Food Allergy Awareness Week: Small Gestures Add Up All Year

Is this your family's constant refrain? You are not alone!

This week is Food Allergy Awareness Week (and this month is Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month), so there are many activities being implemented to bring awareness and attention to the seriousness of life-threatening food allergies. These large gestures are wonderful and come about due to the dedication of parents, advocates and physicians who want to spread the word and make the world a more aware place for people suffering from life-threatening food allergies aka "anaphylaxis."

Before I go any further, in honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, I want to give a little PSA to all reading now. If you or your child suffer from allergies please remember to ALWAYS carry epinephrine at ALL TIMES. And always check foods, read labels and skip foods when you can't determine their safety. Being cautious of foods and carrying medications are the two best things you can do! I know I've said it many times, but this week especially, it's worth saying again.

While I love that there is a week especially devoted to the  cause of food allergy awareness, I think it's important to point out what I think most of us already know. If you are dealing with life-threatening food allergies every week is "food allergy awareness week." I'm going to guess that you are frequently telling others about allergies as you help your child (or yourself) navigate through a world in which a common food can be more than hazardous to your health -- it can be potentially lethal. This is a difficult concept for many people to get their minds around, so educating others about allergies is a continual process.

Recently, a food allergy awareness opportunity came about for me kind of unexpectedly. My daughter was in a school play and had a lead, so as part of the party-planning committee I ordered specialty cakes from Nutphree's,  a local nut-free bakery, for the entire cast, with the play's theme as the decoration. Nutphree's outdid themselves -- the cakes were the talk of the party and dozens of kids took pictures of the cakes. A lot of people saw the "Nutphree's" logo on the cake boxes and asked me about the bakery, food allergies and how we manage them. One of the volunteers was a pediatrician in our area and he thought it was great -- so many of his patients now have nut allergies, he said. It was great to spread the food allergy awareness this way. (And it didn't hurt that the cakes looked beautiful and tasted great -- they were a wonderful conversation piece.) See below.

Isn't this gorgeous? We had a cake with yellow frosting and red accents, too.
The dice were edible and much-coveted by cast members.

My point is: Any time you tell others about life with food allergies, you are making an impact. Think about it. For example:

Did you speak to a restaurant staff member about allergies recently? How about a family friend? Did you provide treats for a play date or steer a parent towards an appropriate snack due to allergies?

Did you have to turn down an invitation to an ice cream shop or a bakery because of cross-contact risk? Did you have to refuse any food -- and did you politely explain why?

Did you speak to a teacher or another parent in your classroom about cutting down on food allergy risk? Maybe you baked a treat for a get-together and substituted an ingredient (like SunButter for peanut butter) and explained to someone why you had to do that?

Did you see a label change on a food (for better or worse)? That's because of customers (like you and me) calling with questions. Or maybe a restaurant you frequent began putting a note on the menu, i.e. "Tell your server about any food allergies." That stems from people speaking up about allergies.

If you  have made a special effort to educate others this week regarding life-threatening food allergies, kudos to you and thank you! It does help. As we all know, it can be a lot of work to navigate life with allergies, so whatever you have done, large or small, remember it does all add up. Every gesture and every interaction makes a difference.

For more on navigating live with nut allergies, click this link for my nut allergy parenting guide, a concise and encouraging approach for dealing with the newbie to nut allergy lifestyle.

I also encourage you to check out a virtual event on Twitter, hosted by the wonderful Jennifer B of the blog Food Allergy Buzz. This Friday, May 16th, to culminate Food Allergy Awareness Week, is a Twitter gathering to help raise awareness. Last year "food allergy" was "trending" on Twitter due to this gathering -- no easy feat. Click here for details about joining the event.

What about you? How do you promote food allergy awareness in your everyday life?

Kids with Food Allergies and Summer Camp

Heavy snow, rain and overall weather misery in many parts of the country aside, spring is nearly here, which means summer is on the way. It's definitely not too early to be thinking about summer activities -- like camp. But what if your child, like mine, has life-threatening allergies to nuts or other foods?

If some of you are skeptical of the summer camp experience for your severely allergic child, I know how you feel. I summed up our family's experience in this archived Allergic Living magazine article where I discuss the ups and downs of my daughter's week at Girl Scout camp (she was seven years old at the time). The bottom line: it was a big success in spite of a few scares -- all non-allergy related!

For any parent contemplating camp, food allergy awareness must come into play. Some parents don't want to deal with camp and it's your call to make. You know your child better than anyone and what they are capable of handling.

That said, if you can find a camp that accommodates allergies, consider giving it a try (once you've done all of your research and feel confident, of course). I remember how excited my daughter was to attend Girl Scout camp. She still talks about it! In recent years, she has served as a volunteer at our local library and she has been an advocate for the younger allergic kids she encounters. I'm sure the positive role models and teen counselors she met at Girl Scout camp served as inspiration.

That's why I was so excited to hear about Camp Wingate-Kirkland, a nut-free camp in Cape Cod and one of my current blog sponsors. I first learned of this camp a couple of years ago when I was on a panel discussion (via the parenting website The Motherhood) with Lori Sandler of Divvies. Our group included Sandy Rubenstein, one of the owners/directors of Camp Wingate*Kirkland.

The online panel discussion dealt with specific actions to take in order to ensure the safety of food-allergic kids during play dates, sleepovers and summer camp. You can see a write-up of that very helpful and informative discussion by clicking this link.

