Mar

27

SafeMama Review: Rice “Cheese” Slices

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    rice-vegan-familyI know, I know, how lame is this?  I’m writing a review about cheese.  That isn’t even really cheese.

    Here’s the thing: if you have a child who has a dairy allergy, sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make them happy.  Like a grilled cheese sandwich.  I’ve made it no secret that I’m on a constant quest to find equivalent of what the other kids are eating for my toddler.  On a whim one day at the grocery store I purchased Rice Vegan Cheddar Flavor Slices.  The package looks exactly like your average wrapped cheese slices, but we don’t keep those in the house, so I was shocked when I presented a rice slice to my toddler and his response was “Yay! Cheese!”  This coming  from a child who, to my knowledge, has never really seen a slice of cheese before.

    Rice Vegan Slices are produced by Galaxy Nutritional Foods,  a company specializing in cheese alternatives.  Their products are dairy, soy and/or gluten free.  Several products are vegan, like the one I’ve been using, for those of you looking for food options based on lifestyle choices as well.

    So far in my house, we’ve tried the cheddar and pepper jack flavors.  Both contain jalapeno peppers, which I found to a surprising ingredient.  Both flavors were pretty good–and by that, I mean they’re flavorful, but different from their original counterparts.  One would not mistake the cheddar flavor for  actual cheddar cheese, however.  My son is only 19 months old and found the pepper jack too spicy for his liking but he GOBBLES the cheddar flavor (which still has a bit of a kick because of that jalapeno).

    The packaging advertises that the Rice Vegan Slices have a “smooth melt” and I suppose this claim is relative.  Yes, the slices melt.  I’ve made quesadillas and pizza with them, but again, they don’t melt anything like  regular cheese would.  That might make for a dish that’s visually less appealing than what I’m used to, but as with most things related to allergies, I’m happy that I’ve found an acceptable “cheese” option.’

    Get it: Check their website GalaxyFoods.com for retailers near you.

    Jan

    16

    SafeMama Review: Road’s End Mac and Chreese

    Filed Under allergies, Green Mama, Product Reviews | Comments Off

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      123z_picIn my never-ending quest for allergen-free alternatives to what all the other kids are eating, I stumbled upon products by Road’s End.  Road’s End is an organic, environmentally-friendly company that specializes in plant-based versions of  ”comfort food”.  Their product packaging is all recycled materials and they strive to recycle and reuse as part of their operating procedure.

      What drew me to Road’s End was their “123′z and Chreese 4 Kidz”. Now I can’t lie: as an English major in college, a part of me died at the use of  “z’s” in place of “s’s” here.  And also, “chreese”?  I decided to give it a whirl anyway, because I wanted my little guy to have the experience of mac and cheese, one of life’s greatest little pleasures.  I didn’t have high hopes.  At all.

      But to my surprise, it was good.  A little different from regular ol’ Kraft variety.  It’s not as bland and not as, um, “yellow” as Kraft’s.   It’s creamy, flavorful and the noodle numbers are cute. When comparing the ingredients of Road’s End and Kraft varieties, I’m definitely more comfortable with the Road’s End ingredient list.

      My son was only about 14 months old at the time he first tried it and he was going through a weird texture issue, so the shape of the noodles threw him for a bit of a loop.  Now he thinks they’re great and frankly I have a hide the box in the back of the cupboard or he’d want Mac and Chreese every night.

      Get It: Order through the Road’s End website or use their store locator function.

      Nov

      17

      Food Allergy Resource Round-Up

      Filed Under allergies, Health & Medicine, Safe Mama Tips | Comments Off

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        First, let me say that I am so not a doctor and that you should always check with your child’s pediatrician or allergist for accurate information about your child’s specific allergy.  Websites can be great resources, but they are no substitution for a doctor’s advice.  If you think your child has a food allergy, bring your child to doctor who specializes in allergies–there are skin and blood tests that can confirm an allergy and its severity.

        Also, there is a difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance.  People with a food intolerance (the most familiar example is a lactose intolerance) can usually have small amounts of a problem food without a problem.  However, a true food allergy usually will trigger a reaction to even very small amounts of the problem food.   In my son’s case, a quarter of an ounce of milk caused hives, vomiting and some respiratory distress.  Fun times.

