Life, Gluten Free

Allergy-friendly Halloween Candy

Halloween is coming! And while it may look different this year due to uncontrollable circumstances, there are still opportunities to have fun. What is everyone planning on doing this Halloween? We'd love to know.

We ordered some fun fall-themed "easter eggs" to fill with treats and do a scavenger hunt. We also LOVE to decorate our house for halloween, go to the pumpkin patch and carve jack-o-lanterns.

Since my daughter has food allergies, it's really important that we make sure the candy she eats is safe. I am always on the hunt for new allergy-friendly candy, especially when it's also naturally flavored and naturally colored. I've compiled a list of our favorite candy. Hope you enjoy the list and be sure to grab some yummy allergy-friendly treats for your family!

We are super excited about this list as it contains allergy-friendly gummy bears, fruit chews, CANDY CORN, lollipops, chocolate bars, bubble gum, bubble gum filled pops and more! Click the links to order!

Torie & Howard Fruit Chewies (we especially love the sour ones!)

• Assorted flavors variety pack 
• Sour Apple
• Pomegranate and Nectarine
• Lemon & Raspberry

 

YumEarth Candy (nut-free, peanut-free, organic, gluten-free, dairy-free)

• Giggles (These are so GOOD and a healthy alternative to skittles)
• Candy corn
• Sour Beans (love these sour jelly beans)
• Giggles Individual 2oz packs
• Sour Giggles
• Lollipops
• Super Sour Lollipops       
• Vitamin C Lollipops               
• Sour Twists
• Lemon Drops
• Fruit Snacks
• Assorted Hard Candy Drops
• Citrus Grove Candy Drops
• Gummy Worms
• Black Licorice
• Pomegranate Licorice
• Strawberry Licorice
• Peach Licorice

Enjoy Life Chocolate Candy (Free from gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, sulfites, lupin, fish, crustaceans, peanuts, tree nuts, casein, egg, sesame, mustard, and shellfish)

• Dark Chocolate Halloween Mini Bars
• Chocolate Halloween Candy Variety Pack
• Rice Milk Halloween Chocolate Mini Bars
• Chewy Chocolate Bars
• Dark Chocolate bars
• Rice Milk Crunch Bars

 

Surf Sweets Candy (top 8 free, gluten-free, organic, non-gmo). 

• Sour Worms
• Gummy Worms
• Watermelon Rings
• Jelly beans
• Fruity Bears

 

SmartSweets (low sugar, top 8 free)

• Sourmelon bites
• Swedish fish
• Variety pack 6 flavors (swedish fish, peach rings, sour blast, gummy bears, fruity bears, fruit chews)
• Peach rings
• Sour blasts
• Fruity Gummy Bears
• Variety pack 4 flavors (swedish fish, peach rings, sour blast, gummy bears)

 

Made Good Granola Bars (Top 8 free, a super tasty nut-free granola bar). They come in bars and also cute little round granola minis!

• Halloween Chocolate Chip Mini Granola Bars
• Made Good Granola Bars Chocolate Chip
• Made Good Granola Bars Variety Pack (cinnamon apple, berry)
• Made Good Granola Bars Cookies and Creme (love these!)
• Made Good Granola Bars Chocolate Banana
• Made Good Granola Minis Variety Pack
• Made Good Granola Minis, Granola Bars and Crispy Squares Variety Pack (try them all!)
• Made Good Strawberry Granola Minis

 

Tree Hugger Gum (our favorite all natural allergy-friendly gum)

• Variety Pack
• Variety Tube Pack
• Bubble Gum Filled Pops (WE LOVE THESE!)
• Mini Gum Sticks

 

Try their Bubble Gum Filled Pops if you haven't!

SO good.

 

 

 

Bear Real Fruit Yoyos (all fruit, no added sugar)

• Sour Mango Apple Yoyos
• Strawberry Yoyos
• Sour Raspberry Apple Yoyos

 

Don't see your favorite allergy-friendly candy on the list? Let us know if we missed any! We are always looking for new options to try :) Happy October and Happy Halloween!

