Preparation key for fun travel with food allergies

Pamela threw herself on the floor, pounding her fists and crying, "I don’t want to leave the beach!" If I were 3 years old like my daughter I would have been doing the same thing Saturday morning when we were packing to leave our favorite North Carolina beach spot, Oak Island.

We had just enjoyed a fabulous week at the beach. The hot, sunny weather gave us plenty of time to ride waves, play paddleball at the water's edge, collect seashells, splash in tide pools and make sand creations. We also made time to ride the ferry to the North Carolina Aquarium, hit the mini golf course a couple of times and play a few rounds of Ocean-Opoly. Our beach experience focuses on enjoying activities and each other, rather than food treats and restaurants. But my trip preparation largely focuses on food.  

Sure I gather the kids' favorite beach toys and toss in plenty of tubes of California Baby sunscreen, but I spend most of the time during the week before we leave in the kitchen. I make and freeze meals free of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg and soy, so that my son, Joseph, can safely enjoy his vacation instead of worrying about his multiple food allergies. Joseph, 8, and Pamela help plan a menu that includes many of their favorite foods, such as pizza (made with King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix, Daiya mozzarella style shreds, homemade fresh tomato sauce and bacon). Several batches of muffins make for easy breakfast and snack options, and I freeze cupcakes and cake slices that I had made for birthdays and other celebrations during the month before our trip. Of course, there is some negotiation on meal choices based on the cooking tools I bring, but the kids are always pleased to have a week's worth of favorite meals lined up. For example, I don't bring my big pot or mixer so mashed potatoes are out. But no one complains about the French fries I make on the cookie sheet I bring. My George Foreman grill is a helpful multipurpose tool because I can grill burgers one night and switch out the plates in the morning to make waffles ('Cause You're Special Hearty Pancake and Waffle Mix). 

The increase in allergy-friendly products during the past few years has made travel a bit easier. Thanks to companies like Enjoy Life Foods, I can pack safe cookies, snack bars and cereal for my family to enjoy. There are other essentials I pack, such as Vance's DariFree non dairy milk alternative, that I know I won't find at the local grocery store. But because the beach is in our state, I am familiar with what the grocery stores in Oak Island carry. For example, I knew I could provide Italian ices at the beach by stopping in the local Food Lion for a box of PhillySwirl ices.

Of course, my packing wouldn't be complete without ensuring that I had included full prescriptions of all medication and safe brands of any over-the-counter medications that might be needed. In addition to the medicine pack that is always with Joseph (including two EpiPen auto-injectors, Benadryl and an inhaler), I also packed a medicine bag to keep at the condo that included two more EpiPens, all of the medicine Joseph takes for daily maintenance of his seasonal allergies and asthma, plus the nebulizer and a full prescription of Xopenex. We also know the locations of the closest urgent care, pharmacies and hospital in the area.

My preparation continues when we arrive at the rental condo. I wipe down all surfaces with Clorox wipes, then cover kitchen counters, the microwave interior and refrigerator shelves with paper towels. The extra layer or protection just makes me less worried about anything the cleaning crew might have missed when I think about all of the allergen-filled foods that had likely been eaten in the condo before us. Despite booking a smoke-free, pet-free condo, I always hold my breath during the first day, waiting to see if Joseph's asthma will act up. In fact, his peak-flow readings were higher than usual during the whole week — maybe there is something to the theory that salt air helps asthmatics. By the time I put our pillows on the bed and set up the beds (Joseph brings his own bedding to try to avoid asthma triggers) I'm ready to sink my feet in the sand and breathe in that salt air.

I could enjoy my children's shouts of joy as the ocean welcomed them with waves lapping over their bare feet because I had done what I could to create a safe zone, including reiterating the rules that are in place at home and away. While Pamela and Joseph only ate the allergen-free foods I prepared, the adults sometimes did indulge in local flavor. I appreciate that Gary's dad, who traveled from out of state so we could enjoy a vacation together, sat in his designated seat at the table, let me handle all of the food, washed his hands after every meal and waited for me to serve the kids first before I touched any unsafe food in the one spot I had allowed takeout meals to be placed. Joseph and Pamela enjoyed lots of quality time with their Papa Sal during our trip because he was willing to defer to my judgment about how to keep my child safe. He even asked me to inspect his sunscreen to be sure it was safe to wear near Joseph.

When our trip was over, I was thankful for a lack of allergic reactions, asthma attacks or worrisome health issues with my kids. I was especially glad that the only tears were shed over the end of a wonderful time. Food-allergic families can never take a vacation from vigilance, but we sure can enjoy a trip to the beach.

