What's your best advice for a mom struggling with cooking for children with food allergies?
Hang in there and keep at it!
There are tons of resources for families managing with food allergies now. When I started cooking for my son there were very few... and I was a very bad chef (I once burnt soup!). But with his many food allergies, I had no choice but to learn. You'd be surprised how many recipes are naturally nut, dairy, and egg-free, for example. And, once you get the hang of how to substitute for your children's allergens (like using dairy-free margarine for butter, or safflower oil for sesame seed oil), playing with recipes becomes much easier!
I would also recommend finding parts of a meal that are pre-made (even frozen grilled chicken or a safe rice mix) to make meal preparation easier. Having to concentrate on cooking only one new piece of a meal is much easier than trying to properly cook and time two or three!
I frequently thank my son - without him I would still be hopeless in the kitchen and my family wouldn't be eating nearly as healthy.