined me on my radio adventure.

I want to thank WBEZ for offering me this opportunity to help educate the public about what it's like to parent a child with food allergies. That is truly appreciated. And I was so fortunate to be paired with the knowledgeable and very personable Dr. Steve Handoyo. He explained the scientific side of allergies in an extremely clear and thoughtful manner, so thanks also to Dr. Steve!

Here is the link to the radio show ; you can listen online or download a podcast.

Food Allergies and "Safe" Activities: How Do You Decide?

One of the most frequent questions I hear from parents of kids with food allergies and peanut allergy, especially, is whether or not a certain activity is "safe" for their child. It stands to reason: Peanut residue (and tree nut, too, if you've got that concern as my family does), is all around us and often in the spots where you'd like to bring your kids. Events like the circus, baseball games, arena sporting events (like basketball or football), concerts, indoor playgrounds at the shopping mall -- just about every place you can think of might have a significant amount of allergen in the environment.

As parents, we might wonder: what are we supposed to do with this information? We can't keep our kids away from anything and most of us don't want to do that. This is one reason I'm so glad to see more and more baseball teams offering "peanut allergy-friendly" sections or "peanut-free" baseball games. Since peanuts are tradition at baseball, limiting them in certain sections takes a huge weight off parent's shoulders, especially those of us who've watched their child have a reaction during a regular game.

First, the bad news about nut allergies and whether or not to do something: this is not a question with a one-size-fits-all answer. I still struggle with it, depending on the activity or event. For one thing, a child's age and awareness of their allergy will play a role; so will their level of sensitivity to an allergen. If you have a child who is extremely sensitive, you might not even ask yourself if you can do something involving a lot of the allergen; you just don't do it. For example, with all of the peanuts everywhere, we don't feel comfortable bringing our daughter to a baseball game without a peanut-free section, especially at an outdoor field where weather, wind and peanut dust blowing around in the air is a strong possibility.(Be sure to ask your allergists about your particular situation; everyone is different.)

The event itself is a factor, too. How big of a role does an allergen play in this activity?Sometimes that will decide it if for you.

Now the good news: most of the time, you can find a way around allergies and do the activities you and your kids enjoy. And for the things you can't do or don't feel good about doing--it's OK. Your kids can still have an awesome, full and happy childhood.

I think it's important for parents to give themselves a break when it comes to dealing with food allergies. While it's important to find ways to do things that kids really want to do, we shouldn't feel like we have to take heroic measures to do every single thing. I mean, let's face it: even without food allergies, most kids can't do every single thing they'd like to do.

I remember when my daughter was first diagnosed with severe allergies at age 4. We found out in a very scary way--anaphylaxis following one bite of a peanut butter sandwich.

At the time, my daughter was in preschool and was beginning to get invited to birthday parties. Tea parties for the girls were big that year, held in special venues that catered to little kids. Of course, the main focal point of these parties was, you guessed it, food. Lots of unsafe food. Baked goods galore, sweets, sandwiches with PB & J...you get the picture.

I got pretty good at deciding what parties we would go to and which ones we wouldn't. I'd ask a few questions. Was my daughter really excited about this party or person? Would she be devastated if she didn't go? If she did go, would it be worth it to send in basically an entire menu of separate food and then still be concerned someone would give her the wrong thing?

When my daughter was four, I also had a toddler and limited outside childcare (aka, grandparents, sitters), so I think that decided a lot of it for me, too. I couldn't drag my little one to every party and drive myself crazy trying to keep an eye on her and make sure anaphylaxis didn't happen, too. So we skipped a few parties if we really didn't know the hosts, I saved myself some stress, and yet my daughter still had a good time at the things she did attend. And I've found that most of the time, yes, you can do the things your kids want to do. But if not, don't worry. They will be fine.

So much of dealing with a first diagnosis of food allergies is just getting your mind around the lifestyle changes and challenges. You will find your own way of deciding how to do what's most important to you, but don't beat yourself up if you think you'll fall short by not doing everything and going everywhere. Some places and things will feel more "right" to you than others will and that's OK.