I received this message regarding the camp's allergy policies: "Camp Wingate*Kirkland is food allergy-friendly and peanut-free. The training and precautions made by the camp staff allow your child to be a camper, not “the camper with allergies.”  For more info, click the "Camp Wingate*Kirkland" image on the right sidebar of this blog. It will take you directly to their web site; you can find their specific allergy policies there, too. Thanks to the directors of this camp for caring about nut-allergic and food-allergic campers!

Important Note:

For your child's health and safety, always speak directly to any and all camp directors for specific information on food allergy policies and accommodations. Please do your own research as you are the best judge of your family's specific situation and needs.

FARE has compiled a list of camps that advertise themselves as allergy-friendly; you can find the list for 2013 by clicking this link. Remember, things can change so please do your own research.

Have you found any local camps that will accommodate your food-allergic camper? How did it go?

Nut-Free Baking: Info You Need to Know

That delicious-looking dessert may not be safe for someone with severe food allergies.  

Holiday baking time is upon us once again and that's OK with me, for the most part. As readers of this blog know, I am no stranger to baking, so bring it on!

But first, let's talk about baking for food-allergic people when you are not dealing with food allergies in your home. As I always do at this time of year, I've received several questions from friends and relatives of allergic people who would like to make a safe and nut-free baked creation, or who have been called upon to do so for the purposes of a holiday meal.

Before I get into substitutions for peanuts/tree nuts in recipes or what brand of food coloring to use, this is the first suggestion I always have for anyone with this question:

Talk to the allergic person's family (or to them directly, if they are old enough). They may not feel comfortable serving any baked goods not produced in their own nut-free (or dairy-free, or egg-free, etc.) kitchen. So, please ask them. They'll be happy to talk to you and grateful for your interest, I can almost guarantee.

Cross-Contact of Foods -- The Raw Chicken Analogy

If you are a household who uses a lot of whatever the allergic person is allergic to, cross-contact, also known as cross-contamination, can occur.

I know -- cross-contamination. Gross. That term sounds like we think you don't have a clean kitchen. Rest assured, the problem is not cleanliness, but rather the entire process of baking to make something safe for allergies is completely different from what you are probably used to.

The kitchens of people dealing with life-threatening food allergies are often free from the allergen completely, and that's to avoid the possibility of a trace amount of this allergen getting into the food. If not free from the allergen, we are keeping everything separate and even using different utensils, pans, cleaning gear -- the list is nearly endless. This is something that may have taken us months or years to learn how to do properly so I for one don't expect others to "get" it immediately.

Sadly, cross-contact with allergens can happen easily--too easily. The environment in which food is prepared is just as important as ingredients. So is the placement of the items once baked. Take a "nut-free" cookie baked in a "nut-free" facility and then put it on a bakery display next to hazelnut cake and peanut butter cups. Now the "nut-free" cookie is unsafe due to possible cross-contact.

Bake a plain vanilla cake in a small kitchen that just produced a peanut butter cupcake. The plain vanilla cake may be harboring peanut matter and is not "safe" for those with a nut allergy.

Cross-contact is the reason for food labels that say "may contain peanuts." It’s the reason for companies choosing to create and label foods "made in a nut-free facility." Cross-contact presents a real risk and ought not to be downplayed.

I've heard Chef Ming Tsai talk about his food allergy-friendly restaurant Blue Ginger and how he tells his chefs to treat any food allergens like they are "raw chicken." When dealing with raw chicken you change cutting boards and utensils and wash your hands frequently or risk salmonella. I think the Raw Chicken Analogy is as good as any I've ever heard. After all, everyone accepts that raw chicken can contaminate otherwise safe foods. The same goes for allergens--one slip up, the allergen is in the food and it is no longer safe for an allergic person to eat. And you -- or they -- might not even know it's in the food.

Can You Bake Safely for a Severely Allergic Person?

Obviously, this is a very individual answer and you will have to evaluate your personal situation. In general, though, this is not something you can do on the spur of the moment if you have a kitchen containing a lot of a particular food allergen. A "wash-down" may not do the trick.

It helps to think of food labels when you evaluate whether or not you want to take on "nut-free" baking in a kitchen that uses nut ingredients. You've probably seen a food label that says "processed on equipment that also manufacturers peanuts and tree nuts." People with severe nut allergies are advised by their doctors to avoid foods that are labeled this way, in order to avoid trace amounts of an allergen.

If you use peanut butter and other nut products like tree nuts, then your kitchen products would be labeled: "Processed on equipment that also processes peanuts and tree nuts." Companies label this way even if they do wash their equipment -- because human error is always a factor. Allergic people need to avoid these types of items from store bought foods, so of course the same holds true for homemade.

An exception would be that you are a close friend or family member of the allergic person, you are very used to dealing with it and your other family members are on board with keeping the kitchen area pristine during the process. This is not to say that you can't teach people how to bake and cook allergen-free, but it does take some planning, preparation and understanding of food allergens. If you want to do this and you are not that aware of how to go about it, I suggest talking to the person familiar with the allergy and going over the process with them, step by step. For example, I know that many of us have family who have learned to bake nut-free an cross-contact -free, so kudos to them.

Due to necessity, I trust very few individuals to produce nut-free food and that's not because I don't honor their good intentions, but rather, it's an issue of cross-contact risk.  If people refuse to eat something you've prepared for allergy reasons or to serve it to an allergic person, please don't take it personally. It's not about you, it's about health and staying out of harm's way. My e-book speaks to the issue of cross-contact and kitchen safety with regard to nut allergies, if you're interested in learning more.

