Kids Food Allergies Blog

Sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you who expressed support over the egg challenge. Over the past week, we had an additional mild reaction to a cookie containing egg. Though in fairness, the culprit could have been white chocolate chips — which I’ve used only once before — that may have had traces of nuts or milk.

Still, the allergist recommends that if it happens again that we discontinue the experiment. It doesn’t much matter. In practical terms, the experiment is over anyway. My daughter can tell if there is egg in a food. If there is, she will eat very little of it (if any at all). And instead of beating myself up, I’m coming to terms with the benefits of a few more years of living mostly egg free.

1. Right now, the smell of eggs cooking (plain or in food) makes me kind of sick to my stomach. Probably a pregnancy thing.
2. I’m supposed to be avoiding eggs in my last trimester of pregnancy and while nursing. And I don’t plan to introduce eggs to the baby for a good 2 years. A mostly egg free household can be a helpful.
3. I actually prefer vegan chocolate chip cookies to those with eggs.

What did I get to eat over the past week that I really missed? I had forgotten how good French toast can be. And after a few days of pancakes with eggs, I realized that my egg-free pancakes were a poor substitute for the real thing.

The only products with eggs I’m keeping on the approved list are those with small quantities of egg, and those to which she has had no adverse reaction:

1. Pancakes
2. Tofutti cheese blintzes (which are amazing, by the way with a touch of apricot jam)
3. challah (I’m eager to see how she likes a recipe authored by a famous DC Jewish chef, Fred Loeb. My husband and I loved it years ago. If she likes it, I’ll post it.)