I'm new to this & need any suggestions for food allergies 101?

Susan - posted on 10/12/2012

Go to The Allergist Mom. Sarah is not only my wonderful daughter but she is a pediatric allergist and 3 of her 4 children have life threatening food allergies. If you are new to her site go from the beginning and read all of her entries and the comments. She has a beautiful community of followers.

Ann - posted on 07/02/2012

Lactaid works because she is lactose intolerant. My son is casein free (allergic to the PROTEIN in milk). If casein free would have been the case, Lactaid would be OUT.



I agree with Meg...use the diagnosis as an opportunity to have the child try things he/she may not ever try. We have food allergies in our home. Because of this, my sons love quinoa, blood oranges, kumquats, etc., etc. Each time I go to the grocery store, I try to find a food that we have never tried for them to try. It is fun for them because it is a "what is Mom going to bring home from the store" mystery ingredient. It is good for me, because the way I see it I am helping to develop children with diverse palates....who won't just stick their nose up in the air at something because it isn't a burger and fries.



Edited to add: We make our own nut butters with a good blender, olive oil, and our nut of choice. (In our case, macadamia nuts.)

Meg - posted on 07/02/2012

Invest in some fresh and frozen veggies, meat, fish, chicken, pork, beans, there are a lot of other "butters" out there besides peanut... such as almond, hazel, etc- but you will have to look out for wheat and eggs. A milk substitue that is one of my favs is Lactaid. You can make a lot of fruit compotes, to go over meats. Im sure other moms can give you good tips for books and I see they already have. you just have to make a lifestyle change, its not easy, but it will help you start a new healthy lifestyle. Good luck!

Annie - posted on 06/28/2012

Carol Fenster publishes some excellent cookbooks! 1000 Gluten Free Recipes is a good one. Gluten-Free Quick & Easy: From Prep to Plate Without the Fuss - 200+ Recipes for People with Food Sensitivities is another. Special Diet Solutions: Healthy Cooking Without Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Yeast, or Refined Sugar is the one we use the MOST.

Nicole - posted on 06/22/2012

You might want to check out my site at AllergicChild.com. We have information for the newly diagnosed here: http://www.allergicchild.com/allergy_pag... and lots more info including a free monthly newsletter. My son is now 16 years old and writes a column for the newsletter about what it's like to have food allergies, and all that he is still able to participate in while keeping himself safe.
Enjoy!

Sonya - posted on 12/12/2011

Breathe! It's certainly overwhelming at first. You aren't alone, wonderful support from other parents on forums such as this. Some great resources are already mentioned. I understand how daunting it is but you will do it. My son was diagnosed with severe multiple food allergies to peanuts, treenuts, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, rice, corn, oats, chicken, potato, peas, lupin, peaches, fish and shellfish. If I can survive and thrive so can you. I have just released an allergy friendly Christmas EBook http://www.allergysave.com/one-stop-alle... All recipes are free from the Top 8 most common allergies, you will also find some helpful information about food allergies on my website http://www.allergysave.com Good Luck! :)

Michelle - posted on 12/07/2011

Another good place to check is kidswithfoodallergies.org.

Elizabeth - posted on 11/02/2011

Hi Candy,
I can totally relate! My 3 children all have severe food allergies. It is quite daunting to start an allergy free diet for your child but soon you will be on your way! My blog offers all sorts of tips (www.thepurepantry.com/blog) and my new cookbook "Fresh from Elizabeth's Kitchen: Gluten-free and Allergy-free Recipes" may be a good resource. Here is an article on "going gluten-free/dairy-free" -- wheat contains gluten and often if you have a wheat allergy, you have a gluten allergy. http://thepurepantry.com/raising-childre... I hope it helps. Best of luck!

Sarah - posted on 10/25/2011

Start with the foods you know your daughter can have fresh fruits, vegtables, meats prepared simply. Use the internet. I google recipes all the time listing the foods I wish to avoid. Think fresh food. We'll all be healthier when we move away from the refined boxed foods that contain many of the allergens our kids are allergic to and start cooking with real fresh food again.

Nancy - posted on 10/01/2011

Hi Candy,
A trick for the egg and lactose is to look for vegan recipes. Use the living with allergy cookbook for mixing your flours for wheat free (because using just one type doesn't seem to cut it! Are you staying away from all gluten? ) I've been there......we're at the egg and nut allergy only at this point, but my son had all of those and I had to learn how to make his food! :) I'm also lactose intolerant and it is NOT fun when you have a reaction! I prefer nonfat lactose free milk , soy milk gives me gas. Good luck! Let me know how you are doing!

Melanie - posted on 07/18/2011

Hi, Candy! Just wanted to check and see how things are going for you? I also get a magazine called "Living Without" and it deals with gluten free cooking but a,so addresses dairy free and egg free recipes, too. It also gives basic tips for cooking with substitutes for diary, eggs, wheat, and other common ingredients for baking. I have also found vegweb.com To be helpful and then you can adapt for the gluten allergy. Good luck and I hope that all is going well for you! :-)

Candy - posted on 03/29/2011

Thanks ladies! I have gotten a few books & have calmed down a bit! I will definitely check out the websites & books!!

Jenny - posted on 03/27/2011

I highly recommend the cookbook-the allergy free bakers cookbook by Cybale Pascal- it is excellent, and she has bread and baking flour recipes to use- that are wheat free, very informative book!~ my child has MULTIPLE allergies to much more than yours- trust me yours are doable, let me know if you need food item ideas- a couple off the cuff are- rice and corn chex [both are gluten free], coconut, soy or rice milk, there is IM Healthy honey soy butter [pb alternative that is not as gross as some!], good luck~jenny

Terra - posted on 03/25/2011

The book called Food Allergy Guide by Vensanto Melina, Jo Stepaniak and Dina Aronson. It explains everything you will need to know plus recipes. http://www.foodallergy.org is a great resource as well.

LaToya - posted on 03/25/2011

Hello Candy - A good start would be to purchase an "allergy-friendly" cookbook for kids. I can recommend Sophie-Safe Cooking: A Collection of Family Friendly Recipes that are Free of Milk, Eggs, Wheat, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish and Shellfish by Emily Hendrix (Paperback - Dec 13, 2006) . You can purchase this book and many from Amazon.com. Also, you will need an ingredients guide for shopping due to the fact that a lot of products contain eggs, wheat and milk, but they are called something else. I used the following website as a reference: http://www.allergicchild.com/index.html

I hope that this helps you!