May is Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month: Our story

Does your child have food allergies or asthma? maybe both?

Our daughter was diagnosed with food allergies before she was 2 years old. She had anaphylaxis to a pine nut when she was about 15 months old. Our journey with food allergies has been a long one and I have talked about it extensively on my blog.

When she was 4 years old, she began to have mild symptoms that included sneezing and coughing. Within just a couple of days of those symptoms, it progressed to her not being able to breathe well. We immediately took her to the emergency room. This was not an unfamiliar place to us due to food allergic reactions, and it quickly became a place that we frequented even more.

The ER doctor said "this is asthma, has she been diagnosed with asthma in the past?"

And this is where our asthma story begins.

We told the ER doctor how we just recently bought a home, but it's an attached dwelling. We live in a 4plex, and we've had issues with our neighbors scented laundry detergent filtering into our home. The doctor said clearly this is a trigger for her. 

Years later, our daughters main asthma trigger continues to be artificial fragrances. Her asthma can also be triggered when she gets a cold, during times of high pollen, smoke (camp fires, wood burning stoves, wild fires) and certain foods.

The reality that we live with is that she has asthma and severe food allergies. She is also an amazing human being. My husband and I are so proud of her resilience and strength.

This road is not an easy one, but as a family we have learned to navigate it to the best of our abilities. We have learned to cherish each other more, for life is so uncertain.

For a while it seemed that our daughter's asthma was well-controlled, but then it suddenly became very chronic. We tried so many different things, both pharmaceutical and natural. Nothing worked well enough, and our daughter was bed-bound having intense asthma exacerbations at least 2 weeks out of every month. 

When we visited her pulmonologist, we were told what we already knew.. her asthma could no longer be considered well controlled. It was chronic and severe... and something needed to be done, immediately.  

They ran tests and did x-rays, ruling out other causes of her chronic respiratory distress. The end result was that it is asthma, solely, and we haven't been controlling it with our current protocol.

We were told to increase her dose of Flovent, an inhaled steroid. This would keep her off the stronger oral steroids that can cause systemic issues in the body. Her pulmonologist also suggested Singulair (a drug prescribed for asthma and allergies) but we declined. 

Her pulmonologist explained to us that if this protocol is not effective, the next step would be to start talking about asthma medications with black box warnings. Drugs, the doctor said, that can have lasting effects on the heart.

This is where the epiphany happened for both my husband and I. We looked at each other and knew what our next step would be. We thanked the doctor and left.

We left knowing that we would do everything in our power to keep our daughter off of those harmful drugs, and that the increased dose of Flovent inhaled steroid would be temporary.

A year later, all of this happened. She is off of the Flovent entirely, and the reason is because of dedicated effort. 5 times a week, I take my daughter to salt respiratory therapy. This is a natural and effective way of managing asthma, other respiratory challenges, nasal allergies, sinus issues.

It truly is a lifestyle choice. We would rather spend money and time on something that not only manages symptoms, but overall promotes health and wellness.

Does she still have asthma? Yes. Is it well-controlled? most definitely. We just went through the winter season, and for the first time in many years she did not experience intense respiratory issues. She still had some respiratory challenges in response to sickness but they were not as frequent, severe or long-lasting. She is thriving more than she ever has.

Managing her asthma went from needing intense steroids and daily use of albuterol, to not needing steroids and using the occasional albuterol. We also use natural remedies that we found to be very effective for her seasonal allergens. All of the changes that we made for our daughter was done under the care of a doctor that specializes in asthma and allergies.

Asthma is a serious life-threatening condition and people with this condition should always be under the care of a doctor. I am not a doctor and I am only sharing our story, not offering medical advice. Always consult with your doctor before making changes to your treatment protocol and never stop using life-saving medication without consulting your doctor.