If you decide to go someplace like the circus or a hands-on children's museum where cross-contact might be a problem, it's a good idea to approach with the understanding that you might have to leave early. Have your hand wipes, medication, food from home and everything else you need, but be aware that you might want to cut the event short if you feel your child is having a problem with allergies. Sometimes you just won't know unless you try (and of course managing risk in the first place is important). For those of you new to nut allergies, I talk about all of this and more in my new e-book: "The New Nut-Free Mom."

My Daughter's Food Allergy Motto: Keep Calm and Carry On

Yesterday my daughter with food allergies had her 12th birthday. Wow, time flies. It's been 8 years of living with a severe nut allergy diagnosis for her and she's had some ups and downs. Every year on my kids' birthdays, I reflect on what has happened so far in their young lives and for a child with food allergies, a lot of the time you are just happy to have made it through so many things unscathed.

For example, elementary school has presented many challenges, mainly because of all the food. Next year, we move on to middle school, a place with few if any food-filled class parties, but with much more expectation of responsibility onto the kids and other, myriad new challenges. And not just for their own allergies--for everything. Middle school is going to be a whole new ballgame and of course I have concerns like any parent. Food allergies present just one piece of the puzzle.

My daughter has learned to take care of her allergies to a large extent over these 8 years and she's also struggled with things, just like any kid dealing with food allergies. She's had to skip friends' birthday cake, miss out on class treats and feel concerned about things that others aren't. She's on the lookout for allergy pitfalls when I wish she didn't have to be.

But here's the thing: she's OK. She's actually more than OK. I know that parents dealing with nut allergies in the early stages worry about pretty much everything that their child will confront. I know I did--it's pretty normal to wonder about how they will navigate through regular life situations when they've got a life-threatening medical condition.

You may have seen the "Keep Calm and Carry On" merchandise that is currently popular today. It has been subjected to all kinds of permutations such as the birthday party napkin shown in the photo above ("Keep Calm and Birthday On." My daughter picked out this theme).

"Keep Calm and Carry On" was a slogan promoted to the British public in WWII, who were of course facing many horrors but were known for their stiff upper lip in a crisis. I think it's caught on today because it's just good advice.

It's not always easy to "keep calm and carry on" when dealing with young kids who have food allergies. You witness the reactions or listen to their disappointment about feeling "different." But when you, the parent, adopt the "keep calm and carry on" approach and instill it in the kids as best as you can, it does seem to help. Here's a common scenario you might face: you're watching your child in tears because they can't have a piece of birthday cake. Hopefully you are prepared with another treat, you whip it out and calm down your child. "Here's your treat, now let's go and have fun," you say. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Keep trying--eventually they will calm down and you can carry on.

And that's pretty much the way it goes with food allergies. For those of you who are new to nut and/or other food allergies, it may seem like you have a long way to go to get to where we are now. Stay calm, expect challenges and don't beat yourself up about everything not being perfect. You will get there. If we can, you can.

Peanut Allergy News: Nut-Free Super Bowl Treats from SunButter

Who's attending a Super Bowl party this weekend or just watching with family at home? Me, too! Either way, snacks are a big part of watching this game.

If you are attending a party and either you and/or your hosts are looking for peanut-free, tree-nut free snacks, I wanted to share this list of Super Bowl snacks that was sent to me recently by SunButter sunflower seed spread. The spread is peanut-free, tree nut-free and gluten-free.

SunButter Sea Salt Caramel Corn is addicting, plus gluten-free and vegan!

Sunny Muddy Buddies to crunch your nerves away!

SunButter Chicken Wings! Adapt this by cutting chicken breasts into bite-size bites. (Increase the sauce ingredients by 1.5x as much, since you’ll be covering more surface area. Add some BBQ sauce if you’d like.) Your kids will not even notice the fruits and veggies you sneak into these yummy creations.

SunButter Hummus – a perfect dip for veggies and chips!

See more nut-free Super Bowl menu ideas

On another snack note, what about those Chex Mix snack mixes that everybody makes with peanuts? Make yours without. It's still good--and you can start a new tradition. Here's a nut-free Chex Mix snack recipe I found at the blog Finding Joy in my Kitchen.

Remember, with any ingredients mentioned here or that you choose to use, please check the labels for allergen info.