If You Are the One with Allergies in the House

Maybe, to be able to guarantee your child a safe treat, you prefer to handle the baking. I've got several links for you to help you find some good ingredients and methods. Plus, check my Pinterest boards. I've been adding to the nut-free recipes under "Thanksgiving Foods", "Christmas Sweets (Nut-Free)" and "Holidays and Food Allergies." Plus, I just have a ton of recipes on my boards in general, so check them out. You can go directly to my Pinterest page by clicking on the "Pinterest button" to the right of this post. You can also find recipes on this blog by using the "search" tool in the upper right hand side of the blog. Use key word "recipe" to see what I've got posted here.

Please note: for any ingredients mentioned here, please ALWAYS check the labels. This is what I do, and I do stay on top of this as best I can, but things can change. Always check the label and if you want more information, call the company. What you use should always be up to your specific allergies (I deal with peanut/tree nut only) and your own comfort level. Thanks!

Now for the baking links from this blog:

Info about Libby's canned pumpkin and Carnation Milk (two seasonal favorites).

The Nut-Free Home Baker (this article features some of my favorite baking resources).

Vanilla Extract Questions: Answered

Thank you to everyone who is concerned about baking nut-free for their family or friends! For all of us who are doing a lot of the baking on our own to ensure safety, remember:

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Nut-Free, Homemade Halloween Treats, Plus Last-Minute Ideas on Pinterest

These shortbread cookies can even be made dairy-free. Delicious!

Halloween is just a few days away so I want to post some links to two reader-favorite Halloween recipes that I created for my family:

Frankenstein Monster Toe Cookies

Candy Corn Cookies

These two recipes are pretty easy and definitely festive. I hope you enjoy them!

I hope you'll also check out my Pinterest boards -- I have nut-free Halloween recipes and fun Halloween ideas from a variety of sources.

Halloween Candy Exchange

What to do with all the Halloween candy you can't have? If you live near Chicago-area bakery, Nutphree's, bring your unusable Halloween candy to their bakery and they'll give you a free cupcake. They will send any unusable candy overseas to the military, so it's a win-win situation for everyone.

What do you do with the Halloween candy you can't use? Any candy exchanges like this in your area? Please share them! We'd love to hear your ideas.

Working Around Food Allergies at Class Parties: Some Fun, Food-Free Ideas for Everyone

Skip the label reading, wasted money on the "wrong"
product and enjoy a food-free class party.

I'm re-posting a popular blog from last year. Many people have told me they used these ideas, so for those of you new to nut allergies or to The Nut-Free Mom blog, here you go. :)

School is back in session and that means that classroom party season is back in full force. As parents of kids with life-threatening food allergies, school parties can mean the following things: late night baking sessions, marathon grocery store trips in search of allergy-friendly, tasty foods (that won't break the bank) and dealing with the sometimes mystifying efforts on the part of party planners to include some type of edible treat  -- no matter what! Even if several kids in the class have food allergies or intolerance, this unfortunately does not deter some determined foodies.

To me, it just seems easier -- not to mention safer -- to skip the food rather than try to come up with a food that fits multiple allergies or food intolerance. It's a nice change of pace, too, from all of the candy, snacks and sweets that are offered to kids on a daily basis.

I want to offer some solutions for food-free class parties, because with 1 in 12 kids suffering from a food allergy, it's bound to affect more classrooms with each passing year.  Plus, many kids' allergy health plans have "food-free" classrooms as part of the requirements. Clearly, all of us could use some alternatives to edible treats.

Here is a list to explore and please feel free to share it with your child's teachers. To gather these supplies, instead of sending individual parents out to buy food for parties, why not ask parents for a set amount of money and then designate "buyers" for these items? Set a budget for parties and go from there whenever craft items or non-edible treats are needed.

Food-Free Class Party Ideas

Crafts. These are always a hit. If you are not one of those naturally "crafty" parents, you can find some wonderful ideas and deals online. I love the crafts page at Family Fun magazine, since you can search according to age, event and season, among other things. Check out Oriental Trading Company online for some other festive craft ideas for fall like this small pumpkin faces craft kit and this kit for a turkey headband.

Games. Your teacher will undoubtedly have some fun game ideas, but again, online sources abound. I really like the Class Parties website and its suggestions for crafts and games.

If you're one of the creative parents, even better. For example, one mom in my daughter's class had the kids team up to write their own Halloween stories and then act them out. The kids loved it! Plus, I've seen some really great seasonal games at Target and other discount stores. Last year I bought an inexpensive but cute "Halloween bucket" game for my youngest daughter's classroom. Use the season to spark your imagination and ask your kids for input. You'll soon see that you don't need food to have a good time.

Non-edible treats. Why not skip the traditional sugary foods and give students small toys (available at places like Oriental Trading Company or local party stores for low prices, especially if you buy in bulk), stickers or personalized pencils. One of my favorite online sources is the For Teachers Only website. Personalize pencils for the class with their names or a message like "Happy Thanksgiving." The cost might even be cheaper than food depending on seasonal sales, etc.

You can find other affordable novelties at the always entertaining and resourceful website for Oriental Trading Company.

Share printed recipes. Is your school having a World Cultures Day? A food-free alternative would be to have students bring in printed recipes and tell the class the stories behind the recipes. You can learn so much from hearing these stories and if kids make the foods at home, maybe they can be given a chance to discuss them at a later date. This approach takes the focus off of managing so many homemade, unlabeled foods which in turn, helps teachers as well as allergic kids.

