|
March 2007 Issue |
|
|
Thank you to
Ian's Natural Foods
For sponsoring this month's newsletter!
|
|
|
New KFA brochures |
|
|
Our new brochures about Kids With Food Allergies are now available!
You can either
download a copy to view or print or
order brochures to share with others - FREE!
|
|
|
Ways you can support KFA |
|
|
Kids With Food Allergies marketplace
Our marketplace features businesses offering foods, products, and services useful to individuals with food allergies. The featured businesses support Kids With Food Allergies when they place their business banner in our marketplace.
Support Kids With Food Allergies when you shop at Amazon.com!
Amazon will contribute a percentage equal to 5-7% of the sale price to Kids With Food Allergies for any purchase you make at Amazon after clicking on one of the images on our Book Shop pages.
Kids with Food Allergies online store
Our "Please do not feed me, I have food allergies" T-shirts for children are our most popular items, but there are also sweatshirts, coffee mugs, and other logo items for gifts or family. Cafe Press now offers $5 Flat Shipping--a shipping
rate of $5 for up to 5 items for orders shipped within the US. See the online store for additional details.
MedicAlert $5 discount
Our members and subscribers are eligible for a $5 discount for any new membership from MedicAlert. Sponsored MedicAlert membership information is also available for those unable to afford the cost.
Create your own plush animals
A "please do not feed me, I have food allergies" Taffy monkey is available at Partyanimalsco.com, with a portion of all sales being donated to Kids With Food Allergies. In-home party packages are also available with a variety of plush
animals for children to create at a party in your own home.
|
|
|
Become a Family Membership subscriber! |
|
|
Information. Support. Understanding. Hope.
That's what parents have gained from Kids With Food Allergies Online Community. Help us support the growing number of families raising children with food allergies: become a Family Membership subscriber if you've not already done so, or
donate to Kids With Food Allergies today.
Family Memberships are $25 per year. Family memberships include:
Unlimited access to our popular online support forums and quality educational resources
Use of our extensive database full of hundreds of allergen-friendly recipes
Access to our monthly member newsletter featuring news, tips and recipe updates
A subscription to our beautiful quarterly e-publication, Support Net, featuring news, views and supportive information for families.
Sponsored Family Memberships are available to those unable to afford the cost of a Family Membership due to financial constraints.
Donations are always welcome and are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. |
|
|
Contact us |
|
|
Project Manager:
Lynda Mitchell
Editor:
Heather Hetler
Contributing Writer:
Amy Hugon
We welcome your suggestions and comments:
Kids With Food Allergies, Inc.
73 Old Dublin Pike, Ste. 10, #163
Doylestown, PA 18901
E-mail:
Webmaster
Fax: (215) 340-7674
www.kidswithfoodallergies.org
"A World of Support"
Important notice
We will never sell, rent or trade your e-mail address to any other organization.
|
|
|
|
|
Announcements |
|
|
Happy 2nd Anniversary, Kids With Food Allergies!
This month marks the second year of operation for Kids With Food Allergies.
[press release]. Thanks for being here to watch us grow to more than 8,700 members and become the second largest member-based national nonprofit serving those with food allergies.
New in our Resources Section
-
Avoidance ingredient lists for wheat and soy. These new lists are updated to reflect FALCPA; the wheat list contains the botanical names for wheat in accordance with the recent information released by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
-
Coming later this spring: New food and cooking educational materials to complement our Safe Eats recipe database and our food and cooking support forums.
Spring 2007 Support Net
In this issue:
-
Meet funny little Jay, age 4, this issue's Rising Star.
-
Why now? The Rise in Childhood Allergies, a news and research update summarizes the facts and theories regarding the startling rise in childhood allergies as well as the impact it has on children and their families.
-
Having a difficult time finding a dietitian who can really help? In Is Your Dietitian the Right Fit, Deb Indorato, RD, LDN, member of our Medical Advisory Team, has some suggestions for you on how to find a dietitian who specializes
in food allergies.
Support Net is free for KFA Family Members, and
is available for $2.95 for non-members.
Family Membership Renewals
We have many Family Members and Sponsored Family Members whose memberships are coming up for renewal in March. Please
follow this link if you need to find out how to renew your membership.
|
|
|
A message from our sponsor |
|
|
March is National Nutrition Month! With the theme "100% Fad Free," this month is the perfect time to commit to a plan that will improve your family's health and well-being. Avoid "fads" by making thoughtful, reasonable diet
improvements. The American Dietetic Association encourages people to choose foods sensibly, and avoid any nutrition "fads" that promise miraculous improvements to your health. With approximately 8% of American children under the age of
three being affected by food allergies, more and more parents are facing the challenge of choosing foods that will keep their children healthy. As parents of a food-allergic child, you not only have the challenge of getting your child to
eat healthfully, you have the additional challenge of making sure that what they do eat is safe. That's where Ian's Natural Foods can help.
