AllerGuarder - AllerDad | Food Allergy Blog

A Food Allergy Girl On a Mission to Make Cookies

3/6/2017

Food allergies affect every area of life for food allergy kids. Not only do they have to be careful what they eat, but find ways to still enjoy their food in the meantime. Every food allergy family seems to have a story of their child not being able to participate in a birthday celebration or a holiday party.

Emerson was a little girl who wasn't going to let her food allergies stop her, and decided to help other kids in the process too!

"My name is Emerson Metropoulos, I am 7 years old and have been severely allergic to tree nuts since I was 2 when I had an anaphylactic reaction to pistachios. It has always been hard to find a sweet treat when I am out with my parents that is safe for me, I always had to bring my own.

So, since I was making my own, I decided to start making them for other kids with food allergies too. I am hoping that this cookie will bring enjoyment to others that have food allergies everywhere."

Emerson is a girl who decided not to let her food allergies get her down. Not only did she learn how to bake, she created her own company! She created Sweet E’s Cookies, a cookie that is tree nut, peanut, wheat, egg, dairy and gluten free.

She has come up with the idea to package it individually wrapped and sell it for individuals that have a nut/food allergy and cannot otherwise participate in convenient treats. Her dad shares that she came up with this idea all on her own and now her parents are trying to help her with her vision.

Although there are a lot of allergen free foods majority of them are not individually wrapped and sold conveniently and accessibly.

But how many cookies can a little girl really sell on her own? She not only sold over 200 in her first week but her parents have heard so many stories of how these cookies are giving pleasure and peace of mind to individuals with food allergies.

Even better the new business venture has made Emerson feel more comfortable talking about her food allergy. And as a bonus, it has also made her take an interest in math and school work which she otherwise was not interested in! She is finding out how what she is learning is applicable to the real world with her business.

If you would like to follow along with Emerson's story, please follow her on Facebook or Instagram.

Allergy Friendly Recipe: Gimme S’More Cookie Bars

2/6/2017

Big thanks to Linda Coss for sharing this recipe! Linda is a food allergy mom, author of cook books and books, speaker, and pioneer in the food allergy world. You can order her books on her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter for great allergy tips and advice!

These very sweet and rich cookie bars are a real crowd pleaser!

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

1 cup dairy-free margarine, room temperature
1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons water, and 2 teaspoons baking powder,
mixed together
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-3/4 cups dairy-, egg- and nut-free mini marshmallows
1-1/3 cups dairy-, egg- and nut-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 (2-3/8" x 5" each) dairy-, egg- and nut-free graham crackers, broken into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using 100% vegetable shortening, grease and then flour a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together margarine and brown sugar. Stir in vanilla and oil-water-baking powder mixture. Add flour and remaining 1 teaspoon baking powder; mix well. Fold in marshmallows, chocolate chips, and graham cracker pieces.

Spread dough evenly in prepared pan. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden brown but still a little “soft” to the touch. Cool 10 minutes (they will get harder as they cool). Cut into 32 bars while still warm, then allow to cool completely before serving.

Makes 32 cookie bars (approximate 1-1/2” x 2” each)

Reprinted with permission from “What’s to Eat? The Milk-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free Food Allergy Cookbook” by Linda Coss, available at www.FoodAllergyBooks.com and Amazon.com.

Allergy Friendly Snack - New Primal Jerky Review

1/26/2017

Finding snacks that are safe for food allergies is always a challenge. Especially snacks that are high in protein, and not filled with added sugar. I was super excited to try out the New Primal Snacks after hearing about them at FABlog Con this year.

Here are the varieties I tried. I don’t eat pork, so I only sampled some of the chicken, turkey, and beef sticks. They each had a unique flavor.

Classic Beef: What I was most surprised by was how smooth the texture of these sticks were. They were soft, and not leathery like a lot of meat sticks. The classic flavor was not spicy at all, so would be a good one to give your kids if they are sensitive to spicy food. It tasted good, personally I like a little more kick.

Habanero Pineapple Beef: This one definitely had more kick, but it was not overwhelming. It was pleasantly spicy, but didn't leave me running for a drink. I liked the combination of the sweet and spicy from the pineapple.

