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Back to School Meal Planning: Sanity Saving Advice for Healthy, Easy Meals

If your child has food allergies, this is probably not your favorite time of year. Don't despair, says Terry Traub, author of the new book Food to Some, Poison to Others. With a dash of careful planning, a pinch of sensitivity, and a smorgasbord of yummy recipes, your whole family will survive (and thrive!) this school year.

Kids with food allergies face plenty of challenges in the summer. Small pleasures their friends take for granted-enjoying an ice cream bar on a hot day or a slice of birthday cake at a swimming party-are "forbidden fruit" for them. But when school is in session, things get even tougher. As classmates scarf down corn chips and snack cakes while laughing at your child's "weird" lunches, it's hard for him not to feel singled out and deprived. Add plain old menu boredom to the mix and it's easy to see why he-not to mention you-dread the start of the school year.

Terry Traub says it doesn't have to be this way, for kids who must live with food allergies or for the parents who must prepare safe, nutritious meals for them.

"There are two 'Ps' to remember: positioning and planning," says Traub, author of the new book Food to Some, Poison to Others: The Food Allergy Detection Program (Frederick Fell Publishers, July 2008, ISBN: 978-0-8839117-1-6, $14.95). "The way you talk to your child about his condition will make all the difference in how he handles it. And how organized you are will determine the quality of his food...and how crazy it makes you to shop for and prepare it!"

Traub speaks from hard-won experience. A dental hygienist and the mother of two sons with Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance) and one with lactose intolerance, she wrote her book and created her website-eattobeallergyfree.com-to help families and individuals who struggle with food allergies.

The first step, of course, is getting educated. Traub's book helps parents figure out what's causing their kids' distressing symptoms-food allergies can take the form of runny noses, coughing, asthma, itchy throat, diarrhea, abdominal pain, excessive sweating, mucus in the chest, eczema, constipation, and/or vomiting-and provides a wealth of recipes, pantry lists, and meal-planning menus to combat the condition.

Once you've eliminated the offending foods from your child's diet, you're free to start focusing on the delicious, nutritious meals he or she can enjoy. And now, as a fresh new school year gets underway, is the perfect time to try out some new recipes. Traub's book and website provide a wealth of them, including:

"Great Start" Breakfasts. Help your child kick off a healthy day with one of the unique breakfast ideas from Traub's book or website. Apricot Nut Bread and Rue's Fruit Bars are two examples of grab-'em-and-go breakfasts she can enjoy on the way to school.

"Breakfast is a great time to connect with your child," notes Traub. "Whether you sit down at the table or both have breakfast in the car, be sure to eat the same foods. She'll feel more 'normal,' whatever that means, and will have a secure sense of belonging."

Lunch Box Favorites. Traub's book is filled with recipes for lunches that your child will actually look forward to eating. He may even find that he's the envy of other kids who find themselves monotonously munching the ever-present (and nutritionally-empty) white-bread-ham-sandwich-potato-chip-and-soda combo. The author's Turkey Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich with Pesto Sauce and her Barbecue Asian Chicken Sandwich with Cranberry Dressing-both of which are dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, and gluten-free, like most of her recipes-are packed with nutrients and flavor.

"Kids with allergies often end up with far more delicious, healthful, and thoughtfully prepared lunches than their classmates," says Traub. "It's easy to be somewhat 'mindless' about lunch when there are no restrictions. Necessity is the mother of invention, after all, and moms of kids with food allergies can get pretty darn inventive!"

Tasty Afterschool Snacks. After a long day of reading, writing, and 'rithmetic, kids are ravenously hungry! Have a yummy snack waiting on them and they'll be ready to tackle that homework with fervor. (Okay, a parent can dream!) Two widely disparate options Traub suggests are Penny's Granola and Turkey Honey Dijon Wraps.

"If your child attends an afterschool program, you'll need to figure out a way to get snacks to her," Traub points out. "If she's older she may be able to carry the snack to school and 'save' it for later, but if she's in kindergarten you may need to take tomorrow's snack in when you pick her up each day. Again, it's all about planning."

You might be thinking, "Well, my child doesn't have allergies but some of these foods sound pretty darn good!" Traub says you're right. Allergy-free foods don't have to be bland and tasteless. Even if your child doesn't have allergies-or if you don't think he does-he may still enjoy some of Traub's back-to-school recipes as a change of pace.

"Really, anyone who wants their children to eat more healthfully should check out my book or website," she says. "Lots of kids out there are suffering from undiagnosed allergies. Follow my plan and you might be surprised to find that his perpetual sinus or stomach problems clear right up. Why not try eating allergy-free? At the very least you'll discover some great new foods that might just become family favorites."

About the Author:

Terry Traub has been in the health field for 37 years. She is a practicing Registered Dental Hygienist with a degree in Public Health. She has two sons, both with Celiac Disease, and her husband has shown symptoms of Celiac in the last two years. Her younger son also has lactose intolerance.

