Food Allergies - Milwaukee,WI

There are a fewq website out there for you

Kidswithfoodallergies.com

also
http://www.foodallergy.org/ thsi one will update you with all recalls on foods that have not been labeled with milk or nuts, etc.

Hope this helps.

The Enjoy Life Brand of food products is made free of all top 8 allergens (they do use rice and I think some oats though). They have snack bars, bagels, cookies. They sell it at Whole Foods and some food co-ops. My dd has allergies and I feed her some type of meat made with olive oil (avoid vegetable oil as it is soy based), veggies with olive oil, and she has either rice or pita bread. Plus all sorts of fruits. I avoid anything with pre-packaged breading, etc.

Reading labels is key - I look for all natural products with as few ingredients as possible.

www.faan.org is one resource - there is info on how to read a food label as sometimes milk, for e.g., is stated in not so obvious ways, even with the new food labeling laws.

Here is a great resource: www.kidswithfoodallergies.org. There is a membership fee but it is really worth it. They have a recipe database where you can filter by allergy type. GL - it can be challenging but there are resources who can help.

Hi T. -

My 2 year old son was diagnosed with food allergies at 7 weeks old. He is allergic to wheat, peanuts, egg, and dairy. I have bought a kit online that gives you alot of information regarding this, also their website is informative. It is www.foodallergy.org. It is the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, this was recommended to me by our allergist. The best advice is to read labels on all products. At first it takes a while, but you learn. At first grocery shopping used to take forever. If you call your doctor, they may be able to give you food allergy cards right away. They are laminated cards that you can keep in your purse that list all products that contain the ingredient your child is allergic to. My son has been drinking rice milk now since he can't have any dairy or soy. They sell it in most grocery stores around Madison. There are also a few specialty stores around Madison that carry a bunch of allergy-free foods...good ones for kids too. Once you do some research on this I bet you will be surprised how common this is. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Char, the owner of Specialty Foods would be a GREAT resource. She deals with several parents/families in situations like yours. Her store is located near the new Princeton Club on the westside. Her phone number is ###-###-####.

my son has a severe allergy to soy which is in just about everything. I also have a daughter that is lactose intolorant.

biggest thing.....avoid vegtable oil at all costs. main ingredient is soybean oil. most fast food places use it for deepfrying. i would stick to preparing things at home where you know what is going in it.
I do alot of homemade chicken nuggets (use instant potato flakes instead of breadcrumbs) and fry in canola oil.
my son loves fresh veggies and fruits for snacks.
my best advice is become an avid label reader.
as another FYI kelloggs fruit snacks have none of the stuff she is allergic to in them

Natural Food Co-ops carry a wide variety of products for people with food allergies. The Wedge Co-op in Minneapolis used to compile a pamphlet for people with different food allergies. I believe they may now set up tours with a nutritionist. Check out www.mwnaturalfoods.coop to find a co-op near you. THey vary in size and services but all of them will carry products for special diets.

Some Byerlys stores have had Dieticians working there. You might call them if you are in the Minneapolis area to see if any are still in any of the stores. (They were there a few years back but in our local store no more!) Also try calling a Nursing school or Medical School to see if they have a Dietician on staff who you could talk with to get some suggestions till you can meet with the one your Dr. recommended to you. Also tell the Dr. it will be till October 25th, the appointment with the Dietician. Also call the Dietician and tell them you can not wait that long so what can they recommend in the mean time.
Yes it is tough with so many possible ingredients that could have those items in them! I would start out with pure foods that you know are not mixed with milk, soy, eggs, or peanut butter! and wheat rice and oats! That rules out most or all breads! ??? Another possible place to get information is a real Health Food Store and most of them are very picky about the foods they eat! They know food ingredients better than most people as they try to avoid meat byproducts in any foods they eat! That is hard to do also. While they still need key amino acids and proteins not provided by plants.

Can your child eat: plain winter Squash? like, Buttercup. Plane baked chicken, maybe. Some are quite tasty and have nutrition and fiber. Another thing is maybe? Similac? But you should call the Manufacturer and read the ingredients to make sure those products are not in that! I am lactose intolerant which is not a food allergry but also tough to deal with. Basically for me it was a case of trial and error. I think the key issues for your child is what do ALL those food groups have In common? Is your child truly allergic to different things in each item or is there something in common in one or more of them that is your child's culprit? Also might be good to ask the Dr if an Epi pen or epinephrine pen that you could use in case of an emergency could be kept near you so you can help if an issue happens RIGHT away. Also Benedryl can reduce symptoms of Hives which is a mild early allergic reaction. My brother is allergic to Ginger! So when he had that unknowingly his fingers swelled, eventually is air was hard to breath. My Dad being an MD drove 3 hours to his son and gave him a shot since the College was remote and the Health clinic was closed on the weekend. He came out ok though it was of course scary! So the Epinephrine Pen might be a good solution while you try different foods with your child. This is not to be percieved or used as Medical Advice and you should consult your child's physician and very the information offered here. My background was as a Dentist but I left that area about 15 years ago! Best of Luck! think of what the child CAN have vs what they Cant and then look at the ingredients, also!!!

My daughter was allergic to milk, eggs, and peanut as well. She was diagnosed at age one and has since (she's now 5 1/2) out grown all of her allergies, including the peanut. We were vigilant about not feeding her anything with milk, eggs or nuts in it. As a result, she's an incredibly picky eater, however at least she out grew the allergies. Her peanut RAST test was off the charts when she was first tested and is now down to a 1.35 and is considered clinically nonallergic. I would suggest trying health food stores. We bought alot of her food at whole foods and co-ops. I have to admit, her diet was pretty bland, alot of steamed vegetables, fresh fruit and lean meat, but she's now the healthiest kid I know and never gets sick. Buck up, you'll get through this and you'll meet alot of people along the way that are in similar situations.

Best of luck,
Tricia K.

My neighbor's daughter is allegeric to all those items you listed plus seafood! You poor thing.

I know that she said she feeds her "lots of meat and potatoes" and reads labels very very carefully.

I also know that she shops at a natural foods store that is north of 694 on Lexington Ave. in Shoreview.

I would think you could find resources online and also at your local library.

Best to you!
Jess