Food Allergy Hacks of the Summer

Great Sand Dunes National Park

I have been long gone from my blog all summer.  My family has been in constant motion since summer break and I even started a new job. During our adventures this summer, I relied on some of my stand-by ‘hacks’ for managing food allergies and learned some new tricks along the way.  I have included more photos than usual so I hope you enjoy reading and viewing about what we learned and did this past summer.

Colored Cups from Ikea

Color Coding:  In my house, we drink cow milk and rice milk, but since they are both white, it’s hard to tell them apart once they are in the cup.  We solved this problem by purchasing colored cups and assigned a color for each kid in the house so my son knows (and we know) which cup belongs to him.  We use similar strategies while away from home and around other children.  I do not bring my cups on vacation, but I do search for cups, unlike the other glasses and water bottles that the other kids are using, to help avoid drinking from the wrong cup.

Aspen

Rubber Bands: Can’t find a different cup or water bottle? Place a rubber band around the glass or bottle to make it stand out from the others.

Muffins:  I make breakfast muffins and brownies in muffin tins to have available for every day, travel, and celebrations.  Try shopping at TJ Maxx for muffin tin liners.  They usually have an assortment of brightly colored, unique designs for muffin tin liners.  I am not responsible for all of the other things you buy after shopping at TJ Maxx.

Slope Side on West Spanish Peak, CO

Amazon Prime: I bit the bullet and signed up for Prime with Amazon.  Besides having face cream delivered to my door, I can also have hard to find specialty foods delivered to help avoid a trip out of town searching for my favorite pancake mix.  This is great if you live in a more rural area and have limited access to specialty grocery stores.

Mini Can:  Mini-cans of beans, vegetables, juice, coconut milk, etc have saved the day for traveling out of town, packed lunches, or for camping trips.  Most cans have pop tops and a can opener is not required.

A Perfect 10

Can of frosting:  I could probably whip up a batch of homemade frosting, but I’d rather not for every birthday party or classroom celebration.  Try taking a look at pre-made frosting, I have been able to find frosting that does not contain milk.  It may not be good for you, but it holds sprinkles well and can brighten a kids’ day.

Rating System: I am always on a quest finding the next great food or recipe that my kids will eat.   Recipes catch my eye and if it looks like something my children can have, I try it.  My enthusiasm has been crushed many times by my picky eater.   Now that they are older, I have them rate the food on a scale of 1-10.  I get a lot of 5’s (Ice cream made from bananas), often an 8, and an occasional perfect 10. (Link: Cheese-less Enchiladas)

Crestone Needle, CO

Bring Plenty of  (whole) Food: After hiking, biking, camping, and playing all day everyone is hungry and usually a bit dehydrated. Pack a cooler and have plenty of snacks on hand.  

My Big Knife

One of our hikes this summer was a bit spur of the moment, and ended up lasting  close to 7 miles, and taking much longer than expected. We ate every morsel of food on our hike and didn't have much left once we made it back to the car.  At the base, we were so happy to have met someone with a watermelon.  She brought her own knife and started cutting into it for all to enjoy. It was truly delicious. It is my practice to not allow my son to eat food that has been cut by someone else due to the risk of cross contamination.  Most people do not consider food allergies when cutting vegetables or fruit for a party and might be using the same cutting board or knife that also was used to cut cheese, nuts, or other allergens.  I advise him to look for whole foods that come in their own packaging like bananas and oranges.  I asked the fellow hiker about her knife and she assured me that it was the first use and was clean...so my son enjoyed it also.  Now, I relish the opportunity to bring my big knife and a watermelon...it's a great way to make friends.

Make it Different: When my son first started school, I tried to think of ways for him to know which food and drink belonged to him.  I sought out thermos containers that were not the standard issue from Target and I sent him to school with reusable utensils that were not the basic white plastic spoon and fork.  I found these utensils at a local natural grocer and they are made by “Light My Fire”.  

4th of July on Puget Sound, WA

This also applies to foods that may look similar, but might have an ingredient that will cause an allergic reaction.  For instance, since chocolate is essential to our diet I make sure that the size and shape of the different types of chocolate that I buy look different from each other.   My son’s chocolate chips from Enjoy Life are either mini chip size or chunk shaped, so I avoid buying chocolate chips that contain milk in those similar shapes.  

My nephew, Evan

Educate: Explain your reasons, actions, and hacks to your child with food allergies.  The more they know about how to care for themselves, the more they will be able to care and advocate for themselves.  Kids do grow up; a sense of confidence and independence is a natural part of learning how to live in the big, wide world.