For reasons of time and general health as well as food allergies, many schools are choosing to limit the food at parties, but if you can offer some replacements, that's a great step in the right direction.

For more on organizing class parties around food allergies, read and share this article I wrote for Chicago Parent magazine.

For nut-free Halloween ideas including snacks (for home parties or if your school insists on serving food) I hope you’ll check out my Pinterest boards for Halloween treats, nut-free school lunches and more. They’ve been a hit with parents of both allergic and non-allergic kids.

It’s hard to believe, but the holidays are just around the corner. If you’re dealing with a nut allergy diagnosis and would like some guidance on dealing with relatives, foods and other issues that affect your new, nut-free lifestyle, check out my e-book on Amazon and on other devices such as the Nook or yourcomputer/iPad.

Father's Day and Food Allergies: Readers Share Their Stories

This site is called "The Nut-Free Mom" but I am happy to say that many dads read it, too. Dads, grandfathers, stepdads and anyone who is "like a dad" to your child can make a huge positive impact on your child. So many dads are happy to take on this challenge and it truly helps lighten the load -- for everyone.

For example, some dads start businesses to help their nut-allergic kids, such as Brian Walker of Nutphree's Cupcakes here in the Chicago suburbs.

Same goes for Skeeter Snacks--a company started by two dads of nut-allergic kids.

AllergyEats is a site run by a dad, Paul Antico, who has kids with food allergies. The site helps you choose restaurants based on allergic customer's feedback. I've used it--it's a great tool for travel!

And did you know that Vermont Nut Free Chocolates is a family business, too?



Just day to day support can make a difference in the family's life, whether it's a dad calling a restaurant (my husband often does this for my daughter) or just being there so a child can attend an event or birthday party.

It can be difficult to get everyone on the same page, something I discuss in my e-book, including ways to help improve this situation.  But in honor of Father's Day, I asked readers to share some positive stories of how the dads in their life have helped them and their kids manage food allergies.

The following are a just few stories from readers (the rest are on my Facebook page for Nut-Free Mom.). Share yours at the end of this post if you like -- we'd love to hear. And if you're a Dad yourself, stand up and be counted. We appreciate you and your help!

Nicole Smith of Allergic Child had this to say about her husband's role in helping manage her son's food allergies: " My husband flew across the country to cook safe food for our son, Morgan, while he attended the Boy Scout National Jamboree in 2010. The Jamboree lasted 10 days and my husband shopped, cooked and delivered 30 meals for Morgan, hauling it in for miles over dusty roads in coolers."

Reader Allie S. said: "When eating at restaurants my husband always makes sure that my little girl handles talking to wait staff, showing her chef card, meeting the chef, etc-on her own with his guidance. He also reminds her to bring her first aid backpack and carry it herself, so she'll remember on her own and get used to it for when we aren't there. He's so good at teaching her what to do, how to be confident, and to advocate for herself. Oh and he used to love cashews, but only eats them if he's on another continent!"

Jerri K. said: "My husband goes on field trips with our son and cooks every night. He also is showing our son how to use the grill in hopes of capturing his interest for future love of cooking, which will be an important life skill. He also has instilled a great motto...Eat to live, Don't live to eat!"

Reader DM K said that her husband advocated for his daughters in the grocery line--apparently someone was complaining to him about the restricted diets at school and he set them straight in a very respectful but compelling way.

Emily H.: "Dad gave up his favorite night time snack, a spoonful of peanut butter."


Thanks to all who shared a story. Come back on Friday for a nut-free recipe that Dads (and kids--heck, everyone) will love.

Food Allergies: Taking a Minute to Reflect on the Last Day of School

Today is the last full day of school in our district and as I always am when a school year goes well, I am thankful and grateful that my daughter enjoyed a reaction-free year. School can be filled with many food allergy-related pitfalls and regular readers of this blog know that I've covered many of these in detail. (Just search key word "school" in the search bar to the right for several articles on managing food allergies at school.)

However, as the year draws to a close without a reaction, I like to take a deep breath and enjoy what went right. For those of you who have sent your children to school for the first time this year, you are probably feeling a special sense of relief now that it's over. As someone who has been managing and helping my child manage food allergies at school for nearly 8 years now, I can tell you that it does get easier,  especially as kids get older and more able to speak up and care for themselves. That doesn't mean I never have worries, and now we have new challenges like an overnight field trip next year for 8th grade.

But for now, I've got all of that on the back burner. I'm simply thankful that things have gone well. I encourage you to thank your child's teachers and any others who have helped you child manage allergies and/or asthma this year. It's always nice to say "thank you" to the health office workers, too. They've probably gotten to know your child well because they of their formal health plans and medications at school. Let them know that their concern and care are helpful.

On a housekeeping note, don't forget to bring home your child's medications and any new health forms. If you plan to go to a new school or are going to school for the first time next year, please click this link for some helpful information. Most school offices stay open for a few weeks after the last day of school, but after that it may be difficult to speak to anyone at school until the fall. So if you have anything you need to take care of, now is the time!

I'm sure that all of us have things we wish had gone differently but hopefully summer will give us some perspective on how things can be better handled next year. One tip is to join your school's PTO--if you can, get on a party committee. You'll be in a much better position to navigate food allergies and voice your concerns. So many times, people just aren't aware of the role that minimizing food plays in keeping kids safe and included.

If things went well for you this year, it's no accident. It means that you and your child did a great job of handling things and it also means that you have established good communication with your school. And let's be real: some schools are more allergy aware than others. If you found yourself in the position of food allergy "pioneer" this year, then I know you had your share of challenges (I've been there!). Hats off to you!

