Having a child with severe food allergies is, as you've heard me whine ad nauseum, its own unique challenge. Events and meals that others take for granted as fun and delicious, become peculiar minefields.
There are some things we avoid, in which we would probably otherwise partake, if it weren't for my son's issues. Eating out as a family, for one. We occasionally do this, but not often. There are a very small handful of restaurants I trust, and perhaps it's because the kids are more like squirmy rodents at the table than actual human beings with manners, but we don't frequent food establishments much.
Ice cream socials? Out.
Pizza parties? Can't really do that either.
But, with the help of friends willing to go the extra mile (or buy the expensive cake mix), we manage to make it to lots of birthday parties. We also are able, thanks to some amazing companies, to provide Fruit Bat with treats so delicious that he barely knows what he's missing.
I'd like to thank (and provide a little exposure for):
-Cherrybrook Kitchen. They make amazing cake mixes that are dairy, egg and nut free. The chocolate mix is better than any Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker on the market.
-Amanda's Own. Tasty nut, egg and dairy free chocolate. This is the only place from which I can order chocolate bunnies. And I'm incredibly grateful to them.
-Enjoy Life Foods. The one and only snack/granola bars I can find in area stores. Both kids like them too. Whole Foods has also just started carrying their chocolate bars and I now have a cupboard-full.
-Sunbutter. The best peanut butter substitute you'll ever find. Honestly, I can't tell the difference.
-Trader Joes. For their semi-sweet (dairy-free!) chocolate chips and their own brand of Sunflower Seed butter, which is also very good.
-Ener-G Egg Replacer. Which allows me to whip up waffles and pancakes just as good as their eggy counterparts.
15 years ago, it's unlikely that Fruit Bat would even have food allergies (the rate has more than doubled since 1997), but since he does, I feel so lucky to live in an era of online shopping and alternative grocery stores.
Thanks to them, my heart doesn't break nearly so often.
You are very kind, and I'm noting these. Because the allergies aren't the only reasons not to use mainstream cake mixes... I assume you saw the big news about the study at Duke?
Posted by: Nora | March 15, 2009 at 10:23 PM
I remember the relief in finding Rice Dream products, and when Sizzler was the only restaurant I could go to (steak and a "naked" baked potato, plus a very cautious trip to the salad bar).
Whole Foods and T.J.'s are an hour's drive away for me. I miss them.
Posted by: kcinnova | March 16, 2009 at 02:29 AM
Hurray for those businesses that care. We will support them!
Posted by: M | March 16, 2009 at 03:44 AM
Very cool.
Posted by: BOSSY | March 16, 2009 at 07:18 AM
Whine away; I'm right there with you, crying when another food bit the dust for my boy.
(Vomiting. Not deadly, but sad. I wishwishwish that not a one of us had to worry about these things.)
I don't know what we would do without WF & TJs.
Posted by: Lisa Milton | March 16, 2009 at 09:09 AM
Speaking of Ener-G egg replacer. It was out of stock last week at the only store that carries it near us. It killed the rest of the day for me. Why, oh why??!!
Posted by: elisha | March 16, 2009 at 09:22 AM
I am grateful for these foods, too (and glad to have found some new recommendations from you).
Having cut out gluten, and now eggs, all dairy, most meat, most nuts, and a handful of veggies and fruits, it is nice to have tasty and trustworthy food choices!
It's hard enough and I'm an adult!
Take good care,
s
Posted by: Stacy (mama-om) | March 16, 2009 at 09:46 AM
Glad you've found some alternatives that make you smile with happiness. My 4-yr-old has developed some kind of food intolerance and I am all kinds of angsty nerves just thinking about how hard it will be to identify the culprit...and how much harder it will be to live with the "cure."
Posted by: Katie in MA | March 16, 2009 at 11:52 AM
Also...thank you for that list. I am going to purchase and have those on hand for my next Fruit Bat function. Or just functions in general. :)
Posted by: Leslie | March 16, 2009 at 08:01 PM
Feel free to whine. Food allergies suck! I love all the products you mention and buy more of them than I should just to make sure they stay in business. I will also suggest two cookbooks - 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World' (75 egg and dairy-free cupcake recipes) and 'Vegan With a Vengeance' (some great pancakes, waffles and muffins in addition to main courses) both by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I keep at least a dozen cupcakes in the freezer all the time so I can whip one out and frost it for last-minute things that come up. I just turned a cupcake recipe into a huge birthday cake (actually 7 batches of the recipe) and it worked great.
Posted by: Holly | March 16, 2009 at 09:05 PM
Not suffering from these allergies here, I still am grateful for this list, since it is so helpful to know these things when friends come over whose children have allergies. I'm glad, despite it all, that Fruit Bat still gets to eat chocolate cake!
Posted by: MommyTime | March 17, 2009 at 01:46 PM
Please whine on.......... I could of written this post. I hate when my food allergic guy looks at me at a party and with hope in his eyes asks what can he have. I ALWAYS make sure to have something for him..
Posted by: Jo-Ann | May 24, 2009 at 02:46 PM