Can we make a list of appropriate sweets for dc with nut allergies?

[Omma]

I'd love to see a list of some of the safe desserts for dc with nut allergies. For example, does anyone know of a brand of chocolate chips that is safe for those allergic to all nuts? My dh is currently in the kitchen making chocolate chip cookies, minus any chocolate chips, for my ds. How sad! We also have a sad twist in that our ds reacts to real vanilla flavoring (but imitation vanilla is okay). Please include brand names where helpful!

 

Thanks!

 

Brenda

 

P.S. We find that my ds cannot eat Hershey products, but he can eat Dove chocolates. He was SO happy to find this out, too, BTW!!! He also enjoys Oreo cookies and can eat Breyers Oreo Cookie Ice Cream.

[Jennifer in MI]

My ds has been able to eat chocolate chips from Kroger.

 

Also, we can make almost any treat for him - brownies, rice krispie treats, cookies, etc. - from scratch.

 

ETA: Wait? What? My ds eats Hershey Chocolate bars. He's peanut/tree nut allergic. But, only the big ones. The little ones are not okay.

 

Do you have a Trader Joes near you? I've been able to find stuff there.

[LaxMom]

Cherrybrook Kitchen makes allergen free mixes.

http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/

 

(I'd just hack up some Dove for those cookies, though)

Edited May 30, 2011 by MyCrazyHouse

[Twilight Woods]

my DD can eat the nestle brand [toll house] chips.

[sbgrace]

They are pricey but any Enjoy Life Foods products will all be safe for all the top allergies. We use their chocolate chips for my nut anaphylactic son. I've used Cherrybrook stuff too successfully. There is a nut free chocolate company--Vermont Nut Free Chocolate Company--that makes a variety of chocolate candies. I've purchased some for things like Christmas so he gets something special. My son likes all the granola bars and clusters we've used from No Nuttin foods. It's out of Canada and shipping is really variable if I order directly but I can usually find a company in the US carrying them. There are actually other companies that cater to nut free as well though they aren't coming to me right now. Many are multiple allergen free and they tend to be more expensive than standard and "make it yourself" for sure!

 

As far as mainstream, Betty Crocker assured me they are really careful with labeling any cross contamination and the Kids With Food Allergy Board parents concurred. I talked with them quite a bit and felt safe. I've used their mixes several times recently for birthdays and such. Last time I checked Hershey's labels well/safely too. I've not called them as recently but unless they've changed they were safe as long as I was paying attention to label warnings.

Edited May 30, 2011 by sbgrace

[Dana]

They are pricey but any Enjoy Life Foods products will all be safe for all the top allergies. We use their chocolate chips for my nut anaphylactic son.

 

Enjoy Life does 3 chocolate bars: "milk" chocolate, dark chocolate, and one with rice crisps.

 

Their chocolate chips are small chips but they taste just fine. I've melted them down and made a chocolate bunny with candy molds.

 

I bought a large box of chips through amazon :)

 

My son's also allergic to milk, so he didn't have chocolate until he was 6, I think.

[Colleen in NS]

I'd love to see a list of some of the safe desserts for dc with nut allergies. For example, does anyone know of a brand of chocolate chips that is safe for those allergic to all nuts? My dh is currently in the kitchen making chocolate chip cookies, minus any chocolate chips, for my ds. How sad! We also have a sad twist in that our ds reacts to real vanilla flavoring (but imitation vanilla is okay). Please include brand names where helpful!

 

Thanks!

 

Brenda

 

P.S. We find that my ds cannot eat Hershey products, but he can eat Dove chocolates. He was SO happy to find this out, too, BTW!!! He also enjoys Oreo cookies and can eat Breyers Oreo Cookie Ice Cream.

 

You really have to check labels each and every time. Unless a company expressly makes things that are tree-nut free, this is just the reality of it. Companies change their ingredients/processing techniques all the time. And different manufacturing facilities all over the place will use different processing methods and ingredients.