-
Ian's has a great line WF/GF Recipe food items your kids will gladly eat! All items in Ian's WF/GF recipes contain NO wheat, NO gluten, NO milk, NO casein, NO eggs, NO nuts and NO soy!!
- WF/GF Recipe Chicken Nuggets
- WF/GF Recipe Fish Sticks
- WF/GF Recipe Alphatots
- WF/GF Recipe Supertots
- WF/GF Recipe Popcorn Turkey Corn Dogs
- WF/GF Recipe Chicken Patties **NEW
- WF/GF Recipe Battered Fish **NEW
- WF/GF Recipe French Toast Sticks **NEW
-
Ian's makes it easy to find allergen-free frozen foods your kids will love. Look for all 8 of our "Red Banner" products - the banner is shown prominently on the package, and it's your indication that the items are guaranteed wheat
free, gluten free, milk and casein free, egg free, nut free and soy free. For more information on our products, visit our website:
www.iansnaturalfoods.com.
-
Ian's makes it easy for your kids to enjoy their favorite "kid foods" again. Your kids will love being able to have some of the same foods that their friends get to eat, plus they're quick and easy for Mom or Dad to prepare. Look
for Ian's Red Banner packages of Chicken Nuggets, Fish Sticks, Chicken Finger Kids Meal, Alphatots, Supertots and Popcorn Turkey Corn Dogs at your supermarket or health food store. If you don't see them, ask your store to carry them! Look
for the WF/GF Recipe Chicken Patties, Battered Fish and French Toast Sticks coming soon!!
-
Ian's makes it easy for kids step up and join our new SuperFit Kid program. Ian's Natural Foods has created a fun program that teaches kids how to make healthier food choices. Our program encourages physical activity and supports
the development of healthy, creative ideas through the arts, sciences and literature. SuperFit Kids earn cool prizes, but more importantly, they develop positive attitudes and habits that they'll carry throughout life. See details on
packages of Ian's foods, or check it out at our website:
www.imasuperfitkid.com.
SPECIAL OFFER FOR KFA (POFAK) FAMILIES:
Send your name and address to
Ian's Natural Foods to receive a Buy One, Get One Free! Coupon for Ian's frozen food products. Please write "POFAK FAMILY" in the subject line of your email. We know you'll enjoy the variety and convenience of our Red Banner
line, and you kids will love how they taste!
|
|
|
Outreach to physicians at AAAAI Annual Meeting |
|
|
Kids With Food Allergies exhibited at the February American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Lynda Mitchell, KFA President, staffed the booth with the help of KFA members Sue Wagner (left) and Carol D'Agnese (right) from the
San Diego Food Allergy Support Group.
It was a wonderful opportunity to meet allergists and others in attendance to speak with them about the unique services KFA offers to families looking for online social and emotional support, food and cooking help, information, safe
recipes and news updates about food allergies. |
|
|
Quick survey update |
|
|
We are busy analyzing the wealth of information from the survey many of you completed last month. Thanks so much for giving us your views so we can plan the direction and
prioritize our "to do" list for long and short term.
The survey results affirmed that we are making a difference for those who are raising children with food allergies:
-
Family members gave KFA a 95% approval rating when we asked if KFA helps them deal better with food allergies.
-
Ninety-five percent (95%) of all respondents said they would recommend KFA to other parents of food allergic kids.
This is so wonderful to know!
We received hundreds of comments which we are going through one by one. Here are just a few I will share with you:
"Thank you! There have been days when I didn't know how we'd make it, and just visiting the site gave hope and strength. Your mission is strong and good and is helping others."
"Thank you so much for all that you do for the entire community. Your support means more to me and my family than you could ever possibly know. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!."
"KFA has been a wonderful support for me & my family. I appreciate all you do! It's nice to have a place to find practical advice from other parents who are in the same situation."
"I love having a place to go where people understand and are so supportive.
And yet another comment was especially touching:
"I will be forever indebted to KFA...our lifeline."
In future newsletters I will provide more survey updates and answer some of the questions you submitted while filling out the survey.
Thank you again for helping us plan KFA's future!
Kind regards,
Lynda Mitchell
President
Email Lynda
|
|
|
Active forum topics |
|
|
Editor's note: Our forums provide a place to discuss many issues related to food allergies and your family.