Read more:

Artificial Fragrances Trigger Allergies and Asthma 

Artificially Scented Laundry Products are Harmful to Your Health

How to do Whole30 with a family

Disclaimer: It's safe to say that I am not a Whole30 expert. We are doing Whole30 for very specific reasons and we may or may not be doing it 100% accurate to what some call "Whole30 Approved."

Some people wonder why we are doing it at all, because our diet already is closely aligned to what Whole30 is. While this is true -- and this is also what makes it pretty easy for us to do a Whole30 -- we are still giving up some specific foods.

My husband and my daughter are doing the Whole30, because I already eat a certain way since I have been treating SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).

My daughter has asthma and lately it has been really chronic. Since cold and flu season is fast approaching, we decided it was a great time to do the Whole30 to boost her immune system and hopefully break the inflammatory cycle.

Sugar depletes the immune system and is inflammatory to the body, so we feel really good about completely avoiding processed sugars for a month.

But.. you won't find me constantly googling to see if something is Whole30 safe, which is why I can't guarantee that all the foods I post about are "Whole30 approved." More than likely, they probably are.

To stock up and get ready for the Whole30 we bought...

• 2.5 pounds of Organic Dates (from Costco)
• Organic Coconut Oil (from Costco)
• Avocado oil (From Costco)
• Organic Pumpkin Seed Butter (from here)
• Organic Hemp Seeds (from here)
• Huge tub of Organic Spinach
• Coconut Water (our favorite is C20)
• Organic Nori Sheets (found here)
• Organic SeaSnax (found here)
• Organic Pumpkin seeds (found here)
• Organic Fruits & Veggies, in season (hello Peaches!)
• 2 dozen Organic Eggs
• Organic meats
• Coyo coconut yogurt

[ To save money I order a lot of things from Thrive Market. ]

It's really easy to get locked into the idea that if something is labeled Organic or Non-GMO, it means it is healthy to eat. Unfortunately, there are a lot of "natural" products out there that still aren't that healthy to consume, especially ongoing. Whole30 is a great way to hit the reset button and consume more fresh foods.

A lot of people do the Whole30 to help them figure out what foods are bothering them. For example, eliminating common trigger foods like soy, dairy and wheat and then adding them back to your diet after a month can help you pin point foods that may be causing digestive upset, brain fog or skin rashes (to name a few)...

So to summarize since we are already don't eat gluten and dairy, our main focus in doing the Whole30 is to eliminate:

• processed sugars
• processed foods
• legumes 
• grains

We are also focusing eating a lot of anti-inflammatory foods plus foods that increase L-Glutathione in the body (for my daughter's asthma).

So for her lunch today, my daughter had:

plantains (sautéed in coconut oil), herbed turkey, nori sheets, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes. For something sweet: dates with hemp seeds and grapes.

These are all foods she is used eating, BUT often for a treat she would have organic gummies (while organic, it is is processed and also contains sugar). To replace that, she had dates with hemp seeds.

 And in the crock pot for dinner....

pork roast with potatoes, onions, garlic, peppers and carrots.

So this is how are doing the Whole30. Is it completely accurate? Not sure, but we also don't care. We are Whole30 inspired and we are using it to benefit specific health conditions...... and that's good enough for us.

Have you done the Whole30? let us know how you did it and what you thought! 

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about our Whole30. 

Allergy-friendly Snacks for Summer

Summer is in full swing and my daughter, Sophie, has been participating in a few summer activities. She went to a horse camp which was a beautiful experience.

On the days that she has a camp, I pack her a snack and a water bottle to take. We thought we would share with you some of our favorite snacks and snack accessories.

Snack accesories (the essentials)

Water Bottle: Her favorite water bottle is glass and its by Lifefactory. The glass is secured with a silicone cover. It has a handle that is easy to carry, and a top with a straw cap. It is easy to clean and dishwasher safe. I am not concerned that it would break, because the silicone cover extends to the bottom of the bottle. Normally we use Klean Kanteens, which we also love. But since we got the Lifefactory bottle, it has taken precedence. I also have one in blue, with the classic cap (no straw) and I love it.