Classic Chicken: This one was also mild and smooth. It didn't taste as different from the beef as I would have expected, but still had its own unique flavor.

Cilantro Lime Turkey: I am a huge fan of cilantro, and lime for that matter, so this was my favorite. It is definitely a flavor I would stock up on. If you don't like cilantro though, skip trying this flavor.

Spicy Beef: The spicy version was about the same spice level as the Habenero. It was very flavorful, and also had the smooth texture of the rest of the snacks. None of these were really spicy, if you are looking for a super hot meat stick.

Overall, they were a good snack.

My fiance did try a pork one too, and liked it, for the record.

Those who are allergic to dairy may notice the “lactic acid” ingredient on the package, but their lactic acid is derived from sustainable palm oil. They are also peanut and treenut free!

The best thing for me of course was that they are gluten free, as that is the thing I personally have to watch out for. But it is nice to know that I could pack them for a hiking or kayaking trip when I have one of my soy or dairy free friends along too. As a bonus, they use grass fed meat that is antibiotic and hormone free, and humanely raised.

Best for: Wheat allergies, celiac, gluten intolerance, soy allergies, dairy allergies, egg allergies, peanut allergies, nut allergies

Not a good choice for: celery allergies, beef allergies (even the chicken, turkey, and pork options may have beef collagen casing or cross contamination), and coconut allergies (many of the recipes contain coconut aminos)

What is your favorite snack?

Have you tried New Primal meats yet? Do you have another allergy friendly snack that you love? We want to hear about it in the comments below!

Our Special Thank You Gift to You!

12/19/2016

Guess what that is?!? Yes!! The very first AllerGuarder bracelets, ready to ship out!

Over the last year we have been testing prototypes, testing the app, and making the whole AllerGuarder system the best it can be. Along the way we ended up making some changes to the bracelet itself (so that it would seal more tightly, last longer, and have an improved battery system), as well as changes to the app to make it more effective (a better system for inviting contacts, better notification intervals based on testing, and more). We now have a product that my own food allergic kids wear every day, and I am so excited to share it with you.

Which brings us to some good news/bad news.

As is often the case with new products, through the course of making the much needed updates, we found that the product and development costs meant we need to raise the price of the bracelet. We are still doing everything we can to keep prices low, and this system is still less expensive than most other wearable tech. Starting on December 29 AllerGuarder will only be available for sale on Amazon, and will be priced at $79.95-$89.95 depending on the charms you select to go with it.

BUT… the good news for you is that we want to thank you for all your ideas, support, and participation on this journey with us. Many of you we have met at conferences and events in person. We want to make sure that you can get this bracelet!

Right now, we have kept 300 bracelets out of the Amazon inventory. These bracelets all have the updated design and app, and are identical to the ones that we will be selling on Amazon. We are offering you the opportunity to get the AllerGuarder bracelet right now for our original target price of $49.95 until we sell out of the 300.

We created this company because our kids have food allergies, and we wanted to design something that would keep them safe. We get it. With the cost of Epi-pens rising, and the cost of having a dangerous and stressful allergic reaction, we have created a system that will help prevent that and save you money. This introductory price is our way of saying thank you!

So which color would you like? :-)

Avram and the AllerGuarder Team

P.S. As long as you order in the next couple days, you can still get your AllerGuarder bracelet before the holidays too!

5 Sources for Gluten Free Resources for People with Celiac or Wheat Allergies

10/7/2016

One of my goals is to give information and resources to everyone with food allergies, not only with the allergies my kids have. This is a guest post by Margaret Clegg. She is the author and owner of MI Gluten Free Gal. She lives in Michigan with her wonderful husband and her two dogs, and loves all things related to Michigan State University. She’s been diagnosed with Celiac Disease for almost two decades, is the leader of her support group, and helps to organize a gluten-free expo. Check out her website, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram , and Pinterest.

So often when people are diagnosed with Celiac Disease or a wheat allergy, they are at a loss for what to cook. It is through a health issue like this many learn how to cook. Trial by fire. Here is a list of 5 gluten-free cooking resources that are my go-to’s even after 15 years of diagnosis. Hopefully you can learn from these gurus and have experiments that end up with ooh’s and ah’s instead of in the trash can.

