What I feed my four year old

I get this question more times than I can tell you. As soon as people find out about food allergies I start to get questions about what food I can and can not feed my child. The list is confusing and often shocking to some people. I also get people that contact me all the time that have recently found out about their own child's allergies and completely taken unaware have contacted me to find out what on earth they can feed their child. so  once again I have provided a food list. it was time for an update! Please keep in mind that every child is different so some things that work for my daughter may not meet your child's needs.

Malorie is still currently allergic to  Wheat, Eggs, Soy and peanuts


Breakfast foods

cereal -
Chex - is a great brand! they are not only allergy free but gluten free as well and they come in yummy flavors everyone can enjoy
Captain crunch -is also wheat and egg free! mostly corn but
Lucky charms is made of oat flour! my daughters favorite cereal!
kix- yummy and wheat free
Oatmeal - you can find a gluten free oatmeal keep a look out. many instant oatmeal have soy so make sure to read the label
cream of rice- not her favorite as it is very bland but you can add just about anything to it...its a good choice for babies!
fruit of all kind is a good breakfast choice.
bacon and ham is also a good source of protein if you are the morning meat eating type
Rice crispies now offers a gluten free variety!! perfect for making rice crispy treats too!
cook up some ham chunks and veggies for a morning eggles scramble!

for a milk allergy try cereal with Almond vanilla milk! its our favorite. be sure you are testing for tree nuts first of course!

Pancakes and waffles - I love to use the store brand Betty Crocker gluten free Bisquick. it works pretty good and is quick. you have to mess with the texture a bit and add water to make it a better consistency but all in all its really yummy. It does call for eggs but I find 1/4 cup of apple sauce or 1/2 banana works great! I however do not love the price.. :(

Yogurt is a huge hit with my daughter! for milk allergies I know Soy yogurt is a good option.

When eating out-
we recently took a long vacation for the first time and were confronted with having the challenge of eating out three times a day. most all fast food is completely out of the question as Malorie is very contamination sensitive so Denny's it was. I found that when eating out it was easier for breakfast. I could order her things off menu and combine them into a meal.  for instance yogurt with fruit and perhaps oatmeal. it was not exciting but it was easier than i had thought.  remember that if it is on the menu anywhere you can most likely get it separate. tell your waitress your situation and hopefully they are more than happy to help you find things for your child. all else fails I always bring a bit of food with me so she will at least have something to eat!


Snack foods -
all fruit snacks
cut up fruit
Lays potato chips is soy and wheat free
Shoe string potato fries are also soy free
Pirate booty is Malorie's favorite and is mostly corn.. no wheat
veggie straws or sticks
ants on a log... our version is celery with creamy almond butter and raisins

Tips about almond butter.... I love almond butter and so does Malorie! however finding a almond butter that is not contaminated with peanuts was a huge deal! believe me I searched and searched.. I ended up an hour away from my home at a whole foods store but found a perfect one!  I ended up with Barney butter Almond butter...sooo good and they make a smooth version that is to die for!



Lunch Foods-

a normal lunch for my daughter is usually finger foods

Cut up hot dogs
turkey roll ups..deli turkey with rolled up cheese
dinner left overs
chips
grapes
oranges
soup...the only over the counter soup I can find that Malorie will eat is a creamy tomato from a company called pacific natural foods. it is organic and gluten free! also it comes in a carton. and for a good price and that makes this momma happy!
string cheese
Almond butter and Grape jelly on a rice cake is our version on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
home made bread pizza!

Tips about bread....Because Malorie is also allergic to eggs bread is very hard to come by. The bread that we do make or buy is usually very dry and gross to eat as a sandwich. but to toast it and to make pizza with it turns out great! the kind of bread i usually buy for her is a rice/ almond flour blend. it is dense and bland and does not do well out of the fridge.

