According to the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, food allergies affect one in 20 children and one in 100 adults. With reactions ranging from swelling and eczema to vomiting and life threatening anaphylactic reactions, many schools and community groups are now banning some high risk ingredients, such as nuts and eggs.
Allergy Safe Family Food (HarperCollins, 2009) offers a range of tasty, everyday recipes that are safe for most situations and are ideal for preparing meals and treats for friends or family with food allergies.
Everyday Allergy-Safe Recipes
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network states that there are eight foods that cause 90% of food allergy problems. These are milk, egg, peanut, tree nut (walnut, cashew, etc.), fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat.
Allergy Safe Family Food provides 185 coded recipes for everyday use that avoid some or all of the foods that most commonly cause allergic reactions. All recipes are listed with between five to nine of the following codes:
- nut-free
- egg-free
- dairy-free
- soy-free
- gluten-free
- wheat-free
- fish/shellfish free
- sesame-seed free
- vegetarian
Codes are listed with each individual recipe and next to the recipe name on the index pages. All recipes serve four to six people and the cookbook includes a selection of starters, soups, salads, main meals, desserts, cakes, treats, snack and lunchbox ideas and extras such as an allergy safe play dough, sauces and marinades, icing, side-dishes and stock. Recipes include:
- scones, pear muffins and gingerbread people (wheat and gluten free)
- flourless orange and almond cake
- chocolate sandwich cake and chocolate apple cake (egg and dairy free)
- chicken and soy cheese rissoles
- corn and vegetable pasta salad with pesto
- vegetable and bacon pie
- meatballs in tomato sauce
There are no pictures of completed recipes, however each recipe features a clear list of ingredients and easy to follow step-by-step instructions. Recipes are tailored particularly for families and as such as generally quick and easy to prepare, child-friendly and low cost.
Food Allergy Awareness
Allergy Safe Family Food includes a section on food allergy awareness when grocery shopping featuring a checklist of suitability of common products across a range of allergens. There is also a chapter on managing food allergies and some general information on food allergies and allergic reactions. Suzanna Paxton’s website offers a variety of links for Australian families looking for additional information.
Suzanna Paxton
Melbourne-based mother Suzanna Paxton has two young children, both of whom have severe food allergies. Her need to provide meals that were safe for the whole family while trying to avoid seven of the eight most common food allergens led to the creation of the Allergy Safe Family Food cookbook.
Susanna is a member of Anaphylaxis Australia and has a variety of medial experience including qualifications as a registered nurse and midwife and a vocational Graduate Certificate in Anaphylaxis Management Training.
Avoiding Nuts, Dairy, Wheat and other High Risk Allergy Ingredients
While not every family faces the meal-time difficulties that the Paxton’s do, it is becoming increasingly necessary for families to become more allergy aware because of food allergies of friends and extended family.
Even for families without food allergy problems, Allergy Safe Family Food is a useful cookbook to keep on the shelf. It offers a very appealing range of recipes that are suitable for community lunches, school lunchboxes and parties and other events where it might be necessary to avoid specific high risk allergy ingredients such as nuts, egg, dairy and wheat.
Allergy Safe Family Food (ISBN: 978-0-7322-8884-6, 240 pages)
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