Registration as an Associate Member is at no cost to you, and allows you to read the current topics and messages listed below.
Some of these topics discuss foods. Remember to always verify the safety of any products mentioned on our forums to make sure they are truly safe for your child's unique food allergy issues.
Current Active Topics in our Main Support Forum:
NJ Governor signs landmark food allergy bill into law
Read about this recent legislation in New Jersey.
Does your district allow bus drivers/adults on bus to give epi?
Share your experience with epi-pens and the school bus.
Sharing a toaster with a wheat-allergic kid?
Does your family have more than one toaster?
My brilliant idea ~ cakes and birthday parties!
This thread has many great pictures of cakes decorated by our own parents, as well as a few decorating tips.
How fearful are you?
What lengths do you take to protect your children?
How much do you worry on a daily basis?
What about at gatherings?
Are you more worried when you are not with them?
If you had young children/toddlers, does that make it worse?
Homeschooling vs. public schooling
Discuss the issue as it relates to food allergies.
Best cookbooks
If you need some new ideas, read this thread to find out where other POFAK'ers get their inspiration. Remember, if you want to order any cookbooks, do it through the Amazon link on the KFA website!
Husbands/dads question
This thread contains a lively discussion about dads and from dads.
These threads are available to family membership subscribers:
Desperate for Neocate flavoring ideas
A wealth of information on different ways to flavor Neocate is contained in this thread.
Need ideas for food-free Easter playgroup activities
If you need some suggestions for a great gathering for your kids this year, this thread is full of ideas.
Getting to enlightenment...
This is a must-read for anyone with a child in school. Learn from those who have dealt with food allergies and kids in school for several years.
What's for dinner?
This long thread is full of ideas for your dinner plans.
What is your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe?
|
|
|
News and research |
|
|
Our News and Research Forum is updated daily with new articles related to food and food allergies. You can read the articles, as well as join in a discussion on individual
articles. Here are some recently posted news items:
Hyperlinks to these newstories have been removed from archived copies of KFA e-news since many are no longer working at this time
|
|
|
Safe Eats recipes |
|
|
Spring has Sprung
Even if it's still a little cold where you live, it is now officially spring. There are many spring menu options featured in our database. These two recipes should get you started, and for more recipes from breakfast through dessert,
visit our
Safe Eats Recipe Database.
Reminder: These are recipes donated by members and have not been tested in a test kitchen. Be sure to verify the safety of all ingredients.
Apple Blueberry Tapioca Pudding
Recipe Created By: Hope
Made without milk, peanut, egg, soy, tree nut, gluten, wheat, corn, fish, shellfish, sesame, potato, and rice
Ingredients
1/3 cup tapioca, either Minute size, or larger pearls
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups sliced apples (peeling optional)
2 cups water
2 Tbsp apple juice or lemon juice
2 Tbsp margarine
2 cups blueberries
Instructions
Put all ingredients except for blueberries in large pot. Let stand for a few minutes, then bring to a boil.
Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring often, and add blueberries. Continue simmering another 5 minutes or until apples are tender.
Substitutions
Use dairy, soy, corn, wheat and/or gluten free ingredients as needed. Be sure to check juice for ascorbic acid if avoiding corn.
BLT Pasta Salad
Recipe Created by Kathy Przywara
Made without milk, peanut, egg, soy, tree nut, corn, fish, shellfish, and sesame
Ingredients
1/2 lb penne pasta
1/2 lb bacon, diced
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small bunch basil
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, pressed
to taste salt and pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 head romaine lettuce, shredded
2 cups seasoned croutons
Instructions
Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
In a wide frying pan, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
Make dressing. Remove leaves from basil. Stack them and roll them into a tight tube. With a very sharp knife, thinly slice the tube. You will be left with long shreds. Do the same with the parsley - finely shred it. In a large bowl,
combine vinegar, pressed garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Slowly pour in the olive oil while continually whisking. Add herbs and stir to combine. Add cooled pasta and cherry tomatoes and toss to coat. If not serving immediately,
refrigerate. Bring back to room temp before assembling salad.
To assemble salad in a wide bowl, put down a bed of shredded Romaine. Add crispy bacon pieces to pasta and toss to combine. Arrange pasta on top of lettuce bed. Top with crouton. Garnish with additional parsley and/or basil if desired.
Comments
This is a great salad to take to a pot luck. I just take a large serving bowl along. I have the lettuce, croutons and bacon in ziplock bags and the pasta in a sealed bowl. Just assemble it when you get there and it looks fabulous and
doesn't get soggy and tossed around on the way!
