Cooking Allergy-Free Food with Kids

Navigating the world of food allergies can be a challenge, especially when it comes to making sure meals and snacks are both safe and appealing to kids. For kids with the most serious of food allergies, there are no days off from navigating a minefield of triggers and dangerous foods. Labels must be checked, and questions must be asked before eating something as simple as a cupcake.

Helping kids learn to prepare foods that are allergen-free is a good way to give them some autonomy and power over what they are able to eat. Whether your child has an intolerance to one food or an allergy to a spectrum of foods, creating delicious and nutritious meals can be a fun way to ward off the negativity that comes from a limited diet.

Making sure mealtime is safe, stress-free and enjoyable for everyone at the dinner table is the goal, especially since kids with food allergies so often have to be cautious about what they eat, where they eat and how food is prepared.

Dig in to some recipes that avoid the most prevalent food allergies. And let your kids be part of the cooking process. It will not only give them the tools to feel confident in the kitchen, but it makes eating more fun.

These breakfast bars can be adjusted for many types of food allergies. For nut allergies, be sure to make your own granola or use a granola that’s nut-free. A blend of dried apricots, plums, raisins and cherries tastes great in this recipe from the new cookbook How to Cook Everything Kids by Mark Bittman.

No-Bake Breakfast Bars

Makes 12 to 16 bars

• 1 ½ cups dried fruit
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 3 cups granola

1. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Put the dried fruit in a food processor with the honey or syrup. Pulse until the mixture is thick and sticky. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to chop up the fruit and help things get moving. (The mixture should be like a paste and not like a soup.)
2. Place the granola in a large bowl. Add the fruit mixture to the granola, folding and stirring to mix it evenly. Press mixture evenly into pan. Chill in the fridge until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Rice noodles, also called rice sticks, are a good choice for kids with Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance. Another way of getting the mouthfeel of pasta without the wheat is with zucchini noodles or carrot ribbons. This recipe, also from the new Mark Bittman cookbook for kids, uses both rice noodles and carrot ribbons. It’s fun to make and to eat!

Rice Sticks with Carrot Ribbons

Serves 2 to 4

• 6 cups water
• Salt
• 2 large carrots
• 6 ounces dried flat rice noodles, about (1/4-inch thick)
• 1 jalapeno or serrano chile
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 lime, cut in half
• Black pepper, to taste

1. Add a big pinch of salt to a large pot of water, bringing to a boil over high heat.
2. Trim and peel the carrots. Carefully run the vegetable peeler down the carrot to make ribbons. Turn the carrot as you work until you’re at the center and can’t make any more. Repeat with the other carrot. You should have about 1 packed cup of ribbons.
3. Make sure the water has come to a full boil, then add the noodles and carrots. Remove the pot from the heat, and cover. Let it sit until the rice sticks are fully tender and carrots are a little soft, about 15 minutes.
4. Chop the jalapeno or serrano pepper. Place oil in a large bowl, then squeeze juice from the lime into the oil. Add black pepper to taste.
5. After 15 minutes, check the noodles and carrots. If they’re not tender enough to eat, cover and let them sit another 5 to 10 minutes. When they’re ready, reserve soaking liquid and remove noodles and carrots from bowl. Add noodles and carrots to sauce and toss with tongs. Add enough of the soaking liquid to keep everything moist. Add chopped chiles plus any other toppings.

Note: Flavor your noodle bowl with your favorite toppings, including soy sauce, sesame oil, cilantro, chopped chicken or tofu.

Colorful veggies and corn on the cob are fun to eat in this one-dish dinner that’s gluten-free and dairy-free.

One-Dish Sausage and Rice

Serves 4

• 1 pound fully cooked chicken sausage
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• 1 ½ cups rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 ears corn
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce sausage a few times with a fork. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, cooking until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Add another tablespoon of oil to sauté pan. Cook garlic and bell pepper a few minutes. Stir in rice and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Add sausage to rice mixture, then bring to a boil.
3. Remove husk and silks from corn, then cut into 1-inch rounds. Once boiling, add corn and bake until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Top with chopped cilantro.

We’re big fans of these cookies from the Eating with Food Allergies site. They’re soft and gooey, and free of dairy, egg, wheat, soy, peanuts and tree nuts.

Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups gluten-free oats

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flaxseed and warm water in a small bowl and set aside for 3-5 minutes to create an egg-like consistency.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the flax and oil together until creamy. Add the brown sugar, applesauce, baking soda and cinnamon and mix to combine well. Add the flour gradually while mixing until it is fully incorporated into the dough. Mix in the oats.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Big 9

Food allergies range from mild to life-threatening and are more prevalent in children than adults. The U.S. Department of Agriculture identifies these as the top nine leading causes of food allergies.

• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Tree nuts
• Peanuts
• Wheat
• Soybeans
• Sesame

Natalie Mikles is a mom of three. She writes about food, sharing recipes for busy families and picky eaters. She has been recognized for her food columns as well as features on families and issues affecting local children. Natalie loves pizza and movie nights with her family.