Epicautious's Blog

List of Allergy-Friendly Foods

Posted by: Epicautious on: November 20, 2009

I’ve been working to compile a list of all the packaged foods I can eat in the hopes that it will help you find some new allergy friendly options. Please post comments with the allergy-friendly foods you’ve found and love! All of the items in this list are free of the allergens in this list including soy, peanuts, tree nuts, etc., etc.

As always, these are recommendations that work for me, but please check ingredient labels before trying any of these items out for yourself or your food-allergic children.

Breakfast Items:
Trader Joe’s English Muffins
Kashi Vanilla Island cereal
Cocoa Puffs
Yogurt (all brands and flavors have worked well for me)
Small-brand pancake mixes
Nature’s Path Toaster Pastries-most flavors; for a variety pack, try this:
Nature’s Path Organic Toaster Pastries, Cherry Pomegranate, Brown Sugar Maple Cinnamon or my favorite: Nature’s Path Organic Frosted Chocolate Toaster Pastries

Meals and Snacks:
Pudding (most brands seem to be fine)
Enjoy Life Foods
Soy Free Sales
Indigo Rabbit Cookies (beware of carrots–I can no longer eat these but they are yummy so I’m sharing!)
Divvies candies, cookies, popcorn, etc.
Dum Dums lollipops
Alexia Foods frozen mushroom bites
Alexia Foods frozen Mozzarella Sticks
Trader Joe’s Thai Soup Bowls
Annie’s Mac n Cheese (plus other Annie’s products)
Annie’s Bunny Grahams (a great replacement for Teddy Grahams)
Brown Butter Cookies
Purely Decadent Soy Free, Dairy Free Ice Cream
Jack Links Hot n Spicy Jerky
Gummy Bears (most brands): Black Forest Gummy Bears
Super Pretzels

Misc.
Sprinkelz soy free sprinkles
Glee Gum
Wonka Brand Gobstoppers and Nerds
Cocoa Powder
Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Energy bars:

AllerEnergy or in bulk at Amazon: AllerEnergy, 1.4-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)
Shot Blocks

A Meal to Remember

Posted by: Epicautious on: November 6, 2009

Last night I attended a celebration at a local Russian restaurant and it was family style. Now I know I’ve told you all before that I try to avoid family style meals given all of my allergies, but after looking at the menu online I had high hopes for this restaurant. To my astonishment, I could eat almost every dish that came my way last night, veggie and non-veggie alike….and boy was I stuffed! Seconds? Thirds? Oh, allergy friendly you say? Yes please!

To anyone allergic to a large array of items similar to mine, I highly recommend trying a Russian restaurant. It will make you feel like a normal person again! I can’t remember the last time I was so happy eating out.

If you live in northern California, check out Russian Family Restaurant for some delicious food! I know I’ll be back!

Get Creative!

Posted by: Epicautious on: October 28, 2009

If you’re anything like me, you probably crave the foods you can no longer eat. Often times I go crazy because all I want is some Chinese food or a nice, chewy chocolate chip cookie that I don’t have to make myself. To that, I say get creative!

Okay, you’re ready to improvise. Now what? Do some research; there are tons of recipes on the internet. Maybe someone has created an allergy-friendly version of what you’re looking for. Or maybe you can play on a flavor by substituting an ingredient. I have a bunch of great recipes and have some favorite allergy-friendly cookbooks that I’ll be posting soon. In the meantime, tell me what you’re looking for!

So maybe there’s nothing out there. Find something that can fulfill that craving. Miss Asian noodle dishes? I just tried a Thai soup noodle bowl from Trader Joe’s tonight and it was pretty good. I added some of my own spices which helped achieve the flavor I was missing. Trader Joe’s is great for finding all kinds of substitutes: sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter, soy free English muffins instead of the traditional brand, Glee gum (soy free), pre-made meals, and even a non-soy based Italian salad dressing.

Still not finding what you’re looking for? Don’t let it get you down. Instead, innovate! Tonight all I wanted was a chocolate chip cookie. Being allergic to soy, I have yet to find any soy-free cookies in stores (if you know of any, please please tell me). Normally I’d just bake some with my soy free chocolate chips, but since I was a little under the weather, it didn’t seem like a great idea. My boyfriend had the genius idea of taking my Divvies sugar cookies and melting some of my special chocolate chips on them. Granted, not exactly a chocolate chip cookie, but it was delicious and certainly creative!

More recipes and thoughts coming soon. In the meantime, share with me what you’re looking to learn. Have a story about your own food allergies? Post a comment or add it here.

Happy eating!

Cloudy with a Chance of Allergies

Posted by: Epicautious on: October 27, 2009

Has anyone seen the new movie, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs?” I saw it this weekend and thought the peanut allergy character was so cute! I know it’s silly to be excited about this since it wasn’t a completely realistic scenario, but it was great to see awareness of food allergies being raised through a kid’s movie. Plus, they even saved her life with an EpiPen!

