Back to School Shopping List for Allergies 2014

By Kelley Lindberg

The new school year is just around the corner, and that means it's time to hit the stores for those back-to-school sales.

Of course, those of us with food-allergic kids have to add a few extra items to our back-to-school shopping lists. So if you, too, are preparing a back-to-school shopping list for the food-allergic student in your life, don’t forget these essentials:

• Epinephrine Injectors – Have yours expired? It may be time to get new ones. I get a pair to leave at the school’s office, and a pair for him to carry in his lunch box (along with instructions). Be sure you check the expiration dates on the new ones to make sure they’ll last through the school year. There are two brands: EpiPen and Auvi-Q. Check both of their websites for $0-copay discount programs. (See my blog post "Choosing an Epinephrine Auto-Injector for your Food Allergies.")
• Antihistamine (Benadryl, Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra, etc.) – Like with the EpiPens, I put some in the office, and some in his lunch box. Again, check the expiration dates.
• Lunch Box – He always takes a home lunch and sits with his food-allergic buddy.
• Thermos for hot foods – He lives on noodles, but these are great for safe soups, chili, and casseroles, too.
• Food Containers – Invest in a few plastic containers that will fit inside the lunch box for things like salads, dressings, sandwiches, fruit, etc. They’re more economical, more ecological, and far less “squishable” than plastic baggies.
• Beverage Thermos or water bottle
• Handi-Wipes – I always put a couple of individually wrapped Handi-Wipes in his lunch box so he can clean off the table if he needs to.
• Food Allergy Action Plan – Make an appointment with your child’s allergist or pediatrician now, and have them fill out a Food Allergy Action Plan to give to your school. I attach a current photo of my son, and then I make a few color copies of it. I give one to the school office, one to each of his teachers for them to hang in their classroom, and one to the school cafeteria manager for her to hang in the kitchen, so that the lunch workers will know him and recognize him if he has a reaction. If your doctor doesn’t have their own form, use this Food Allergy Action Plan from FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education). It’s probably the most widely used form in the U.S., and most doctors recognize and use it.
• Medical ID Bracelet or Necklace – If your child will wear one of these, it’s a great idea. It is a visual reminder for teachers of your child’s allergies, and it’s an instant help for EMTs who might be summoned if your child has a reaction.
• Clean-up Wipes – I like to take a couple of tubs of wipes to his teacher, for cleaning desks. (I usually take tubs to the teacher throughout the year, too, since they often go through them quickly.)
• Case or bag for epinephrine auto-injectors: Decide where your child will carry their injectors and meds – a zippered pencil case, a lunch box, a purse, a backpack, a string backpack, etc., and be sure you let the teacher and staff know where it will be so they can find it in an emergency.
• Labels for food: Over at Smart Allergy-Friendly Education, Daniella has designed some wonderful stickers that you can attach to cans or jars or baskets of food to let your teacher know that what’s inside is safe for your child to eat. Especially good for younger kids who can’t read or stand up for themselves yet, these labels can really come in handy if you like to leave a stash of “safe” foods for your kid for those times when the rest of the class is eating unsafe treats.

Do you have any other great suggestions for allergy-aware back-to-school supplies? Be sure to share them with us!

Happy shopping!

Back to School Shopping List for Allergies

By Kelley Lindberg


The new school year is fast approaching. I can tell by all the Back To School sales in every store I visit. And by the look of despair on my son’s summer-tanned face.

Like it or not, it’s a great time to stock up on all those school supplies our kids will be needing in a few weeks.