 

For example, I would never have expected this, but last summer when we were in Maine, I went to Wal-Mart to get groceries. I picked up a jar of Wal-Mart brand mayonaise, reminded myself to read the label after thinking, "Oh Colleen, mayo would be safe for your kids!" But nope, the allergy warning on it was for *peanuts!!!!* I couldn't believe it. I'd never seen that up here. But it was a good reminder to me to *always check the labels.* Never place my trust in one brand or one company.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I'd love to see a list of some of the safe desserts for dc with nut allergies. For example, does anyone know of a brand of chocolate chips that is safe for those allergic to all nuts? My dh is currently in the kitchen making chocolate chip cookies, minus any chocolate chips, for my ds. How sad! We also have a sad twist in that our ds reacts to real vanilla flavoring (but imitation vanilla is okay). Please include brand names where helpful!

 

Thanks!

 

Brenda

 

P.S. We find that my ds cannot eat Hershey products, but he can eat Dove chocolates. He was SO happy to find this out, too, BTW!!! He also enjoys Oreo cookies and can eat Breyers Oreo Cookie Ice Cream.

 

Unfortunately even with a safe list, it could change since manufacturers could change ingredients or production facilities. This is why it is critical to always check ingredients every single time.

 

So far some safe goodies are the following ( but still check the ingredients):

 

1. Oreos

2. Rice Krispy treats

3. Some hershey kisses and bars but always check ingredients and the made in a facility statements.

4. Some frozen apple pies/pumpkin pies

5. Some ice creams such as Price Chopper

 

Again I would just check all of the time.

 

I have found safe hershey kisses chocolate kisses in the past as well as safe hershey kiss brownie mix at Sam's.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

You really have to check labels each and every time. Unless a company expressly makes things that are tree-nut free, this is just the reality of it. Companies change their ingredients/processing techniques all the time. And different manufacturing facilities all over the place will use different processing methods and ingredients.

 

For example, I would never have expected this, but last summer when we were in Maine, I went to Wal-Mart to get groceries. I picked up a jar of Wal-Mart brand mayonaise, reminded myself to read the label after thinking, "Oh Colleen, mayo would be safe for your kids!" But nope, the allergy warning on it was for *peanuts!!!!* I couldn't believe it. I'd never seen that up here. But it was a good reminder to me to *always check the labels.* Never place my trust in one brand or one company.

 

Exactly. I have found frozen peas, shredded cheese, etc. with the made in a facility with peanuts/tree nuts statements:001_huh:

[sbgrace]

You really have to check labels each and every time. Unless a company expressly makes things that are tree-nut free, this is just the reality of it. Companies change their ingredients/processing techniques all the time. And different manufacturing facilities all over the place will use different processing methods and ingredients.

 

For example, I would never have expected this, but last summer when we were in Maine, I went to Wal-Mart to get groceries. I picked up a jar of Wal-Mart brand mayonaise, reminded myself to read the label after thinking, "Oh Colleen, mayo would be safe for your kids!" But nope, the allergy warning on it was for *peanuts!!!!* I couldn't believe it. I'd never seen that up here. But it was a good reminder to me to *always check the labels.* Never place my trust in one brand or one company.

 

Yes, and to also remember that companies aren't required to label for cross contamination with the top allergens at all. I always call before I use to find out how they label, process (shared equipment), etc.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

my DD can eat the nestle brand [toll house] chips.

 

I am surprised since every time I check them they say they are made in a facilty with some kind of nuts:(

 

I take those statements seriously since there was a study done which showed that about 13% of the time these products are contaminated enough to cause a reaction.

[Colleen in NS]

Exactly. I have found frozen peas, shredded cheese, etc. with the made in a facility with peanuts/tree nuts statements:001_huh:

 

Weird!

 

Yes, and to also remember that companies aren't required to label for cross contamination with the top allergens at all.

 

Really?? I thought that was law in the States now! I'm pretty sure it is here in Canada.

 

And to Omma - I just read your post in the other allergy thread - so disregard my memo about mayonnaise at Wal-Mart, because I'm sure you already know, lol! Almonds in cheese - I would never have dreamed!!!

