Food Allergy Awareness Is Important Every Day!

This month is Food Allergy Action / Awareness Month - a time to draw attention to the important subject of food allergies which affect approximately 1 in 13 children.

Image credit: FARE / foodallergy.org

Most of us know at least one person with a life-threatening food allergy, so it's critical to know what to do in the event of an anaphylactic reaction.

We've compiled some resources to help get you started... resources that could save a life!

• Free online anaphylaxis education courses through AllergyAware.ca
• Food Allergy Field Guide for individuals and families who have been newly diagnosed with food allergies
• Kids With Food Allergies online support community (create account to join)
• Food Allergy Canada's resources for Educators
• Comprehensive list of allergy-safe snacks for schools at SnackSafely.com
• Resources for dining out with food allergies at SafeFARE.org

It is important to arm yourself with information about food allergies and how to help someone who is having an allergic reaction. Half the battle is knowing about a person's allergy and how you can help them - i.e. where their EpiPen is stored, etc. That's why we offer Allergy Alert labels and tags which inform teachers and caregivers of a child's allergy. They are fully customizable to include whatever information you deem important to share and can provide additional peace of mind when your child is away from home.

In honor of Allergy Awareness / Action Month, we are offering 20% off all our Allergy Alert and Safety designs until May 24th, 2016.

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Tips for Navigating the Holidays with Food Allergies

There are exactly 32 days until the start of Hanukkah and 50 days until Christmas.  (I know, it caught us by surprise too!)

With the holiday season approaching, it can be tricky to navigate the sea of get-togethers, pot-lucks and wine-and-cheese events when you’ve got food allergies. So, we’ve put together a list of tips to help those with food allergies enjoy the season a bit more.

1. If you’re going to a pot-luck make an all-in-one dish, such as a casserole, that can stand alone as your meal in case there are no other viable options. ¹


2. Talk to the hostess in advance and tell her you’d be happy to bring place cards for the various dishes. Hand them out to the guests as they arrive and ask them to write their name and the name of their dish, so it’s easy to identify on the food table. This will go a long way in helping you determine what’s safe and, if you’re still not sure about the ingredients, you can at least track down the cook to ask. ²  Bonus: it encourages mingling amongst guests and if you love that rice pilaf that Mary brought, you can give her your raves personally… or, better yet, ask for the recipe!


3. If you’ve got little kids that will be attending a get-together with you, ask your hostess in advance if there will be any bowls of nuts, chocolates, etc (depending on your child’s particular allergy) within arm’s reach. If so, ask if they could be placed higher up. If you’ve got older children, walk around the food area with them and discuss what are safe foods and what should be avoided. ³


4. Bring a special, yet safe, holiday treat with you so that there is always something festive for your child to enjoy. ³


5. Label food that you bring to events so that it is clear what is in it. Our Date Labels work well in this instance; simply write the ingredients on it (ie. “No nuts, dairy or gluten”), then wash it off when you’re done. We also carry Allergy labels that are pre-printed with multiple lines of custom text, outlining your child’s allergy information.

Do you have any tips for enjoying the holidays with food allergies? If so, we’d love to hear them!

Wishing you and your family a fun, festive and safe holiday season!
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¹ http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/whole-story/food-allergies-holidays

² http://practicalkatie.com/2011/11/21/childhood-food-allergies-tips-for-holiday-parties/

³ http://www.thebloomsburgdaily.com/2011/12/06/food-allergies-holidays-non-pecan-pie/