Saturday, June 22, 2013

Food Allergy Facts


According to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE):
  • Food allergy affects 1 in every 13 children (under 18 years of age) in the U.S. That’s roughly two in every classroom.
  • Food allergies may be a trigger for or associated with other allergic conditions, such as atopic dermatitis and eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.
  • Although childhood allergies to milk, egg, wheat and soy generally resolve in childhood, they appear to be resolving more slowly than in previous decades, with many children still allergic beyond age 5 years. Allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, or shellfish are generally lifelong allergies.
 Get a full list of statistics and references here.


Saturday, June 15, 2013

Food Allergy Facts


According to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE):
  • As many as 15 million Americans have food allergies. 
  • An estimated 9 million, or 4%, of U.S. adults have food allergies.
  • Nearly 6 million or 8% of children in the U.S. have food allergies with young children affected most.
  • Boys appear to develop food allergies more than girls.
 Get a full list of statistics here.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Dole Frozen Banana Dippers


All I can say is, "I love these things!" They come with or without almonds. I prefer the almond. They're like little bon bons without the dairy! I put them in my lunch and pop them in the freezer when I get to work. When it's time to eat, I take them out and by the time I get finished with my lunch they're the perfect consistency. Fresh out of the freezer, they can be a little firm, so you might want to let them hang for a bit before eating them. They are tasty, refreshing, and cheap! They cost about $3 for a box with 6 packs, and each pack has 4 banana slices. You can find them in the frozen fruit section of your grocery.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Go Picnic Hummus & Crackers


www.Gopicnic.com

I have heard about (in fact I've even blogged about), but never actually seen Go Picnic products near me... let alone try them... until recently. I have to admit I was giddy to find these in the Houston airport. Knowing I was going to be traveling for a while, I grabbed one to keep in my bag.

Here's what I like about these snack boxes, they're compact, nutritious, and they list all the possible allergens clearly on the side of the box. I tried the Hummus & Crackers. It comes with individual packets of gluten free Multi-Seed Crackers, Wild Garden Hummus, Power Play (roasted edamame, pumpkin seeds, and watermelon seeds), Baja Blend fruit & nut mix (habanera almonds, sweet & salty peanuts, and mango cranberries), and a piece of dark chocolate with sea salt. 



                          






The crackers are tasty and the hummus was delicious. I shared with my brother and sister during my trip and they were both impressed with the hummus. I had never had watermelon seeds and am not a fan of edamame, so I was skeptical of the Power Play mix. Soy beans just have the tendency to leave a gritty texture in my mouth, but these were toasted nicely and I found them at least tolerable. I was pleasantly surprised by the watermelon seeds. They were like delightful little puffs of toasted goodness. Overall, I preferred the Baja Blend to the Power Play. The habanero almonds were spicy but not overpowering, and the peanuts and cranberries balanced out the heat with some sweet. Now, I'm a huge fan of chocolate and of course I loved the dark chocolate with sea salt. It is a very rich chocolate so I wasn't disappointed that there was only one piece. It was just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

I appreciated GoPicnic's easy to stow packaging, and their products are high quality & worth the $5-$6 price tag. I would have easily spent more buying little bags of comparable components. I will definitely be seeking these out again!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Banana & Peanut Butter "Ice Cream"



I have seen this recipe floating around the interwebs for a while, and it was even recommended to me by a friend not long ago. It just took me this long to break down and give it a try. I really couldn't see how it was going to translate to "ice cream". It was actually really good. I added chopped strawberries to mine & was very pleased with the outcome. It was very creamy and did an excellent job killing that ice cream craving. 

If you're allergic to peanuts try a substitute like Sun Butter. You could probably skip the peanut butter altogether and mix in other ingredients that sound good to you. It's super easy to make!

Here's what I did. 

Ingredients:
2 bananas (over ripe is ok)
1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
2-3 diced strawberries (optional)

Slice bananas & place in the freezer for a couple of hours. Blend in a good blender or food processor until creamy & smooth. Add peanut butter & cocoa. Mix thoroughly. Add strawberries or other add-ins.  Place in container & return to freezer to firm up.

Mine started to melt on me... It may not look appetizing here, but trust me, it was delicious!