Of course, those of us with food-allergic kids have to add a few extra items to our back-to-school shopping lists. So if you, too, are preparing a back-to-school shopping list for the food-allergic student in your life, don’t forget these essentials:

• Epinephrine Injectors – Have yours expired? It may be time to get new ones. I get a pair to leave at the school’s office, and a pair for him to carry in his lunch box (along with instructions). Be sure you check the expiration dates on the new ones to make sure they’ll last through the school year. Remember, this year there is a new auto-injector, called Auvi-Q, that might be worth a look. (See my recent blog post on Choosing an Epinephrine Auto-Injector for Your Food Allergies.)
• Antihistamine (Benadryl, Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra, etc.) – Like with the EpiPens, I put some in the office, and some in his lunch box. Again, check the expiration dates.
• Lunch Box – He always takes a home lunch and sits with his food-allergic buddy.
• Thermos for hot foods – He lives on noodles, but these are great for safe soups, chili, and casseroles, too.
• Food Containers – Invest in a few plastic containers that will fit inside the lunch box for things like salads, dressings, sandwiches, fruit, etc. They’re more economical, more ecological, and far less “squishable” than plastic baggies.
• Beverage Thermos or water bottle
• Handi-Wipes – I always put a couple of individually wrapped Handi-Wipes in his lunch box so he can clean off the table if he needs to.
• Food Allergy Action Plan – Make an appointment with your child’s allergist or pediatrician now, and have them fill out a Food Allergy Action Plan to give to your school. I attach a current photo of my son, and then I make a few color copies of it. I give one to the school office, one to each of his teachers for them to hang in their classroom, and one to the school cafeteria manager for her to hang in the kitchen, so that the lunch workers will know him and recognize him if he has a reaction. If your doctor doesn’t have their own form, use this Food Allergy Action Plan from FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education). It’s probably the most widely used form in the U.S., and most doctors recognize and use it.
• Medical ID Bracelet or Necklace – If your child will wear one of these, it’s a great idea. It is a visual reminder for teachers of your child’s allergies, and it’s an instant help for EMTs who might be summoned if your child has a reaction.
• Clean-up Wipes – I like to take a couple of tubs of wipes to his teacher, for cleaning desks. (I usually take tubs to the teacher throughout the year, too, since they often go through them quickly.)
• Do you have any other great suggestions for allergy-aware back-to-school supplies? Be sure to share them with us!

Happy shopping!

Allergy-Free Halloween Candy Round-Up 2012, Part 2 (Local Stores) and Great Candy Corn Hunt!

by Kelley Lindberg


*Please remember to vote for my blog every day until Oct 17, in the Circle of Moms Top 25 Food Allergy Blogs contest. Click the icon to the right to vote – it’s easy, and I really appreciate you helping me reach more food-allergy readers!*

Last week, I told you about some places online to order your allergen-free Halloween candy. This week, I’ll tell you about the candy I found in stores locally. Believe it or not, there are plenty of choices besides Skittles and Starbursts! (Although I’m not dissing S & S – we love them, and they are our favorite go-to brands!)

But first… “The Great Candy Corn Hunt 2012” is on!

• Nut-free candy corn: Your best bet is Sunrise candy corn, available at the Dollar Tree or online from Peanut Free Planet. Sunrise candy corn contains egg and soy.
• Egg-free and peanut-free candy corn: Jelly Belly candy corn. It contains soy protein, and it’s manufactured on shared equipment with milk, wheat, tree nuts, and coconut, but they say their manufacturing and cleaning processes are very stringent. You can order Jelly Belly candy corn from Jelly Belly’s website, or from Amazon. You may also find them in stores that sell Jelly Belly candy, like Smith’s.

Now, on to the Halloween candy I found in local stores. This year, I hit Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target, and Dollar Tree.

A BIG WARNING:  CHECK EVERY PIECE, EVERY TIME.

Large companies use multiple factories. That means the same candy may be produced in different places, with different allergens present. So CHECK LABELS on every single piece of candy. Wonka is one of the worst companies for producing the same candy in different packages containing different allergen warnings, but they are one of the best at individually labeling their candies so you can verify its safety before every bite. Another example: Ring Pops in Halloween flavors from Target and Walmart appear free from the Top 8. But the Ring Pops from Sam’s Club have a milk warning. So they were probably made in different factories. And a few candies have changed their ingredients and moved to other places in my list -- a good reminder to even check old favorites.

I’ve done my best to give you a representative list of what I found, to help make your candy shopping trip a little easier. But please double-check every label before you purchase, and if in doubt, call the manufacturer for clarification (most list a phone number right on their package).