For more tips on travel for people with food allergies, visit:

·      Kids with Food Allergies, http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcetopic.php?topic=travel

·      Food Allergy Initiative (FAI), http://www.faiusa.org/page.aspx?pid=410

·      Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), http://www.foodallergy.org/page/traveling-tips

·      Anaphylaxis Canada, http://www.anaphylaxis.ca/content/livingwith/tips_travel_safe.asp

Favorite summer treats

"Magnificent, absolutely delicious and yummy" are a few of the words Joseph used to describe his new favorite summer dessert treat. It's safe to say the allergen-free version of a Chipwich that I created for dessert tonight was a hit.

The new crunchy cookies by Enjoy Life Foods are delicious in their own right — my husband and 2-year-old daughter, Pamela, love the vanilla honey graham flavor, while Joseph and I vie for the chocolate chip cookies. But they also are the perfect size and texture to make cookie ice cream sandwiches. I put a scoop of my homemade dairy-free vanilla ice cream between two cookies, smoosh it, and then roll it in Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Mini Chips.

I'm always happy to add an allergen-free version of a familiar treat from my childhood for my kids to enjoy. Joseph, who is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg and soy, is thrilled to enjoy treats that would be forbidden in their traditional form. It's no surprise that another big hit in our house is a blondie sundae. I substitute the flour, eggs and butter to make an allergen-free version of the Toll House Blonde Brownies my mom used to make, top with homemade dairy-free ice cream and drizzle melted Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Mini Chips on top. Pamela even made up a song ("I love blondie sundaes") and dance for that dessert!

As I add another fun summer dessert to our table this season, I'm reminded of some of my favorite tools for summer treats. Our use of homemade ice cream by itself or in various desserts gives my Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt - Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker a workout. I love that I can mix up the ingredients and let them spin in the ice cream maker for 25 minutes for a creamy frozen treat. Thanks to my friend Kathy, we also are enjoying the cool frozen treats we make in the Zoku Quick Pop Maker. In minutes I can fill orders for a berry and lemonade pop; orange and apple pop; and chocolate pop with a layer of chocolate chips in the middle. My kids love being able to customize their frozen pop, and I love that I can make a quick, refreshing treat in the time it takes me to do the dishes.

Of course, summer produce is the quickest and easiest summer treat. I love watching Joseph and Pamela chatting over slices of watermelon with pink juice outlining their smiles and dripping everywhere. A juicy plum or a sweet peach hit the spot on hot summer days, and blueberries are wonderful to snack on. We also recently enjoyed a blueberry pie I made using 'Cause You're Special Homestyle Pie Crust Mix. I make a lot of fruit salad and for that I rely on another trusty summer tool, the Oxo Cherry Pitter. The pitter makes it so easy to pit fresh cherries for a salad, to use in cobbler or to serve in a bowl.

Tomorrow morning we will be scouting fresh peaches at the local farmer's market. I'm counting on finding enough of the tasty fruit to make a fresh summer pie and perhaps I'll use one of my favorite summer kitchen tools so I can serve it a la mode.

My ice cream recipe:

2 cups dairy-free milk (I use Vance's DariFree Non Dairy Milk Alternative)

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup Vance's DariFree milk powder

2 tsp vanilla

Mix the sugar and milk powder together, then blend in the milk and vanilla. Once blended, pour into an ice cream maker and let it mix for 20 to 30 minutes. Add any mix-ins, such as dairy-free chocolate chips, cut up cherries and allergen-free brownie chunks, during the last 5 minutes of mixing. Freeze for a few hours. (It can be eaten right away, but will be very soft.)

Food-allergic kids rock in Cary

"ROCK!" Joseph shouted the lyric in his favorite Kyle Dine tune, shook his music maker and rocked back and forth to the beat with a big smile on his face, thoroughly entranced by Dine's interactive performance of "Food Allergies Rock." The title song of Dine's newest album about food allergies capped off yesterday's concert on a boisterous note for my son and the other food-allergic kids who attended the event hosted by our local food allergy support group NC FACES (Food Allergic Children Excelling Safely).

We were thrilled that Dine, who hails from Canada, brought his concert to Cary, North Carolina. The world's first food allergy musician has been entertaining, educating and encouraging our family and countless others since 2007 when he released his first CD, "You Must Be Nuts!" His upbeat tunes are fun for singing along and dancing. But his lyrics are what really make his music special. The songs educate about food allergies, while providing a sense of hope and empathy for kids like my son. Joseph loves to listen to the fun songs that remind him that he is not alone in being scared or feeling isolated. After all, Kyle has multiple food allergies, too. Kyle's music reminds Joseph that he has support and that he can be anything he wants to be.

