Navigating food allergies can be a daunting journey for families, filled with challenges and uncertainties. In sharing our story, I hope to offer support, understanding, and a sense of community to those facing similar situations. Food allergies are not just a personal issue; they can affect the whole family, and together, we can find joy and solutions.
Our Unexpected Beginning
It all began on the eve of my daughter Victoria’s first birthday. In my excitement, I decided to introduce her to scrambled eggs for breakfast and made cupcakes, thinking it would be a fun and special treat.
Little did I know that this seemingly innocent choice would lead to a frantic trip to the emergency room. Victoria had a frightening allergic reaction that turned our joyful morning into a scene of panic. At that moment, we were left with so many questions. Was it the eggs? The cheese? Or was it just a one-time incident? The uncertainty was overwhelming.
This picture was taken with the culprits just before the chaos started due to her first allergic reaction. You could see it all over her face—she knew it wasn’t a good idea.
Seeking Answers
To find out what was happening, we took Victoria for allergy testing. As a mom, watching her go through that process was incredibly emotional. The results were shocking: Victoria was highly allergic to eggs, nuts, and peanuts. It was a lot to take in, but we knew we had to be proactive in ensuring her safety.
Learning and Adapting to a New Normal
Once we learned about Victoria’s allergies, our family had to adapt to a new reality. We became experts at reading labels, learning to spot hidden allergens in everyday foods. Communicating with family and friends became essential, as we had to make sure everyone understood her allergies, especially during gatherings and birthday parties.
Navigating social situations was challenging, but we learned to plan ahead. Bringing our own snacks or meals to events helped us feel more comfortable, and it ensured that Victoria could enjoy the festivities without worry.
Adjusting to life with food allergies wasn’t easy at first, but I’ve made it my life’s mission to ensure Vicky never feels left out, whether it’s at a birthday party, school event, vacation, or family gathering. Here are some strategies that have worked for us:
- Plan Ahead: Always bring safe snacks and meals to events so there’s no worry about cross-contamination.
- Teach Self-Advocacy: As Vicky has grown older, we’ve taught her to ask about ingredients and speak up about her allergies.
- Make Celebrations Special: I recreate allergy-friendly versions of traditional treats so she can fully participate in the fun.
Finding Joy in Food
With the challenges of food allergies, I was determined to find joy in cooking and baking for our family. My mission was to explore delicious egg-free alternatives that everyone could enjoy.
Here are a few tips I discovered along the way:
- Don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen! Discovering new ways to cook and bake can be a game-changer. From trying innovative substitutes to exploring allergy-friendly ingredients, a whole world of possibilities is waiting to be uncovered. Plus, involving your kids in the process can turn it into a fun family activity.
- Recipes Designed to Be Egg-Free Just Work Better! In my experience, it’s often better to use recipes that are developed to be egg-free rather than trying to adapt traditional recipes. While it can be tempting to swap out eggs with a substitute in your favorite recipe, the results aren’t always consistent. Texture, flavor, and even the way a recipe bakes can all be affected when eggs are replaced.
- Discover New Flavors: Exploring diverse cuisines can lead to amazing discoveries. Many traditional dishes are naturally egg-free! For example, we love Mexican and Lebanese cuisine. It’s flavorful, and we can find many totally egg-free options.
- Involve the Family: Cooking together turned into a fun activity. Victoria loves helping out in the kitchen, and it’s a great way for her to feel included.
My Fave Easy and Egg-Free Recipe To Try First!
Building a Support System
Finding a community of support has been crucial in our journey. I encourage other families dealing with food allergies to connect with each other. Here are some ways to build that support system:
- Join Local Support Groups: Finding others who understand your situation can provide comfort and resources.
- Engage Online: There are numerous forums and social media groups dedicated to food allergies. Sharing experiences can be incredibly validating.
- Explore Resources: Blogs, cookbooks, and websites dedicated to food allergies are incredible sources of information and inspiration. On Mommy’s Home Cooking, you’ll find over 700+ recipes that I’ve personally developed and tested. Most are super simple to make with everyday ingredients—perfect for busy families! Plus, I’m always adding new recipes each week. Don’t miss out—subscribe to my email list to stay updated and get delicious, allergy-friendly ideas delivered straight to your inbox!