I may have missed something or made mistakes as I scribbled my notes while standing in the aisles. (That goes for prices, too – sometimes it’s hard to tell the prices for different sizes of packages, so forgive me if I get something wrong!) If you find a mistake, let me know. Also, if you find a great source for safe candy, let me know that, too.

First I’ll list candies that don’t list corn as an ingredient (because there aren’t very many of them). Then I’ll list the candies and treats that do contain corn, but are free from some or all of the Top 8 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish).

By the way, EVERYTHING on this entire list is NUT-FREE and PEANUT-FREE. That's where I started, then I broke them down by the other allergens. I hope it helps simplify your Halloween season!

CORN-FREE as well as free from Top 8
(These candies don’t list corn syrup in their ingredients, so they may be safe for corn-allergic kids – please double-check ingredients. Some list dextrose, and that can come from corn, so contact the manufacturer directly if you are allergic to corn):

• Smarties (Target - 67 pcs for $2.66 or 210 pcs for $7.99; Walmart – 165 pcs for $4.48.
• Pixie Stix (Target, 120 for $2.69)
• Giant Pixy Stix (Sam’s Club, 50 giant stix for $11.78)
• Bob’s Sweet Stripes Soft Mint Candies (red & white peppermints) (Sam’s Club, 290 for $6.98)
• Test Tube Powder Candy (doesn’t list corn, but does list “glucose syrup”) (Dollar Tree, 8 tubes for $1)
• Candy Jewelry (doesn’t list corn, but does list “glucose syrup”), (Dollar Tree, 15 pcs for $1)
• Spongebob Gummy Krabby Patties (doesn’t list corn, but has “glucose syrup” and beef gelatin) (Dollar Tree, 10 for $1)
• Skulls & Bones Hard Candy (contains dextrose) (Dollar Tree, 11 for $1)
• Too Tarts Spray Candy (contains sucralose) (Sam’s Club, 12 for $9.02)

CORN-FREE, but contains Soy warning:

• Bakers & Chefs Starlight Mints (contains “glucose syrup” and traces of soy); (Sam’s Club has 620 for $7.48)

Everything from here on down contains corn ingredients

Free from Top 8 (Wheat, Peanut, Tree Nut, Milk, Egg, Soy, Fish, Shellfish):