What are some of your favorite nut-free Super Bowl snacks? Let us know and leave your recipes if you like!

And may the best team win! :)

Thanksgiving and Food Allergies: Some Helpful Links!

Turkey Day is fast approaching and I know a lot of you have questions about having a safe meal with the family, dining out while you travel, finding safe foods and more.

Click this link to get some answers -- my annual blog post round-up for Thanksgiving.

Stumped for some quick nut-free recipes? Here are three of my Thanksgiving faves:

Nut-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Speedy Sweet Potatoes

Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream (for when you just need to overindulge)

Food Allergy News: Allergic Living Magazine: Get the Winter Issue and Meet the New Associate Editor!

Allergic Living’s Winter Issue – Get It While You Still Can!
Many of you know that I have accepted a position as Associate Editor of Allergic Living magazine. I'm so excited to be a part of this great team and publication and look forward to collaborating with them. I will still be writing this blog as well as my other freelance articles while working with AL, but now I get to be part of an amazing team who cares about the issues that we do.

This magazine has been so helpful to me and my family over the years. They really get it--they know what it's like to live with not only food allergies but also environmental allergies, pet allergies, celiac disease, asthma, eczema, you name it. It's a great resource and I hope you will join me in subscribing.

I've been a subscriber of the magazine for several years, and was very happy to see them launch a U.S. edition last spring. I think you will find the info and columnists as helpful and supportive as I have!

So that you don't miss out on the winter issue, I hope you'll take the time to subscribe! Allergic Living has just about wrapped up our Winter issue and we’re really excited. The issue, if we do say so ourselves, rocks. It's one of our strongest food allergy and celiac lifestyle issues to date.

Just FYI, Allergic Living is available by subscription and the cutoff to subscribe and get the new issue is this Thurs. Nov. 17. It’s quick and easy to subscribe at Allergic Living's site.

Inside the Winter Allergic Living:
- Our cover (see photo above) is: “Throwing the Ultimate Party”. Why risk mystery foods at someone’s else’s place – let AL be your guide to hosting your own fabulous free-from party. Chef Simon has sensational recipes: From crispy duck breast to sweet and sour chicken balls, beef skewers, vegetable terrine and more – all AL’s recipes are free of top allergens and gluten.

- And now for dessert … Nut-free, dairy-free and gluten-free chocolate layer cake, plus elegant holiday cookie recipes, courtesy of the Gluten-Free Goddess.

- Sprucing up your home? Don’t miss our feature “The Home That Breathes”. Get out the bad toxins, while AL introduces you to the stylish furnishings that won’t off-gas VOCs.

- Gina Clowes, allergy life coach and creator of allergymoms.com, offers great advice for helping your family to “get” your food restrictions; speaking of Gina--please click the link to subscribe to her newsletter. The latest issue contains food allergy holiday tips from advocates and experts--including me! Thanks, Gina. :) Other columns delve into how to keep safe at celebrations, and a look at how far we’ve come in food allergy research and awareness over the last 20 years.

- Food Allergy Features: We explore whether there could ever be a “safe level” of peanut in food and what your teen isn’t telling you about how he manages his food allergy.

- Allergy-Friendly Gift Guide: Perfect presents for your allergic child, courtesy of Jenny Kales, aka the Nut-Free Mom I also wrote a food page for Allergy Shots. Check it out!

- The Scoop: Our journalists bring you the latest, such as how scientists have figured out how to “turn off” peanut allergy in mice; the controversy over pets and the allergic on planes; and the wrenching story of a child tossed out of daycare – because of allergies.

I also want to thank everyone who voted for me in the Facebook Circle of Moms Top 25 Food Allergy Bloggers. Today, November 16 is the last day to cast your votes, so I hope you will visit now (see the button at the top right of my blog) or click here to vote. It's a tight race so every vote counts. Thanks for your support! It's been an honor to be on the board with so many of my favorite food allergy friends and advocates!