        Even after I had lots of answers from our allergist, I found I needed direction about specific foods my child could eat.  So I started hitting Google for recipes and products that my son could have.  This list certainly isn’t exhaustive, but if you’re just getting an allergy diagnosis, you may find some of these links helpful.

        • General Overview of Food Allergies from the Mayo Clinic.  The Mayo Clinic website also has great information on egg, milk, soy and wheat allergies if you do a search on their site.
        • Examples of Foods That Contain Eggs from the Cleveland Clinic.  This was one of the first pages I found when researching allergies months ago and it’s still one of my “go-to” pages for quick reference.  It also includes a list of egg substitutes for recipes.
        • Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network–this website does require a membership to see some areas, although many sections are “free”, and it seems to be “THE” website recommended by allergy doctors. It also has links for kids and teens, who may feel isolated or afraid because of their food allergies.
        • Food Allergy Initiative (FIA).  FIA is sort of like the jackpot of allergy information.  It has a clean, easy-to-navigate website which includes a “quick reference” for nine top allergens.  Plus, there’s info on support groups, “helpful food companies” and allergy research grants.

        I, personally, didn’t purchase any memberships to allergy websites, although I do peruse the free sites, or sections of sites often.  For me, I began to realize that instead of looking for a resource that would give me a bible of recipes I could feed my kid, what I really needed was just healthy recipes I could adjust.  I found using regular websites like Wholesome Baby Food, and the book, The Petit Appetit (which features only organic recipes and uses icons to easily show which contain allergens) worked just fine for me.  There are substitutions that can be used for virtually any allergen.

        Also, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) of 2004 did improve food product labeling, so spotting problem ingredients is a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.   The good part about having a child with food allergies (why hello there, silver lining) is that it forced me to start reading labels in a way I’m not sure I would have if my son didn’t have allergies.  In turn, I started paying more attention to all ingredients, not just the allergen ones, and my son has a healthier diet because of it.  Do you remember that Breyers Ice Cream commercial from back in the 80s (I think) where they give a bunch of little kids containers of other brands of ice cream and the kids can’t pronounce the ingredients?  Then they give the kids Breyers containers and the ingredients are cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla bean?  I’ve come to use that as the standard with my son, who of course, can’t have Breyers ice cream anyway.  But the point is, if I can’t pronounce it, it doesn’t need to be in his food.

        Nov

        4

        SafeMama Review: Enjoy Life Snickerdoodle Cookies

        Filed Under allergies, product finds, Product Reviews | Comments Off

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          Last weekend, we visited my in-laws and they presented my son with his own little treat-or-treat bag stocked with goodies.  Because of his allergies (and also, perhaps, because they know I’m turning into a health nut), they included these Enjoy Life Snickerdoodle Cookies.

          I had seen this at the market while shopping a few weeks back and while I was reading the ingredients on the box, a well-meaning stranger advised me that he had tried those cookies and didn’t care for them.  So I put them back on the shelf, partially based on his advice and mostly because I wasn’t sure my then 14-month old absolutely needed another cookie in his life.

          But here those very cookies were in front of me, a gift.  And my little guy chowed down two of them almost immediately.  So it just goes to show you: not everyone has the same tastes.  If your child has food allergies, the menu is somewhat limited to begin with, so let your child try different food products even if someone else didn’t like them.

          Enjoy Life has many food products but so far, I can only speak to the snickerdoodle cookies.  All their products are gluten-free and free of eight major allergens.

          Get it: Check out the Enjoy Life Where-to-Buy link.

          Oct

          21

          Only Treats, Please: A Safer Halloween

          Filed Under allergies, Green Mama | Comments Off

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            My little guy is still too young to really “get” Halloween and fortunately is also too young to be aware of candy.  But next year, I probably won’t be as lucky, leaving me with the worry about how to handle Halloween with a kid who has food allergies.

            I found some good advice here from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAI).   What I founds most interesting is that the AAAI’s website claims that those cute “fun-size” candies used at Halloween don’t always contain the same ingredients as their larger-sized counterparts and the “fun-size” usually aren’t individually labeled.  This means that a candy that is normally “safe” may not be in the smaller size.   I imagine this may be of particular concern for those children with a nut allergy.