Now, if only that machine in the movie could make us some allergen-free food to order, I’d be ecstatic!

Food Allergies and Lotions, Creams, Etc.

Posted by: Epicautious on: October 23, 2009

I’m curious if anyone with food allergies happens to know the answer to something I always wonder about. Forgive me if it’s a dumb question. If you are allergic to a substance, let’s say nuts, is it safe to use creams or lotions that contain nut extracts? I’ve had bad experiences using lotions that contain lemon, but that’s because I’m so allergic to lemons that even touching the juice causes rashes.

I feel like it’s pretty important to know the answer to this, especially for people who have life-threatening allergies. I’ve been finding soy in everything including my vitamins and even in everyday products such as shampoo.

Has anyone done any research on this topic? I’d love to hear from you! Post a comment and let me know!

If you have a serious food allergy, you should absolutely carry epinephrine with you.  No matter how cautious you are about avoiding your allergens and keeping your own kitchen free of them, if you eat at a friend’s or out at a restaurant, there’s always a possibility for cross-contamination, be it on serving utensils at an ice cream parlor or on a counter for food preparation.  I even recently heard a story about a boy in a local school’s classroom who touched a bit of peanut butter residue on a shared desk who was lucky enough to have his EpiPen there to save his life.

Time and time again, I hear that it isn’t convenient to carry an EpiPen everywhere and that’s why people either will not buy one, or will leave just leave it in one place.  Unfortunately, that won’t do anyone much good in a restaurant if an emergency situation were to occur.  To help make it easier to remember, carry and even forget that it’s with you, I have a few tips.

First of all, EpiPens are great.  I have carried one for years and have even used epinephrine to save my life during an allergic reaction to an allergy shot earlier this year.  But here’s something I never knew until that day.  Once you have used an EpiPen, 911 should be dialed immediately.  However, in some cases (I think my doctor quoted quoted 10-20% of the time) the reaction can return before an ambulance has arrived to care for you.  For that reason, it is extremely important to carry 2 doses of epinephrine.

Let’s face it: EpiPens are bulky and the odds that we’ll need to use them are slim.  No one really wants to carry one, and they certainly don’t want to carry two.  But is a little inconvenience worth risking your life?

Twinjects are a great alternative.  Unlike EpiPens, each auto-injector contains 2 doses so you only need to carry one “pen” with you.  Not only that, but the entire device is slimmer, sleeker, and has a clip that makes it easy to carry in the event that you going anywhere without a bag or pack to carry it in. According to my doctor, the needle is thinner as well which means in the event that you need to use it, it hurts less (not that you’ll care at that moment).  Another really cool feature of the Twinject is that when I received it, there were 2 inside.  That means it comes with 4 doses of epinephrine.  Not to mention, the needle-less demonstrator that is perfect for teaching children, teachers, or friends how to use it in case of emergency.  The only draw-back I have found with this device is that the second dosage is a manual injection.  However, the need to use this is so rare that the convenience of the system almost makes up for it.

Still think these are a pain to deal with?  Try leaving your emergency device in a purse, backpack or something else you bring with you to most places.  If you have multiple, leave one at school/work and one at home; this can eliminate the need to carry it.  If you do carry it everywhere and find it annoying, I recently learned about this site and it might solve your problems.  One Spot Allergy was founded by a mother’s desire to keep her son safe from an allergic reaction.  They carry some allergy-essentials such as medication belts and holsters, training materials including EpiPen trainers, identification products and more.  

No matter which device you decide to use and how you decide to carry it, be sure to alert a friend where you keep it.  And of course, be sure to discuss all options with your allergist.  Safe and happy eating!

EpiPen
EpiPen
Twinject
Twinject
Twinject TwinPack

Traveling with Food Allergies

Posted by: Epicautious on: October 4, 2009

Eating at a friend’s place or nearby restaurant is often difficult, but at least you’re able to communicate effectively about your food allergies.  What do you do when you’re somewhere that doesn’t speak your language?  Furthermore, what if you can’t eat the food provided to you on your way there?  Hopefully these tips and tricks will help make traveling a breeze.

Bring Some Backups

Not sure if you can trust the food on the plane?  Don’t know if they’ll serve you safe food on a train?  My advice is to pack some easy-to-carry food of your own.  Although most airlines ensure that their food is peanut-free, they will not guarantee that the meals are free of all tree nuts.  It’s possible to receive low sodium, low cholesterol, or sugar-free meals, but I have yet to find an airline guaranteeing me that their food won’t cause an anaphalactic reaction.  Call me crazy, but I’d think airlines would want to avoid someone dying while flying over the ocean.

To counter these challenges, I normally pack myself some food that I know will not spoil on the plane ride.  For instance, a sunflower seed butter and jelly sandwhich (great peanut butter substitute by the way) can serve as breakfast or lunch on the go.  I also tend to pack several packages of Nature’s Path organic toaster pastries with me.  These can last for months and are easy to carry in a backpack or suitcase.  They’re a great breakfast or snack while traveling.  Have a favorite food?  I’m sure you can find a way to bring it with you while you travel.  It’s always smart to have a backup!