• Betty Crocker Halloween Fruit Snacks; (Sam’s Club - 48 pouches for $7.48; Walmart - 28 pouches for $4.96)
• Betty Crocker Fruit Roll-ups, Halloween designs with tattoos (Target – 36 for ???; Walmart – 36 for $4.96)
• Kellogg’s Fruity Snacks (contains coconut oil) (Sam’s Club - 24 per box, $6.98
• Market Pantry Halloween Fruit-Flavored Snacks (Target – 54 for $7.99)
• Great Value Fruit Smiles (Walmart - 42 pouches for $5.28)
• 24 Halloween Jelly LolliPops (Sam’s Club - 24 for $7.98)
• Skittles Funsize pouches (Walmart - 20 for $2.28; Target - 21 for $2.66 or 80 for $7.99; Sam’s Club - vending size pouches, 36 for $19.88)
• Starbursts Funsize pouches (Walmart - 32 for $2.28; Target - 32 for $2.66; Sam’s Club – vending size pouches, 36 for $19.88)
• Starburst Gummiburst (contains coconut oil) (Walmart – 12 for $2.28)
• Skittles and Starbursts Assortment (Sam’s Club – 172 for $10.98 or 30 vending size pouches for $14.58; Walmart - 55 for $4.48; Target – 105 for $9.99 or 55 for $4.99)
• Skittles, Starbursts, and LifeSaver Gummies assortment (Target – 315 for $13.99; Walmart – 180 for $13.88)
• Skittles Twist ‘n Pour (candies in a plastic pumpkin or ghost dispenser) (Target - $1 each, or 12 for $13.99)
• Dum-Dums (Sam’s Club - 360 for $8.52; or Target has 320 for 9.99; Dollar Tree - 25 for $1; Walmart 160 for $4.48 or 70 for $2.28)
• Dum-Dum & Smarties Assortment (Target – 200 for $7.99)
• Ring Pops, Halloween flavors (Walmart – 22 for $4.48; Target – 2 for $1) [NOTE: Ring Pops from Sam’s Club have a milk warning, so read all labels!]
• Market Pantry Sour Gummy Worms (Target - single hang-bag for $1)
• Trolli Gummy Candy Mix (Target – 50 for $7.99)
• Comix Mix Candy Stix (contains beef gelatin) (Dollar Tree – 22 for $1)
• Marvel Heroes Candy Sticks (contains beef gelatin) (Dollar Tree - 22 for $1)
• Jolly Rancher (Sam’s Club - 5 lb bag of 378 pcs for $10.48; Target – 3 lb bag of 285 pcs for $8.49)
• Push Pops (Sam’s Club – 24 for $10.62)
• Hot Tamales (Sam’s Club - 24 vending-sized packs for $14.17)
• Mike & Ike (Sam’s Club - 24 vending-sized packs for $14.17; Target – 63 for $7.99)
• Sour Patch Zombie Kids (Target – 80 for $7.99)
• Sour Patch Kids (Sam’s Club - 24 vending-sized packs for $13.32)
• Swedish Fish (Sam’s Club - 24 vending-sized packs for $13.32)
• Dots (Dollar Tree - 6 mini-boxes for $1)
• Life Savers Big Ring Gummies (Walmart – 32 for $2.28)
• Bubble Babies Bubble Gum (Dollar Tree - 88 for $1)
• Bubble Babies Sour Gum Balls (contains coconut), (Dollar Tree - 77 for $1)
• Spooky Lollipop Rings (Dollar Tree – 5 for $1)
• Mini Sour Dudes Straws (Dollar Tree - 10 for $1)
• Zombie Fingers (Dollar Tree – 4 for $1)
• Bloody Bites (plastic fangs with blood bags of blood-colored liquid candy) (Dollar Tree – 8 for $1)
• Gummy Body Parts (Dollar Tree – coffins and bags of 12 for $1) [Note: Walmart sells Frankford Candy Body Parts that contain peanuts, nuts, milk, soy, beef, and corn, so read company name and ingredients carefully]
• Monster Pops Lollipops (Dollar Tree – 6 for $1)
• Grave Gummies (contains coconut) (Dollar Tree - 12 for $1)
• Life Savers Spooky Shapes Gummies (Target – single box for $1)
• Box of Boogers (Target – $1 each)
• Spooky Lip Pop (Target – $1 each)
• Snoopy Gummies (Target - $1 each)

Contains Soy or Soy Warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Wrigley’s Gum (Doublemint, Winterfresh, Big Red, Juicy Fruit, Spearmint) (Sam’s Club - 40 5-stick packs for $7.14)
• Laffy Taffy Ropes (Sam’s Club – 48 ropes, $9.52)
• Laffy Taffy (Sam’s Club’s – in tub of 145 for $6.22, or in Wonka Mixups bag, which contains candy with egg, 270 for $9.98)
• Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews (Sam’s Club – 12 boxes for $6.72, or in Jolly Rancher & Twizzler Assortment, which has candy with wheat, 225 for $10.98)
• Jolly Rancher Lollipops (Sam’s Club – in Jolly Rancher & Twizzler Assortment, which has candy with wheat, 225 for $10.98)
• Jolly Rancher Assortment (Target – 120 for $7.99)
• Jolly Rancher Watermelon Stix and Apple Stix (Walmart – in Jolly Rancher & Twizzler Assortment, which has candy with wheat, 100 for $4.48)
• Double Bubble Bubble Gum (Target – 38.5 ounce bag for $7.99; Walmart – 160 for $4.48)
• Lollipop Skulls (Dollar Tree – 16 for $1)