Updates and Progress
Victoria is now twelve years old, and every year, she undergoes allergy testing. While we’ve learned so much and adapted our lifestyle, she is still highly allergic to eggs, peanuts, and nuts, but she’s thriving. We remain vigilant and proactive, ensuring her safety while also celebrating her milestones and making food enjoyable for all. Vicky amazes me every day with her strength and resilience. Watching her grow into a confident, happy young woman despite her challenges inspires me to keep pushing forward.
Some Days Are Harder Than Others
Even after 11 years, there are days when navigating food allergies feels especially challenging. Vacations can be tough—for example, when Vicky can’t enjoy a gelato or her food options are incredibly limited. It’s heartbreaking to see her feel left out when other kids can eat freely without worry. These moments hit harder now that she’s entering her teen years.
Vicky gets emotional when these situations arise, and I don’t blame her. She’s growing up and wants to feel independent, but allergies sometimes make her feel different. She gets annoyed when I repeat multiple times to our server that she’s allergic or when I ask to speak with the manager to ensure her safety. While I know these precautions are necessary, it’s hard for her not to feel self-conscious in those moments.
To other parents, I want to say that it’s okay to have hard days. It’s okay to feel frustrated. But these moments don’t define your journey—they’re just part of it. And for every hard day, there are so many moments of joy and connection to celebrate.
Supporting Your Child on Hard Days
When your child is feeling down about their allergies, it’s important to provide emotional support and remind them of their strength. Here are some strategies that have helped us:
- Acknowledge Their Feelings: Let them express their frustration or sadness without judgment. A simple, “I know this is hard, and it’s okay to feel upset,” can go a long way.
- Focus on the Positive: Remind them of the fun, safe alternatives you’ve created together or the progress they’ve made (like introducing new foods).
- Create Special Moments: If they’re missing out on something like gelato, surprise them with a homemade treat that’s even better. Knowing you’ve gone the extra mile for them can turn their mood around.
- Teach Resilience: Encourage them to see their allergies as part of what makes them unique. Share stories of other kids or adults thriving with food allergies to inspire them.
- Be Their Advocate: Reassure them that your questions and precautions are not to embarrass them but to protect them because you love them.
Supporting your child emotionally can make all the difference. Even on the hardest days, showing them that they’re loved, supported, and not alone will help them navigate the emotional challenges of living with food allergies.
A New Chapter in Our Family’s Allergy Journey: Life as a Grandma
While Vicky is thriving and has learned to live with her food allergies, our family has entered a new chapter. My youngest grandson, Nico, who is just one year old, has been recently diagnosed with an egg allergy and grain FPIES (Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome). My oldest daughter, Andrea, is now navigating the same adaptation process I went through 11 years ago, and it hasn’t been easy for her either. What can I say? Food allergies suck! Watching her go through the challenges of learning labels, managing meals, and keeping Nico safe brings back so many memories of those early days with Vicky. It’s a reminder of just how tough—and important—this journey is.
How Food Allergies Changed Our Lives
When food allergies enter your life, they touch every corner of it. For our family, it meant a complete shift in how we approached food, celebrations, and everyday routines. Things we once took for granted—like grabbing a snack at a store or ordering from a menu—became deliberate decisions that required extra thought and care.
What Changed for Us:
- Grocery Shopping Became an Adventure: Every trip to the store turned into a label-reading mission. I became fluent in understanding hidden ingredients and allergen warnings, ensuring everything we brought home was safe.
- Celebrations Got a Makeover: From birthday parties to holidays, we learned to prepare allergy-friendly versions of beloved treats. It meant extra effort, but it was worth it to see Vicky included and happy.
- Dining Out Required Vigilance: Eating out became a process of carefully vetting restaurants, communicating allergies to staff, and double-checking ingredients—sometimes more than once! It was stressful at times, but it taught us to be strong advocates for our family’s needs.
