I'm a mother of four and the Co-CEO of the Drake household. Having three peanut free kids has shifted my strategic goal to food safety and to inspire others to recognize the severity and commonality of this struggle.
Sometimes I believe that
people think making nut free, or any allergen free food, is time
consuming.While this can be true for
some recipes, I have found many that are just as easy as anything else.Here a few of our favorite desserts that we have
tried in our home. Click on the photos for full recipe and instructions.
Cream Cheese Chocolate
Chip Cookies
This recipe is incredibly easy.Cream cheese is the base of this recipe, and
it also includes butter, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, baking soda, and of
course chocolate chips.While I
originally found this recipe for my youngest with an egg allergy, it is equally
safe for my other children. (Just make sure you check the package on the
chocolate chips for a nut warning).I
have not tried to make these gluten-free, but I would be willing to substitute
the flour with a rice flour to see how they taste.
Rice Krispie Treats
This was one of the most popular desserts when I was a kid,
and my children didn’t know what these were until about a year ago! With only
three ingredients, it’s fast and easy.If you want to add some flavor to it, melt some peanut free chocolate on
top! This is also egg-free and gluten-free.
Graham Cracker Éclair
This is one of the kid’s favorites, and mine too!It is just graham crackers, pudding, milk,
cool whip, and chocolate frosting.I buy
store bought frosting (check the label).The only bad thing about this is the 3 hours it needs to set in the
refrigerator!
There are many more options out there, but these are quick, easy, and delicious. Enjoy!
Finding snacks for the kids is always a challenge since it
is an option for companies to state
if it was made in a facility that processes nuts.I recently have tried a few products that
tasted delicious!Here a few that we
have tried personally.
Enjoy Life – We have tried their chocolate chip crunchy
cookies.They taste amazing and are not only
peanut and tree nut free, but of all 8 common food allergens and Non GMO.
Tootsie Roll – The package states that it is made in a peanut
free facility.Who doesn’t love tootsie
rolls?
Sixlets Candy – I have actually got these at the dollar
store on multiple occasions and it also states on the package that it is nut free.
Kettle Brand – We buy the ridiculously sized back from
Costco and they are delicious.In
addition to being nut free, they are also Non GMO! What more can you ask for?
YumEarth Organics – Their suckers, fruit snacks, and gummy bears are awesome! They won’t break the bank either.I have found these at Target and Kroger.Great for Halloween.
Even with peanut free options I still try to limit the kids sugar intake, but it is nice to send these to school so that while other children are celebrating birthdays with food, my children can enjoy a safer option.
Here is a large list of companies that I found that are allergen safe.
While the list has extremely valuable information, always check packaging from any food that you purchase.There were a few companies on the list who have since changed their policy and are no longer nut free.
Most people assume that because a certain food does not
contain nuts directly that it is nut free.Take this Drumstick for example.I
retrieved this image from a blog titled “Finally, other people’s dangerous
allergies do something for me,” however it is extremely misleading for three
reasons.
·The box says “Hold the peanuts”
·The blog is implying that this product was made
for people with allergies because of his title.
·I could not find the cookies and cream cone on their
website, but Drumstick describes it’s Simply Dipped Vanilla cone as “Notes of sweet chocolate blend perfectly with
luscious Vanilla. Nothing nutty
about this one. Just classic deliciousness."
Because my local grocery store sells these, and my children
would love to eat these, we have checked them out and they are definitely NOT
peanut free.Yes they do not have
peanuts in the ingredients, but the warning is on the back of the package
clearly stating that it may contain nuts.This is the ingredients list that I got from the drumstick website. Ingredients DAIRY PRODUCT
SOLIDS, SKIM MILK, CHOCOLATEY COATING (SUGAR, COCONUT OIL, COCOA, SOYBEAN OIL,
WHEY POWDER, NONFAT DRY MILK, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, WHOLE MILK POWDER,
PALM OIL, CHOCOLATE, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL FLAVOR), CONE (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR,
SUGAR, VEGETABLE SHORTENING [PALM OIL, SOYBEAN OIL], SOY LECITHIN, SALT),
SUGAR, CREAM, CONE COATING (SUGAR, COCONUT OIL, PALM OLEIN, COCOA POWDER, SOY
LECITHIN, PALM OIL, NATURAL FLAVOR), CORN SYRUP, TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN,
PROPYLENE GLYCOL MONOSTEARATE, CELLULOSE GEL, GUAR GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR,
MONOGLYCERIDES, CAROB BEAN GUM, CELLULOSE GUM, ANNATTO COLOR, SALT. CONTAINS:
MILK, WHEAT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS. MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS
For people who do not
deal with allergies on a regular basis it is confusing.That “nut free” ice cream just became a
possible death trap.
