Allergy-Safe Family Food

By Suzanna Paxton

185 easy and delicious allergy-safe recipes
Now you CAN manage food allergies Food allergies are rising at an alarming rate among Australian children. One in 20 suffer symptoms ranging from hives and facial swelling to anaphylaxis and even death. Schools are restricting the use of peanut butter and chocolate spread; someone close to you is under threat. Eight foods cause 90% of allergy problems: nuts, eggs, milk, soy, sesame seeds, wheat, fish and shellfish. A busy mum with two children who have food allergies, Suzanna Paxton has to avoid seven of those foods. Determined to cook one meal for the whole family, Suzanna started collecting suitable recipes. ALLERGY-SAFE FAMILY FOOD is the result. Even if your child doesn't have an allergy, this book is a must for preparing food for play dates, parties or sleepovers. Each recipe is coded - see at a glance if it is right for your allergy needs All ingredients are available in regular supermarkets Includes ideas for school lunchboxes and children's party food Shopping guide and tips for managing food allergies are provided Recipes include everyone's favourites like Shepherd's Pie, Chicken Nuggets and Chocolate Fudge Slice plus innovative dishes such as Soda Bread Pizza Bases and Quick Fizzy Scones using lemonade. At last a time-saving, nutritious and delicious cookbook that takes the worry out of cooking for people with food allergies - without breaking the bank.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Sep 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9780730445036

Suzanna Paxton

Suzanna Paxton is a qualified nurse and midwife with an MBA in Hospital Administration. She has extensive experience working with children and has two of her own, both with different food allergies. Suzanna lives in Melbourne and is currently a full-time mother.

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About Food Allergies & About This Book

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL ON ALL FOOD AND BEVERAGE PRODUCTS

Check the ingredients list on food products every time you use them

By law, food manufacturers must list on the label all of the nine major food allergens that food contains, however small the amount.

Food manufacturing processes and ingredients can change—and frequently do. For example, a thickener in a sauce may change; the new thickener may now contain soy where previously it was soy-free.

Remember that many foods have alternative names (see pages 192 to 204 for more specific information).

Look for the ‘May contain…’or ‘Contains…’ warnings

The manufacturer may choose to provide a warning on the label if there is the slightest chance that a product may have come into contact with an allergen. They are under no legal obligation to do so.

Check with your doctor for guidance regarding your allergy risks.

Food allergies

Food allergies affect one in 20 children and one in 100 adults. (Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, 2008) The incidence of food allergy continues to rise.

All people with allergies should be under the supervision of an appropriately qualified medical practitioner or allergy specialist. It is important that they re-test: many children outgrow allergies. Gluten intolerance (coeliac disease) is never outgrown. Food intolerance, which does not involve the immune system, is a separate topic; it is beyond the scope of this book.

The foods that commonly trigger allergic reactions are peanuts, tree nuts (almond, brazil nut, cashew, chestnut, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pistachio, walnut), egg, cow’s milk, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish and sesame seed.

If someone is allergic to a specific food, when they come in contact with the protein associated with that food their body’s immune system overreacts, ie produces an allergic reaction. Even a tiny amount of an allergen (the thing that triggers the allergic response) can cause a reaction. People with a food allergy must avoid all contact with that food. Only a doctor or allergist can diagnose food allergy.

Allergic reactions range from mild, such as a runny nose, hives, rash or stomach pains, through to serious and even life-threatening symptoms, such as swelling of the tongue and throat, breathing difficulties and collapse.

The most severe allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis, or an anaphylactic response. This means the symptoms are life-threatening. The respiratory system (the lungs, airways and respiratory muscles) and/or cardiovascular system (the heart and blood vessels) are affected and the whole body starts to shut down. Prompt action must be taken.

Children with severe food allergies (those who are at risk of anaphylaxis) typically carry an emergency bag or box with them; this contains their Anaphylaxis Action Plan—completed and signed by their doctor—and emergency medication, including an EpiPen (a pre-loaded adrenaline injection). The Anaphylaxis Action Plan outlines the steps to follow if an anaphylactic reaction occurs.

AN ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION IS AN EMERGENCY

After contact with the allergen, possibly within minutes, severe physical reactions will occur, eg rash or reddening of skin; itchiness; stomach upset; swelling of eyes, lips, throat, face, tongue or mouth; hoarseness or difficulty speaking; wheeze or cough; breathing difficulties; faintness; loss of consciousness. Some of these are life-threatening.

Do not leave the unwell person alone.

Use the EpiPen (pre-loaded adrenaline injection) straight away. Even if you are not 100% sure the reaction is anaphylaxis, use the EpiPen.

Get urgent medical attention. CALL AN AMBULANCE by dialling 000 (mobile phone users should dial 012).

Allergy-safe living to avoid an allergic reaction

If you suspect you or your child has a food allergy, get a confirmed diagnosis and advice from a qualified medical practitioner.

Children who are diagnosed with food allergies should be under the regular care of a doctor or allergy specialist. They will provide a specific allergy-management plan and dietary advice for that child.

People who have a food allergy need to identify and avoid the food that they are allergic to.

Individuals with coeliac disease (an autoimmune disease where there is an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats) should follow a gluten-free diet.

