Food Allergies

I have a 5 1/2 year old and we too deal with dietary restrictions (Celiac). One of the best methods I've tried with my daughter to introduce new food is to get her involved in process of preparing new dishes. We look through cookbooks to find recipes, select ingredients together at the grocery store, and then cook the recipe together. I would imagine with a 7 1/2 year old you might have even better luck with this process.

Warm regards,
S.
www.HilltownFamilies.org

My 20-month-old son also has food allergies. I have found some great recipes in The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook by Cybele Pascal. One snack from the book that my son loves is Pumpkin Seed Butter Honey Balls, which are calorie and nutrient dense. Also a favorite is coconut rice, another calorie-dense choice (which is so important for my son). I can email you some recipes if you're interested. My son is also very, very picky- I think the shape of the balls was interesting enough that he wanted to take a bite. I shape the coconut rice into balls so they look a bit more interesting.

Hi, my son is now 5 and has had food allergies since birth. He is currently allergic to dairy,soy,eggs,peanuts and shellfish. My suggestion is to go to a health food store such as Wholefoods. They have a variety of foods that taste great and are free of the common allergens. My son has always been used to just bland food, but there are more options out there and we are slowly introducing more varieties of foods. Talk to the employees at the store they are a big help. I don't have any special secrets, however since you have other children they can try the foods too. My son always shares his favorite cookies and his friends love them. I think it helps that they don't feel so "secluded" from what other children can eat. Hope this helps. Good luck.

M. W.

Hi J. -
My daughter has food allergies and it can be tricky. Especially when she's reacting to something and I'm not exactly sure what it is; her system gets SO irritated that everything bothers her!!

By your post I'm not sure what he does or doesn't like - but here are some fun things:

Sweet potatoes, roasted with just a hint of olive oil (or whatever oil won't affect him), and honey. They're sweet -- and very good for him.

Will he eat beef? Try making a potroast, with tomato sauce and cranberry jelly in it while it's cooking; it's sweet and sour and kids usually LOVE IT.

What if you made home made soft tacos - buy the tortillas seperate, and then season the beef and let him make his own, without cheese of course?

You've probably already thought of those, but I've got all sorts of ideas if you want to send me a message. :)

I love the "Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook" by Cybele Pascal. Given the allergies listed, your child will be able to eat any of the recipes in this book - and the author has experience with food for children. In my opinion, the best foods in this cookbook are allergy-free pancakes, muffins, hummus and other dairy-free dips with vegetables or crackers, and the oatmeal cookies. If you would like to see more allergy-free ideas I've tried or created on my own, see http://www.angkantz.blogspot.com

Hi
I have two kids, 12 and 15 and one on the way. Both of my older children, husband and MIL have extensive and varied food allergies (including beef, pork, fish and wheat, as well as those you mentioned). The best thing I ever did was see a nutritionist. Many of them specialize in food allergies. We worked with one when the kids were younger to find more options for meals and to be sure they were egtting all the nutrients they could from their diets. Now I see one with my teen girl. They really help you expand your "food library", they help support what can be a very difficult challenge for a mom and family, they can help empower your child to face these challenges on his/her own.I learn something new from my nut. on every visit. It shuld be covered by insurance with a referal from your pediatrician. Best of luck to you!

My daughter also has several food allergies as well as sensitivities. If your son balks at trying a new food when it is served solo, try mixing it with foods he can already tolerate. Helping to purchase and prepare the food are alternate ways that also work for us (instead of cooked carrots try raw). My daughter loves to prepare food so we often go to the library and look for cookbooks or healthy food magazine with lots of pictures and she chooses something she wants to try out.

Recently a couple of friends and I had a soup swap. Each person brought 5 quarts of soup; one to share for tasting and one for each person to bring home afterwards. All the kids got to taste all the different kinds of soup (in addition to a few kid friendly appetizers and dessert after) and then we went home with 1 quart each of 5 different kinds of soup. I like these potluck type of things because then we try different recipes without wasting a ton of money on new recipes that don't work for us. Always beforehand the parents discuss an allergies to avoid.

Another thing we are involved in is the local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. We buy a share and every week throughout harvest season, we get to pick up our share as well as spend time on the farm picking strawberries for example and feeding the chickens (as well as the general playing in the dirt).
Good luck :)

Hi J.,
My name is L. McElroy and I am the owner of Sophie-cakes, Allergen-free Bakery. (www.sophie-cakes.com). I am also the mother of a 4 year old, Sophie, who is allergic to Dairy and Eggs. I can totally identify with the difficulty in introducing new foods into the diet of a child with food allergies. Sophie has become nervous about trying new things because she is afraid she will be sick. We just keep trying one new food at a time over several weeks. We offer it at one meal each day. Sooner or later, she will try one bite, then the next time, 2 bites.....and so on. It takes a lot of patience, but we don't force anything, we just tell her how happy we will be and how proud she will make us if she just tries it. We tell her it's okay if she doesn't like it, as not everyone likes everything. Just as long as she tries it we are happy.
Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a "reward" waiting for dessert if they try what you are asking them to. Check out our website for information on our allergen-free cakes, cupcakes,and cookies. And good luck!
-L.

I have learned that we as a species are omnivoures, that is we eat from a wide range of food sources; naturally we are fearfull of new foods as our survival depends on it. New foods can be difficult for some. "one bite rule" trying a taste then a choice can be made was always my rule. Really small portions on a plate seems to help. Don't cave in on sweets, you'll regret it later. Do not buy what you don't want them to eat. Mimi