Peanut Allergy Picture Book Review: The Princess and the Peanut

When my daughter was younger, she used to question her food allergies and ask why she had this problem when others didn't. I used to explain to her that people have many things that make up who they are and her allergies were just one aspect of her. I explained that people are a mix of good things and sometimes, not so good things, but that didn't mean that the bad things had to drag her down. I told her if she didn't have her own unique mix of traits, she would be someone else and I didn't want her to be anyone else, allergies or not.

So when I read the new picture book "The Princess and the Peanut" by Sue Ganz-Schmitt and with beautiful illustrations by Micha Chambers-Goldberg, I could really identify with the sentiments expressed.

This "royally allergic fairytale" (as it says in the subhead) follows the original "Princess and the Pea" story but with a twist. Instead of a pea, a peanut is placed under the many mattresses of the princess and she suffers an allergic reaction.

The reaction is handled well, with medical accuracy and a non-scary approach that children won't find off-putting. Since I believe it's crucial that children are not afraid of epinephrine autoinjectors, I was really heartened to see the clever way it was handled in this book.

Once the princess undergoes testing, the castle then needs to be cleared of peanut and tree nut products, but best of all, the other castle inhabitants admit to their own allergies that they struggle with, showing that everyone deals with something. In the end, the prince decides he loves the princess better than peanut butter (and who among us parents hasn't decided that we love our "princesses" and "princes" better than peanut butter)and everyone learns to live a happy life with food allergies.

I loved this book and so did my two daughters who are well beyond the picture book stage, but who will probably always love princesses. They thought it was charming and gave a positive portrayal of food allergies. My youngest who doesn't have allergies was enchanted by this book because it shows how the people supporting those with allergies have to give things up sometimes, but they do it gladly and with love. She certainly does all of that and more for her big sister.

Kids and adults will love the richly drawn illustrations and charming characters, not to mention the useful allergy information and glossary in the back of the book.

To buy The Princess and the Peanut (a great holiday gift!) and to learn more about this book, visit the book's website.

Let me know how you and your kids like this book!

FTC note: no compensation was received for this review other than a sample copy of the book.

Nut-Free Granola Bars: The Perfect Allergy-Friendly Back-to-School Snack

Since school snacks are now a hot topic for parents around the country, I thought I would re-post this granola bar recipe which has been a reader favorite. Some of the most difficult nut-free products to find are nut-free granola bars, which is too bad because they make great, relatively healthy snacks for kids and adults.

My recipe is fast, easy and both kid and adult-friendly. It's also easy to alter to your tastes and food allergy needs. You can omit the SunButter or use soy butter if you need to and replace the chocolate chips (or combine them with) Ocean Spray Craisins or raisins. If you need to avoid eggs, add a little more honey as a binder and/or even a small amount of unsweetened applesauce (see the recipe below). Experiment with your kids until you find the combinations you like best.

A word about chocolate chips: If you want nut-free chocolate chips only, then check out Vermont Nut Free Chocolate for delicious varieties. If you would like egg-free, dairy-free and nut-free chips, Divvies and Enjoy Life Foods sell them. I also use Hershey brand semi-sweet chocolate chips because we only need to avoid nuts, not dairy. After many communications with Hershey and many years of using certain of their products, I feel confident about them.

Make a batch of these for after school snacks, during school snacks and lunchtime treats.

The Nut-Free Mom's Nut-Free Oatmeal Granola Bars
2 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or dried fruit, or both)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ; I use Kretchum brand (or in a pinch, use same amount of whole wheat flour but the wheat germ really gives it that "granola" taste)
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (Morton's makes this)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup SunButter brand sunflower seed spread (or soybutter), optional
1 large egg (if going egg-free, use 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce instead)
2 tsp vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey or McCormick's are my faves)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with Pam.

- In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, chocolate chips, wheat germ or wheat flour and salt until blended. Stir in oil, honey, SunButter, egg or applesauce and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Pat mixture into pan with a wet hand (so you won't stick too much).

- Bake until golden around the edges, 18-20 minutes for chewier bars, 25-30 minutes for crispier bars. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

- When cool, cut lengthwise into bars of your preferred size. I did four strips, each into four pieces for a total of 16 bars.

Food Allergy-Friendly Cookies: New! Enjoy Life Foods Crunchy Cookies!

