Q and A: Food Allergies

While I'm snacking I have a quiet moment to answer some of your great questions. It was so interesting to know what my readers ponder about. :)

Angela asked:

Hmmm... Okay, Amy, I would love to hear how you cope with so many food allergies in the house! How do you all do snacks and breakfasts, in particular?

How do I cope with food allergies? Oh, I whine and cry alot, especially when I'm trying to cook dinner, LOL! Seriously, I think having 4 out of 5 kids with differing dietary needs and some with multiple anaphylactic food allergies has been the HARDEST thing I've had to endure in my life. I know that sounds overly dramatic, but it's true. Did you know that there was a study done that said parents with food allergic children feel more stressed than an adult with a cancer diagnosis? I think the hardest part is that I feel like I'm flying blind - I can't rely on most recipe books, shows, websites...I can't make many of the things I grew up on or came to love. Food represents a lot to me, and I have to grow up and away from that comfort, and it's hard.

Before I go into how we deal (which really is getting easier and easier despite what I said - especially when MY extremely strict diet is over - either when I wean or the baby gets older and can tolerate more) I'll give you the rundown of who avoids what:

Rose (10): anaphylactic to peanuts, allergic to eggs, intolerant (gives her nasty eczema) to tomatoes

Skye (8): the only one who can apparently eat anything. I *love* taking this child out to eat all by herself and pretending it's always that free and easy.

Jane (almost 5): allergic (probably anaphylactic) to dairy, allergic to almonds, molases, egg. Not food related but she used to be allergic to every single lotion and soap we tried. She seems to be outgrowing that a bit.

Batty (2): mild allergy to egg. I'm confident she'll outgrow this.

Baby Jeffrey: now of course he's never had food directly, but he has reacted to the following in my diet, so I avoid: dairy, soy, chocolate, tomato, citrus, vinegar, sunflower...we already avoid nuts and eggs so I don't know if he would react. I don't think I've figured everything out either - like tonight he has a nasty diaper rash all of a sudden, typical of a reaction...

Anyway, what has helped us is to list all the things we know we CAN have. It enables us to think positively and see that there really is a wide variety of foods that we can all eat. Now whether we all LIKE them or not is a different story, LOL. I for one grew up pretty picky, and it can rear it's ugly head when I'm deprived of many major food groups. Making that list of approved foods, and then developing a two week menu plan based on that has been extremely helpful.

Angela specifically asked about breakfast and snacks. You caught me, Angela, because snacks and especially breakfasts is where my menu plan breaks down. Breakfasts have always been terribly carb loaded here, which is why we wind up eating lunch at 10:30. We do cereal, oatmeal, muffins, and pancakes. Occasionally there is bacon or sausage, but we don't have an easy way to get "natural" bacon or sausage so I don't want to load this kids up with nitrates every day. I personally love turkey burgers for breakfast (not sure why! LOL) and so when I'm on the ball and have those things available, I'll eat that - but the kids just can't seem to stomach that.

Snacks are a little better - we eat one good snack around 2:30-3PM, and I have a list of "approved" snacks. Things like pretzels, tortilla chips and salsa, any fruit (there is always something in the house), more oatmeal or cereal, leftovers, homemade trail mix, popcorn, tortilla roll ups, yogurt for those that can eat it, sunbutter on crackers (only I can't eat that), etc. Pretty carb loaded, again, but as long as we are eating frequently, we're surviving.

It has been easier to feed dh/kids than it is to feed me. I wind up grabbing a handful of trail mix instead of eating a full meal, because I can't eat what everyone else is having, or my only Jeffrey free moment is spent running around cooking/cleaning/doing laundry, etc. I need to work on that, but it often takes more planning than I can muster.

Let me know if this didn't answer your question, Angela! I hope I wasn't terribly disappointing, since we just kind of "make do" instead of having found some great system to get 100% of everyone's RDA of everything. I wish.