Terry's first book, The Food Allergy Detection Program, was written in response to the trauma the family went through trying to detect what her boys were allergic to. Their predicament made her aware that other children and adults may have problems similar to her sons. Terry developed an elimination diet to isolate the allergens causing these problems. However, unlike other elimination diets, her method was in recipe form, not just a list of foods to avoid. Also, unlike the elimination diets of the time, she stayed away from any saturated fats during the diet as these can be difficult to digest.

Terry's new book, Food to Some, Poison to Others, is an expanded version of the first book. While primarily it is still an elimination diet, more has been added to the book. The book recognizes the problems with GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and changes the way the food is prepared to help with these diseases. The new book also has a chapter entitled "On the Road," which gives tips and advice on eating out.

About the Book:

Food to Some, Poison to Others: The Food Allergy Detection Program (Frederick Fell Publishers, July 2008, ISBN: 978-0-8839117-1-6, $14.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and from all major online booksellers.

For more information, please visit eattobeallergyfree.com.

Nine Ways to Make the Food-Allergy-Free Lifestyle Work for Your Family

By Terry Traub, R.D.H., B.S., author of Food to Some, Poison to Others: The Food Allergy Detection Program (Frederick Fell Publishers, July 2008, ISBN: 088391171X).

Learn everything you can about your child's food allergy. The more educated you are, the better. Food to Some, Poison to Others is a good starting point, but go further. Do extensive research on his particular allergy: its symptoms, causes, treatments, and so forth. And never stop learning. Make it a priority to stay on top of the latest medical news. (Traub's website and ongoing blog, located at eattobeallergyfree.com, will help keep you up-to-date.)

Hold a family tribunal. Once your child's food allergy has been diagnosed, set aside an hour or so to teach the child and other family members all about it. If your child understands and takes ownership of his situation, he'll be far less likely to "cheat." And if everyone else gets "the big picture"-and realizes that this is a condition that affects not just the child with food allergies but the entire family-they won't inadvertently do things to sabotage him.

Get organized. No, really organized. It's hard enough for most families to juggle work, school, homework, grocery shopping, cooking, and everything else. But for parents of kids with food allergies, it requires a monumental (Mom-umental?) level of organization! A few tips:

* Always, always, always make sure your child's lunch is prepared the night before. If you're scrambling around trying to put something together right before the bus comes, you're doomed to fail.

* Keep a running grocery list. As you think of an ingredient you need, jot it down. That way you won't forget something critical when you're at the grocery store.

* Do your shopping on the weekends. You may have to drive a fair distance to find an organic food store that carries the ingredients you need. So don't try to squeeze in a visit when you're exhausted on a Monday after work. Instead, plan a fun family outing on Saturday, then swing by the store on your way back home.

* Keep a well-stocked pantry. If something is non-perishable, buy more than one. If possible, invest in a deep freezer. You can buy in bulk so you'll always have something on hand for those times you just can't make it to the store.

Get your child involved in the process. Take her shopping with you and teach her how to read labels. Enlist her help in meal preparation and lunch box packing. Challenge her to come up with new recipes for allergy-free snacks, candies, and fruit smoothies. (Food to Some, Poison to Others has lots of ideas to get you started.) Make it fun.

"The idea is to educate her on how to take charge of her health and let her see firsthand that though it's a lot of work to eat allergy-free, it's not impossible-and it can be an enjoyable challenge," says Traub.

Emphasize the long-term benefits of good health. Explain to your child that he's eating his "special foods" not just so he can feel better today, but so he'll be healthier and happier for a lifetime. Connect the notion of vibrant health to concrete things he can relate t playing football like his favorite athlete, for example.

"You might add that the classmates he sees eating lots of processed junk foods will likely have health problems later," notes Traub. "Tell your child that you don't know why Mason's parents send Doritos and Twinkies every day-maybe they don't know how bad that is-but that you love him too much to let him eat things that will make him sick."

Make sure the whole family eats the same foods-at least most of the time. No one is saying the non-allergy-sufferers in your family can't have a "forbidden" food on occasion, but please refrain from preparing two separate meals-one for the allergic child and one for everyone else. This will make your child feel that the allergy-free diet is a "punishment" and unfair. Choose tasty recipes (and there are plenty of great options out there!) and no one will have to feel deprived.

Don't "ban" problematic foods from the diet of non-allergic siblings. On the other hand, don't let them flaunt the foods, either. "One good technique is to plan individual 'date nights' with each kid," says Traub. "Let's say you have two daughters: Allison, who is allergic to dairy, and Megan, who isn't. If Megan wants ice cream, let her enjoy a cone during her fun night out with you. Then, when it's Allison's turn, let her choose a non-food-based activity like skating or watching a movie. That way each child feels special, but Allison doesn't have to sit and watch Megan enjoy the 'forbidden treat.'"