Eating out....I found luch to be much harder when eating out. The best option for lunch for us is subway. I can order her a kids menu sandwich with no bread her choice of meat and cheese and i have them throw some olives tomatoes and pickles in with it. they look at you a bit strange when going to a sandwich store and ordering something without bread but if you tell them why sometimes I have gotten her food for free...? Because of contamination of wheat Malorie cannot eat at restaurants that fry their french fries in oil with other wheat products, like nuggets. so most fast food places are out because of cross contamination. In n out however is the only place that only fry's their fries alone with nothing else and in cottonseed oil not soy! For health reasons and because the contamination is so high we just don't eat fast food anymore at all. And we are all better off because of it!
Red robin restaurant offers a child menu and has a chicken on a stick option, it comes with your choice of fruit and veggies as well.

Dinner foods

When it comes to making dinner I keep it simple. No processed foods as the contamination is so high. I stick with basic ingredient and basic recipes.
chicken with rice and veggies
rice noodle spaghetti and meatballs
flax breaded fish
yams and flank steak
the list is really endless when you cook at home. whole foods are the very best for all of us the less you mess with it the better it is for you. as close to raw as possible is the very best for our body. check out recipes on line or stay tuned to my blog as I will be posting some recipes soon!

Tip about spices- be careful with seasons and spices because many of them contain soy and even wheat. all pre made gravy mixes are going to use wheat flour as a thickener. read your labels on everything you put into you dinner. salad dressings are also something you should be on the look out for.

Eating out- I found buffet to be a great option for my daughter! they have tons of veggies on the salad bar and even fruits, she felt like she got a lot of food and had tons to choose from.


over all keep it simple. You will find yourself cooking more and eating healthier foods with your allergy kid but that is for the better for your whole family. the more you stick to whole foods the easier it is going to be. 

message me if you have any questions! keep a look out for more food ideas!

long time no see!

It has been forever since last update! all is well Malorie is doing great and her numbers are slowly going down so that is excellent news! I will post her new scores soon. in the mean time now that I have a computer again and perhaps some time I was thinking i should get back to it! so my new years resolution is to be more present in the allergy community seeing as my daughter is going to school this year and I am sure it will hold so many challenges for us both!

Allergy test #2 results

I know, I know I said I would update more and well I didn't. So no promises this time but I will try to add more great info!

On to my update,

Two weeks ago we had another allergy test done by our pediatrician, whom I hate BTW. With much prodding i convinced him that my daughter really does have allergies and is now developing asthma. boo on that :(

So a week ago we get the results. not good but not surprised. they are listed bellow along with the degree class and actual number. mostly for my notes so if you want more info I encourage you to look up what the different classes are.

Total counts
Immunoglobulin IgE is what showed up in her blood at a high 138 U/L
to learn more about Immunoglobulin IgE click the link

IgE. IgE antibodies are found in the lungs, skin, and mucous membranes. They cause the body to react against foreign substances such as pollen, fungus spores, and animal dander. They may occur in allergic reactions to milk, some medicines, and some poisons. IgE antibody levels are often high in people with allergies.

Peanut - positive class 2
1.76
low but still allergic,

Soy bean - positive class 2
1.94
low side but still allergic

Cockroach - eww positive class 2
2.36
nasty!!!!! but good to know. BTW its the poop dust that people are allergic to

Dog hair/dander - positive class 2
2.86
Not to bad no asthma with this one

Egg white - positive class 3
5.13
she is sensitive to this one, she will actually get an asthma reaction when feed eggs.

Wheat- positive class 3
13.30
still very allergic to wheat, this is not a new one. she is so sensitive that she can break out with eczema if her food is contaminated with wheat. meaning processed with other items that are made of wheat, also if it shares a container, or is fried with other wheat products.

Cat - very high positive at a class 4
39.30
very very allergic. sneezing, coughing, runny nose,eyes, eventuality asthma attack, requiring a breathing treatment.


So there we have it! the food allergies we knew about and the others we didn't but I am glad that I know. I think I am going to get a copy of the allergy test results from her first Dr, so I can compare. I believe that the levels have gone down but I would be interested to see. I know that she tested very high on soy before and now it seems lower so perhaps she could grow out of some of them. Wheat is still very high always has been so I am not putting any money on that one going away anytime soon. This day and age with so many people going gluten free it is becoming so much easier getting great food for her to eat! stay tuned for a new list of awesome allergy free foods that I have found and love!!!