Snack Bags: We recently bought some reusable snack bags that we love. We've had some in the past but they always seemed to wear out quickly. These appear to be much more durable (with a canvas outer) and are easy to clean and dry. The set I bought came with two canvas snack bags and one EVA clear "ziplock bag." I have to say, I love the reusable "ziplock bag." It is clear so you can see what is in it, and I've found it to be very easy to clean and dry. These snack bags do not contain PVC, Phthalates, Lead or BPA.

Ice Packs: To keep the food cool, I pack a nontoxic ice pack by Green Sprouts. I like knowing that IF they do leak, at least it's not a toxic substance. I have not had any trouble with them leaking and I expect them to hold up for a long time (some reviewers said they don't last, but so far they've worked great for us). They are small and the perfect size for a small lunch box.

Lunch box: Sophie's a huge fan of her pink cheetah print lunchbox, which she picked out from Hanna Andersson last year. It is PVC-Free and well, pink. What more could one ask for?

Snack ideas

In the resuable ziplock bag, I always pack either fruit or veggies.I like to alternate each day. Some yummy choices are organic nectarines, blueberries, plums and kiwis. Fun veggies to pack; organic sugar plum tomatoes, sugar snap peas, cucumber slices, celery and carrot sticks.

Sophie loves SeaSnax sheets, which is lightly toasted nori in olive oil (certified non-gmo). Funky Monkey is also a fun snack choice. They're organic, certified non-gmo and nut-free. 

And sometimes you have to throw in a chocolate bar. Am I right? 

Share what fun snacks your kids like in the comment section!

Happy Halloween!

Boy have we been busy! Homeschooling, crafting, and in general enjoying this Autumn season.

Sophie had her annual Halloween party with friends and it was a blast. For the cake, she wanted me to make a 2-layer vanilla bean cake. 

Above, Sophie painted the spooky cat at an art class! We love it.

We've been making pop-ups cards and she made a haunted house pop-up card for a friend.

If you need us, you'll find us at our craft table:

That's where we have been spending most of our days.

This morning we woke up to a small bit of snow, and we spent some time outside.

When we came in, Sophie had her usual post-snow warm coconut milk with cinnamon and maple (sometimes honey). This time there was a spider in it. Not really sure how he got there.

After that we made a fun, last-minute Halloween spider craft!

The spiders are our fingerprints, the web is watercolor resist.

We used dental floss for the spiders to hang from, and black embroidery thread for their little legs.

Happy Halloween! We hope you have a spooktacular day!

Allergy-Friendly Lunch Series Pt 2

I last posted about some of the allergy-friendly lunches that I send my husband with during the work week. But Sophie also has her own snack containers for when we go out. We pack a snack when we go to tennis, gymnastics, when we are gardening, going on a bike ride -- and so on. 

Leaving the house? Pack a snack! That's pretty much how it goes. 

Above is Sophie's pink LunchBots duo. I packed pear, banana and apricot fig bars.

Every week Sophie helps me make dried fruit bars, or balls. We make so many different variations I couldn't post them all. Sometimes we use coconut flour to make it more like cake.

This particular batch below didn't have coconut flour, but instead we put dried fruit in the food processor with some coconut oil. We rolled them in shredded coconut sprinkles that we make (we dye them pink with beet juice)

On activity days I pack a larger snack in the Goodbyn container. 

Sophie helped me pack her Goodbyn for tennis & gymnastics class. She cut the carrot sticks and cucumber slices. We also put in dried fruit balls, apple chunks and beans.

Sophie uses kid-safe knives. We like the wavy chopper and the vegetable chopper.

More to come! We love packing snacks :)

Allergy-Friendly Lunch Series

One question I get asked a lot is

"what kind of snacks and lunches do you pack on the go?"

So to answer those questions, I'm starting a snack & lunches series to share with you. To kick it off, I am going to share some lunches that I pack my husband during the week.

