Our son was a toddler when he was diagnosed eight years ago with multiple food allergies. He thereby joined what is now estimated by FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) to be 12 million Americans with food allergies. The medical part of coping we learned quickly: Total avoidance of even traces of various foods (eggs, dairy, soy, nuts...), and to always carry an Epipen (epinephrine) in case of an accidental ingestion.

Frightening and serious as it can be to have a child with a potentially life threatening allergy, that part of the coping has been straightforward. It is the other aspects of the emotional side of coping that have been more of an ongoing challenge. Every day, especially once school aged, children are faced with social interactions that involve baked treats. Baked treats are typically made from six of the eight most common food allergens: Wheat, eggs, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy. (The other two top offenders are fish and shell fish.) There are the snacks at play group, preschool, and sports practices, the desserts at school lunch lines, parties, and restaurants, and the traditional treats at birthday and holiday celebrations. How, as a parent, do you stand by and watch your child watching everyone else eating birthday cake that he can’t have? As a psychologist, I knew how to listen to his feelings and how to problem solve with him, but my heart still ached watching him feel so left out when food was served.

I searched stores for foods he could eat to bring with him to social occasions, but could not find what I was seeking. So, despite not being much of a baker, I baked! That way he could bring his own treats to such occasions. I am first to admit that the creations my first few years would not be considered “treats” to anyone but my son, but then I got the hang of it and began what was to become The Gak’s Snacks Allergy Cookbook: Baked Treats for All Occasions. The grains in the recipes vary for different people’s needs, including some gluten-free recipes. As a Mom, I baked with lots of whole grains, fruits, fruit juice, and sometimes even vegetables, so the cookbook is that way too. The treats are so good that people with and without food allergies can enjoy them together, so everyone can be included at holidays and other social gatherings. 

When the cookbook was almost completed, people encouraged me to make ready-made products as well. We opened our dedicated facility last fall. Now we offer allergen-tested ingredients to go along with the cookbook, as well as our own baked cookies and coffee cakes. Schools love our cookies because not only do they facilitate inclusion, but also because they are organic, kosher pareve, whole grain, and contain no trans fat or cholesterol. This summer our cookies were the snack to all the children at the peanut-free camp of the National Zoo in Washington, DC. We ship all over the country to individual families who order at our web store at www.gakssnacks.com, and our products are starting to be available in stores as well. Kids now have options of yummy snacks they can eat, snacks so good the kids (and grownups) without allergies want to eat them too!