We are fortunate to live in a time with many allergy-friendly businesses. As the number of children with food allergies grows, the condition touches the lives of more and more people. Some of these people are entrepreneurs who turn the challenges they have faced managing food allergies into business opportunities.
I recently had the opportunity to interview - via email and phone - two owners of allergy-friendly businesses. Liz Reynolds has created
Allergy-Free Mouse, a website dedicated to helping families with food allergies plan an allergy-safe dream vacation. Julie Trone of
Allergy Free Table offers educational materials on her website, and in-person allergy safety training for schools. Both businesses share the goal of helping other families with food allergies.
Celebrate Mom's special day with one of these these allergy-friendly menus:
Breakfast in Bed
On her special day, give Mom the gift of a few more minutes of sleep. Then surprise her with this delicious, allergy-friendly meal on a tray. And don't forget to clean up the kitchen!
Lunch Al Fresco
Whether you picnic on your back deck or in the park is up to you. Celebrate Mom with simple foods that can be enjoyed outdoors.
Flowers blooming, trees budding - eyes itching? Nose dripping? Spring is a lovely but, for many of us, allergenic time of year.
Spring pollen allergies may affect, or even bring on, food allergies for some people. If you can eat apples or melon most of the year, but in the spring they make your mouth itch and your lips swell, you may have Oral Allergy Syndrome. OAS is asensitivity to the proteins in fruits and vegetables that are similar to airborne pollen.
Pollen allergies may also interact with asthma and food allergies, increasing the risk of a severe allergic reaction when exposed to a food allergen.
Spring pollen allergies may even influence rates of food allergies during the prenatal period. A study in Finland found that babies who had their 11th week of gestation during birch pollen season were much more likely to develop food allergies as children.
My daughter's school has instituted a "no food" policy for birthday and other classroom celebrations. This decision was not made because of food allergies. The new policy is part of a healthy eating and exercise program that the school district is implementing. It does, however, have the added benefit of making the school a safer place for children with food allergies.
Instead of snacks, students have their birthdays recognized by having their name read with the morning announcements and being given a card and a birthday ribbon to wear. Parents are encouraged to send in non-food treats or donate something to the school in honor of their child.
If your school does not allow food in classroom celebrations, or if you would like to start this trend yourself, here are some ideas of non-food ways to celebrate a child's birthday at school.
Teachers can provide:
1. Allow child to be "queen" or "king" for the day - give them the leadership role of line leader, calendar helper, feeder of the class fish, or keeper of the chalkboard.
2. Have a special birthday crown that the child can wear for the day. This can be a hat that stays in the classroom, or a simple paper crown that goes home with the child.
3. Host a special monthly birthday lunch club with the teacher.
4. Give the child a coupon redeemable for something fun in the classroom, like extra art time or a "get out of homework free" pass.
Parents can provide:
1. Donate a book to the school library in honor of your child. (Just think how great our school libraries would be if every family did this every year!)
2. Bring in stickers, pencils, fun erasers, or small inexpensive toys such as stretchy frogs or plastic tops for the class.
3. Donate a plant to beautify the school grounds - flowers, bulbs, trees, or bushes.
4. Donate a board game to be used for indoor recess, or a sturdy jump rope or ball for outdoor games.
5. Have a family member come to class to read a story or share a special talent or skill, or allow the child to share their talent with the class.
How do you celebrate your child's birthday without food? Share your ideas with other readers!