We use LunchBots because they are durable, easily cleaned and convient to pack for on the go.

I bought my husband a LunchBots Uno and a LunchBots Trio.

For the Uno, I pack a salad with various toppings. Below is a photo of a salad with beans, olives and homemade kimchi.

The Trio is devoted to dessert.

This one has chocolate chips, raisins, tangelos and apple slices.

On the weekends, I put the LunchBots containers in the dishwasher for a thorough clean.

During the week, I wash them by hand.

Next up!

Uno: Salad with homemade coleslaw, avocado, diced scallions and dressing

Trio: Kiwi slices, banana slices, tangerines

I love to get creative and I think the LunchBots lets you do that!

For utensils, I pack him the Light My Fire Spork

I bought the fun food picks (pictured above) at Bento USA.

*Please note: this is not a paid promotional post for LunchBots. We are just huge fans, and love their products! 

My daughter is homeschooled, but we go on a lot of hikes, bike rides, play dates and homechool outings so next up I will share some of the snacks and lunches that I pack her.

Do you pack lunches and snacks? What are some of your favorites?

Halloween Treats that are Nut-free and Gluten-free

It's that time of year again! Time for trick-or-treating and sweet treats.

Luckily I've got a handful of halloween treats that are both yummy and free of the top allergens.

Apple Fries

Cake Bars with Plum Icing

Boo-Nannas

Candied Orange Slices

Chocolate Banana Truffles

Spooky Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Still want more ideas? Check out last years post:

Halloween Traditions for Kids with Food Allergies.

 

Allergy-Friendly Kids Snacks & Lunches: Gluten-free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free

Summer is in full swing, which means we are out and about more. We love to go on weekly bike rides, work in our garden, go on homeschool outings, etc. And especially since we have food allergies and celiac, this means snacks and lunches need to be packed. We don't eat out.

Here are a few snack ideas from what we've packed recently.

1) Dehydrated banana chips, grapes, a plum and carrots cut into flower and heart shapes.

(Do you want to know how to cut carrots into hearts and flowers too?  I followed this simple tutorial for the hearts, and this one for the flowers).

2) Sliced apples, banana chips and black olives.

3) Two apricots, slices of nectarine, grapes and sugar snap peas.

4) Dehydrated mangoes, grapes, raisins, water, plantain chips and lettuce wraps (avocado, beans and olives) in our Goodbyn lunch kit.

I bought a GoodByn lunch kit when I saw them for a good price on Zulily. The Goodbyn is fun and holds a lot of food, and the kids can decorate it with fun stickers (included). It also includes a water bottle inside the lunchbox. The Goodbyn is definitely large, and is designed to carry a lunch rather than a snack.

I knew this when I ordered it, because I hopped on Amazon.com and read the reviews. Most parents said it was really bulkier than they had anticipated.

The measurements: 13 x 8.5 x 3"

Our Goodbyn works well when we are going to be out longer. If I want to make sure she's eaten lunch before we get home, so we can transition easily into nap time, then I will pack her Goodbyn with enough food.

Since Sophie rides her own bike really well now, we go biking a lot! The Goodbyn was just too bulky for bike rides, and it carried more food than we needed since we would have lunch when we returned home. 

So for small snacks we use our pink LunchBots Duo, which fits perfectly into Sophie's bike basket :)

My Birthday, Gluten-Free Style

My birthday was last week, and it was great! I started my morning with my family making me grain-free pancakes and fried potatoes.

Then we went for a hike at Walden Ponds, one of our favorite nature spots!

And for dinner, one of my favorite choices... gluten-free pizza.

But this isn't just any pizza. The crust is a hashbrown.

No joke.

It's awesome.

All we do is make larger hashbrowns (egg-free) and then we add our toppings and warm in the oven.

(These two above have Daiya Dairy-free cheese)

My birthday was on a Friday, so we continued the celebrations on Saturday and went to paint pottery.

Here's my finished plate!