Food Allergy Friendly, Organic AND Delicious? Surf Sweets Gummy Candies!

I've talked about Surf Sweets nut-free gummy candies on my blog in the past, but now I'd like to welcome this dynamic allergy-friendly candy company as a new ad sponsor for this site! Very exciting because this company was a total "find" for me when we first began searching around for nut-free candy. For some reason, "nut-free" gummy candies are some of the most difficult to locate. And everyone knows how much kids love gummy bears, gummy worms, etc.

Surf Sweets also warm a health-minded mom's heart because they are all-natural and organic. So you don't even have to feel guilty about these, in addition to being nut-free. Talk about serendipity.

Back-to-school time is here and many parents are looking for allergy-safe snacks, so these are a nice little candy to share with friends, teachers and family looking for safe foods. Plus, with Halloween already in the air (can you BELIEVE this already) these little candies are definitely going to come in handy. I remember one school party where my daughter could not have the "spooky Halloween drink" because it was filled with gummy worm candies that had a nut allergy warning. Surf Sweets gummy worms would be perfect for this--so be sure to send some to school. (But don't let the parents eat them all. I've heard from many adults who love them, too.)

Right now, if you pick up some packs of Surf Sweets Sour Berry Bears and Gummy Bears, a portion of the proceeds benefits Climate Cycle – a great local organization that partners with schools to provide education and funding for green projects (bike clubs, solar panel installations, agriculture, etc.).

You can find Surf Sweets at Whole Foods Stores (check the candy aisle) as well as in specialty food shops. Check the company web site and click the "Where to Buy" button. They are also available to order from Amazon.com and Peanut-Free Planet, among other online retailers. Sweet!

Food Allergies and Family Balance: Non-Allergic Sibs

I have two daughters, one with food allergies and one without. Sometimes it feels like I've got one foot in two worlds. The one child can't have many things that the other one can. This sometimes creates awkward situations. We don't bring peanut or tree nut products into our home and as a family out and about together, we avoid high-risk places like ice cream shops, doughnut shops and Thai food (which my youngest loves.)

Sometimes brother(s) or sister(s) can feel deprived if they are not getting the chance to enjoy the things that they can eat and do, even though their food-allergic sibling can't.

If you have kids both with food allergies and without, you know exactly what I mean. Our entire family empathizes with our oldest daughter and the fact that she can't enjoy the same foods that we can, at times. Still, we want our youngest to be able to partake of, say, an ice cream cone at an ice cream shop.

To make sure everybody gets their fair share, I've begun taking my youngest daughter to a place that's usually off-limits and I shoot for once a week. For example, last week we went to Dunkin Donuts. You would have thought I just gave the kid a million dollars; she beamed the whole time. We're going back this week and then going to a Halloween store (already!!!!) to look around.

This is special time together for the two of us, but it also lets my youngest be free of food allergy restraints that are imposed on her for the sake of her sister.

My oldest isn't left out, either. I also make a point to go out and do a non-food related (or safe food-related, sometimes) activity with her. We like to look at resale an antique shops together or go to the bookstore or library or even a movie that is "too old" for her younger sister.

It's hard to balance the needs of the allergic kids from the non-allergic. The kids without allergies don't always understand that the reason we sometimes give extra attention to the others is because of health and safety. They may just see it as extra attention, period, so I've found that it's really important to show them equal time.

If you have both non-allergic and allergic kids in your family, how do you balance their needs?

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 Allergies in School: The First Week

School's in session for many of us and it's no secret that food allergies at school can be a major cause of stress for parents, teachers, administrators and the kids themselves. I wish I had a one-size fits all option for everyone, but the fact is, many factors will determine how your school handles food allergies. Sometimes it's the people, sometimes the policies and sometimes it's a little bit of both.

We have just completed our first week of school and I have to confess--after the first partial school day, my oldest (with food allergies) has been home all week with some kind of virus that is luckily improving. So there you go! Never even thought about that happening with all the other allergy-related stuff on my mind. However, the feedback I've gotten so far from teachers and other food allergy parents has been really encouraging.

