Food Allergy S-O-S is here to help you learn to LIVE with food allergies and not live to manage them. We can help guide you through most of your food allergy challenges and questions. Below is a list of some of the services available and topics covered through S-O-S. Our main goal, however, is to customize our service to fit your needs. If you do not see a topic or service you need, please contact us. There is no challenge too big or too small for us to help you tackle.
Overview of Food Allergy Management: This is most helpful for families who have recently received a food allergy diagnosis or those who want to cover a variety of food allergy management issues. We will help you identify the critical issues of food allergy management related to the topics most relevant to your life.
School Management: We help you put systems in place at school and to anticipate the varied issues that may arise in the school setting. We will assist you or serve as your child's advocate to help the school understand your child's specific needs and reduce the risk for exposure. We can draft emergency plans, 504 plans, guidelines for managing your child's food allergies in school, and the communication tools you need for teachers, substitute teachers, coaches and other parents.
Extracurricular Activities: Families are very busy these days and the safety of food-allergic children must be considered in their daily after-school and weekend activities. Very often, you will not be present at these activities and it is important anticipate the risks and take the steps to reduce the likelihood of an allergic exposure in your absence. We will help you put systems in place to accomplish this.
Birthday Parties, Holidays, and Social/Family Gatherings: We will provide you with suggestions on how to handle food at birthday parties (e.g., pizza and cake), holidays (e.g., Halloween) and family gatherings. We also have tips for eating at friends' and family member homes, including printed guidelines to give to your host on how to prepare a meal that is safe for your family.
Summer Camp: For families who are considering sending their child to day camp or for an overnight/residential camp experience, we can offer advice on the numerous factors to consider when choosing a camp and working with the camp to make the experience a safer one for your child. For families considering overnight camp, we can provide assistance and guidelines to set up systems at camp to reduce the risk of an exposure, as well as help with issues related to food preparation, storage, and transport for those children whose meals cannot be safely prepared by the camp chef.
Meal Planning, Food Preparation, Storage: Because eating out is challenging, and most of us have very busy lives, home meal planning, preparation and storage tips are key to not being a slave to the kitchen. We can create week, month or 3-month meal plans with a calendar of meal selections, along with suggested ingredients and/or products to utilize for each meal. For clients in the Greater Phoenix area, we are also available to come to your home and assist with food preparation ideas, pantry organization, food storage and meal plans.
Grocery Shopping: We will help you understand food labels, as well as create a food list for you and/or accompany you to the grocery store to identify various food ingredient and product options based on your particular allergy needs.
Recipe Research, Food Ideas and Snack Solutions: We will help you find recipes for holidays, entertaining, family dinners and more. We have also found and developed creative food ideas and healthy snack solutions that help add variety and fun to your food experience.
Restaurant Dining: Depending on the severity of the allergy, restaurant dining can be a significant challenge. We will help you identify safer restaruants, the risks involved and how to best handle them when you are eating out.
Babysitters/Caregivers: Leaving a food allergic child home with a babysitter or family member can be stressful. It is important that they understand the important aspects of caring for your child. We will help you through this process and can provide instruction materials to give your babysitter to reinforce the information. Materials are available in English and Spanish.
Family and Friends: They Just Don't Understand! Dealing with family, friends and others who simply do not understand your situation is often as stressful as living with the underlying food allergies. We have experienced this on a variety of levels and fully recognize the importance of feeling supported. We provide advice on how to effectively communicate your food allergy needs and reduce the likelihood for negative reactions by the people in your life.
Tricks of the Trade: We have some tried and true ideas for handling a variety of situations that food- allergic families frequently face. From ingredient substitution ideas and baking challenges (e.g., how to frost an egg-free cupcake so that it does not fall apart) to school and traveling challenges (e.g., security issues at the airport when transporting food), we will give you these "tricks" and are available to assist you in the handling of situations as they arise.
For more information, please contact Jennifer Schwarz, Food Allergy Consultant, at info@foodallergysos.com or 602-680-8382.
The material in contained in this site and the consulting provided are not intended to serve as medical advice or as a substitute for medical information regarding food allergies. If you or your family member suffers from food allergies, it is imperative that you seek medical attention about the management of your particular situation. Following the suggestions/advice/information given by Food Allergy S-O-S does not eliminate the risk of an allergic reaction.