[Ellesmere]

You really have to check labels each and every time. Unless a company expressly makes things that are tree-nut free, this is just the reality of it. Companies change their ingredients/processing techniques all the time. And different manufacturing facilities all over the place will use different processing methods and ingredients.

 

For example, I would never have expected this, but last summer when we were in Maine, I went to Wal-Mart to get groceries. I picked up a jar of Wal-Mart brand mayonaise, reminded myself to read the label after thinking, "Oh Colleen, mayo would be safe for your kids!" But nope, the allergy warning on it was for *peanuts!!!!* I couldn't believe it. I'd never seen that up here. But it was a good reminder to me to *always check the labels.* Never place my trust in one brand or one company.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

This is why I won't give out safe lists. Certain products from a company might be safe, but others might not be. Companies change frequently. You can't rely on other people's research. Lists are well-intentioned but troubling. And I regularly hear about food recalls even in specialty products.

 

If you read the label of one particular brand of ice cream, it won't say anything about nuts. But if you go to the website, there's a warning. General Mills at one point started adding peanut flour. Never go by old safe lists that you see posted. They dismay me because people w/o allergies think I should just have a list ready to go and have no problem with knowing what is ok for us to eat.

 

Check the mainstream stuff every time. Yes, every time or at least be very prepared if there is an emergency. (Epi-pens are always in easy reach for us, anyway.)

 

We really can't say that Dove or Oreo is always safe. It might be today but might not in a few months.

 

I will say there is Vermont Nut Free chocolates. I don't think they will be adding nuts anytime soon. ;)

[Omma]

Thanks, everyone. It is so rough out there for our dc with food allergies. I just spent time praying over my ds last night because he ate a cookie my dh made and he got a hive and had stomach pains. Now my dh used chocolate chips in some of the cookies, but not the one we gave our son. However, they were oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and maybe there was cross-contamination from the oats??? I have no idea. I know that my ds was tested for oats before and was okay, but he cannot eat Cheerios (they don't say so on the box, but I think there must be a cross-contamination with Honey-nut Cheerios???). Sometimes I think my ds gets a reaction just by LOOKING at foods that are too close to him that he might be allergic to. But that hive.... well, hives don't lie...

 

Brenda

[delaney]

I have 2 with severe tree nut allergies and they both eat Chips Ahoy, Chewy Chips ahoy, oreos, Nabisco Snickerdoodles(we need egg free as well). Actually I don't really pay much attention to the cross contamination notices and we have never had an issue. Call me a bad mom lol, but nearly everything has that dang notice on it! Oh they love Nilla Wafers, grahams, Keebler fudge covered rings, sticks......

[delaney]

Thanks, everyone. It is so rough out there for our dc with food allergies. I just spent time praying over my ds last night because he ate a cookie my dh made and he got a hive and had stomach pains. Now my dh used chocolate chips in some of the cookies, but not the one we gave our son. However, they were oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and maybe there was cross-contamination from the oats??? I have no idea. I know that my ds was tested for oats before and was okay, but he cannot eat Cheerios (they don't say so on the box, but I think there must be a cross-contamination with Honey-nut Cheerios???). Sometimes I think my ds gets a reaction just by LOOKING at foods that are too close to him that he might be allergic to. But that hive.... well, hives don't lie...

 

Brenda

It sounds to me like there is something else there. When I say my youngest has severe allergies, I mean severe. I am still nursing and he will wheeze within 12 hours if I eat nuts! Almonds are the only nut they can all eat-something about them not being like the other tree nuts, and that is what Honey Nut Cheerios has in it. Has he been tested for the grains? Perhaps there is more to it.:grouphug:

[bettyandbob]

http://www.vermontnutfree.com/

 

has candy and chocolate for mail order. They have special holiday molds througout the year.

[Emmy]

It seems like almost everything at walmart has the cross contamination warning on it. Sometimes I suspect they just put it on everything to cover their bases.

