As you may or may not know, Curt is blessed with an allergy to peanuts & all tree nuts- how fun right! He's had these since childhood, so he has never known the goodness of Butter Pecan ice cream or turtle sundaes (the one thing I miss most about having a nut-free house- the ice cream w/ nuts/nut products). But thankfully, as the years go on, it's getting easier to live with nut allergies- grocery shopping, baking, even going out to eat! So here are some tips and information I have gathered that we have utilized many a time when doing the cooking, baking, & eating we so love to do!
A great website Curt found: AllergyEats , which is actually a great website for anyone with food allergies- select which allergies you have at the top of the homepage, and type in your location & search. Other allergy-ridden people have rated restaurants in your town as to how their experience was with the restaurant & how "safe" their experience was. There are also great tips, resources, and they have an app! (for those in the 21st century unlike myself)
If you're at a restaurant you've never been to before, we recommend looking at their website ahead of time, or even calling the restaurant before your visit to save some worry. Make sure to scout the menu for any signs of nuts- like almonds in their salads, or peanut butter on their burgers- you make think you're safe avoiding these items- but there could be cross-contamination!!!! A knife used to cut a peanut butter burger, then used to cut your burger...could cause a reaction! Check cooking oils-and not just those used for frying, but the cooking spray they use as well- their non-stick spray may in fact be peanut oil!
You may think a peanut allergy means the end of peanut butter. Well, alas! it's not! technically speaking that is. There are great substitutes that taste like peanut butter- and look exactly like peanut butter to Curt's demise. Check out Soy Nut Butter, which I personally use & enjoy- it's peanut free, tree-nut free, gluten-free, dairy-free and manufactured in a facility that does NOT manufacture anything with nuts- so it's 100% safe! Helllllooo pb & jelly sandwiches & scotcheroos & peanut butter kiss cookies :) I paid roughly $4 for a jar, so it's not terribly more than real peanut butter. Also check out SunButter- "peanut" butter made out of sunflower seeds! I have yet to taste-test, but I've heard good things! SunButter is more readily available in your local grocery stores.
Many people with allergies get the pleasure of carrying around EpiPens, just in case. When you go to your pharmacy to pick up your prescription, yes, we realize you don't use them that often & want them to last as long as possible, so why are we giving you pens that expire in October 2013? The pharmacy has little say in when the drug expires when we order them for you, plus EpiPens simply aren't stable forever. If you don't know much about EpiPens, check out their website for directions, information, and even a free TSA card in case you need to fly with these! Honestly, it's great for everyone to know how to use an EpiPen, allergy or not, in case you have to help someone who is having an allergic reaction!
ps- carrying benadryl is a fantastic idea too! In the case of anaphylaxis, epipens work a ton faster, but benadryl can start kicking in in 15-30 minutes....so it can be beneficial to take & help with reactions & hives!
A great blog I came across awhile back too is The Nut-Free Mom, who shares a TON more information and a ton of great recipes that are completely nut-free. I honestly need to read through it for recipe ideas more often!
If you're looking for more information on food allergies in general, head to The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network website, which has lots of education, events, news, & tips.
And if anyone is looking to bring us a pack of cookies or snacks because you know we love to eat & I love free things & presents- please don't bring us anything that contains ANY peanuts, walnuts, almonds, peanut oil, cashews, etc. Nor can it "be processed on equipment that also processes peanuts", or "may contain traces of pecans". But thanks for thinking of us :)
Hope you learned something...and as we travel more & travel to countries where English is not the first language, we will be able to share more tips & tricks with you all. Good night!
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