Get Schooled In Snack Time

With five kids – including four boys – in my house, there are a lot of mouths to feed and please. And, of course, any time food is involved, I must consider my oldest son’s life-threatening (severe) allergies. I aim to make mealtime and snack time fun and stress-free for the whole family, but deciding on a recipe and proper preparation can get tricky when considering possible allergens.

Here’s one of the go-to allergy-friendly recipes in my house: chocolate sugar cookies. I often have them in a cookie jar on the kitchen counter next to bowls of fresh fruit for the kids to snack on after school.

To learn how to bake these cookies for your next snack time, check out the video below, which I made in collaboration with Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis™, a campaign to help raise awareness of how to respond when a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) occurs. In the segment, I walk through step-by-step directions to create delicious treats that can satisfy anyone’s taste buds. Additionally, if you follow the instructions, your cookies will be free of seven of the most common food allergens (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soybeans).

Avoiding known triggers is essential when managing severe allergies, but I know from firsthand experience that it’s always important to be ready with a complete anaphylaxis action plan, wherever you may go. In addition to avoidance, this should include knowing what signs and symptoms to watch for, having access to two epinephrine auto-injectors and seeking immediate emergency medical care if anaphylaxis occurs.