 

My son is anaphylactic to milk so we have different issues. Whether or not to allow food that is manufactured in the same facility as an allergen is a very personal choice, we do allow it and haven't had but one issue so it hasn't been too much of a problem.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

It seems like almost everything at walmart has the cross contamination warning on it. Sometimes I suspect they just put it on everything to cover their bases.

 

My son is anaphylactic to milk so we have different issues. Whether or not to allow food that is manufactured in the same facility as an allergen is a very personal choice, we do allow it and haven't had but one issue so it hasn't been too much of a problem.

 

It is a personal choice. However, research has shown that about 13% of the time, these foods are contaminated enough to cause a reaction:( For me that is too much of a risk.

 

I do get frustrated since I think some manufacturers just slap that statement on their products but I have no choice but to believe them:glare:

Edited May 30, 2011 by priscilla

[delaney]

It is a personal choice. However, research has shown that about 13% of the time, these foods are contaminated enough to cause a reaction:( For me that is too much of a risk.

 

I do get frustrated since I think some manufacturers just slap that statement on their but I have no choice but to believe them:glare:

That is exactly what they do. It says manufactured in a plant...which is different than manufactured on equipment ......yada yada yada

[lollie010]

It seems like almost everything at walmart has the cross contamination warning on it. Sometimes I suspect they just put it on everything to cover their bases.

 

This is such a major problem that causes parents to limit food choices that might otherwise be safe. My ds has a severe peanut allergy so of course we are "freaky" kind of cautious. He has an absolutely wonderful allergist/pulmonoligist who has discussed this at length with us. Most of the statements are there just to cover the company. They will put it on everything and anything to avoid liability. As an attorney and mother of an allergic kiddo this practice makes me furious. There is no truth in labeling. So I have to severly limit my son's food choices because the companies don't want to spend the time and effort to evaluate their processes and actually provide accurate information. That leads some people to not take the labels seriously at all. Sorry for the rant--it just really makes me mad.

[TravelingChris]

I am sure that many of the labels are simply there as a cover against liability. My dh and dd have non-severe peanut allergy. They don't eat peanuts or peanut butter. But my two other kids are allowed to but they have been taught to clean their plates and utensils so as to not cause a problem- once the middle didn;t and younger did have a minor problem. But with the food, we just stay away from the ingredients.

 

By the way, you can make vanilla extract at home with alcohol and vanilla bean. Also, I would try european chocolate since peanuts are not used much in Europe. But you do always have to check the labels. For years, Nutella was fine for use-used hazelnut. Then they changed to adding peanut. Then they went back to hazelnut. Also almonds are a tree nut but not in the same plant family as walnuts and pecans.

[Ellesmere]

I forgot to mention King Arthur Flour has some (not all) products that are produced in a nut, soy, and gluten free facility. Their Gluten-Free stuff is produced there.

 

I contacted them asking about how likely something from their non-GF facility would really be contaminated (one product contained a warning about being produced on the same line as tree nut-containing products. KAF sells mixes that contain almonds and other nuts.) Their first rep gave me an inaccurate response and I could tell he didn't understand my question. I wasn't sure if it was my wording or his inexperience so I asked again and Frank from KAF responded back with apologies and detailed how the product was handled. He gave me the handling information and said he believed that there was a risk for our situation.

 

I went to their tent sale and they had prepackaged samples snacks from a completely nut-free facility, too. It was a rare treat to be at an event like that and actually be able to sample a baked good.

 

Thanks, everyone. It is so rough out there for our dc with food allergies. I just spent time praying over my ds last night because he ate a cookie my dh made and he got a hive and had stomach pains. Now my dh used chocolate chips in some of the cookies, but not the one we gave our son. However, they were oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and maybe there was cross-contamination from the oats??? I have no idea. I know that my ds was tested for oats before and was okay, but he cannot eat Cheerios (they don't say so on the box, but I think there must be a cross-contamination with Honey-nut Cheerios???). Sometimes I think my ds gets a reaction just by LOOKING at foods that are too close to him that he might be allergic to. But that hive.... well, hives don't lie...