There are three kinds of cookie lovers: those who love soft chewy cookies, those who love crunchy, crisp cookies and those who love ANY cookie. I'd have to place myself in the crunchy crisp cookie category so I was very happy when Enjoy Life offered to let me try their newest product: Crunchy Cookies!

As you see from the photos, there are four kinds available: Double Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Vanilla Honey Graham and Sugar Crisp.

With so few nut-free Chicago bakeries, these cookies are definitely a welcome addition to my house.

I loved these cookies before I even took a bite. For one thing, they are a bigger cookie so they look more like what you would find in a bakery (always good for our kids and ourselves). They also have a wonderful flavor and I really like the texture. It's crunchy and crisp and the cookies taste buttery (though they are dairy-free...how do they do that???) and delicious.

Our family favorite was the Chocolate Chip but all the flavors were a hit. I especially like the Vanilla Honey Graham--in fact, I can see this one as a gluten-free and nut-free option for making a pie crust that calls for graham crackers. The double chocolate had "intense chocolately flavor" according to my husband and my daughters both gave me a "thumbs up" and said "Yum." That kind of says it all.

I also love these because I am asked so often for "safe" cookies and I like to endorse those made in a nut-free facility. These would be great to bring to a school party with multiple allergies because they are free of dairy, soy, egg, peanut, tree nut and gluten. I remember last year a Girl Scout leader asked my advice on Chocolate Chip cookies for a troop meeting so these go on the list this year, definitely!

Go to Enjoy Life Foods' store locater to find out where you can buy their latest, tasty addition to their cookie roster! You can also order these online if you visit the Enjoy Life web site.

Thanks to Enjoy Life for letting me try these!

Note: I received cookie samples but no financial compensation for this review.

Do Food Allergies Result in Healthier Eating?

Food allergies force us into the kitchen out of necessity. But sometimes that necessity can turn out to have unexpected health benefits.

Recently on my Nut-Free Mom Facebook page, a reader shared that even though food allergies can be a drag, she had a recent revelation while at the zoo.

Jane K said "I watched my kids chow down on their turkey and avocado sandwiches, on homemade whole wheat bread, with a side dish of apple and strawberries. And homemade pumpkin choco chip cookies for dessert. I looked around, everyone else either had fast food or PBnJ on white bread, with chips... Etc. I realized that my kids are growing up healthier than they would without the allergies. I really have to think about what to feed them, but that means I THINK about what they eat... They aren't going to be these adults that have to force themselves to eat veggies and fruits. The allergies are forcing us to be a very healthy family, and I like it! (Not the allergies, but the fact that my kids are learning to eat so well.)"

I've often thought the same thing. Kind of like, well we have these allergies to deal with but I know my kids are learning to eat healthy foods and that will benefit them over the long term.

Families are so busy today. KIDS are so busy today, their lives filled with so many activities. That's why, besides the health benefits of home cooking, getting into the kitchen together is a great way to spend quality time with your kids. This is not a new idea at all, but one that is easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of every day life.

Some of my best childhood memories take place around the table--in fact the only birthday cakes I remember are the ones that were home-baked for me by my grandmother. Were they fancy? No. (Though they were delicious). When people cook for us we feel loved.

Here is what reader Tina had to say on my FB page: "I have my moments where I am upset about my lil ones food allergies BUT I always come back around to the silver lining :) It forces me to feed my kids healthier foods. It forces me to cook instead of us jumping in the car to get some fast food on a busy night. FA's have certainly forced me out of my comfort zone in the kitchen (which before kids was to open a box and put it in the microwave) but it is a GOOD thing!"

In the spirit of kitchen bonding, I've included the following recipes that are two of our favorite easy-to-make and relatively healthful treats:

Banana Bread

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Craisin Cookies

You can search my blog for dinner ideas, too. I also highly recommend Linda Coss's book "What Else to Eat?" because it has a treasure trove of yummy and healthy allergy-friendly dinner recipes.

What about you? Do you find your family has adapted healthier eating habits because of food allergies?

The Nut-Free Home Baker: Nut-Free Food Coloring, Sprinkles, and More!

Dealing with nut allergies means avoiding bakeries. So now that you have to home bake, what ingredients are safe to use?