Very long overdue update!

Malorie is doing great!!! She is almost two and a half now and I am happy to say she is on all foods except wheat. So only down to one allergy!!! I am so happy! Wheat is so much easier to avoid than other foods.
Sadly at this age she is starting to notice that we are eating things that she is not. I try to make things that we all can eat together and not leave her out. most of our dinners are allergy free and we eat at the table like a family. The hard part is when we eat out. I used to bring her foods to eat but she is noticing that we are getting special food and she wants special food too. I'm not really sure what to do about this yet. I have thought about telling her about her allergies but i don't know if she will understand. I will think of something.

I will hope to update more soon!!!

Reintruducing milk day 1

with much discussion my husband and I have made the decision to try my daughter on milk again to see if perhaps she has an allergy to it or not. today we are going to call day one. Yesterday with much apprehension we gave her a rice cookie knowing that it contained not only milk product but also soy. it has now been over eight hours and their is no facial eczema. YAHOOO. I didn't think she got eczema from milk anyway, Wheat has always given her eczema on her face within eight hours of eating it. so far we don't see a reaction what so ever. this evening or perhaps tomorrow we will be adding just a bit of organic milk to her bottle and see how she does.
Our hopes are that she has grown out of her milk allergy or perhaps just built a tolerance to it. If we could add milk back into her diet slowly her options for food open up so much. not only could she enjoy ice cream and cheese but also get all the benefits and fat that milk has to offer!
I am trying not to get excited about the prospects of my daughter growing out of an allergy. I don't want to be disappointed if perhaps the challenge to feed her allergy free food continues. I have a sneaky feeling that she will be allergic to wheat perhaps for life or at least quite a long time. I am prepared for that. besides their is a world of food out their for wheat free people, its when you start adding milk, egg, and milk on top of the no no list that it begins to get overwhelming.
I have come along way in feeding my allergy child, no more do I feel like their is no option for her. I have learned so much about food, nutrition and learned a huge lesson in processed foods. I have learned more about allergies and food intolerance on my own with the help of the Internet than any one Dr had told me. I am proud to say that yes I have a child with food allergies, yes she eats good food, and yes you can do it! stay tuned for day#2

Allergen Free Chocolate Chip Cookie

Allergen Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: Egg Free and Dairy Free

Here’s what you will need:

1/2 cup of shortening
(we use Spectrum brand made with 100% organic palm oil-alternatively 1/2 cup of safflower or canola oil would work as well)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
(you can also replace 1/2 cup of flour with oats or wheat flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoons vegetable oil (omit if using oil instead of shortening)

1-2 tablespoons water (if needed)

1/2 cup shredded coconut
*(optional-FDA now considers coconut a tree nut and while rare,
some individuals are allergic)

6 ounce package of dark chocolate or dairy free chips of your choice
(Enjoy Life makes a dairy free chip, Vermont Nut Free also make a dark chocolate skipper which is an M&M replacement.) (Keep in mind that many chips contain soy lecithin though many individuals are not allergic.)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Combine shortening and/or oil, sugars, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Combine flour and baking soda in a separate bowl then add to wet mixture. Add optional coconut and stir. At this point mixture should be slightly moist, not dry or crumbly; add a small amount of water as necessary. Add chips and combine.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes until cookies appear to be just barely set in the middle. These cookies will not brown like traditional cookies so be careful not to overcook.

Cool cookies on pan for 3 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool further. Yields approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Because they are preservative free, they are best eaten within the first few days of baking.

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food for thought

some interesting articles I found talking about blood testing being wrong or inaccurate for food allergies its worth a look. I will be retesting my daughter when she is two and will be starting the reintroduction of foods at that point.

Articles
Telling Food Allergies From False Alarms
blood tests for food allergies found inaccurate
Inaccurate blood tests could lead to allergy misdiagnosis