- Our Kitchen Became a Safe Haven: Over the years, I’ve created a collection of recipes that are not only safe for Vicky but loved by everyone in the family. Cooking became my way of ensuring she never felt left out, and it brought us all closer.
While these changes added new challenges, they also brought unexpected blessings. We’ve become more mindful eaters, a more empathetic family, and we’ve learned the true value of community. Navigating food allergies has taught us resilience, creativity, and the importance of advocating for those we love.
Conclusion
To every family facing food allergies: I see you, and I understand how hard it can be. But I also know that with creativity, love, and a supportive community, it’s possible to create a safe and joyful life for your child. You are not alone!
Let’s navigate this journey together. Explore the egg-free recipes I’ve developed over the years—they’ve brought so much happiness to our table, and I hope they do the same for yours.
Every family’s journey with food allergies is unique, and your story matters. Whether you’re just starting out, have been navigating this path for years, or have found your own creative ways to make life easier, I’d love to hear from you!
Sharing your experiences not only helps create a sense of community but also provides encouragement and inspiration for others who may be feeling overwhelmed or alone. What challenges have you faced? What victories have you celebrated? What tips or recipes have worked wonders for your family?
Let’s keep the conversation going! Leave a comment below and share your story. Together, we can build a supportive and empowering space for all families navigating food allergies.
More Food Allergy Resources That Might Be Helpful
- Mastering Food Allergy Label Reading
- How to Navigate Birthday Parties with Food Allergies: A Parent’s Survival Guide
- My Favorite Egg-Free Pasta Brands: Safe Options for Allergy-Friendly Meals
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My daughter is allergic to eggs and tree nuts. We found out when she was only 5 months old. Although we’re working with an allergist I can relate to trying not to let her feel left out at parties and restaurants etc. Although she’s very understanding, even as a toddler, my heart breaks for her when I see her cousins or friends indulge in anything they can eat and she cannot. She’s almost 5 now and your page has been a God-sent. I’ve used many of your cake recipes before, (because as you mentioned egg substitutes sometimes just don’t work well) and they’ve always been a success. Thank you for making my life a bit easier when it comes to allergy free baking!
Hello Noori! Happy New year 🥳
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I completely understand the challenges of navigating food allergies and the heartbreak of seeing your little one feel left out, even when they handle it with such grace and understanding. You’re doing such an amazing job ensuring she feels included and cared for, and it’s a privilege to know that my recipes have helped make that a bit easier for you.
It means the world to me to hear that my cake recipes have been a success for your family, especially when it comes to creating special moments for your daughter. Thank you for your kind words and for trusting my recipes to bring joy to your family. x- Oriana
I am also allergic to eggs, nuts and peanuts and have been since I was 6 years old, I was born in 1955 so you will be able to tell how long this has been going on. I have had to deal with going to parties only to be told there are eggs in the cake or in the muffins or in any dessert that is being served. We would go on vacation and my younger sister would remind me if I ordered a sandwich there might be mayonnaise in the sandwich she seemed to like protecting her older sister. My daughter even told my husband one time when she was very young to check the ingredients on a package he had just purchased of a new product to make sure I could eat it. I have also tried to change the ingredients in favourite recipes so I could eat them, but to have them fail miserably. I have been following your recipes and have made a few of the goodies you offer. I am in the process of changing cities at this time and cannot wait to get back into my own kitchen to make my own faves. Allergies are difficult at times and can be managed. I used to work with a girl and she was a little over weight and when she heard me saying I was allergic to some thing, she said I’m going to use that from now on instead of saying I do not need the calories. At another place where I worked they would put out those large containers of nuts to share with others in the office and I asked if we could ask them to stop doing this and my answer was no, not everyone is allergic. I have lived this long and had my share of scares, in fact just this summer I tried a product which was sunscreen with some foundation in it and I had an anaphylactic reaction requiring a trip to the emergency room. I did not realize you could be allergic to something you apply to your skin, but I am now. I hope your daughter has a safe and healthy life, it is possible even with allergies.
