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Thursday
Feb222007
Why have I never written about my kids' food allergies?
February 22, 2007
It's funny, the things I don't think to write about, but my kids have all these food allergies. When I was first feeding Kid A real food I couldn't figure out what on earth to feed him, since he was allergic to pretty much everything it seemed, dairy, soy, fish, nuts, and citrus fruits, and at the time, wheat. Okay, maybe not everything, but it cuts out a lot. Pizza, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, tofu... a ton of stuff. I mean, what do you pack for a road trip? The poor kid got so burnt out on bananas on our first trip across the country with him that he wouldn't touch a banana for two more years.Â
Now I feel a lot more confident, especially since the older two have begun to be able to eat wheat. And I've found that tupperware is a treasure unlike any other. With tupperware you can travel at ease with chili, with rice and beans, with stir fry, with any food your heart desires. When I first realized that Kid A had a lot of allergies, I was worried (and friends of mine, one in particular, were even more worried) that he would feel left out, that he'd be traumatized by not being able to scarf down foods that so many kids take for granted. Cream puffs. Ice cream. Orange marmalade. Sushi.
Of course, they don't. Mostly because we don't make a big deal about it, and we work our way around it. They love rice milk, we give them pizza without cheese, and most baking can be done without milk, and now, miraculously there is ice cream made out of rice! And it tastes great! And one day, I hope, my kids will be able to eat all the things they can't eat now. Sometimes Kid A is a little confused about that fuzzy universe of food he can't eat. The other day at the table we were sitting around eating pasta, and I had put cheese on mine. Kid A watched me stir it around, and then asked, "When I'm older, I can have cheese?"Â
"I hope so," I answered.
"Can I have cheese milk?"
"Well... cheese is made from milk, but there's no such thing as cheese milk. That would be yucky."
"What about cheese juice? Is that good?"
"Um. No. There's no cheese juice, either."
"How about... cheese milk? If we just put cheese in milk? Do you like that?"
"I'll tell you what, kiddo. When you grow up you can have all the cheese milk and cheese juice you like."
He went back to eating his pasta with a big happy smile on his face.
Now I feel a lot more confident, especially since the older two have begun to be able to eat wheat. And I've found that tupperware is a treasure unlike any other. With tupperware you can travel at ease with chili, with rice and beans, with stir fry, with any food your heart desires. When I first realized that Kid A had a lot of allergies, I was worried (and friends of mine, one in particular, were even more worried) that he would feel left out, that he'd be traumatized by not being able to scarf down foods that so many kids take for granted. Cream puffs. Ice cream. Orange marmalade. Sushi.
Of course, they don't. Mostly because we don't make a big deal about it, and we work our way around it. They love rice milk, we give them pizza without cheese, and most baking can be done without milk, and now, miraculously there is ice cream made out of rice! And it tastes great! And one day, I hope, my kids will be able to eat all the things they can't eat now. Sometimes Kid A is a little confused about that fuzzy universe of food he can't eat. The other day at the table we were sitting around eating pasta, and I had put cheese on mine. Kid A watched me stir it around, and then asked, "When I'm older, I can have cheese?"Â
"I hope so," I answered.
"Can I have cheese milk?"
"Well... cheese is made from milk, but there's no such thing as cheese milk. That would be yucky."
"What about cheese juice? Is that good?"
"Um. No. There's no cheese juice, either."
"How about... cheese milk? If we just put cheese in milk? Do you like that?"
"I'll tell you what, kiddo. When you grow up you can have all the cheese milk and cheese juice you like."
He went back to eating his pasta with a big happy smile on his face.
in Kid A, Messing with Me
Kid A, Messing with Me 
Reader Comments (6)
That is so cute. I am amazed at how adaptable kids are and they just kind of go with the flow.
Thats funny!
That's so interesting. I wonder if Leaf Baby will have the same allergies...
I can't think of a single person in my family who has allergies, but I was still concerned that my daughter would have them. So far so good, but your post encourages me that it's ok if she eventually does. We'll get by. :)
That's so cute, it sounds like an experience similar to ours, we eat a lot of rice mylk, and recently my kids have gotten hooked on Almond milk, we used to make our own milk and ice cream from certified organic Hemp Seeds, it was so nutritous and delicious,
Also in Victoria we had some amazin hazlenut amasake,
it's interesting to share for me because I am currently reading a book called: Plant Based Nutrition by
I have decided within the last month or so that I really think i may be alergic to dairy and have not admited it all these years, i am feeling way healthier when i don't eat dairy, but every once in a while i fall off the wagon ... and feel it afterwards...
It's like instant Karma with the coffee and cheese for me, i can relate to kid A,
I recently (two nights ago) made a wicked lasagne out of brown rice noodles as well as rice cheeze, i have to admit the rice cheese is way better than soy! i can't stand soy cheese, it's just not so hot.
It sounds like you are really intune with your childrens diet and health, that's great to here,
I work at an organic produce store, spud.ca ~ food is my passion, i kinda went on again, it's funny though most of the food we eat and purchase this time of year...comes from california, mexico and south america, and you are in california!
Yay for conscious eating!!
oops....the book is called: Plant Based Nutrition and Health (good book for anyone who cannot eat dairy...)
by : Stephen Walsh Phd
It's a lot to do with solid nutrition and food that will fuel your soul...
I've seen cheese make it's own milk but it's usually after it's been in out for too long. I wouldn't want to drink that. :)
I'll have to try rice cheese. I'm not a big fan of soy cheese.