Kids Food Allergies Blog

The Washington Post has a front-page story on food allergies this morning, “Food Allergies Trigger Multibillion-Dollar Specialty Market.”

Woo-hoo! I am always pleased when the mainstream media covers food allergies and raises general consciousness of this important issue.

According to reporter Annys Shinn’s article, the market for food allergy and intolerance products is projected to reach $3.9 billion this year, and is expected to hit $1.3 billion by 2010, up from $700 million in 1996. And an ever-growing group of start-up companies, mainstream retailers, and food industry giants are eager to provide goods that meet the specialized needs of this fast-growing market segment.

While I agree that grocery stores and food manufacturers are trying to make/sell products that meet my needs, I think they’re a ways off in getting it quite right. As an allergy mom, I have 2 specialized needs: products that are convenient and products that allow my daughter to feel like everyone else. What does that mean in concrete terms? My advice to larger scale manufacturers and grocery stores is to put your allergy R&D dollars into the following types of products:

breakfast foods: Since eggs and milk are two of the most common allergies of young children, breakfast can be the hardest meal of the day. I only know of one brand of “safe” donuts — Nutrilicious. They are wonderful, but hard to find. I know someone else can do this on a larger scale. What about frozen pancakes or allergy-free muffins?

dessert: I dream of the day when I could go to a party without having to bake a batch of cupcakes first. But it is unrealistic to hope that retailers would carry allergy-free perishable baked goods when they don’t know what the market size would be. Got it. But one would think that Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines would sit up and take notice of Cherrybrook Kitchen and realize the market they’re giving away by not manufacturing allergen-free box mixes of dessert. (Hey — while they’re at it — I would LOVE for someone to manufacture allergen-free tub frosting, because I really hate making frosting.)

convenience foods: What I wouldn’t do for an allergen-free equivalent of lunchables. Anything I could grab off the shelf and take with me for a picnic at the park or pool (or that I could pack for a school/camp lunch). Microwavable noodles (like the O’Hana House ones I found in San Francisco, but cannot find on the East Coast) would also be a plus. Or dare I suggest an allergen-free TV dinner.

candy: I have been told that there are peanut-free facilities that manufacture chocolate candy. If the Canadians can do it, why can’t we? My family doesn’t buy it anyway, because of my daughter’s milk allergy. But, how I would love to see dairy-free, nut-free candy. Not the $15/truffle box you can buy online. Just regular candy. At this point — I’d even be content if it wasn’t chocolate. Just big bags of dairy and nut-free candy good for stuffing pinatas, Halloween goody bags, and sharing with friends.

snacks: Parents of little kids carry around lots of snacks. They take them to the park, they send them to school, and bring them to soccer games. I have yet to find individual serving size snack packs that are safe for my daughter to eat (with the exception of Pringles, which I don’t want her to have too often.) There needs to be more pretzels manufactured in facilities free of peanut butter. That goes for crackers, animal crackers and cookies too.

Can you think of any items to add to my wish list? Or if you are a manufacturer or retailer, I’d love to exchange ideas with you. Just drop a comment.

I am feeling kind of nostalgic. For the past three years, I have “had” to bake a challah every Thursday so that my daughter could bring some to preschool on Friday. (Okay, so some weeks I cheated by using frozen challah from the previous week — but this transgression was always duly noted.)

Though yesterday was her last Friday at preschool — I have a feeling I will be baking challah on a nearly weekly basis for a long time to come. I can’t tell you how many recipes I’ve gone through until I found one that we all love. I hope you and your family enjoy it as well.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons yeast
• 4 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons veg. oil

Glaze

• maple syrup (optional)

Directions

1. Dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup water in bowl of mixer.
2. Sprinkle yeast over water and mix, let stand 10 minutes until foamy.
3. Add remaining ingredients into mixing bowl.
4. Mix with dough hook for 6 minutes. The dough should form a satiny, smooth ball.  If it is sticky — add more flour.
5. Place in oiled bowl, cover and let rise in warm place until doubles in bulk. (I wait 45 minutes - 1 hour.)
6. Punch down dough. Wait ten minutes.
7. Braid challah. For those of you who have never done this before, it can be daunting. Hopefully, the diagram below –handed down by a family friend– will help. (Click on it to enlarge.) If you need more help — try this video.
8. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cover. Let rise until doubles in bulk. (Wait 1 hour.)
9. Preheat oven to 400°F.
10. Glaze with maple syrup. (Wipe up any excess from around challah — cause it burns.)
11. Bake at 400 F for approximately 30 minutes, until golden brown.
12. The challah is done when it sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.