I spent a lot of time before the "big day" communicating with teachers, staff and other parents about how we would handle food allergies at school. I also had doctor's appointments and prescriptions, forms to fill out and discuss. In previous years, I have been extremely fortunate to work with wonderful teachers who wanted to help our daughter have a great school year. Without fail, they helped institute several safety measures.

However, throughout the entire school, rules about food allergies were often inconsistent and that was frustrating.

That was last year. This year, it's a whole new story because of the new district-wide food allergy policies now in place. Last year, after an Illinois law was passed that gave tax breaks to schools who follow the Illinois state food allergy management guidelines, our district came up with an extensive protocol for dealing with food allergies in a consistent way. 504 Plans and IHPs (Individual Health Plans) are still available for those who need them, but overall there is now a detailed document to refer that illustrates how our district mandates the handling of food allergies.

For example, the school lunchroom must have an allergy-free table and cleaning protocols. Lunchroom supervisors are advised of the allergic kids and their right to sit at this table (if they desire) along with one or two friends. This sounds easy, but if these measures are not spelled out and implemented, it can create chaos for the allergic kids in the lunchroom (as well as the staff.)

In addition, classroom procedures regarding handwashing and eating are being implemented that will help protect allergic kids (and probably eliminate a few colds or flu in the process.)

Even with good district policies on food allergies, parents still need to speak up about concerns and if possible, offer a solution that works. It's always good to become a resource to the teachers and the school, whether it's helping out with parties or suggesting simple and workable ways to maintain a safe classroom. Recognize that teachers have a lot to deal with and offer to help them in any way you can. If they do implement food allergy safety policies, always say thank you.

Not every school throughout the country has implemented state guidelines on the issue of food allergies, so please write to your state reps if you want this in place in your state. That's how we got it in Illinois. Support groups like MOCHA as well as FAAN helped with letter-writing/calling. Bloggers (including me) urged readers to write to their reps and explain the positive difference that food allergy guidelines would make at school.

It takes time and effort. It might even give you a few gray hairs along the way. But just knowing that there is a well thought-out policy being followed is really reassuring.

No risk can ever be eliminated entirely and no parent expects that. Simple precautions have been proven to work and I'm very grateful that our school and teachers have become our partners with this.

Here's to a happy school year to everyone!

For more info on helping your school to become safer, please see this recent back-to-school post.

Food Allergies and Easing Back-to-School Anxiety

I recently posted this amazing article, "Easing Back-to-School Anxiety" from FAAN on my Facebook page, but since so many of deal with this problem, I wanted to repost it again to make sure that everyone sees it.

Even though my daughter is entering 6th grade, each year brings new variables. The FAAN article, written by Kristen Kauke -- she was a speaker at the most recent FAAN conference I attended and she was so warm, wise and engaging--really hits home with her points about trying not to anticipate catastrophe and trying to live in the moment. (This is, of course, after you've filled out your zillion forms, spoken to teachers and staff and in other ways done your best to ensure an environment for your child that is as safe as possible.)

It's not always easy to feel relaxed about school, especially for younger kids who need to rely on adults for help and support with regard to their allergies. I also get diseheartened when I hear stories like the one someone shared on my Facebook page the other day about a "surprise" peanut butter treat (brought in by another parent) and served by the teacher on the first day of school. This was after a food allergy meeting with this teacher, apparently, so I'm fully aware that sometimes we do need to be persistent and discuss things more than once.

On a brighter note, I've also seen my own child take charge of her allergies which is very rewarding. So those of you with very young kids, take heart. When you feel your child has reached a certain level of maturity and understanding, it does help ease your mind and it is also a healthy thing for them.

I'm in the middle of my own back-to-school meetings and negotiations, so I truly get how demanding this time of year is. Once you've put your plans into place, I want to encourage you all to try to forget the allergies for a minute and look at your child as the beautiful person they are, give them a hug and celebrate the fact that they are about to enter a new school year that will benefit them with growth, learning and friendships.

For additional back-to-school allergy help, here is a link to one of my recent posts featuring collected links and back-to-school resources.