Contains Wheat or Wheat warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Twizzlers Cherry Pull N Peel (comes in assortments with Twizzlers containing wheat) (Target – assortment of 120 for $7.99; Walmart – assortment of 100 for $4.48)
• Disney Candy Mix (Target – 120 for $7.99)
• Marvel Candy Mix (Target – 120 for $7.99)
• Twizzler Strawberry Twists and Twizzler Filled Twists, in Twizzler & Jolly Rancher assortment (Walmart – 100 for $4.48; Sam’s Club – 225 for $10.98; Target – 120 for $7.99)

Contains Milk or Milk warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Ring Pops (Sam’s Club - 40 for $9.98)
• Exploding Candy (Dollar Tree - 25 pouches for $1)

Contains Egg or Egg warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Nerds, SweeTarts, Bottlecaps, and Laffy Taffy (which contains soy) in Wonka Mixups bag (Sam’s Club – 270 for $9.98)
• Spooky Nerds, SweeTart Skull & Bones, and Howlin’ Laffy Taffy (which contains soy) in Wonka Monster Treats bag (Walmart – 1.81 lbs for $4.48)

Contains Soy and Wheat or warnings (but free from other 6 top allergens):

• Twizzlers (Sam’s Club - tub of 180 individually wrapped for $7.24)
• Twizzler Snack Size Twists (Target - 60 for $2.66)
• Airheads (Sam’s Club: 90 for $8.98; Target – 60 for $7.99)
• Airhead Mini Bars (Target – 105 for $7.99; Walmart – 30 for $2.28)

Contains Milk and Soy or warnings (but free from other 6 top allergens):

• Charms Blow Pops (Sam’s Club - 100 for $8.86; Walmart - 50 for $4.48)
• Double Bubble gum (Walmart – 72 for $2.28) [Note: the Double Bubble Gum from Dollar Tree and from Target doesn’t have a milk warning, so they may use multiple factories. Check labels carefully before eating]
• Kraft Caramels (Walmart - 50 for $1.98)
• Sixlets (tiny cellophane tubes of 6 round candy-coated chocolate flavored balls): (Dollar Tree - 18 for $1; Target – 150 for $7.99)
• Tootsie Rolls Midges (Dollar Tree and Target carry, but I forgot to check prices; Sam’s Club – 760 for $7.48; Walmart – 360 for $4.48)
• Tootsie Roll large rolls, in jar (Sam’s Club – 96 for $8.34)
• Child’s Playtime Mix with Tootsie Fruit Rolls (corn, soy, milk), Dots (corn), Tootsie Pops (corn, soy, milk), Tootsie Rolls (corn, soy, milk). (Sam’s Club – 5.3 lbs for $9.78)
• Sugar Daddies (Dollar Tree – 10 for $1)
• Tootsie Pops (Dollar Tree – 11 for $1; Sam’s Club – 100 for $9.18; Walmart – 50 for $4.48)
• Hershey’s Chocolate bars, the 1.55 ounce size ONLY (most other sizes contain nut warnings) (Sam’s Club – 36 for $19.15)

Contains Wheat and Egg or warnings (but free from other 6 top allergens):

• Wonka Nerds Ropes (Sam’s Club - 24 for $13.18)
• Wonka Shockers (Sam’s Club – 24 for $13.18)
• Wonka Nerds (Sam’s Club – 24 boxes for $13.18, Target - 27 for $2.66)

Non-Candy Ideas:

• Angie’s Kettle Corn Classic Flavor, free from Top 8 (Target, 24 pouches for $7.99)
• Lay’s Potato Chips, free from Top 8 (Sam’s Club, 50 pouches for $11.98)
• Corn Nuts Ranch Flavor, contains soy but free from other 7 (Sam’s Club – 18 for $8.12)
• Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings, contains milk and soy (Sam’s Club – 50 pouches for $11.98)
• Oreos Minis, in Funsize packages, contains soy and wheat (Target – 18 for ???)
• Oreos, regular size, 30 packs of 6 cookies each, contains soy and wheat (Sam’s Club – $9.56)
• Keebler Crème-Filled Sugar Wafer Cookies, 24 packs of 10 cookies each, contains soy and wheat (Sam’s Club - $8.48)
• Slim Jim Meat Sticks, contains beef, chicken, soy, and wheat (Sam’s Club – 100 individually wrapped for $16.64)
• Drinks, like Kool-Aid Jammers or Capri Suns, or sodas in mini-cans (available everywhere) – check ingredients