 

Brenda

:grouphug:

Could be cross-contamination. Food allergies are so hard. We are still getting a handle on exactly what will cause our daughter to react. The labeling laws don't really help us out, either.

 

I have 2 with severe tree nut allergies and they both eat Chips Ahoy, Chewy Chips ahoy, oreos, Nabisco Snickerdoodles(we need egg free as well). Actually I don't really pay much attention to the cross contamination notices and we have never had an issue. Call me a bad mom lol, but nearly everything has that dang notice on it! Oh they love Nilla Wafers, grahams, Keebler fudge covered rings, sticks......

 

I wouldn't say bad mom. :001_smile: We wouldn't eat those things but everyone has different situations. I'd just say: take your doctor recommendations seriously. We used to eat things that I would never consider now. And we eat things now I was terrified of when first diagnosed. We've been to the hospital and have had five severe (three life-threatening) reactions between us.

 

The labels are frustrating, but we bypass a lot of the trouble by baking from scratch. I was the Chief Cookie Burner/Brick Brownie Baker in my family before allergies came along. Now, I really do love to bake. It's not for everyone but I ended up being glad that our allergies mean we do a lot of baking. It's been fun and I don't set off the fire alarms like I used to.

 

I am sure that many of the labels are simply there as a cover against liability. My dh and dd have non-severe peanut allergy. They don't eat peanuts or peanut butter. But my two other kids are allowed to but they have been taught to clean their plates and utensils so as to not cause a problem- once the middle didn;t and younger did have a minor problem. But with the food, we just stay away from the ingredients.

 

By the way, you can make vanilla extract at home with alcohol and vanilla bean. Also, I would try european chocolate since peanuts are not used much in Europe. But you do always have to check the labels. For years, Nutella was fine for use-used hazelnut. Then they changed to adding peanut. Then they went back to hazelnut. Also almonds are a tree nut but not in the same plant family as walnuts and pecans.

:iagree:

We got the green light on products that "may contain" peanuts last year since our peanut allergies improved. But no Nutella here, either. I'm not quite over that loss.

Here's some vanilla recipes ... we haven't tried either, yet, but these are just two we've looked at:

Recipe 1

Recipe 2

:iagree:

[wapiti]

That is exactly what they do. It says manufactured in a plant...which is different than manufactured on equipment ......yada yada yada

 

Yeah, I tend to draw the line around there - I won't serve ds foods manufactured on equipment that also processes peanuts, but as for the facility warning, it depends. We do eat Nestle choc chips from Costco, which has the warning, though I don't recall seeing the warning on the regular size bags at the grocery store.

 

Also, FWIW, beware of Hershey's - once I picked up a bag of miniatures in Target, and took a quick look at the allergy warning which didn't mention peanuts. I almost put it in my cart, when I realized that duh, the bag had Goodbars in it, and sure enough peanuts were in the fine print. They forgot to include it in the bold section. I called customer service, and some guy (in a foreign land) was completely unconcerned/unapologetic.

 

The difficulty involved in ascertaining what's really in the product and the ensuing panic are among reasons I'm considering having ds try that method of ingesting micro amounts of peanut slowly over time. Our allergist was thinking about starting to offer this at their clinic. It would be a big and scary decision, but it has the potential to help alleviate a lifetime of worry about accidental exposure. I don't have all the details, and when we discussed it last winter, the docs at the clinic hadn't even decided for certain whether they were going to do such a program - they had a meeting scheduled. DS8's peanut allergy is "strong" but as far as we know he hasn't had a single exposure since his initial one back when he was 1 y.o., when we discovered the allergy to begin with (knock on wood!!).

[SonshineLearner]

http://www.vermontnutfree.com/

 

This spot has great chocolate! They also have great "m&ms" and also anything else you can imagine..... (yummy jelly beans, too!!) You can get the chocolate melts and make your own suckers.... but buying the Santas might be worth it....

 

YUM!!!

