As
a food allergy mom, I have sent so many pieces of cake, slices of
safe pizza and other treats along with my kids as they negotiate
birthday parties, play dates and sleepovers. Sending our own
food has made it possible for my food-allergic and vegan children to
fully participate in fun times with friends, while remaining safe and
well-fed. After losing one-too-many of my lidded glass bowls, I
realized the beauty (and necessity) of the reusable plastic container
for these kinds of occasions. An added bonus: I can easily
write my child's name and food allergies on the container so that
even if I'm not there, the adult doling out the snacks will know what
belongs with my son and why. That is why I am happy to share
with you this guest post from my friends at Hefty.
Happy Cooking!
Kim
Sending
a kid with allergies to a birthday party is always a little
nerve-wracking for mothers. Thoughts of “What if my child eats the
wrong thing?” will most likely enter your mind, but giving your kid
an alternative lunch or allergy-friendly piece of cake is always a
good way to help reduce the risk that your child will eat something
that they are not supposed to. Sending alternative meals is probably
something that you are already familiar with, but finding the right
container can sometimes be tricky. It is always good to have several
plastic
food containers on hand, because they can be reused while not
breaking the bank if one or two is misplaced or lost.
Sometimes
the toughest part is encouraging your child to eat the food that they
brought with them. Try some of these tricks:
- Decorate the containers so that your child can feel excited about bringing their alternative meal. For example, try using stickers of your child’s favorite TV show.
- Ask the parent who is planning the birthday party what the menu will be. You could pack something similar so that your child does not feel like he or she is missing out on anything.
- Put the lunch together in fun ways, like using cute cutouts of fruit.
These
tricks can transfer over to regular school lunches, too. For
example, you could look at what the lunch of the day would be in the
school cafeteria and make an allergy-friendly version of it. Plastic
food containers come in handy for school lunches, too. Healthy
lunches are usually harder to pack than prepackaged foods, since
items like cut fruit need to be stored in something that will keep
any liquids from escaping. Plastic
food storage containers rise to the challenge! They can also be
great for storing small finger foods, too. In fact, you could even
steal these containers for your own use! Potlucks are always fun,
but choosing how to bring the healthy item that you just cooked can
sometimes be a task. The containers make this a little easier, then.
In
the end, managing your child’s allergy is not easy, but it doesn’t
always need to be hard, either. Making your child’s favorite foods
and sending it with them in their lunch or for a birthday party will
help them to accept that eating differently from other kids at school
can be fun!
Author
Bio: This is a guest post by Katie F. on behalf of Hefty®. Visit
www.hefty.com to find products like trash
bags and more to help you out over the holidays.
Image
courtesy of tiverylucky at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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