Life with severe food allergies can be challenging, but as you meet each challenge, it's great to celebrate the little victories. Tell your kids that you are proud of them--and be proud of yourself, too. Whether it was communicating with school staff, providing allergy-friendly food, educating your school about allergies or even sharing your story with other parents, you did your part to help your child have a smooth school year. I admire you all!

Happy Summer!

For more on navigating life with severe nut allergies, click this link for my complete e-book guide.

Nut-Free Supermarket Friday Find, Plus Memorial Day Weekend Party & Travel Tips

Grilling on the go with food allergies? A disposable instant grill to the rescue.

For Memorial Day Weekend, I'm featuring something a little different for Nut-Free Supermarket Finds Friday: a disposable instant grill. No, it's not a nut-free food but we can cook nut-free foods on it and it eliminates cross contact risk from shared or public grills. For example, marinades can have peanut or tree nut products or oils and if you have allergies to fish or other foods, you never know what was on the grill if you're away from home. I've even seen peanut shells inside public grills at the park. 

 

These handy little grills are available at Walmart, hardware stores and supermarkets. Here's a link to disposable grills sold at Walmart.

 

If you're looking for Memorial Day Weekend travel tips, party tips or recipes, then click this link to a past post where there are info and additional blog post links for all of the above!

 

I hope you all have a happy, safe and healthy Memorial Day holiday with your family and friends.

Food Allergy Emergency Preparedness for Natural Weather and Other Disasters

The recent tornado in Oklahoma was a tragic event on so many levels. We are sending lots of good thoughts and love to anyone coping with this horrible crisis.

In a natural weather disaster where the devastation may be widespread and involve fatalities, water and food may be greatly limited, much less allergy-friendly food. Have you thought about how you would manage this situation? Weather disasters and other emergencies aren't pleasant to think about but since they don't happen when you expect them, it's best to be ready.

Here's a few tips for keeping on top of food allergies in a weather emergency or natural disaster:

Have a good stock of "safe," non-perishable food items that can be eaten by the entire family. Soy milk (if you can have it) doesn't require refrigeration and bottled water is always good to have on hand in case you can't use your tap water for any reason. I like to have cereal, crackers, pretzels and slow-spoiling fruits like apples and bananas on hand in case of a blackout. SunButter, if you can eat it, is also good to have as is non-refrigerated cheese and crackers (if you aren't allergic to dairy). Anything from Enjoy Life like trail mix and granola is safe for the Top 8 food allergens, gluten and sesame. These foods will keep well and give you much-needed energy if you are low on food and stressed.

Stock up on bottled water. In case the water is unsafe to drink, you need plenty of water. Look for sales and then store them in a safe place where family members won't grab a bottle for convenience.

Make sure all your prescriptions are up-to-date and well-stocked. Check to make sure that you have several epinephrine auto-injectors, a bottle of Benadryl and whatever asthma or seasonal allergies your child needs well before a crisis hits. In the event of extreme bad weather, you may not be able to renew these prescriptions in a timely manner, so get them now. Keep them in a plastic resealable bag so they don't get wet.

Keep a generous supply of cleaning wipes and antibacterial hand wipes. If the worst happens and you have to leave your home for any reason, you'll be able to remove allergenic residue from surfaces. In addition, hand and face wipes will come in handy for personal use.

Have a"Go Bag" ready. At a food allergy conference I attended a couple of years ago, a dad who used to work with NYC on Emergency Preparedness discussed the need for a "Go Bag" that you have ready for your child in a convenient area of your home. This bag would contain up-to-date medications in addition to safe, non-perishable foods and drinks.

In addition, The American Red Cross has a site with excellent plans for preparing you and your family.

For anyone interested in helping to ensure that victims of the tornado have allergy-friendly/GF food if they need it, here is an official address for you:

Send shelf-stable Allergy Safe Foods and/or Gluten Free Foods (Please mark them as such on the outside of the box) to: Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, 3355 S. Purdue, Oklahoma City, OK 73139

You can also visit Peanut Free Planet for as they are sponsoring a disaster relief effort. Here's more from PFP:
"If you would like to send a food donation to the food allergy families that have been victims of the Oaklahoma Tornado you can order on our site. PFP will cover the shipping of the gift to the Oaklahoma Food bank. If you would like to donate $ to purchase products to fill in the gaps of other donations please purchase a gift certificate. When you order enter our address as the shipping address. 15252 Stony Creek Way Noblesville IN and choose in-store pick up and put "Oklahoma" in the comments section. The donations will be shipped Thursday morning. "

What about your family? Any tips you'd like to share? Or have you thought much about this topic?

Food Allergy Awareness Week: Join the Twitter Party sponsored by Food Allergy Buzz!

Join the Food Allergy Awareness Week Twitter Party!

To kick off Food Allergy Awareness Week, I want to tell you about a fun opportunity to connect with other food allergy folks -- fellow parents, advocates and dedicated sponsors -- a Food Allergy Awareness Week Twitter Party! This event is hosted by Jennifer B of Food Allergy Buzz, one of the smartest, nicest and most dedicated food allergy bloggers and advocates that I know. She's been hosting these Twitter events for years and would love to make "food allergy" a trending topic on Twitter during the party.

It's really easy to participate, fast-paced and fun -- the hour flies by very quickly!

Here's more information about the Twitter party, including a link to the invite. Hope to see you there!

Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW) Twitter Party 2013

• Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 7:00 PM Eastern
• Hosted by Jennifer B
• 339-364-8832
• on Twitter
• www.twitter.com

Join us for the 4th annual FAAW Twitter Party! This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with others in the online food allergy community LIVE at 7:00 PM Eastern. Chat with other food allergy friends, help promote food allergy awareness and maybe even win a food allergy prize from one of the party's sponsors. Click this link to see and respond to the invitation.

In order to participate in the FAAW Twitter Party you will need a Twitter account.

To be eligible for a prize, you must:

1. rsvp YES to this invitation

2. follow @FoodAllergyBuzz on Twitter

3. tell friends about the 2013 FAAW Twitter Party on Twitter and/or FB (send us the links for the Tweet and FB post!)

4. participate in the party using the #foodallergy hashtag!

 

Sponsors include Surf Sweets, Onespot Allergy, Enjoy Life Foods and Peanut Free Planet!

For more information, click this link:

http://socializr.punchbowl.com/partypage/c64249971c3302da

 

 

 

Attention All Food Allergy Friends: Carry Your Epinephrine!

When my daughter was first diagnosed,
we had sticky notes like this all over the house.

When your child (or you!) received a food allergy diagnosis and you discovered a risk for anaphylaxis (potentially life-threatening allergic reaction), one of the first things you probably received was a script for an epinephrine auto-injector. You were likely told that you must carry the auto-injector with you at all times, you filled the prescription and then...life goes on. When you are first absorbing the many changes that food allergies bring, sometimes you can forget to pack the epinephrine. Or maybe you don't think you really need it everywhere, especially if you don't plan to eat.

The simple rule about epinephrine auto-injectors is that we never know when we'll need them. So always carry them! In fact, most allergists recommend carrying at least two at all times for a multitude of what-if reasons.

It's easy to forget these little life-saving doodads when you're rushing around fulfilling your life obligations. But--these things are too important to forget. They will save a life, period. To paraphrase an old TV ad: "Don't leave home without them." And in fact, even if you are at home, have them easily accessible at all times. Pick a cabinet and put a sticker on it or a sticky note--whatever you have to do. Tell everyone who cares for your kids where you either stored or packed the epinephrine. Truly, these small steps can make a difference by saving a life.

Tragic food allergy fatalities usually have one commonality that is heart-breaking: no epinephrine was available for the person suffering the reaction. This is reason enough to turn the car around and head home if you forget it. I've done it so many times and even if I've been late for something I've never regretted making sure I have the epinephrine. As my husband's late grandmother used to say "Better a red face than a broken heart." Amen to that! Carry the darn things.

I know it's a pain to remember to carry epinephrine auto-injectors, so I have some suggestions that worked for me. If some of these seem over the top, they are meant to be. Because, after all, the goal is having the auto-injector available at all times!

Whether you are using the EpiPen(R) or the new Auvi-Q(R) auto-injector, if you don't have them with you, they won't work. My daughter's first allergist held up the auto-injector and said "This is no good if you don't have it with you. Always have it with you." Point taken and I've always remembered that good advice no matter what.

Tricks for remembering/quickly locating your epinephrine auto-injector:

1. Use lots of sticky note reminders (see photo above). Place reminder notes on your front and back doors, the sink, your car dashboard, the kitchen cabinet, the TV screen--anywhere you think will be useful at helping you remember.

2. Wear it: OneSpot Allergy has auto-injector belts for both the EpiPen(R) and Auvi-Q(R). The company Olli Lolli even makes khaki pants that kids can carry it in. Whatever works--do it!

3. Have a special, recognizable case for the auto-injector. My daughter loves her carrying case from Epi-Essentials. If she doesn't have this visual reminder in her bag, then she knows not to leave without it.

4. Get your kids in the habit of remembering their auto-injectors. Practice having your kids bring you the auto-injector before you go somewhere; as they get older, have them carry it. (You carry a backup of course.) I'm so glad I did this; now my daughter is excellent at remembering and usually already has it packed before I ask "Do you have your auto-injector?

5. Practice drills for locating epinephrine. Pretend you need the auto-injector and time how long it takes to find it. It shouldn't take long--only seconds! If it takes too long to locate find a new spot for it.

I hope these tips help! And remember:

What works for you? How do you remind yourself to carry your epinephrine?

Nut-Free Supermarket Finds Friday: Easter Treats

Surf Sweets gummies partnered with The Nut-Free Mom (C) blog to create a free recipe e-book.
Check it out at  http://surfsweets.com/blog/2013/03/01/5-delicious-spring-recipes-now-available/

Nut-free supermarket finds Friday is back! Since the Easter holiday is approaching, I'm featuring a few products that will come in handy if you celebrate Easter. Nut-free is the theme, though some of the treats will be free of other allergens or gluten.

 

To keep things simple, I've chosen to focus only on products produced in a nut-free facility. Surprisingly, it is getting easier to find these types of products at your local supermarket.

 

Just in case you might want to order from some of the great online nut-free retailers out there, I've included a short section at the end of the post.
 

 First up is Surf Sweets organic gummy candies (pictured), one of my family's favorites. Free of GMOs, organic, and free of the top 8 food allergens. You can find these at Whole Foods and other specialty food stores. Go to their web site to find stores. Be sure to click this link to find a free e-book with five yummy and creative spring recipes featuring Surf Sweets gummy candies. I contributed my favorite cookie recipe to the e-book.