[SonshineLearner]

Yeah, I tend to draw the line around there - I won't serve ds foods manufactured on equipment that also processes peanuts, but as for the facility warning, it depends. We do eat Nestle choc chips from Costco, which has the warning, though I don't recall seeing the warning on the regular size bags at the grocery store.

 

Also, FWIW, beware of Hershey's - once I picked up a bag of miniatures in Target, and took a quick look at the allergy warning which didn't mention peanuts. I almost put it in my cart, when I realized that duh, the bag had Goodbars in it, and sure enough peanuts were in the fine print. They forgot to include it in the bold section. I called customer service, and some guy (in a foreign land) was completely unconcerned/unapologetic.

 

The difficulty involved in ascertaining what's really in the product and the ensuing panic are among reasons I'm considering having ds try that method of ingesting micro amounts of peanut slowly over time. Our allergist was thinking about starting to offer this at their clinic. It would be a big and scary decision, but it has the potential to help alleviate a lifetime of worry about accidental exposure. I don't have all the details, and when we discussed it last winter, the docs at the clinic hadn't even decided for certain whether they were going to do such a program - they had a meeting scheduled. DS8's peanut allergy is "strong" but as far as we know he hasn't had a single exposure since his initial one back when he was 1 y.o., when we discovered the allergy to begin with (knock on wood!!).

 

My dad just sent an article about a patch for those allergic to peanuts, too..

[Omma]

We are only a 20 minute drive from a place where they are conducting the micro-peanut giving study, but cannot do it because the insurance company will NOT reimburse ANY of the expenses... which are over $3,000 at this time. Hopefully, in another year or two or three the FDA or someone with clout will approve of these studies as indeed helping dc with peanut allergies, and THEN the insurance companies will start paying (around here... at least I hope so).

 

With regard to Nestle's chocolate chips, we must've been in that 13% of the time batch, because my ds did get a tingling tongue, scratchy throat, can't remember what else kind of reaction one time (even though he had had those chips in the past), so we no longer have them eat them. I will have to get online and search for some of these chocolate chips that you guys have mentioned... thank you!

 

Oh, and I never even thought about white flour possibly ever being contaminated... YIKES!

 

As far as the nut allergy test, yes it was my allergist's office that neglected to call us (originally) and tell us that my ds had nut allergies. He scored a 5 for hazelnuts (that is related to his strong allergy to the birch tree), and a 2 or 1 for most other tree nuts (walnut was a 2 and yet he had just had maple walnut ice cream a couple of days earlier with no reaction... however, I think he took Claritin every day at that time, so maybe the Claritin covered up any reaction???). I will never know, but I think part of the trouble is that scientists have a lot to learn about what causes food allergies, etc., and if they don't understand them, then it's easy to see why we have a hard time with them, too!!

 

Brenda

[wapiti]

We are only a 20 minute drive from a place where they are conducting the micro-peanut giving study, but cannot do it because the insurance company will NOT reimburse ANY of the expenses... which are over $3,000 at this time. Hopefully, in another year or two or three the FDA or someone with clout will approve of these studies as indeed helping dc with peanut allergies, and THEN the insurance companies will start paying (around here... at least I hope so).

 

With regard to Nestle's chocolate chips, we must've been in that 13% of the time batch, because my ds did get a tingling tongue, scratchy throat, can't remember what else kind of reaction one time (even though he had had those chips in the past), so we no longer have them eat them. I will have to get online and search for some of these chocolate chips that you guys have mentioned... thank you!

 

Oh, and I never even thought about white flour possibly ever being contaminated... YIKES!

 

 

I never thought of flour either - yikes is right!

 

As for the chips, I'll have a chat with ds to make sure he's paying close attention to possible symptoms - with six kids, we do quite a bit of choc chip cookie making (thus the costco-size bag ;)) so I'd hate to have to switch...

 

but really YIKES on the cost of participating in the micro-peanut study! If it's still a study, as opposed to a clinical practice, I'm surprised they charge for it. I'm not really up on the status of these things, that's why I was surprised when the allergist mentioned it to me. But that's a pretty huge pricetag... I wonder whether it's broken out over time (say, a couple years?) - that would make more sense. All I remember is that there is some sort of oral challenge - presumably with a micro amount - that would be necessary first. Maybe I should poke around on the National Jewish website - if any medical center around here has such a program, it would probably be them...