Non-Food Ideas:
Don’t forget, you don’t have to hand out candy to your trick-or-treaters. Walmart, Target, Dollar Tree, and party stores like Zurchers, as well as Oriental Trading Company’s website have plenty of Halloween-themed novelties you can hand out, such as:

• Halloween Hot Wheels 5-pack (Target)
• Bat or spider rings
• Plastic bugs and creepy crawlies
• Halloween bouncy balls
• Vampire teeth
• Halloween-colored bracelets
• Halloween pencils or erasers
• Glow sticks or bracelets
• Drinking straws with Halloween figures on them

Watch Out for These:
The following candies may land in your child’s trick-or-treat bags, and they may not have ingredients labels, so watch out for them:

• Columbina candies – all have a factory warning for Peanuts, Egg, Tree Nuts, Soy, Milk, and Wheat
• Tiger Pops – packaging lists all allergens
• Lemonheads contain only corn, but are usually found in assortment bags that include warnings for all the allergens on the overall packaging
• Jawbreakers contain only sucrose (doesn’t list corn), but packaged in an assortment that lists all the allergens in a factory warning
• Warheads – various packaging lists some or all Top 8 allergens in factory warnings
• Bazooka Gum-Filled Pops – lists only corn, but comes in an assortment listing all allergens in a factory warning
• Cry Baby Sour Gumballs – contains corn
• All mini and fun-sized Hershey’s chocolates contain nut warnings and should be avoided. Plain milk-chocolate and dark-chocolate Hershey’s kisses are nut-free, but contain milk. Most flavored kisses (caramel, cherry-filled, etc.) list nut contamination. The only nut-free size of Hershey bars is the 1.55 ounce size (the type commonly sold alongside graham crackers and marshmallows for S’Mores.)
• I have not found any taffy that is nut-free, so assume all taffy contains nut contamination.

Ideas for Decorating Cupcakes or Party Food:

• Market Pantry Sour Gummy Worms (Target – single hang-bag for $1)
• Life Savers Spooky Shapes Gummies (Target – single box for $1)
• Dollar Tree has lots of spooky, creepy gummies and candies that would look great on cupcakes, Jell-O cups, or Rice Krispy Treats.
• Haribo Gummy Bears (contains corn and coconut, but free from Top 8), available at Target and other stores

Allergy-Free Halloween Candy Round-Up 2012, Part 1 (Online Sources)

by Kelley Lindberg


Halloween is creeping in on little black kitten paws…

And that means it’s time for my annual Allergy-Free Halloween Candy Round-Up!

Nothing stresses parents of food-allergic kids like holidays. And Halloween, with its focus on candy, is one of the scariest! But believe it or not, there are plenty of ways to satisfy almost every sweet tooth, no matter what allergies your little ones have.

I’ve been shopping locally for candy to see what types of allergen-free candy we can find in stores and online. But since most candies I’ve been finding locally contain corn syrup and food colorings, if those are your issues, your best bet may be to order your candy online. If that’s the case, you’ll want to order candy this week so that it arrives in plenty of time for Halloween parties and trick-or-treating. Online sources are also great for finding allergy-free chocolate, as well as unusual treats, like allergy-free brain-shaped lollipops! That’s why this week I’ll write about some online sources that offer great allergy-free Halloween candy.