Labels don't always reveal all of the information we need. With current labeling laws, they only have to list actual ingredients, not whether or not an item was processed on the same lines as potential allergens. So sometimes we need to do a little more digging to find out.

Through my own research as well as tips from readers of this blog, I've found that nut-free cake and cookie decorating items like sprinkles, colored sugars and food color are some of the most difficult to find.

If you plan to bake much (and you probably will if you have a child with a nut allergy) then ordering safe nut-free items makes sense. Is it as convenient as a trip to the grocery store? Not always, but if you stock up you will have what you need when you need it. Plus, there are more "safe" items available at your local supermarket than ever before.

The list below offers some suggestions on decorating items that are nut-free. A few you can find at the supermarket, but it's worth ordering some of these online items for a huge variety as well as quality and non-artificial colors, etc. Of course, if you have any questions about products mentioned here or other products I haven't mentioned, please contact the company's customer service department for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Sprinkles/Cookie and Cake Decor

Cake Mate/Betty Crocker--Signature Brands These are readily available at the supermarket and many of these are safe for nut allergies. Here is a post I wrote about Cake Mate. Both Cake Mate and Betty Crocker are made by Signature Brands. In my e-mails and phone calls with this company, they tell me they will list cross-contact info on the package. Please contact Signature Brands directly for specific info.

Wilton. Wilton products are all very well-marked for allergens as well as May Contains type of allergy advisories, but you must read every label. In general their chocolate products are not safe for nut allergies, but many of their sugar decorations are fine to use. It depends on the product, as they may process different items in different facilities.

Food Coloring

Americolor. Food coloring that's entirely nut-free. Karen McNeil, one of my blog readers, clued me into this one. Thanks, Karen! The colors are deep and rich and unlike a lot of the Wilton gel colors, they are safe for nut allergies. A great find! (Note: Wilton has detailed allergy labels. If you are interested in a specific product, check the label for more info.)

McCormick Brand I've used this brand many times for food coloring--they are very helpful when you e-mail or call. Unfortunately they do not list allergen info on their web site. I wrote about their vanilla extract and I also use their food coloring.

Decorative Candies
Divvies. They have amazing candy that you can use for cake decor. In fact, my daughters just used their "star" candies on a beach cake to make "starfish." This company is so awesome, and they have baked treats in addition to candy that is egg-free, dairy-free and nut-free.

Vermont Nut Free Chocolate One of my all-time faves for nut-free sweets, Vermont Nut Free has jelly beans and other nut-free candies you can use on your cakes and cookies. They also have delicious gourmet cocoa powder for baking as well as baking chocolate.

Surf Sweets. These gummy candies (and jellybeans) make great baking décor and they are  gluten-free as well as free of nuts and the other "top 8" allergens. All-natural, GMO-free and organic.

Gimbals. Lots of great choices here including licorice scottie dogs, jellybeans and more, free of the top 8 allergens. All natural.

And remember: Please see the many great baking or prepared nut-free treats resources, located to the right of this page, if you want to purchase premade, nut-free treats!

Nut-Free Bakery in Chicago Area: Q & A with NutPhree's Cupcakes!

One of the number one questions I get is: Where do you find a nut-free bakery in Chicago? The answer is that it hasn't been easy and mostly non-existent when it comes to cakes or cupcakes. My biggest pet peeve has been places that are "only" peanut-free, but still loaded with tree nuts (making it unsafe for many with nut allergies) or places that use peanuts and tree nuts but still market themselves to food-allergic consumers.

Because nut allergies are so serious, dedicated nut-free bakeries are the only thing I feel that I can trust. Most of the time, the only nut-free bakery out there is my own kitchen.

So I was very happy to hear from Brian Walker, owner of Nutphree's Cupcakes. They are the only dedicated nut-free cupcake bakery that I know of in the Chicago area, so welcome Nutphree's!

I recently asked Brian to share with us a little bit about his new company. You'll be happy to know that while this is a currently home-based business, they are soon opening a storefront bakery.

Thanks, Brian for sharing some info with us. Something tells me that you will have some loyal customers, very soon!