 

Kyle exhibited a sense of compassion and empathy that made each child at the Cary performance feel special. For example, at one point he gathered the children around him and gave them each a turn to speak into the microphone. My 8-year-old son confidently stood and said, "I'm Joseph and I'm allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg and soy." It was touching to watch each child speak about their allergies and even more moving to see them look around at each other, feeling good to be surrounded by other kids who understand what it feels like to navigate life with food allergies.

I was impressed at how Kyle integrated educational information about food allergies through various games, conversations and props, in between song performances. He struck just the right balance that kept the kids moving — even diving for balls during a game of food allergy baseball — and laughing, but never downplaying the seriousness of food allergies. For example, Kyle showed the kids the EpiPens he carries for his own safety and discussed the importance of always carrying the life-saving medication. He also got a lot of laughs when he brought out his superhero puppets, Epi-Man and Epi-Man Jr. My daughter, Pamela, sat with me and quietly soaked up the entire performance. Once we got home, though, she couldn't stop mimicking the funny puppet that kept saying, "Epi, Epi, Epi."

 

Joseph had a blast singing along with Kyle and the other kids throughout the show, dancing and even holding a Stop sign to help perform the song, "Stop! Please Don't Feed Me". Joseph did not want to leave when the concert was over, lingering near Kyle after he received his orange "Food Allergies Rock!" guitar pick. He loved every minute of the performance, and was thrilled to meet and talk to Kyle, who took the time to talk to Joseph about his interests and to compare medical identification bracelets.

My dad summed up the experience in one word, "Phenomenal!" I agree.

No bull, peanut-free section a hit

Joseph leaned over the wall in left field with his Dada, his eyes growing bigger as he watched the baseball sail right past him over the wall in left-center field for a home-team home run during the first inning of the Durham Bulls game last night. Gary and Joseph high-fived as the crowd at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park erupted in cheers. My 2-year-old daughter Pamela and I joined them at the wall as we peered above our heads at the famous big snorting bull that was emitting smoke in celebration.

Joseph and Pamela happily soaked up the atmosphere, athletics and antics that are part of what make Triple-A minor league baseball special. The experience is especially exciting because baseball games are usually off-limits for my son, who is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg and soy. The peanuts eaten and strewn throughout the stadium threaten his safety, striking out any possibility of fun. But thanks to the Durham Bulls organization and our local support group NC FACES (Food Allergic Children Excelling Safely), we get to enjoy a family baseball outing once or twice a year.

This was the ninth year that NC FACES has teamed up with the Durham Bulls to provide a peanut/nut-free section and it gets better every year. Not only did we get to attend a game in a section free of nuts that was thoroughly cleaned for our safety before the game, but also we got a great view of the action from a big, covered section down the third-base line complete with tables and chairs.

While a lot of work goes into ensuring the safety of our children, the process is seamless for ticket holders. We are all given "Be A PAL" stickers with our tickets to easily identify us for the peanut-free section and Durham Bulls hosts monitor the section, which is sectioned off and clearly marked, to ensure that no other fans enter the area. It also is a comfort to know that an EMT is posted nearby as a precaution. We were relieved this year to have permission to enter the stadium through the season ticket holders' gate right near our section, thus avoiding a precarious walk from the main gate through the concession area and the floor covered in peanut shells. In addition, the park concessions management sends out an ingredient list about food items sold in the park that details allergen information for those wanting to purchase food at the game. We don't purchase food at the game, but I was impressed at the level of detail the list provided and did take advantage of the fact that we were allowed to bring our own snacks into the park.

The Durham Bulls and NC FACES organizers take several measures to ensure a safe, fun outing for food-allergic children. Their efforts allow us to sit back and just enjoy some baseball. Gary and Joseph dodged foul balls, and laughed at the fan quizzes and other entertainment on the field between innings. Pamela ran to her Dada for a few high-fives and was thrilled to see the Bulls mascot, Wool E. Bull, every time he appeared on the field or in the stands. When I asked Joseph what he liked about the game, he said, "Everything. I was just so happy to be there!" 

A refreshing take on snacks

When I read my friend Sally Kuzemchak's Real Mom Nutrition post today, I wanted to cheer. In her blog, "THAT Mom: The Sequel," Sally addresses the need for kids' sports teams to do away with chips and sweet drinks and instead, provide healthy fruit and water for the young athletes. She didn't just sit on the sideline and complain about all the junk the parents were providing for each game's snack, she took action and responsibility. Sally sought change because as a mom and registered dietician she wanted her children to have healthier food while exercising.