This also makes a great light summer lunch!
I make my Croutons seasoned with olive oil, fresh pressed garlic, dried parsley flakes, and some salt and pepper. Sometimes I use a garlic bread seasoning and olive oil.
Copyright Kathy Przywara
Substitutions
Use dairy, soy, egg, sesame and/or corn free ingredients as needed.
New recipes accessible to Family Membership subscribers:
Coconut Cookies
Easy Veggies
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Cheryl's GF Roll Out Sugar Cookies
Orange Soy Ice Cream
Molasses Corn Bread
Chicken Balsamico
Heidi's Mock and Cheese
Melanie's Oatmeal Cookies
Oat Fruit Crisp
For the entire list of new recipes added this month, go to the
Recipe Database and click on "new recipes" in the left navigation menu.
|
|
|
Food allergy recalls |
|
|
Food alerts! Have you checked the
food alerts section at KFA recently?
All of the food allergy alerts from the U.S. and Canada are listed on our Web site and are also posted in the News And Research Forum. You can also find links to the U.K. and Australian alerts, as well as kosher alerts.
The following foods were recently recalled. Check our Web site for complete details:
U.S. allergy recalls
-
Harry London Candies, Inc., Harry London chocolate fudge and peanut butter egg candies (undeclared egg)
-
Harry London Candies, Inc. and Macy's, Frango? Cheggs branded Mint Chegg, Double Chocolate Chegg, Marshmallow Chegg, Peanut Butter Chegg, Caramel Chegg, and Toffee Chegg Egg confectionary products (undeclared milk and egg)
-
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare FiberChoice(R) plus multivitamins fiber supplement (undeclared fish)
-
Denise Distribution Corporation Denise brand Dyno Mix (undeclared sulfites)
-
Ben & Jerry's Country Peach Cobbler Ice Cream (undeclared wheat)
-
Gretchen's Shoebox Express tuna & garden salad mixer (undeclared soy)
-
Continental Mills GFS buttermilk pancake mix (undeclared egg)
-
Frito-Lay Fritos original corn chips may contain Fritos chili cheese flavored corn chips (undeclared wheat and dairy)
-
Cargill Meat Solutions Ranchers Reserve Island soy sliced boneless beef short ribs (undeclared fish)
-
Daiei Trading-Chicago-Co., Inc. bean cracker, Itomo Mame Mix (undeclared peanut)
-
Vintage Food Corp. Elmas brand apricots (undeclared sulfites)
-
The Grainless Baker gluten and casein free sandwich bread (undeclared milk protein)
Canadian allergy recalls
-
Nino D'Aversa bread crumbs (undeclared sesame)
-
Organic Fair, Inc. Organicfair brand dairy free gourmet organic dark chocolate bars (undeclared milk protein)
-
Canadian pre-packaged foods caution for people with food allergies (incomplete ingredient lists)
-
Rick's sandwich products (undeclared soy, egg, and milk)
-
Dempster's WholeGrains prebiotic barley & sunflower bread (undeclared almonds)
-
Sanko-Seiko rice crackers, manufactured in Japan (undeclared egg, fish, milk, sesame, soy and wheat)
-
Gretchen's Shoebox Express tuna & garden salad mixer (undeclared soy)
-
Paul's Food Factory brand BBQ pork riblet and sea food sandwich (undeclared soy, egg, and crab)
-
Laura Secord brand 70% cocoa dark chocolate products (undeclared milk protein)
-
Jack's Foods brand sandwich products (undeclared egg, milk, and soy)
-
Sandwich Factory and Sub Delicious brands products (undeclared egg, milk, soy, and anchovy)
-
Botticelli brand chocolate products (undeclared milk protein)
-
Great Value brand chocolate cake mix devils food cake mix, fudge brownie mix, yellow cake mix (undeclared milk protein)
-
Laura Secord brand no added sugar lactose free dark chocolate flavoured bar (undeclared milk protein)
|
|
|
Disclaimer |
|
|
This newsletter is provided to you as a member and subscriber benefit and your use of it is in accordance with our Web site's
terms of service. Please follow the instructions at the bottom of the newsletter to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to be on our distribution list.
This newsletter is sent to all newsletter subscribers and registered members of Kids With Food Allergies.
Copyright (c) 2007, Kids With Food Allergies, Inc., all rights reserved.
Important notice
We will never sell, rent or trade your e-mail address to any other organization. Please see our
Privacy Policy.
|
|
|