Teach your child "cool comebacks" he can use when other kids make fun of what's in his lunchbox. For example, suggest your child say something like: "My parents prepare special healthy meals for me so I'll be good at sports. I plan to swim like Michael Phelps someday. I can already tell it's working!" Alternately, he might just wink and say, "Well, a high-performance machine needs high-octane fuel!"

Send a few extra treats for your child to share with friends. If your child has a favorite, especially delicious snack or candy-say, the Almond Toffee for which Traub's book provides a recipe-send several extra servings in her lunchbox so she can share them with friends. When other kids see her special food as desirable, they may not tease her so much. In fact, she may start to feel privileged rather than deprived.

Back-to-School Recipes from Terry Traub

A few preliminary notes:

1) Anything designated with AF means the recipe or item is dairy-free (no cow's milk), egg-free, corn-free, and gluten-free (no wheat flour or other gluten flour).

2) Gluten-free bread is heavy flour bread. Most of these breads need to be toasted. The frozen breads do not make very tasty sandwiches. Traub favors the commercial ones that are freshly sealed, but watch out for egg whites in these breads. If you are not positive about egg allergies, you need to stay with the pure rice breads. The best tasting breads are the homemade breads. All of the homemade breads contain egg whites.

3) For photos of some of these recipes, visit eattobeallergyfree.com.

FOR THE LUNCH BOX

Turkey Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich with Pesto Sauce
AF (dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, gluten-free)

2-3 turkey bacon slices (cooked in microwave)
2 slices of AF gluten-free bread, toasted
1-2 leaves of green or red lettuce (no iceberg, please)
1-2 slices of tomato
2-3 tablespoons "Pecorino Romano Pesto"*(recipe to follow) mixed with 1/4 cup soy mayonnaise. Soy mayonnaise can be tart. To offset the tartness, add a dash of sugar.

Toast bread slices. Spread Pesto sauce mixture on both slices. Place cooked turkey bacon, lettuce, and tomato on one bread slice. Cover with the other prepared bread slice. Cut in half.
NOTE: Most pesto sauces are made with parmesan cheese, which comes from cow's milk. That is why you have to make your own.

*Pecorino Romano Pesto Sauce
3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese (sheep), grated
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cups basil leaves (washed and pounded on with tenderizer to bruise)
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In small non-stick skillet, toast pine nuts until just golden, add garlic for 1 minute. Take off heat and cool. Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Place pesto in an air-tight container. Pour olive oil over the pesto. This is to prevent the pesto from oxidizing and turning black. With each use cover the pesto with more olive oil. Extra: This pesto is excellent with rice pasta.
Special Note: Make sure you buy only PecorinoRomano cheese. "Romano" alone is not made from sheep; this is made from cow's milk.

Examples of Products Mentioned Above:
Pecorino Roman Italian delis, small markets
Soy Mayonnaise: Vegenaise (contains soy): followyourheart.com
Brown Rice Frozen Bread: foodforlife.com
Tapioca Bread: ener-g.com
Rice Pastas: Lundberg: lundberg.com
Tinkyada: tinkyada.com

Barbecue Asian Chicken Sandwich with Cranberry Dressing
AF (dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, gluten-free)

2-3 slices Barbecue Asian Chicken* (recipe below)
2 sliced AF gluten-free bread, toasted
2 tablespoons organic cranberry sauce mixed with � cup soy mayonnaise
1 leaf green or Boston lettuce

Toast bread slices. Spread cranberry sauce mixture on bread slices. Place chicken slices and lettuce on one bread slice. Cover with other prepared bread slice. Cut in half.
*Barbecue Asian Chicken Marinade
3 tablespoons Tamari organic soy sauce
1/4 cup rice cooking wine
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1-2 skinless chicken breasts

Mix first 5 ingredients together. Pour over chicken breasts in pan or marinade in 1-quart bag. Marinate chicken 2-4 hours. Barbecue chicken until done and juices run clear. Let cool. This recipe can be made a day ahead.

Examples of Products Mentioned Above:
Organic Tamari Soy Sauce: edenfoods.com
Natural Cranberry Sauce: knudsenjuices.com
Soy Mayonnaise: followyourheart.com
Brown Rice Frozen Bread: foodforlife.com
Tapioca Bread: ener-g.com

Turkey/Sausage Loaf Sandwich
Contains eggs (dairy-free, corn-free, gluten-free)

1 thick slice turkey/sausage loaf* (recipe below)
2 slices AF gluten-free bread, toasted
2-3 tablespoons organic ketchup mixed with 1/4 cup soy mayonnaise
1 leaf green or red lettuce

Toast bread. Spread ketchup mixture on each slice. Place loaf slice and lettuce on one prepared bread slice. Cover with other bread slice. Cut in half.