FDA Requirements on Labels
The FDA only requires companies to list allergens that their
product contains.They do not require a may contain list or shared on
equipment list.This makes it almost
impossible to know if the food you are eating is safe, so kudos to the
companies who willingly supply their consumers with this information.On the flip side of that, it is equally
frustrating to think that some companies may possibly put this warning on their
product to cover themselves in case of a lawsuit.It seems as if everything has the warning
which seriously limits our food options!
Restaurants
Eating dinner anywhere other than home always brings
concern.Unlike foodborne illnesses, cross- contact with an allergen is not
killed during the cooking process. Advocate for yourself or your children when out to eat.
Snack Guide
If you are unsure about the safety of snacks that your child is eating, check out this online snack guide that breaks down peanut,
tree nut, and egg free options.
Comment to let me know if you would have checked the label if the box said no nuts?
With estimations of peanut allergies tripling over the last
couple of decades, it is likely that you or someone you know has the
allergy.One statistic on the Food
Allergy Research and Education website says that 1 in 13 children will have some
sort of food allergy.In my family of
six all four children have one.While we
are lucky that none of their allergies are airborne, if ingested it can be
fatal.
We have come across
many people who are on all sides of the spectrum on how to handle the
situation.As a parent it creates
anxiety every time your child is at school, daycare, or with family and friends.Here is some information to understand the
concern of parents of children with allergies.
1.What is a food allergy?
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food. Even a tiny amount of the allergy-causing food can trigger signs and symptoms such as digestive problems, hives or swollen airways. In some people, a food allergy can cause severe symptoms or even a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis.”
2.Concerns of parents
·Are parents going to abide by the “peanut free” classroom?
·If a child does bring peanuts, are they going to
wash their hands after eating?
·Are the adults supervising your child taking
their allergy seriously?
·Do they know how to use an Epipen?
·Did the person in charge read all labels, or
just assume there was no nuts?
·Kids are cruel – My oldest son told his brother
that the candy he ate had nuts.This was
traumatizing for him and instantly he came to me asking if he was going to
die.We had a long discussion on why
allergies are no joking matter.
3.A few simple things I have done over the
years to ensure our children’s safety
·We don’t keep peanut butter in the house – Seems
easy enough, but my husband and I both love peanut butter.Eventually we decided that the risk was not
worth it!
·We ALWAYS carry at least two epipens per child –
If ingested and an allergic reaction occurs, we have about 15-20 minutes to get
them to the nearest hospital.Having two
gives us an extra 20 minutes since we can administer a second dose after the
first 20 minutes. Remember to check the expiration date!
·We ask friends and family to put away the nut
bowl – A lot of people enjoy eating nuts.It is not uncommon for some households to have a bowl out for people to
enjoy, especially at parties.Do not be
afraid to ask them to refrain from doing so while you are there.Most people just don’t think about it and are
happy to have other snacks available.
·We check every label – Even food that you would
not suspect to have nuts, may have a warning of cross contamination.
·We bring our own dessert – Desserts are one of
the most common foods that may contain nuts.We bring our own to birthday parties so our children can still enjoy
cake and ice cream.
·We teach our children to advocate for themselves
– When my step-daughter lived in Seattle, she would take an accompanied flight
to Detroit.Even though you fill out an
emergency card with vital information, it can be overlooked.She had an experience, twice (insert angry
face) where the flight attendant offered her peanuts.To add insult to injury, after she
respectfully declined letting them know she was allergic, they proceeded to
give it to the woman sitting next to her! Thankfully at 10 years old, she had the
courage to ask this woman she had never met if she would please not eat
them.
Here are a couple of links with information and statistics on allergies and a video on how use an Epipen