Here is the Q&A with Brian Walker, creator of Nutphree's Cupcakes:

Me: What is your personal experience with food allergies?
Brian: Our oldest son, who is 4-1/2, has a severe peanut and tree nut allergy. When he was first diagnosed with the allergy, we couldn't believe how difficult it was to find baked goods that were safe for him to eat. We found ourselves always having to bake a separate cake or cupcakes anytime we went to birthday party because we weren't sure if the ingredients in the cakes being provided were going to be safe for him to eat. That's when we decided it was time for Nutphree's.

Me: Tell me a little bit about Nutphree's and how you are helping to serve a customer niche.
Brian: We created this business out of need we felt wasn’t currently being fulfilled. We did extensive research to find ingredients from manufacturers that guaranteed safe, nut-free products. We take tremendous joy in providing delicious and safe products which allow those with peanut and tree nut allergies to enjoy the same baked goods as everyone else, especially our young customers.


Me: What is your favorite Nutphree's cupcake? Your son's favorite?
Brian: I’d have to say my favorite cupcake is the Red Velvet with Cream Cheese frosting. Not only does it taste great, it looks great, too. As for my son, he’s all about the vanilla with vanilla frosting.

Me: How do we order and where do you ship to? Do you have a storefront bakery? If so, where?
Brian: Currently, orders can be placed either through our website (www.nutphrees.com) or by calling us up at (847) 754-4320. Until we determine a reasonably inexpensive shipping method that guarantees product freshness and product appearance, we are currently only offering local pickup in Des Plaines, IL or delivery to the nearby surrounding suburbs. We are also in the process of finding a storefront for our bakery. It will most likely be in downtown Arlington Heights, IL or Mount Prospect, IL.

Food Allergy-Friendly "Sunella"--Our Nut-Free "Nutella" Substitute

I don't know if it's all of those Nutella commercials that we've been seeing lately (you know, Nutella for breakfast, etc.) but a lot of you have been contacting me about my recipe for as we call it, "Sunella" a nut-free hazelnut chocolate spread that we make at home using SunButter brand sunflower seed butter.

I posted this recipe awhile ago and when Babble.com was looking for allergy-friendly recipes on their Facebook page, I entered this and won a cookbook! So I hope you'll try it. What follows is my original post:

I used to be a big fan of Nutella, that chocolate-hazelnut spread that is a European sensation but is now widely available in the U.S. I don't have peanut butter or tree nut products in my house anymore, but I definitely have missed Nutella. I bet some of you do, too.

Last week, I remembered that I had (from years ago) a peanut butter-chocolate recipe that was meant to be used as filling for dessert calzones (this recipe was suggested if you didn't have access to Nutella). I used to make these dessert calzones using only Nutella, but that was back in the days before nut allergies came into my life.

I dug up this book and decided to use SunButter in this recipe, along with a few other of my changes. I know that some of you with nut allergies also are allergic to seeds, so if you can have soy butter, you can replace the SunButter with that. In fact, I've seen a soy butter-chocolate spread at the supermarket, but making your own tastes a lot better if you have the time. Personally my family and I prefer the taste of SunButter over soy butter, but of course, use what you like best.

So here goes: the SunButter(R)-chocolate spread recipe followed by the one for dessert calzones. Enjoy!

SunButter(R) -Chocolate Spread

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)
2/3 cup milk (any kind--substitute non-dairy if you need to)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I use McCormick or Nielsen-Massey)
1/2 cup SunButter brand sunflower seed spread

In a medium saucepan, stir the sugar and cocoa powder until blended. Gradually stir in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, then lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and Sunbutter, stirring until smooth. Let cool thoroughly before using.

Store this in the refrigerator. It will keep for about a week.

Dessert calzones with Sunbutter-chocolate filling

Use your favorite pizza dough recipe or buy pre-made dough (I sometimes use Pillsbury brand). Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll each piece into a 6-7 inch circle. Spoon two tablespoons filling into the center, then fold dough into a half-moon over the filling. Pinch the edges together and fold bottom half over top, crimping to seal well. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between each calzone. Bake until well browned-between 12 and 20 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove from oven and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Devour in minutes.