Bette Hagman - Celiac Cookbooks

Bette Hagman was a gluten-free savior for so many. When I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease back in 2001, she was THE gluten-free cookbook author. Her name was on every person’s lips at support group meetings. Her cookbook was the gift you gave to any gluten-free eater. It’s full of more than just recipes. Her books contain definitions, lists of resources, and insights for anyone who eats gluten-free. She was the ULTIMATE gluten-free cooking resource.

My copies of her cookbooks are well-worn, with post-it tabs throughout the book on favorite recipes. Her cornbread was the foundation to my yearly Thanksgiving stuffing. Nobody knew it was “gluten-free.” She passed in 2007, so there is no website of her recipes to see, no Pinterest page to follow. If you’re lucky enough to find one of her 7 cookbooks, stroll through its pages. Her love for food and for humans is evident on every page.

Bette Hagman Cookbook, photo credit Margaret Clegg, used with permission

GF Jules

Jules Shepard was diagnosed with Celiac Disease just a few short years before me. Regardless, she has been a powerhouse of advocacy and inspiration to many. All of her recipes are made with a flour blend that she created herself, and sells on her website and select stores. If you have a preferred flour blend, don’t let that stop you from trying her recipes. I made her 5 Minute Gluten-Free Chocolate Mug Cake for my birthday with a different flour blend and it turned out heavenly.

Jules has written multiple books and also does podcasts. This is why she is a gluten-free cooking resource for so many. I appreciate that she is cognizant of food allergies other than her own. One of her many cookbooks is entitled Free For All Cooking. This cookbook includes 150 recipes that also make modification for dairy, soy, egg and nut sensitivities. She prides herself that they’re not just safe, but EASY as well. Living with food sensitivities is hard on its own, cooking shouldn’t have to be as well.

Gluten Free on a Shoestring

Nicole Hunn, author of Gluten Free on a Shoestring, is a wiz. I’m so impressed (and encouraged) by her. She started out as a lawyer and has become a trusted gluten-free resource. She has written multiple cookbooks, all that showcase recipes that are intended to be inexpensive, quick and easy. Her step-by-step photos put help encourage you on the right path.

Her website has an extensive list of gluten-free recipes and tricks. The one I found most helpful was her Gluten Free Apple Pie in a Bag. The trick of cooking your apple (or any fruit) pie in a bag is that it keeps the crust from drying out while still cooking perfectly. Rip the bag open the last 10-15 minutes to get that golden brown color. Hints like these will make her one of your favorite gluten-free cooking resources for years.

All Recipes

This is not a completely gluten-free website, but it IS a great gluten-free cooking resource. What makes it unique is that you can search for recipes that DON’T contain a certain ingredient. Want to make a soup that doesn’t start with a rue? Search “soup” and exclude “flour” and you find over 1,000 recipe suggestions. You can also search directly for gluten-free items. They even have a category for gluten-free breads that contains over 100 recipes.
The other great thing about this website is that the recipes are scaleable. Only 2 of you for dinner? You can reduce the number of serving sizes. Making dinner for a large crowd? Scale the recipe up to 50 and feed the neighborhood. (You may have to adjust the cooking times if you do.) So many “regular” recipes are easily converted to gluten-free simply by subbing the necessary ingredients. **Note - This website is a collection of recipes from various people, so make sure to pay attention to reader reviews. ‘

The Kitchn

I love this website and people love the food I make from this website. While this is also not a dedicated gluten-free website, it has become my tried and true gluten-free cooking resource. My favorite has to be the Cauliflower Fried Rice. I”ve made it so many times, you’d think I’d have it memorized by now. The Tart Cherry Crumble, which could easily be made with gluten-free flour, is a HUGE hit every time I make it for our homeless shelter.

Even more important it teaches the basics of cooking. For example, there’s a whole post about how to cook spaghetti squash. Or how to cook rice. Or how to peel garlic. If you’ve been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and now have to cook for the first time in your life, this is a site you need in your repertoire.

What Are Your Favorites?