Food preparation and cross-contamination

For those with a food allergy, even the tiniest trace of the allergy food (food allergen) could trigger an allergic reaction. If an unsafe food brushes against a safe food, the so-called safe food has been contaminated. The riskiest place in your house for cross-contamination of food is the kitchen. That is why safe food preparation techniques are a must.

The first principle for preventing cross-contamination is to identify the food allergen and either ensure it does not come into your home or else store it separately so it does not touch other food.

Second, the person preparing food for the individual with the allergy must always wash their hands prior to preparing food and always use clean utensils and preparation boards.

For example, eggs are a great source of protein, but our son Samuel is anaphylactic to egg, so we have to make sure no eggs or egg products touch him. Say there was a plate of biscuits put in front of us, half containing eggs and the other half egg-free, we would never let Samuel eat anything from that plate. Even a crumb could set off a serious reaction. Instead we would keep the two types of biscuit completely separate from the start and place them on individual plates. Then we would explain to Sam which biscuits were safe for him.

As a further example, we couldn’t all sit around the breakfast table together with Samuel eating cereal and the rest of us eating scrambled eggs, either. If we really had to have eggs, Samuel would eat first. Once he had left the table, the rest of us would then eat. Afterwards, we would thoroughly clean the cooking utensils, crockery, benches and table, then we would all brush our teeth and wash our hands and faces before touching Samuel.

Fortunately, not all food allergies are this severe. It is important to understand the extent of your child’s allergy so that you can avoid being unnecessarily restrictive, which can give rise to nutritional deficiencies. Proper dietary advice is essential. However, it is always best to avoid products if you are unsure.

How to use this book

The recipes in Allergy-safe Family Food are coded as follows:

image 1

Other than the vegetarian category, the codes are designed to help you avoid food allergens. Many children have multiple food allergies, so I have aimed for the highest possible allergy-free rating for each recipe.

Look through the recipe lists at the start of each section and identify those that are free of your allergens. For example, if someone in your care has to avoid nuts and egg, look for recipes coded image 2 and image 3 .

In the Allergy Management section (see page 190), you will find information about alternative names for various foods plus the food products they are commonly found in. This is essential information when reading ingredients lists on food labels and trying to avoid the allergy food.

You must always check the ingredients list of all products to ensure you avoid the food allergen.

Adapting recipes to suit your individual needs

You don’t have to be limited by the recipe codes. If a recipe avoids five types of food and you only need to avoid three of those, then feel free to adapt as far as those two safe foods are concerned. For example, always choose the cheese (soy or dairy) and the milk (cow’s, soy or rice) that is right for you. If you can tolerate gluten, then you probably don’t need to buy gluten-free varieties of ingredients such as baking powder and icing sugar. Nuttelex or butter? Eggs or egg replacer? You decide.

As always, use your common sense and follow the guidelines provided by your doctor.

A word of caution: when I experiment with new recipes, I find that simply replacing regular flour with gluten-free flour does not always work.

The importance of a varied diet

Diets for children with food allergies can involve many restrictions, and it is not uncommon for these children to be ‘picky’ eaters. Try to keep their diets as varied and nutritious as possible and teach them about looking after their bodies by eating different fruits, vegetables and other ‘safe’ foods. Introducing new foods can take patience. Sometimes parents may have to offer a new food ten times before the child will try it.

For recipes that include fruit or vegetables, please be adventurous. Although I mostly specify which fruits and vegetables to use, in reality I often cook with whatever I find in the fridge or pantry. This is particularly the case for many of the soups, salads, pies, stir-fries, curries and casseroles and for dishes like lasagne, moussaka and vegetable pakoras.

Variations

Many recipes are followed by variations, eg Macaroni Cheese with Ham and Corn, page 73. Here the main recipe is coded as dairy-free, using soy milk, and the variation is a soy-free alternative, which uses dairy milk. Allergy to dairy foods is very common, and I have tried to make as many recipes as possible both dairy-free and soy-free. The logical step would be to use rice milk but, unfortunately, substituting with rice milk often results in a dish that just doesn’t taste good. In such cases, I have made the recipe dairy-free and provided a soy-free alternative recipe, ie variation. Nowhere in this book do I suggest using rice milk unless I’m positive the recipe will work—and pass the taste test.

Other variations are designed to highlight the flexibility of a recipe. For example, Quick Mix Muffins (pages 154–155) can be savoury or sweet, and I have provided a range of flavouring suggestions.

Please note that the variation recipes—there are 32 in total—are not listed in the contents.

Quantities

All recipes in this book cater for four to six people.

Measurement keys

1 teaspoon = 5ml

1 dessertspoon = 15ml

1 tablespoon = 20ml

1 cup fluid = 250ml

1 cup flour = 125g

1 cup sugar = 220g

Oven temperatures

Slow oven = 150°C Moderate oven = 180°C Hot oven = 220°C

Set fan-forced ovens approximately 20°C lower than the temperature indicated on the recipe.

Introduction

I have dedicated this book to my children, Samuel and Emily, as they are the reason that I began this journey. My son, Samuel, is anaphylactic to egg and has had three critical, or life-threatening, events. My daughter, Emily, has allergies to soy, peanut, tree nuts and sesame seed. With the help of family and friends, I have been collecting and