Skeeter Snacks cookies are made in a dedicated nut-free facility. You can find them at Costco and many supermarkets across the country. Look for the squirrel logo and the "nut-free" symbol. We love these cookies at my house and, based on the comments, they are a Nut-Free Mom reader favorite.

 Enjoy Life Foods Boom Choco Boom bars are yummy for the chocolate lovers on your list, available at many supermarkets and Whole Foods. This dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free chocolate tastes great AND is it free of the top 8 allergens. Or pick up some Enjoy Life chocolate chunks or mini chips and make your own candies, also at many supermarkets as well as Whole Foods. Made in a dedicated, free-from facility.

What would Easter be without jelly beans? Gimbal's allergy-friendly jelly beans are available at Wal-Mart, Safeway and some other supermarkets. Fun, colorful, tasty and free of the top 8 allergens, these are made with natural ingredients and come in 41 delicious flavors. They have candies for every season!

Tootsie Roll(R) candies are a good nut-free option. Their new egg-shaped Tootise Pops lollipops, like all Tootsie Candies, in a dedicated peanut-free, tree nut-free, gluten-free facility. Check their website for a full list of candies and the next time you're at the supermarket, take a spin through the candy aisle. If it is made by Tootside (Andes Mints are also a Tootsie candy), then they are nut-free. Important: always read labels! One of the biggest advantages about Tootsie candies? You can find them just about anywhere.


Online nut-free candies:

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates. For Easter, Passover and any holiday. Peanut and tree nut-free, delicious, gourmet chocolate. They also have other candies like jelly beans and they sell a nice variety of baking chocolate.

Dean's Sweets. If you're looking for a more "adult" treat from the Easter Bunny (say for your or your that favorite allergic adult in your life) Dean's Sweets out of Portland, Maine has an astounding variety of peanut-free and tree nut-free chocolate truffles.

Divvies candies are nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free AND kosher. They have so many goodies here (and they are sold at Wegman's grocery stores, too).

Amanda's Own Confections are nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free. You'll find delicious chocolates for every holiday and occasion. Amanda's Own are now sold at some stores, so keep your eyes open and check their web site for details.

Teens and Food Allergies: Resources for This Risky Time

Just a few weeks ago, we celebrated my daughter's 13th birthday and new "teendom." I know that many of you are facing the same thing, so I posted about some of my concerns and attempts to prepare my own child for future independence and self-advocacy as a young adult.

Earlier this week, a tragic story out of Massachusetts showed us that food allergies can indeed be fatal for teens. A 19-year-old young man lost his life due to an apparent peanut allergy reaction. This story is still unfolding, so it's not clear exactly why events unfolded the way that they did in this case.  When these tragedies occur, everyone wants to figure out the exact circumstances so they can avoid the same tragedy. I understand that completely, but we don't always know. I'm very sorry to hear of any young life lost in this way and my deepest sympathies are with his family.

If you hear stories like these and they cause you to feel afraid and helpless for your own child, please take heart. Education and awareness work--it's a proven fact. The more someone knows about potentially fatal reactions and the more prepared you are if one occurs (and they do--you never know when an accident or mistake will happen)--the better.

Obviously, teens need to carry their medication, know the symptoms of an allergic reaction and know how to avoid these reactions.  Teens need access to facts they can explore on their own and they need to know that they are not alone.As parents and relatives, we also need to know what to do if they need help.

Luckily, many resources exist for teens with food allergies (and their parents). If you have a teen with a food allergy (or will have one someday), if you know a teen with a food allergy or you just want help understanding how you can steer your young adult in the right direction, please check out the following links. I've found all of them extremely helpful and I hope you will, too.

Article about food-allergic teens from the web site Healthy Child: This article explores the many issues faced by teens with personal stories and great information. I highly recommend reading it.

FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) teen resources section: Includes a video with teens talking about their allergies and lots of good information for coping.

Why Risk It site: This Canadian-based resource has a variety of info specifically for teens and the issues they face, like dating, risk-taking and peer pressure. (A reader recently reminded me about this, so thank you!)

Anaphylaxis Canada: This site has a comprehensive section on teens, including a video discussing how to talk to your date about what they ate before kissing. Awkward! But necessary.

Allergic Living Magazine: Section on teens, high school and college has many great articles available online.

If you have a teen, what do think has been your best teaching resource so far?

Friday Food Allergy-Friendly Supermarket Find: Cybele's Free-to-Eat Cookies! Top 8 Allergen-Free, Gluten-Free and Yes, Delicious!

Cybele's Free-to-Eat ™ Cookies are now available in many grocery stores!

Finding food allergy-friendly foods at the supermarket is an ongoing struggle, but things are starting to change for the better. So I've decided to share "Nut-Free Supermarket Finds" during Friday blog posts. I hope you'll check back often!

Now onto this week's nut-free supermarket find: Cybele's Free to Eat ™ Cookies! If you’re among the growing population of people seeking top 8 allergy-free and gluten-free cookies, you’ve probably had pretty limited options, especially regarding what you can find at your local stores. However, the food landscape is changing--in a good way. Allergy-friendly chef, cookbook author and all around good-eating guru has recently launched a line of delicious cookies, “Cybele’s Free to Eat.” Cybele’s Free-To-Eat cookies are available in three delish flavors: Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chunk Brownie and Oatmeal Raisin.

I recently had the chance to sample these cookies (being the nice mom that I am, I let my daughters do most of the sampling). Just an FYI: Due to my daughter’s severe allergies, we follow a nut-free diet, but do not have to omit any other allergens for medical reasons. So my kids are used to eating things with butter, eggs, wheat, etc. In other words, they are used to “regular” cookies so I never know what they will think when they try a new product free from so many traditional ingredients.