There are so many other great gluten-free cooking resources out there. My friend Cindy has a great website called VegetarianMamma that has hundreds of vegetarian, gluten-free and peanut-free recipes. Beth Hillson has a great cookbook and website, and she’s willing to help you makeover your family favorite gluten-filled recipes. Flippin Delicious, Sarah Bakes Gluten Free and My Gluten-Free Kitchen are all amazing recipe websites as well. There are lots of great gluten-free cooking and baking resources out there, so get in the kitchen and have fun!

If you have celiac or a wheat allergy, what are your favorite gluten free cookbooks or resources? Please share in the comments!

Camp Mesorah - Making Food Allergy Kids Feel Included At Sleepaway Camp

7/4/2016

“As long as I can remember” says Rabbi Ari Katz when asked about how long Camp Mesorah has been providing a safe space for food allergic Jewish children.

Which may come as a surprise if you visit their website, since it doesn’t mention food allergies even once.

It completely makes sense in the context of their larger vision to allow every camper to “create your summer here.” The most important thing in this camp is that each individual is able to grow their confidence, explore their interests, and have fun. With or without a food allergy.

As Rabbi Katz put it, “our goal is that even a child with food allergies never feels different. They are on the inside, not an outsider. Everyone is on a level playing field and is welcome and accepted.”

The camp is completely peanut free and tree nut free. Everything ordered through food service is nut free. While the camp does encourage parents to send care packages to their children at camp, all packages aremopened and inspected for any food items that may contain nuts before they are passed on to the children. For the high school age students who sometimes do activities outside of the camp they give reminders to them to not bring nuts back to camp, and do bunk searches to ensure that no one forgot.

As a parent who has (so far) sent 4 children to Camp Mesorah over the past several years, I can confirm Camp Mesorah’s commitment to growth, exploration, and fun. My kids must love it…they keep going back for more! My 3 food allergic children haven’t been campers there yet (too young), yet ironically I have still experienced Camp Mesorah’s dedication to providing a nut free environment. I’m a frequent care package sender and have become very familiar with their strict care package policies (in fact, I tweeted about it!).

According to Rabbi Katz, another way that they create a safe and fun space is their high staff to camper ratio. Every staff member knows every child individually. Parents have access to staff cell phone numbers. It is all about making everything all about the kids.
Campers from 3rd grade to 10th grade come from all over the United States and Israel. When assigning bunk space and activities, Camp Mesorah makes sure to mix it up so that campers can meet people from other places and expand their group of friends. Many campers look forward to seeing their friends from around the world during camp time.

Camp Mesorah is not light on activities either. Team sports, archery, water sports, mountain biking, and various workshops are only a few of the 50+ activities provided to campers. A wide range of experiences and skill building opportunities is how the camp helps children build confidence and find out more about who they are and what they enjoy most.

As my food allergic 8 year old looks forward to being our 5th Camp Mesorah camper next summer, I can say with confidence that my wife and I are sure she will have a very fun but more importantly, a very safe summer!

You can find out more about this Guilford, NY camp on their website. This is part of a series of posts featuring food allergy friendly summer camp opportunities. If you have a camp we should know about, please share in the comments below!

One Crying Food Allergy Child Changed Everything at This Camp!

6/26/2016

It all started with a little boy crying. When it comes to summer camp, a child crying is never a good sign.

The boy’s name was Miles. His older brothers had been coming to camp for a couple years, and next year he would be old enough to come to. When Camp Director Jason Sebell asked him what was wrong, Miles said that even though he would be old enough next year, he still wouldn’t be able to come to summer camp, because he had a severe peanut allergy. Even being close by when other campers opened a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or enjoyed a peanut butter cookie could kill him.

That started Camps Kenwood and Evergreen on a mission. As Jason said “why would we not make a small accommodation so that a child can participate.”

This all happened about 12 years ago and started a revolution at the camp. While they may think what they are doing is small, they now can give a safe and fun environment to children with a wide range of food allergies. When they first got started with the changes they were one of the few nut free camps in the North East. Then their arts and crafts director was diagnosed as Celiac, so they became the only gluten free summer camp.