            I also came across the website for Green Halloween, a grassroots movement for healthier and more “green” holidays.  With advice on how to make your own Halloween costume, there’s also tips on providing treat-or-treaters with non-candy treats on the big day.  Frankly, I’d rather my kid get a bunch of stickers or juice boxes rather than candy.

            No one wants to rain on Halloween’s parade, but there are ways to modify the overindulgence on candy.  And whether you’re dealing with an allergy or just want to set a good example for healthy eating, looking into some alternatives to candy may not be such a bad idea.  Plus, you might not have to deal with the kids bouncing off the ceiling in a perpetual sugar rush for days on end.

            Sep

            22

            SafeMama Review: Allergaroo Chili Mac

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              So I’m a full-time worker, mother, wife, you name it and I pretty much seem to do it full-time.  Which means, I’m sort of… busy.  My son goes to day care during week and since he has food allergies, I prepare all his meals to bring in to “school” since he can’t eat the provided school lunches and snacks.

              As much as I love preparing healthy foods for my son to eat, there are the occasions when there just aren’t enough hours in the day, and I find myself wishing for something easier to “make”.  Easier as in zero prep-work.  Not all time, but just for those days where 11p.m. finds me still cutting grilled chicken breast into toddler-sized bites for the following day.

              My son’s food allergies make most pre-made foods not an option.  But I just recently found Allergaroo Chili Mac at my local market and decided to give it a whirl.  Allergaroo offers three pasta products that are free of eight major sources of allergies: milk, gluten, treenuts, peanuts, soy, eggs, fish and shellfish.  They’re ready-made with all natural ingredients and just need to be heated up.

              I’ve read several reviews where parents reported that their children didn’t like the taste.  So I tasted it myself and thought it was pretty good.  Not exactly how regular pasta might taste, but good just the same.  Of course, the real test was my son, who wound up eating a whole bowl of it (which wound up being about half the packet).  Success!

              So now, while I will still be putting together most of my little one’s lunches together by scratch, I do have a healthy and safe alternative to send him to school with when needed.  Whew.

              Get it: I found Allergaroo products at my local Whole Foods, but it can be purchased directly from their website.

              Sep

              2

              SafeMama Review: Cherrybrook Kitchen’s Yellow Cake Mix

              Filed Under product finds, Product Reviews | Comments Off

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                I find myself in a league of parents who are dealing with the ever-expanding problem of food allergies.  Seriously, I feel like food allergies barely existed when I was a kid, and now it seems like more kids have them than not.

                My 13-month- old son’s particular allergies are to milk and eggs.  And since so many foods include milk and/or eggs, the thought of starting him on table food left me…overwhelmed.  So for months, he ate (almost exclusively) fruits, veggies and some meats.  Then with his first birthday looming on the horizon, I started to wonder: what about his birthday cake?  I mean, the kid deserves to have a cake for his first birthday.  It was at that point I decided that I needed to find egg- and dairy-free equivalents to what all the other kids his age were eating.  Including birthday cake.

                As it relates to creating an allergen-free cake, it seems you have a few options:  you can follow a vegan (and gluten free, if applicable) recipe; you can use your grandmother’s much loved cake recipe and just use some substitutions; or you can use an allergen-free cake mix.  I tried a couple of vegan cake recipes, but to me they tasted more like cornbread than birthday cake.  This may have something to do with my baking abilities.  So I scoured my local food store and found Cherrybrook Kitchen’s Yellow Cake mix.  All of their products are dairy, egg and nut-free and some products are also gluten-free.  This particular mix I used does contain wheat ingredients, but since my son isn’t allergic to wheat, this worked for us.

                I used a vegan margarine instead of regular margarine and I frosted the cake with Cherrybrook Kitchen’s Vanilla Frosting, substituting a little rice milk for regular milk in the baking instructions.  Know what?  It all tasted good, like a regular cake.  Which, frankly, was a little more than I was expecting.  Even the frosting was super-creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness.

                Being able to produce a good-tasting allergen-free cake will cost you though.  I justify this as an occasional purchase that gives me some peace of mind: my kid can have a cake just like all the other kids.  Plus, since it’s produced in a factory that prohibits the use of nuts, I can use the mix to make cupcakes to bring to my son’s nut-free school.  The cake mixes run about $5.30 a box and the frostings are about a dollar less.

                Get it: you can buy Cherrybrook Kitchen products direct online here or by visiting any of these retailers.

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