Hello Jewel! Thank you so much for sharing your story. Your journey with allergies is truly inspiring, and your resilience in navigating these challenges over the years is incredible. It’s heartwarming to hear about the support you’ve had from your sister, daughter, and family—those little acts of love, like checking ingredients, mean so much.
I completely understand how frustrating it can be to adjust recipes and have them not turn out as expected. I’m so glad my recipes have been helpful to you, and I can’t wait for you to get settled in your new city and back into your kitchen to enjoy making your favorite treats again.
It’s unfortunate that some workplaces don’t always understand the seriousness of allergies, but it’s clear that you’ve faced those situations with strength and grace. I’m so sorry to hear about your anaphylactic reaction this past summer—it’s a stark reminder of how careful we have to be, even with unexpected products like sunscreen.
Thank you for your kind wishes for my daughter. Stories like yours give me hope that she, too, can lead a safe and fulfilling life despite her allergies. Wishing you all the best in your move, and may your new home bring you health, happiness, and plenty of space to create allergy-friendly deliciousness! x- Oriana
I can totally relate to your story. When my grandson was starting to eat food, my daughter in law would put some on his leg. This is how we first found out about his nut allergy. We were at the beach, finished egg sandwiches and were putting sunscreen on my grandson when he broke out in hives all over his body-egg allergy. He has since been tested and is allergic to all nuts, eggs, and legumes. This totally changed how we look at food and ingredients. I want my house to be a safe zone for him- I stock the house with “allergy” safe foods. I love to bake and a treat is to bake for my grandchildren. Your website has been a godsend. I trust the recipes and they are always delicious. Many people don’t even realize that they are egg free!
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Cynthia! Navigating food allergies can be such a challenging journey, but your commitment to creating a safe and loving environment for your grandson is truly inspiring. It makes me so happy to know that my website has been helpful to you and that you trust the recipes. Hearing that they bring joy to your family, and that others don’t even realize they’re egg-free, makes all the effort so worthwhile. Thank you for your kind words and for being such an amazing grandparent. Wishing you and your family a Happy 2025!
Found you while checking for egg substitutes, My daughter discovered an egg allergy while doing an elimination ‘diet’. She loved eggs and when re-introducing them she became noticeably sick. Every time. Eggs in baked goods made her sick, Allegies were not new since she allergic to vegetation, molds, latex, trees, grass, etc. This was one more thing she loved she’s had to give up. I waned to make what she loved for holidays. I wouldn’t make something she couldn’t also eat. Pumpkin pie. And other things. She’s an adult but I’ve lived her allergies since she was ten (she’s now 47). I also used to bring her treats everywhere (birthday parties, etc,). Now she has an autistic son which research indicates may be sensitive to certain foods. Can only try to eliminate certain foods to see if he ‘improves’ in some way. Can’t do elimination diet with re-introducing foods. Can’t really do any type of diet since taste and texture are super important to him. Introducing unknown foods will not work because he will not accept them. Asking how a food makes him feel doesn’t work because that language is too subtle for him. Etc., etc., etc. He is a challenge. Your site has provided me with choices, possibilities. Treats my daughter can enjoy and might also provide a safer alternative for my grandson. He is 10 now and the journey continues. Foods the entire family can enjoy, both those with and without food allergies, is a blessing. Again, thank you.
Hello Wendy! Thank you so much for sharing your story. It truly touches my heart to hear how dedicated you are to ensuring your daughter and grandson feel included and loved through food, despite all the challenges. Navigating allergies and sensory sensitivities is no easy task, and your commitment to finding solutions for your family is so inspiring.
I’m so glad my site has provided some options for treats and meals everyone can enjoy together. Creating recipes that bring families together, regardless of dietary restrictions, is my mission, and knowing it’s helping families like yours means the world to me.
Wishing you, your daughter, and your grandson a Happy New Year filled with love, joy, and more delicious moments around the table. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s ever a recipe or idea you need help with. You’re doing such an amazing job, and I’m here to support you however I can. x- Oriana