Q.  How do I manage at home?

A.  Cross-contamination” can occur between foods in food preparation (grills, frying oil, condiment jars (sharing knives between the jars, cooking utensils, toasters, etc), & production practices.  Some find it easier to use two separate sets of condiments & utensils for food preparation.  At the very least, use utensils that can be thoroughly cleaned (like plastic instead of wood cutting surfaces) & be alert to other ways that cross contamination can occur.  It is also important to clearly label items.  This is especially important if you are preparing large quantities of food in advance for storage.  It is always possible that you will develop a new allergy and this will allow you to quickly identify the ingredients in food products.  A labeling system can also help eliminate confusion if someone else will be preparing or serving a meal for the allergic individual.  If there are multiple members of your household that suffer from different allergies, a color coding system may also be able to help reduce the risk of an accidental exposure. 

Q.  What about eating out?

A.  Restaurants vary on practices much like food manufacturers, be prepared to ask many questions.  Chain food restaurants (e.g. McDonald’s, Burger King, Red Lobster, Fridays, etc) may or may not utilize the same food preparation practices.  If the food is prepared or prepped off-site, the chain may not know the answers to your questions.  If a restaurant prepares their food from scratch, explain your food concerns to the manager & see if he or she can comply with your food needs.

Q.  Okay, what’s LEFT to eat? 

A.  A lot!!  The more you look, the more you’ll find.  The web has provided a haven of free resources & recipes, many of which are updated regularly.  See the sources listed in Appendix.

Q. What are some tips to make removing foods from a kid’s diet easier?

A.  A frequent suggestion is simple avoidance, if possible.  Avoid those favorite foods you need to substitute for a few weeks instead of trying to find an immediate substitute.   Inherent in this is the hope that you or your child will forget the specific nuances of that food enough so a good substitute suffices.  You may also want to check websites & email support groups (links in Appendix below).