[Rebecca]

Even though safe lists can change at any time- it still helps so much to have a "base line" to work from.

 

I have so appreciated moms over the years sharing their safe brands with me- even though I know I have to test it myself and always read the label. It gave me a "starting place" I am/was comfortable with.

 

The only food we eat that has a cross contamination warning is Cocktail Peanuts. My son is NOT allergic to peanut but is allergic to tree nuts. This was after he was food challenged to them at his allergists (the particular brand) and it was discussed at length if the brand was safe to eat. FWIW- the allergist actually called the company and discussed their practices, etc.

 

The only chocolate chips we have found are Enjoy Life and Amanda's Own. We also have SEVERE dairy allergy. Enjoy Life chips are WORTH it! They are worth the expense. We can't buy them all the time- but they make life so much happier- it is sad but true. It is so nice to have them on cakes, in cookies, in brownies, etc.

 

We also buy the Cherrybrook products but my son did react to their brownie mix the last time we made it (so we haven't had it since) and we don't know why. It appeared the same manifestation as his tree nut reaction but still????

 

As far as those nestle chips being cross contaminated some places- I wonder if it depends on the part of the country you live in??? They might come from different places and that is why the label is different?

 

O- we use Hershey's unsweetened baking bars too- these are safe for dairy and nut. You can make your own chocolate chips with these with margarine and powdered sugar- but it is a lot of work.

 

My son eats Lay's Plain potato chips, Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce, Rold Gold Pretzels, SuperPretzel (plain), OreIda fries, tots, ect (READ LABEL- they make some spicy kinds that are not safe), Tostito Scoops, Frito Lay Corn Chips- etc. So there are some brands that have been safe for us for years- but always READ THE LABEL.

 

We don't think my son is allergic to almond either- but he IS allergic to coconut. I think almond is really a fruit and coconut is really a nut.

 

Anyway-

HTH a little...

Rebecca

[Omma]

OTOH, my ds is allergic to almonds, but he can have coconut milk! We can begin to see why this is all so hard to get our minds around! :tongue_smilie:

 

And I think it is not exactly a study (I don't know what it is), so that is why no one is paying for the peanut-desensitization program except the poor, desperate parents!!!! :001_huh:

 

Brenda

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

My dad just sent an article about a patch for those allergic to peanuts, too..

 

Do you have a link?:001_smile:

[Ellesmere]

 

Oh, and I never even thought about white flour possibly ever being contaminated... YIKES!

 

Brenda

Our allergist requires us to be off antihistamines prior to testing for a certain number of days, depending on the med. Otherwise, no test.

 

King Arthur Flours are not contaminated. They sell baking ingredients (cocoa, fruit pieces, spices, etc.), some of which are processed on the same line as their nut-containing mixes.

 

However, King Arthur Flour Gluten Free and organic products are either processed in a nut free facility or the lines are sanitized between runs. Their regular unbleached flour is safe (the kind you normally see in the store.)

 

.

 

We don't think my son is allergic to almond either- but he IS allergic to coconut. I think almond is really a fruit and coconut is really a nut.

 

Anyway-

HTH a little...

Rebecca

Almond information can be found here. It is classified as a fruit nut but belongs to the same family as some fruits. I knew about my cherry allergy long before my almond one.

 

Coconut is actually from a fruit seed. You could have both a coconut allergy and a tree nut allergy, but they do not typically cross-react. We do not avoid coconut, but the FDA decided to classify it as a tree nut. This is frustrating since most coconut-allergic patients aren't allergic to tree nuts. It can happen, but it's just not the same as having to avoid things from the tree nut family. More info is at this link.

 

We used to use Enjoy Life products. My daughter liked them. I'm allergic to one of the ingredients (it's not in the top eight) so they are off limits for me.

[Ellesmere]

Here's one. I'm sure there's others!