• Indie Candy:  This site is the place to go for all-natural candy with no dyes or any of the Big 8 allergens at all! Most of their candy also appears to be corn-free, too. They have a large selection of confections including gorgeous crystal lollipops, chocolate, and gummis, and you can search by your specific allergy needs.
• Yummy Earth.  Yummy Earth candies (lollipops, drops, gummy bears, and gummy worms) are corn-free, as well as being free from the big 8, and they use natural colorings and flavorings. You can buy them online at www.YummyEarth.com and on Amazon.
• Peanut Free Planet: This allergy-friendly grocery site sells a ton of different candy from lots of different manufacturers, including Vermont Nut Free, Enjoy Life Foods, and Amanda’s Own. You’ll find chocolate, jelly beans, and all sorts of allergen-friendly groceries. They also sell KitKats, Mars bars, and Nestle Aero Milk chocolate bars that are made in a Canadian factory, and therefore nut-free (unlike their American factories). They also carry nut-free candy corn from A and J Bakery (but it contains egg whites and soy), as well as Surf Sweets jelly beans and gummies. Surf Sweets is a brand I’ve just learned about; they are organic, natural, gluten-free, and free from the Top 8 allergens. 
• Amanda’s Own Confections:  They offer chocolate in some fun Halloween shapes, as well as jelly beans and other candies, all dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and gluten-free!
• Divvies:  Nut-free, dairy-free, and egg-free chocolate ghosts, jelly beans, gummy stars, and chocolate chips! Oh my! (Chocolate contains soya lecithin.)
• Natural Candy Store:  Looking for those lollipops shaped like brains? Found it! This site focuses on natural ingredients, but they also let you search for candy that’s free from all Top 8 allergens. Even better, you can search for candy free from single allergens, like milk or soy. They carry hard candy, Glee gum, Enjoy Life chocolate, organic chocolate syrup, breath mints, and licorice, among others! Click here for their Allergen-Free Candy page.
• Vermont Nut Free:   Their chocolates are peanut-free and nut-free, but they do have milk and egg warnings on them. Their huge selection of nut-free chocolates includes caramel and chocolate pumpkins, chocolate-covered marshmallows on a stick, Halloween chocolate pretzels, and foil-wrapped chocolate shapes (like bats, witches, and ghosts). They also sell skippers, which are similar to M&Ms, but nut-free, of course.
• Chocolate Emporium:  Read the ingredients carefully on this website, but they do offer a lot of allergen-friendly goodies. All Halloween items are dairy-free, certified parve by the Star-K. Call before you order to ensure you get what you need.
• Mad Alex Products: I haven’t ordered from this store before, but they advertise Candy Tree Twists in different flavors (similar-looking to Twizzlers). Here is their ingredient info for the strawberry flavor: “Allergen Considerations: Chemical Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Fish Free, Gluten Free, No MSG, Organic, Peanut Free, Potato Free, Sesame Free, Shellfish Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Wheat Free, Yeast Free. Ingredients: Organic corn syrup, organic rice flour, organic rice starch, organic concentrated fruit juice: strawberry (3%), apple, elderberry, organic flavor: strawberry. Made in a Facility that Processes: Gluten and Dairy. Made on Equipment that Processes: Gluten.”
• Oriental Trading Co.:  Remember, trick-or-treats bags don’t have to be filled with candy. Oriental Trading Company offers a bazillion (I counted them) super-cheap novelty toys, many that you can buy in quantities of 50, 144, or more.

Remember, next week I’ll post a list of what I found in local stores and where I found it, so check back next Monday.

Back to School Shopping List for Allergies

by Kelley Lindberg


It’s amazing how much power and emotion are packed into those magical “three little words”:

“Back to school.”

Some folks (mostly parental-type folks) are giddy with happiness. Others (mostly kid-type persons) are less enthusiastic. Still others (my son) become overwhelmed with despair and gloom.

Like it or not, the stores are packed with Back-to-School supplies now, and it’s time to stock up.

Of course, those of us with food-allergic kids have to add a few extra items to our back-to-school shopping lists. So if you, too, are preparing a back-to-school shopping list for the food-allergic student in your life, don’t forget these essentials:

• Epinephrine Injectors – Have yours expired? It may be time to get new ones. I get a pair to leave at the school’s office, and a pair for him to carry in his lunch box (along with instructions). Be sure you check the expiration dates on the new ones to make sure they’ll last through the school year.
• Antihistamine (Benadryl, Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra, etc.) – Like with the EpiPens, I put some in the office, and some in his lunch box. Again, check the expiration dates.
• Lunch Box – He always takes a home lunch and sits with his food-allergic buddy.
• Thermos for hot foods – He lives on noodles, but these are great for safe soups, chili, and casseroles, too.
• Food Containers – Invest in a few plastic containers that will fit inside the lunch box for things like salads, dressings, sandwiches, fruit, etc. They’re more economical, more ecological, and far less “squishable” than plastic baggies.
• Beverage Thermos or water bottle
• Handi-Wipes – I always put a couple of individually wrapped Handi-Wipes in his lunch box so he can clean off the table if he needs to.
• Food Allergy Action Plan – Make an appointment with your child’s allergist or pediatrician now, and have them fill out a Food Allergy Action Plan to give to your school. I attach a current photo of my son, and then I make a few color copies of it. I give one to the school office, one to each of his teachers for them to hang in their classroom, and one to the school cafeteria manager for her to hang in the kitchen, so that the lunch workers will know him and recognize him if he has a reaction. If your doctor doesn’t have their own form, use this Food Allergy Action Plan from FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network). It’s probably the most widely used form in the U.S., and most doctors recognize and use it.
• Medical ID Bracelet or Necklace – If your child will wear one of these, it’s a great idea. It is a visual reminder for teachers of your child’s allergies, and it’s an instant help for EMTs who might be summoned if your child has a reaction.
• Clean-up Wipes – I always take a couple of tubs of wipes to his teacher, for cleaning desks. (I usually take tubs to the teacher throughout the year, too, since they often go through them quickly.)

Do you have any other great suggestions for allergy-aware back-to-school supplies? Be sure to share them with us!

Happy shopping!

Food Allergies? There’s an App for That!

by Kelley Lindberg


Got a smart phone or iPad? Then you probably have a screen full of favorite apps. They make our lives a little easier, our errands a little faster, and our time-wasters a little more fun. They can also make living with food allergies a little more manageable.

Here are a few food-allergy-related apps I’ve found that seem to be helpful. I haven’t tried them all yet, but I’m working my way through them. There are plenty more food allergy apps where these came from, so go to your favorite app store and search for whatever you need – from cooking, to shopping, to eating out, to traveling, there’s an app for that! And if you have a favorite food allergy app that I haven’t listed, let us know about it by posting a Comment.

• Myfoodfacts (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, $1.99) – With this shopping tool, you personalize your food allergen alerts, then use your iPhone camera to scan product label barcodes to search ingredients for your allergens. If a food allergen is found, the app alerts you. It covers food products in the U.S. now, but future releases will include Canada, Europe and other countries, as well as other smartphones.
• Restaurant Nutrition (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Free, but a paid version has more features)  – This app provides nutritional info for food at chain restaurants. It notes if the restaurants provide allergy info. You can customize the allergy info so that foods that contain any or all of the Top 8 allergens won’t be displayed for that restaurant, so you can see if there is anything you can eat at that restaurant.
• AllergyEatsMobile (Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Free) – This is the app version of the AllergyEats.com website, where users write reviews of restaurants and their food-allergy friendliness. You can click a “Find Restaurants Near Me” button, or type in a location to find restaurants elsewhere. Because their information is created by users, some cities in the U.S. have more reviews than others. You can also log in and rate restaurants yourself.
• Cook It Allergy Free (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, $4.99) – Includes lots of recipes that you can customize to avoid your allergens, and it even suggests safe substitutions for recipe ingredients. You can add your own notes to the recipes, save your customized recipes, and create a grocery list of ingredients for a recipe.
• Allergy Translator (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, $1.99) – Translates your food allergies and requirements into other languages, so you can show the translated screen to your restaurant server when traveling in other countries. Lets you choose from 45 allergens and 33 languages.
• SelectWisely Allergy Cards (iPhone and iPod Touch) – I’ve used Select Wisely translation cards for years – they are wallet-sized cards that list your allergies and a warning message in the language you choose. Now you can order the same card and have it on your iPhone. Contact Select Wisely directly for cost and more information.
• EMNet findER (Android, Blackberry, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Free) – Finds the nearest emergency room with one click, and lets you display directions.