*Turkey/Sausage Loaf
Contains eggs (dairy-free, corn-free, gluten-free)
1lb. turkey, ground 1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lb. turkey sausage, casing removed 3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup onion, chopped 1 teaspoon oregano
1 carrot, peeled and shredded 2 tablespoons water
1 celery stalk, finely chopped 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped 1/2 cup rice thins or crumbs
2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 slices turkey bacon

2 tablespoons hard goat or sheep cheese, grated 1 egg, beaten**

In large skillet, saut� onions, celery, and carrots in oil until tender. Cool. In large bowl, combine ground turkey, turkey sausage, cheese, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire, spices, bread crumbs (or thins), tomato paste, water, and egg. Add cooked onion mixture. Mix together and form 2 loaves. Place into greased 9 by 9 baking pan. Cut bacon strips to fit loaves by cutting them first in half vertically and then horizontally. This should give you 8 strips of bacon. Place 4 on each loaf horizontally. Bake in preheated oven at 350� for 1 hour. Serves 4.
**Note: You can exchange two egg whites, beaten, for the 1 egg, beaten.

Examples of Products Mentioned Above:
Natural Directions Ketchup (contains no corn syrup): ndfoods.net

Wizard Organic Worcestershire Sauce (contains no corn syrup): edwardandsons.com
Goat/Sheep Cheeses: Italian delis, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, health food stores
Brown Rice Frozen Bread: foodforlife.com
Tapioca Bread: ener-g.com

TREATS FOR BREAKFAST AND AFTER SCHOOL

Penny's Granola

AF (dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, gluten-free)

4 cups oats
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, shelled, chopped
1/2 cup slivered or raw almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2/3 cup coconut
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried cherries or dried apricots, chopped

Mix ingredients together in large bowl. Spoon onto a lightly greased jelly roll. Place into a preheated oven of 350�. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Cook up to 5 to 7 minutes more, depending on your oven, until dry. Store the granola in a container with a tight lid. Makes 6 cups.

Apricot Nut Bread

AF (dairy-free, egg-free*, corn-free, gluten-free)

2/3 cup white rice flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown rice flour 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/3 cup sorghum flour 2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons potato starch 2 to 3 egg whites
2 tablespoons tapioca flour 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 to 1 cup milk substitute
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup almonds, chopped

On wax paper, mix flours together: brown rice, white rice, potato starch, and tapioca flour. Remove 1/4 cup from mixture and set aside. To remaining flour mixture add: xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. In large mixing bowl, mix egg whites, oil, and vanilla. Add sugar to mixture and beat with mixer until creamy. Add milk substitute. Add flour mixture to egg mixture a little at a time while beating with mixer. If mixture seems too runny, add set-aside flour. Bake in a greased, dark loaf pan, at 350� for 1 hour. Makes one loaf.

*Contains egg whites

This recipe is from Terry's newest book, Food to Some, Poison to Others.

Rue's Fruit Bars

AF (dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, gluten-free)

2/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup pitted dates or figs
1/4 cup dried apricots
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice

Add almonds to food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add dates, apricots, oil, and orange juice. Pulse in food processor until a sticky paste is formed. Remove mixture from processor and place on a piece of wax paper. Cover with another piece of wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into bars. Place bars on lightly greased jelly pan and bake in preheated oven at 350� for 10 minutes. Remove bars and flip over. Return to oven and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until lightly brown. Makes 1 dozen bars.

Thai Tuna Curry Mix with Crackers

AF (dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, gluten-free)

6-ounce can solid white albacore tuna, rinsed, drained, and flaked
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Thai Red Curry paste*
3/4 cup soy mayonnaise (more if needed)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (microwave for 15 seconds for sensitive stomachs)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Brown rice snaps or thins

Mix first 6 ingredients together in a small bowl. Let chill for at least one hour. Dollop mixture on rice snaps.

*Note: Thai Red Curry paste that is gluten-free and vegan is available in most stores. However, some jars will note that the product is made on the same equipment as peanut products.

Examples of Products Mentioned Above:

Thai Red Curry Paste: thaikitchen.com

Soy Mayonnaise: followyourheart.com

Brown Rice Snaps: edwardandsons.com

Turkey Honey Dijon Wraps

AF (dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, gluten-free)

1/4 cup organic hummus
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey, local, unfiltered
2-3 slices gluten-free turkey
1-2 leaves green or red lettuce (no iceberg, please)

In small bowl, mix together hummus, mustard, and honey. Allow to chill 1-2 hours. To assemble: On lettuce leaf, place turkey slices. Spread hummus mixture over turkey. Roll lettuce and serve. The hummus mixture should make about 4 to 5 wraps.

Examples of Products Mentioned Above:

Dijon Mustard: safeway.com

Organic Hummus: wildwood.com

Tags: Back to School Meal Planning

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