Just diagnosed?

If you or a loved one has just been diagnosed with a food allergy and especially if it is more than one, you’re probably feeling a mixture of relief from knowing what has been making you feel so ill and rising apprehension as to the changes you are going to have to make from now on. It is utterly normal to feel highly anxious about it all, even to grieve for what you are going to lose. Just don’t panic! All these emotions are familiar to every single person affected by food allergies or Coeliac Disease – you are in good company.

So what now?

A good place to start is by considering whether you might like to cook the same food for everybody in the house or if you are happy to eat separately. I started off cooking separately which just meant I spent the majority of my free time in the kitchen to the detriment of having fun with the boys. I do still spend a lot of time there, but if I can just cook one meal for us all, I try to.

If you have Coeliac disease or are allergic to more than one thing, it may make sense to clear out a cupboard just for your food so avoiding the risk of cross contamination.

Cook up batches of food and freeze them. This is especially helpful if you have children with food allergies so that you always have something to defrost and make a quick meal with.

Read labels each and every time you go to the supermarket. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve been caught out by getting complacent about the food I’m buying only to find the manufacturer has decided to substitute maize starch for wheat starch in recipes, or added celery out of the blue. It takes longer for sure, but I’ve been responsible on several occasions for making one or more of my boys extremely poorly by not checking.

You will undoubtedly be cooking more things from raw ingredients which although takes a little longer than using a sauce from a jar for example, does mean you are eating fewer additives and is much healthier for you.

Biscuits are simple to make and can be frozen uncooked very easily, defrosted and then cooked a few at a time, enabling you to make a large batch which keeps you going for ages. I plan do do a ‘Tips and Tricks’ post soon so watch out for that.

And that’s it for today! I hope my posts help you to feel part of an online community and not alone dealing with this.

See you soon.