It’s supposed to be really hot here this weekend. Like 97 degrees. At my local Giant — I saw a new box in the popsicle aisle and was immediately drawn to it: PhillySwirl Swirlsticks (multi-flavored Italian Ices, on a stick).

To my surprise and delight, this box had the clearest allergy labeling of any brand of popsicle I have ever seen. Kudos to PhillySwirl! Right on the box (and on the website) it says whether the product is manufactured in a peanut/tree nut free facility. The box is also clearly marked as to whether the popsicles contain dairy, soy, or gluten.  An allergy mom’s dream. And as a bonus: the popsicles taste pretty good too. Win-win.

Happy Summer, everyone. Try to stay cool.

I just found a link to a very interesting podcast.  Click this link to see a video introduction and hear the podcast of Aaron at AllergySmart.net interviewing veteran food allergy mom and food allergy cookbook author, Linda Coss.  (Sidenote: Her book, What’s To Eat: The Milk-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free Food Allergy Cookbook is a wonderful reference.  I bought it soon after my daughter’s allergies were diagnosed and still treasure it years later.)  The topics covered in the podcast include:

• What aspects to cover when sending kids off to school with food allergies
• How to engage with the other parents at the school about food allergies
• Dealing with family members about their food allergy awareness
• Educating your child about their food allergy condition without getting them stressed out and turning them into a basketcase
• Banning nuts in schools, yes or no
• Cooking with food allergies and reduce food choices

I thought it was interesting to hear the perspective of a mom who has lived through all these issues (her boys are now 15 and 17 1/2).  Hope you find it useful as well.

I just came across a really neat post that I thought I’d pass along, What I Wish I Knew…Food Allergy Lessons I’ve Learned.

No matter where you are on your food allergy journey — this post reminds us that some folks get it better than others: Seek out folks and environments that are supportive. It also highlights that while none of us aspire to be members of the “food allergy club” — the author has met (and you will too) a lot of extraordinary moms who will offer friendship and support along the way.

I’d like to add a couple of lessons I have learned — and encourage you to use this forum to do the same.

Food Allergies are a Moving Target Over Which You Have Limited Control.

After our daughter’s diagnosis nearly 4 years ago — we resolved ourselves to be super strict about avoiding milk and eggs (the only foods, at the time, to which she was declared allergic). In this way, we convinced ourselves, we could ensure that she would outgrow her allergies by age 3. Despite our best efforts, it didn’t work out like we’d hoped. She is still allergic to milk and eggs, and has since added peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and sesame to the list. Because her allergies have changed — and because manufacturers change ingredients (or disclaimer labels) — there are some foods she could eat 2 years ago that we can no longer buy. (The one that still gets me is Barbara’s Bakery Snackimals Animal Cookies, which don’t necessarily contain peanuts, but are manufactured on equipment shared with peanuts, tree nuts, milk, and eggs.)

Not only can the foods and allergies change over the years — so too will your approach. As your child grows up, the way you talk to your child about food allergies will change. (I imagine this evolution in the following progression: constant vigilance over an infant/toddler who cannot understand, to setting clear rules and limits for a preschooler, to empowering a school-aged kid, to I’m not sure what for a rebellious teen. Haven’t gotten there yet.)

Other People Will Surprise You

While I am routinely baffled by the insensitivity of many — I have likewise been touched by a select few who have gone out of their way to provide a safe and happy environment for my daughter. Two examples from this year: her teacher and a classmate’s mom.

Her teacher this year was fabulous. From our initial conversation — she took me seriously in a way no one else has. She removed all potential allergens from the classroom: even ones I didn’t think of, such as acorns and a doll bed finished in a nut-based lacquer. She didn’t shy away from fun activities because of my daughter’s allergies. She found ways to make fun things safe. Over the year, this wonderful person has been more than my daughter’s teacher, she has also become my trusted friend. She is a testament to the fact that food allergy parents and teachers do not have to be adversaries.

More kindness came at an unexpected place: a birthday party. The mom of one of my daughter’s classmates went to considerable trouble to make sure that my daughter could eat everything at her daughter’s birthday party — including the cake. Everything was delicious, and I’ve never seen my daughter happier.

Your Child May Surprise You — and You Will Surprise Yourself.
Though not even 5, my daughter is mature beyond her years. And she really owns her allergies: understands them, tries to educate those around her, and is pretty good natured about the sacrifices she needs to make to stay safe. I am very proud of her. When she was diagnosed with allergies — so many things seemed overwhelming. What I thought would be most difficult has not turned out to be so hard: removing allergens from our diet, not frequenting many restaurants, and not being able to leave her with many babysitters. These circumstances have actually brought the three of us much closer. And while I am not thankful of the root cause, I am extremely thankful of the end result.