Now, they have one Chef in the kitchen whose sole job it is to prepare food for all the children with food allergies. No packaged food comes in from outside the camp, and they focus on creating healthy, allergy safe meals for all the campers. As much as possible they follow the farm to table method, providing an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables.

No detail of the camping experience is overlooked, with safe snacks for movie night, and even on the trail when completing wilderness exploration. In the entire time they have been catering to the needs of food allergic kids, they have not had to use an EpiPen, or had an anaphylactic reaction – a testament to the effectiveness of their approach.

They have a camp wide commitment to continual improvement and communication. As the food allergy world changes and evolves, so does the camp. Never settling for “good enough,” they review their food allergy policies each year and make sure every single staff member is trained to know how to provide a safe environment for food allergic children.

But don’t worry, this is not a boring camp that also happens to be a food allergy friendly camp. The brother and sister camps have a water slide, arts and crafts, team sports, water activities, rock climbing and a ropes course, special activities, and more. This is a camp where a kid can really let loose and enjoy being a child without fear. As Jason says, “you are more than your allergy.” You can find out more about this New Hampshire camp on their website.

This is part of a series of posts featuring food allergy friendly summer camp opportunities. If you have a camp we should know about, please share in the comments below!

Summer Camp and Food Allergies? 4 Tips to Make it Safer for Your Child With Food Allergies

6/14/2016

With the weather turning warmer here in NY and the end-of-school countdown in full effect, summer camp has been a hot topic in our home. Recently, my 8-year-old food allergic daughter informed me that she has every intention of going to sleep away camp next summer. Gulp!

That gives my wife and me a full year to stress and worry about sending her a hundred miles away from home and putting our trust in others.

For many of you though, reality will hit this summer. As a father of 8 who has many summers of kids in sleepaway camp under my belt, here are some important tips for those parents who are sending their food allergy kids to sleepaway camp for the first time:

Tip 1: Find a nut-free camp (no matter what the allergy). My kids have tree nut and sesame food allergies as well, but as a starting point, there are so many nut-free camps today that I don’t see the purpose in considering any others. Even if your child’s allergies are not nut-related, I would argue that a nut-free camp is more likely to empathize and cooperate with your child’s needs. At a minimum, be sure that the camp has a history and track record of serving food allergic children. Don’t assume that just because a camp says “sure, we can do that” that they have any idea what it entails to keep a child safe from food allergies.

Tip 2: Interrogate the camp director. Don’t be shy. Ask questions. You are your child’s advocate and keeping her safe is all that matters. Ultimately, you need to feel comfortable that you’ve chosen the right camp. Here are some things to investigate:

Does the camp have previous experience with food allergic kids? Can they provide other food allergy families as references?

Has the camp staff (and your child’s counselors) been trained on how to spot a food allergy reaction and what to do if there is an allergic reaction? When it comes to allergic reactions, on the job training can be deadly.

Has the camp staff (and your child’s counselors) been trained on how to use an epipen? Are the epipens (properly) stored strategically throughout the camp?
How far away is the nearest hospital?
Has the camp kitchen staff been properly trained about avoiding cross-contamination? Can you trust that your child will always get a healthy and food allergy safe meal? Will you be allowed to speak to the head chef before camp?

What’s the plan for field trips? Will the camp be able to accommodate your child’s food allergy dietary needs when on the road? Can you trust that an epipen will be close and accessible to your child at all times?

Do they allow parents to send care packages to their children? Are these care packages carefully inspected to ensure that no dangerous allergens are allowed in?

Tip 3: Prepare your child. Congratulate her. She’s reached a new milestone…now it’s time to review the rules with her to make sure her summer is safe and fun.

Be smart and safe about food.

Read labels.

Recognize symptoms to food allergic reactions.

Speak up when not feeling well.

To make sure your child is 100% prepared, I highly recommend FARE’s 7 Things Your Child Should Know Before Going to Camp with Food Allergies.

Tip 4: Get your child’s Food Allergy Action Plan in order and make sure your child and the camp have a copy.

This is the first part of a series of posts featuring food allergy friendly summer camp opportunities. If you have any summer camp tips for food allergy parents or if there is a camp you think we should know about, please share in the comments below!