Food Allergies and School: Back-to-School Checklist

Back- to-school time is exciting but for the parent dealing with food allergies, elementary school or any new school can be scary to contemplate. After all, you'll be dropping your child off at school with the knowledge that they will be around food and situations that may pose risks. I've found that early communication and check-ins throughout the year help to minimize those risks and situations.

If you keep open communication with the school and stay on top of things like parties, you will be one step closer to ensuring a safe and enjoyable school year for you, your child, the teacher and everyone in the class.

Late summer is a good time to get started -- for those of you who begin school in mid-August, you'll obviously want to get in touch sometime in July. If your school office is currently closed, try setting up meetings via e-mail for later in the summer. The important thing is to make contact early so that you can iron out details before the first day of school.

Here are a few things to do well before school begins:

•Schedule any doctor's appointments and have your allergist complete important paperwork such as Food Allergy Action Plans, notes and other medical documents that you need for the school nurse (such as an Individual Health Plan (IHP) or a 504 Plan. Make sure to include recent photo of your child (such as a school portrait) that can be glued/taped onto their emergency plan. FARE has Food Allergy Emergency Action Plans on their web site. Click this link and scroll down: you'll find many school resources here.

•Schedule a meeting with the principal and district nurse to take place before school begins. Many schools offer these meetings for parents to discuss everything at one time. This meeting would also be a time to discuss things like peanut-free tables or restricting certain foods in the classroom. You will usually need a doctor's note to back this up attesting to the severity of your child's allergies, so be ready with any documentation about reactions or allergy tests.

• Review your current epinephrine auto injector prescriptions and renew them if necessary. Have at least TWO auto injectors for school--one for the health office and one for your child's classroom.

•Make sure your child has a Medical ID bracelet (or other medical ID jewelry)such as you'll find at MedicAlert (www.medicalert.org) or Allermates. If your child feels fashionable, her or she will be more excited about wearing this important item.

•Stock up on lunch gear for all those packed lunches you'll be making. I love all of the eco-friendly (and cost-saving) reusable lunch container choices out there right now. The "bento style" lunch containers look cool for kids plus they keep your costs down--no more buying disposable bags. Check Target, Whole Foods and online at places like Lunch Bots.

Got Food Allergies? Visiting Relatives? You Can Make It Work

Summer is the time that many of us get in the car, hit the road and visit the relatives. For many of us, these are folks we haven't seen in awhile and they may not be fully aware how much food allergies can affect our lives. Also, there can be more family baggage involved than simply what you've packed in the trunk of your car.

Some family members are ready and willing to help accommodate a severe food allergy. They understand that it's not a food preference, but a medical condition and they accept the dangers. Other family members are less receptive and/or less informed about it so it's going to be your job to be proactive so that you can have fun and also, a safe trip.

Family relationships can get strained over food allergies, but there are some things you can do to help.

- Call ahead. Don't just show up at your appointed time and expect everything to go smoothly. Especially if you're staying with relatives and even if you aren't, give a shout out and discuss the food allergy situation. You will want to give people a heads up about foods to avoid but also you want to reassure your family that you will help provide safe meals and won't leave it all up to them.

- Bring food. Pack enough non-perishable safe treats, either homemade or from places like Enjoy Life Foods or Divvies so that your allergic child is not left without good stuff during family meals or snack times. Stocking up will also save you and your family the stress of last-minute grocery runs or overheated discussions about "just one bite won't hurt" and "why can't he have the plain M&Ms?" etc.

- Be fun. Food is part of the social fabric that holds families together but it can also be divisive if you're dealing with food allergies, so don't let all the focus go to the food. Once you arrive, organize a family vs. family soccer game, go to a movie or beach or bring your favorite board game and engage everyone in a fun activity that doesn't revolve around food. Everyone will be having too much fun to comment on what your kid is or isn't eating.

- Plan activities that allow you to bring your own meals. If you're visiting a zoo or amusement park, for example, you will want to make sure you can bring a picnic lunch so that you don't have to rely on the food allergy-unsafe food options found at these places. Everyone loves a picnic, so help pack a good one and then you can focus on the activity instead of finding what so often turns out to be as easy as finding a needle in a haystack -- a "safe" lunch or dinner while out and about.