As the mom of a food-allergic child, the benefits of kids eating healthy snacks are even greater than the obvious nutritional boost. My 8-year-old son, who is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg and soy, knows that his life could be threatened if he eats, or even touches, food containing an allergen. He can't eat the snacks, such as pretzels, flavored chips, peanut-filled sandwich crackers, nut-laced granola bars and cheese-covered goldfish crackers that many kids eat. He tenses up when he sees melted candy on the ground as he's walking into the supermarket, kids eating granola bars and bags of flavored chips on the sidelines of a sports field or a mom carrying a box of Dunkin' Donuts to the park. He can't even escape unsafe snacks at the library — a place where food and drinks are prohibited, mind you — as some kids can't seem to go 20 minutes during storytime without munching on cheese-coated goldfish crackers.

I understand the need to provide snacks as I offer food to help my kids get through the day. And I certainly don't expect parents to alter their snack choices because they might come across a food-allergic child — even my son with multiple allergies eats foods that other kids are allergic to.

But the encouragement for kids to eat fresh fruit is refreshing. Joseph wouldn't eat fruit that has been cut up by someone else because of the danger of cross-contamination. But he can easily bring his own fruit and safely feel like part of the gang. It is not a problem if he touches fruit or if another kid, who just ate an apple, touches him. He can safely eat fresh fruit and enjoy an activity with other kids without being anxious about having an allergic reaction because of the food they are eating.

Sally took a stand for her kids' health regarding food, something parents of food-allergic kids often must do to ensure their child's safety. She didn't know how the other parents would react, but her children were more important than her popularity among team moms. Her letter to the other parents provides a positive example of how to clearly state the need for a change, the reasons and a solution — without offending anyone.

Tennis star serves hope for food-allergic child

When I blew out the candles on my birthday cake tonight, I thought about tennis star Novak Djokovic celebrating his birthday today in France.  A lot of attention is focused on the second-seeded men's singles player as the French Open begins today on the famed clay courts at Roland Garros. We have followed his incredible success on the tennis court this year, but news last week about his gluten-free diet made my family even bigger fans.

The Wall Street Journal's article, "The Diet That Shook Up Tennis? Starch Madness: Novak Djokovic's Domination of the Sport Has Coincided With His Gluten-Free Turn," indicates that the Serb's switch to a gluten-free diet might have contributed to his phenomenal season, which includes an unbeaten streak of 39 matches. Djokovic learned that he was allergic to gluten last year and has since revamped his diet to remove the protein common in most flours, according to the article. I don't know the details of his allergy discovery or whether his new diet is contributing to his tennis success. But when I told my 8-year-old son that one of the tennis stars he admires can't eat wheat, just like him, he grinned and said, "Cool!"

Joseph, who is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg and soy, would never wish the dangers of a food allergy on another person. He is well versed in the fact that one bite of an allergen has the potential to take his life. But he also often feels the sting of isolation common for food-allergic kids. For example, he is the only child at a party with his own piece of cake, he stands back as other kids run to the ice cream truck and he can't go out for pizza to celebrate a success. He is a great kid, who focuses on the positive aspects of his life and on the things he can do and eat. But he has told me that it does upset him when he feels like he is the only one dealing with food allergies and that other people don't get it. So when he finds out that a successful adult or famous child has a food allergy, it makes him feel a little less alone. It gives him hope that he too will be successful in spite of his allergies. The fact that he now has an allergy in common with an athlete, who is excelling at the top level of Joseph's favorite sport, gives him a little morale boost.

Joseph knows the thrill of nailing an ace during a tennis match, he understands the need for drills that work his forehand and backhand, and he gets excited every time he learns a new skill to help improve his tennis game. He has followed the careers of tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Joseph, like many other fans around the world, also noticed Djokovic and his rise in the ranks of men's tennis. He excitedly recounted the news about Djokovic's recent win over Nadal in the Rome Masters.

Now that success means even more to my son because he has something in common with one of the sport's top players, other than a love of tennis. He too follows a special diet and can gain inspiration for his own dreams as he watches Djokovic succeed while living gluten-free. I hope Djokovic had a chance to enjoy a gluten-free birthday cake as yummy as the allergen-free cake I enjoyed with my family.

Cool treats

The weather is heating up, which means my ice cream maker is back in action. Joseph and Pamela were thrilled when I suggested making ice cream after playing outside in the warm sun yesterday. They couldn't wait to dig their spoons into the cool, vanilla ice cream topped with melted chocolate. Tonight they chose to savor every lick of their ice cream in a pushup pop. As, once again I started singing Van Halen's "Ice Cream Man," I remembered the blog I wrote for Living Without magazine last summer, "Cool Finds for Food-Allergic Kids," and thought I would share it again. It includes links to the pushup pops we love and the recipe for allergen-free ice cream and magic shell we enjoy. Here's to enjoying cool treats on hot days!