Self Defense: The ultimate weapon vs food allergies (Guest blog from Ari Savitsky)

4/19/2016

As a lifelong allergy sufferer it seems like I’ve been carrying an epipen around since I was two years old. As a college student I realize I’ve been quite fortunate in that throughout all my lower school years I never had a serious anaphylactic reaction. Not that there wasn’t my share of very close calls, like the care package that my uncle sent to camp which accidentally contained all the wrong items. But in terms of the trauma of a full blown reaction, I’ve been thankfully spared.

The reason for that success is of course some element of luck, but it is also due to the vigilant oversight of my parents and the way in which they would make sure I was in a food allergy safe environment. Sending in proper snacks, letting our friends know in advance of my allergies and meeting with my teachers to be sure they knew were just some of the ways they tried to make sure I was protected. It wasn’t until this year though that I realized the greatest weapon they gave me in my daily defense against a serious food allergy reaction was, in fact, myself.

I was spending a gap year abroad and as I said before, I always had an epi-pen on me ever since I was two. I felt safe but somehow I was coming up short and kept having allergy issues. Three or four times during that first month I had some type of reaction. That feeling of a tight throat, itchy skin and/or puffy eyes created a real sense of uncertainty for me that I would be able to navigate this properly. I had done everything right , I thought.

At the pizza store, even after asking the required questions, I started to eat only to feel that tightness in my throat which made me know something was wrong. At the sushi restaurant with my friends , I asked about my allergy and when they weren’t sure about the knives they used, I wisely ordered a sprite. Yet somehow, I was still having a reaction, even though I was never an “airborne” food allergy person. So after seeing a few doctors we realized that the issue was cross contamination. It wasn’t the pizza but rather the tray I touched and then rubbed my eyes with. At the sushi place, it was the table that I touched and then put to my skin that caused my trouble not the air itself. With that knowledge I was now able to reassess my environment and have a great year going forward, although it did require some extra effort.

Going through all this made me realize that aside from years of protecting me, it was the way my parents educated and encouraged me that made me self sufficient. It was the way they would tell me that a certain food was good or bad and then show me the keywords to look for so that I could be prepared in case of a mistake. It was the way they encouraged me to ask any waiter, teacher or parent if a particular item was food allergy safe just so I learnt how to advocate for myself and feel confident in doing so without fear or shame of being looked at. It was the time they didn’t get mad when I accidentally injected myself in my finger with the epi-pen at a young age because they knew I was just making sure I could take care of myself if need be. In the end it will be what you teach your kids to do for themselves that will stay with them and protect them long after they’ve left home.

If you’re on this site, you’re already on the right track. Keep at it and best of luck !!

Expert Tips - Surviving Spring with Food Allergies!

3/29/2016

Especially when you are a new food allergy parent, it can seem like you are finally getting a handle on things, and then something else comes up. Like holidays for example.
Spring is a time of fun and celebration for a lot of people.

Whether you celebrate Passover or Easter, or simply enjoy Spring Break, you might find yourself in some new situations.

Don’t worry, today we have four amazing food allergy bloggers who have agreed to share their best tips about everything from fertilizer to safe Epi-pen storage, and some new ideas for the Easter Bunny. Even when your child has food allergies, you can make the different seasons of life fun and safe.

Our first set of tips is from Asian and nut free food blogger Sharon Wong. As a food allergy mom to children with severe peanut and tree nut allergies, she shares her traditional Chinese family recipes with a twist – allergy safe! She is also both a molecular biologist and has a minor in writing, so is full of fun surprises.

By Sharon Wong

Living with food allergies always require special preparation but even more so when planning celebrations and vacations. I have some simple guidelines that have helped us through the years.

Communicate: Talk with someone about your food allergy concerns.

Call your allergist if you have any concerns about medications or what’s safe to eat.
Talk to your friends or family if you’re going to a celebration and offer to bring something allergy safe that everyone can enjoy and discuss any concerns.
Ask to speak with a restaurant manager during non-peak times if you are dining out during travels or group celebrations and assess how well they can accommodate you.

Prepare: Be ready for anything!