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!

Ok, let’s face it.  Just because we have an allergy doesn’t mean we have the super power that allows us to communicate it in any language, in any country at any time.  So, we have to get crafty and luckily, there are plenty of sites out there that come to our rescue!

Try printing allergy cards.  These cards can be provided by several companies and many of them translate the message into another language on the back.  My favorites can be found here at allergytranslation.com.  If you don’t want to spend money, find a friend who speaks the language of where you’ll be traveling and create your own!  These cards can be handed to a server or chef and will notify them of any foods you should not or cannot eat.  Plus, they’re reusable, especially if you laminate them!

Bringing an iPhone?  There are several apps that you can use.  One I recently discovered lets you choose the allergens you want to communicate, choose the specific message (anything ranging from, “I’m allergic to these items.  Please don’t put them in my food,” to “I need to go to a hospital, I’m having an allergic reaction” ).  Several language options are offered for this application.  You can check it out here: Allergy Passport.

Do you have tips for travelers with allergies?  Post a comment and share your thoughts!

Whole Foods-Allergy Friendly!

Posted by: Epicautious on: October 1, 2009

I just got back from Whole Foods where I’ve been countless times before looking for soy-free, nut-free options. Typically, I find a few items, but most allergy-friendly sections in supermarkets focus on gluten-free foods.

Today, I was playing in one of the baking aisles and was excited to finally find Enjoy Life’s Soy free chocolate chips (enjoylifefoods.com)! I can’t wait to make cookies with them tonight!        Enjoy Life Chocolate ChipsI was also ecstatic to see Divvies brand chocolate chips there (divvies.com). Although I can’t eat them, I absolutely love this company and can eat a bunch of their other snacks (see my earlier topic: Sweet Relief!). But the reason for this post is that I learned something everyone with food allergies should know:

You can make a request for specific items at the customer service desk at Whole Foods and they will consider stocking the products. More importantly, if they don’t carry the specific items, they may be able to get them for you anyway in a bulk shipment at a discounted price with no shipping fee. Best of all, I was told it would only take a 1-2 days to receive the shipment. Divvies caramel popcorn order, here I come!

More on Soy-Free, Nut-Free Chocolate

Posted by: Epicautious on: September 30, 2009

Ok, I know I’ve posted a lot about chocolate already, but I just tried something new and I am super excited. I was looking for a wider selection of Michel Cluizel chocolates and found them at Chocosphere.com. I got my shipment yesterday and it is awesome!  I bought the box of 70 tasting discs with varying degrees of cocoa content as well as the box of single plantation chocolate squares.

Check out the packaging on these chocolates:

I have to say, although Chocosphere isn’t a strictly soy-free or nut-free provider, I was quite impressed with their service. While placing the order, I was surprised to see a recommendation to fill in any food allergies in the comments section. Naturally, I listed any concerns I had and within a day of submitting my request, I received an email confirming the safety of my selected chocolates. They even offered to email me the exact ingredient lists of the products I ordered. After re-confirming my selections, I received my chocolates a few days later.

What service! What good chocolate! YUM!

…and for my previous posts regarding chocolate, check out Sweet Relief and Craving Chocolate?!

Eating out?

Posted by: Epicautious on: September 27, 2009

Eating out can be a challenge for those with dietary restrictions. No matter where you’re eating, I recommend looking at the menu online first so that you can be sure there is something that will fit your diet. It’s also important to talk to your server or someone in the kitchen about your allergies so that you can ensure a safe meal for yourself.

Large group meals may often pose an extra problem if the table is ordering family style or if food is pre-ordered for an event. In the past, I have found it helpful to either talk to the person organizing the meal, or order my own plate that I know is safe to eat. It’s always nice to share, but with certain allergies, like nut allergies, for instance, sharing food can be a huge problem. Even if you decide only to eat one of the many shared dishes, cross contamination from other dishes containing allergens is possible from other silverware in your group. I have found that even though people try to be cautious about these potential risks, often times it’s easy to forget not to touch a particular plate with a serving utensil that has been used on something you can’t eat.

Carrying allergy cards can also make your life easier in restaurants. Several companies can create these for you online, and often times you can print them yourself for free or for a small fee. I recommend searching for these cards on the internet since each company supports a variety of features. It’s also a great idea to print a few copies of your cards and laminate them. This way, they’ll be easy to store in your wallet and will last longer.
Food Allergy Card Example

For traveling, my favorite company is Allergy Translation because they print two-sided cards (one side in English, the other in the l language of your choice). You can also indicate if any of your allergies are life threatening. I found these cards very helpful when traveling in South America and locally, several restaurants have thanked me for providing them with an easy way of listing my allergies to the chef.

Have other questions or tricks for eating out with food allergies? Leave a comment!

Translated Food Allergy Card Example