It’s challenging to create delicious “traditional” recipes without using traditional ingredients -- though if you’ve read Cybele’s two cookbooks, she’s taken on that challenge and nailed it. Her amazing cookbooks offer beautiful, delicious recipes FREE of the top 8 allergens and gluten. Visit her web site for more info on that.

So now, back to the cookie tasting. Of course, my oldest the chocoholic went for the Chocolate Chunk Brownie, first. After sampling those and the Chocolate Chip, she said (of Cybele): “These are so good. That lady is a genius!” That’s a big endorsement from a self-described cookie monster.

My youngest had the typical “little sister” problem of discovering that very few of the Chocolate Chip and Chunk Brownie cookies remained after big sis got ahold of them. While not a fan of Oatmeal Raisin (one of my favorite cookies, so believe me, I’ve tried) she decided to give them a go one cold day after school.

To my surprise, she LOVED them and took that box over for herself. Wow. She’s already asking me for more. If you can get my kid -- not a raisin fan -- to eat an Oatmeal Raisin cookie that is also free of so many allergens and wheat flour -- you ARE a genius.

The look, taste and texture of these cookies is like homemade, so no wonder my kids went for them in such a big way. Plus, Cybele clearly cares about food that tastes good and is also healthy. I feel very good giving my kids these cookies as a treat because they are not only nut-free for my daughter, but they are made from, wholesome, natural ingredients. The cookies are made in a gluten-free, nut-free and top 8 allergen-free facility, so no worries there. They are also GMO free, kosher and vegan.

Cybele’s Free-to-Eat ™ cookies are rolling out to many stores, especially Whole Foods, so check your local Whole Foods stores to find them. As far as online availability, stay tuned with the company as they plan to be available on Peanut Free Planet shortly. You can also keep track of stores in your area that carry them by visiting the Cybele's Free-To-Eat web site or e-mailing inf@cybele’sfreetoeat.com for more information.

Thanks to Cybele Pascal for creating such a tasty, quality product that everyone can enjoy -- allergies or not!

FTC Note: Received cookie samples for this review, ideas are my own, no other compensation.

Looking for ONLY nut-free cookies? Made in a nut-free facility, Skeeter Snacks offers
several yummy cookie varieties.  Skeeter Snacks is a supporter of this site.

 

Food Allergies and Valentine's Day Parties at School: Some Safety Steps to Take Now

Chocolate is high-risk for nut allergies, so be careful.

Valentine's Day and life-threatening food allergies: Sometimes it's hard to feel the love. When food can cause a life-threatening allergic reaction, (particularly sweets which are out in abundance at this holiday) you have to anticipate problems before they occur. Believe it or not, you can learn to "heart" Valentine's Day again.

Personally, I've found that advance preparation cuts down on stress (you, your child, the teacher, other parents) and risk (your child). Here are five suggestions for handling a Valentine's Day party in your child's classroom:

1. Give the teacher a heads-up today. Don't wait until the week of, or even a few days before. Speak to the teacher, send an e-mail, pick up the phone, your choice, but make it a point to find out what is going on with regard to food. Does food have to be offered? What about a game, a craft or a story? If food is going to be present and you can't avoid it, offer to send in a safe treat and then emphasize that your child sticks to that and that only. If your child has a health plan that prevents food in the classroom, check to be sure this is going to be upheld. You'd be surprised at how many parents simply show up with cupcakes and dump them on a teacher. Work with the school so that you can figure out solutions to these inevitable hiccups that occur on party day.

School administrators can help, too. For example, our school has a no treats or gifts policy on Valentine's Day. (This is for many reasons, not just food allergies). The principal sent out a note detailing this policy to all the parents.

2. Check the crafts. Are any edible crafts being done or is food being used for inedible crafts? Ask now. Crafts using certain foods are a bad idea with food-allergic kids in the class unless everyone is on the same page about what is safe and what isn't. So why go there? Suggest an alternative craft if you must. The store Michael's has tons of craft ideas; so does Target and other discount stores. You can find crafts for Valentine's Day online, too. Check out this link from Parents magazine: http://www.parents.com/holiday/valentines-day/crafts/kid-friendly-valentines-day-crafts/ This link has a few crafts involving foods--skip those or find safe versions, whatever works best for the kids in your classroom. There are several creative food-free ideas here.

3. Be careful of candy in/taped on the actual Valentine. People love to attach candy to valentines. It's cute, no doubt, but can be hazardous to a kid with food allergies. Instruct your child not to eat candy on their Valentine and alert the teacher so that they can be on the lookout for this.

4. Role play with your child. This may be the most important point. It's never too early to teach a child to refuse food. Our rule has always been: "When in doubt, do without." Teach your child to be polite but firm when offered food that may not be safe. This would pretty much include all candy and baked goods you have not sent to school, but pretzels, chips and popcorn brands can also be unsafe. Our daughter has always refused food since she we knew of her allergy and I truly believe it has helped her remain safe and strong when the topic of potentially hazardous food arises.

5. Promise your child a safe treat after school. It's hard to be a little kid (or even an older kid) turning away candy or treats at a party. It might make it easier if you inform your child they will have something good waiting either after school or later that evening. It doesn't have to be food, but if you're looking for some nut-free Valentine's Day treats, check out my post about online V-Day resources and supermarket finds.