Always have a plan B and bring extra food in case there are travel delays or if your safe food becomes exposed to cross-contact, etc..
Fruit that are easy to pack and peel, jerky, snack bars, and other shelf-stable allergy safe snacks are great for last minute situations that might happen.
Know where is the nearest emergency room and have all prescribed emergency medication available. Bring a backup set if you’re traveling.

Relish: Once you’ve done everything possible to anticipate and respond to food allergy related needs, enjoy your vacation or celebration with loved ones because you’ve already done your best, worry won’t change the outcome except steal your joy. Be on the lookout for compassionate bystanders and remember to say thank you.

Read more at: www.NutFreeWok.com and follow Sharon on Twitter @NutFreeWok

Our next tip is not from a food allergy parent, but a food allergy kid! Bryson has peanut allergies, but he doesn’t let that stop him from helping other kids find ways to enjoy food even with their food allergies.

By Bryson
Hi I am Bryson and my best tip is to always read the labels if I am buying something or my mom or somebody gives me something. If there is no wrapper I can’t have it. I always ask ingredients at a restaurant and tell them my allergies too.

You can follow Bryson and his Mom on Twitter @allergykid2006

Here is a video of Bryson showing off one of his favorite kid friendly recipes - modified to be peanut allergy friendly too!

If there is one person who knows about food allergies, it is Jenny Sprague. Mom to two food allergic kids, she is also the creative force behind the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference, known as FAB Con. Every year she brings together food allergy experts, parents, and vendors in one spot to talk about how to better care for our food allergic children.

By Jenny Sprague
As spring approaches and families start heading off to outdoor adventures, here are some helpful reminders for those managing food allergies:

1) Remember to bring your epinephrine auto-injectors. And by bring them, I mean, keep them on your person – not in the car! Epinephrine is sensitive to temperature, so it is important that they don’t get too hot, (or too cold!). A car interior can heat up quickly. A study showed that a car’s interior temperature exceeded 125°F and reached a maximum stabilized temperature in 40 minutes. Placing epinephrine injectors in an insulated bag and placing in a cooler can help keep them cool (but not freezing!) on hot days in the park or beach too.

2) When venturing to playgrounds or parks, be aware of other children with food. Whether it’s the person feeding peanuts to the squirrels, or the child eating allergen containing snacks and then playing. (Who doesn’t remember packing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and heading to the park?) Bring wipes to clean surfaces, and hands. Encourage children not to touch their faces until you can wash their hands after playing on equipment.

3) If you enjoy animal parks, and petting zoos, please be aware that as tempting as it can be to feed the goats, bears, or deer, many of the foods in the dispensers can contain allergens, wheat, dairy, seeds or nuts, etc. An additional risk is an animal who ate an allergen food and licking the child could cause a reaction, if hands are not washed well immediately.

4) Spring also means gardening! Please be aware that many fertilizers and potting soils can contain allergens as well! From crushed egg shells, to nuts. For example, “The following Scott products contain Peanuts and/or Tree Nuts. Specific ingredients (e.g. which nuts and % of ingredients) vary by region. Even with the lot number of the packaging, they do not require this information from their suppliers, so they cannot guarantee the allergen contents!

Spring is a wonderful season to enjoy but when managing life threatening allergies, a bit of pre-planning, preparing and precaution is advised. Call ahead to venues before heading to them, or manufacturers when using products, carry your epinephrine, wash hands, and wear sunscreen!

Connect with Jenny at http://fablogcon.com/ or on Twitter @xFoodAllergy

Last, but not least, Kaylee Page took a minute to weigh in. She blogs, but not about her food allergy journey with her daughter Bella. Instead, she shares part of that story in her children’s book about FPIES, featuring a cute kitten named Pursey.

By Kaylee Page
Holidays with allergies can be tricky! But they can also be a great excuse to get a little creative and make some new, fun memories. We found that fun colored and crazy patterned socks stuffed perfectly into Easter eggs for a fun burst of surprise.

Read more from Kaylee or check out her children’s book.

If you are a food allergy parent who has been doing this for a while, what tips have been helpful for you? What things caught you by surprise? And for new food allergy parents, what questions do you still have about navigating this time of year with food allergies?

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