Need Advise on a Toddler with a Newly Diagnosed Peanut Allergy

I do not have any kids diagnosed with a peanut allergy but I do know that it is best to be aware of places that cook peanut products. For example, when we were visiting Disneyworld last summer, the bakeries would cook baking goods with peanuts/other nuts. My niece wasn't allowed to eat any of those baked goods because she does have a peanut allergy.

My kids also have food allergies, and I highly recommend joining the online support group at kidswithfoodallergies.com. It has been a lifesaver for me dealing with multiple food allergies. Any question you have, someone has already asked it or else someone will have an answer for you. Everyone is extremely supportive. There is a $25 annual fee but it is well worth it in my opinion. Good luck to you. I know it feels overwhelming at first, but soon it'll be the new normal.

Hi S.,

My 14-month old son was diagnosed with peanut, milk, and egg allergies when he was 7-months old. His allergist recommended that we avoid all tree nuts in addition to peanuts, for the time being. Here is a professional, informative, and doctor-recommended site to which you can refer for lots of helpful information. I ordered and read a book they sell entitled "The Peanut Allergy Handbook," which will probably answer any questions you have. Also from this site, you can order little wallet-size ingredient cards that list all ingredient listings you should avoid for the peanut allergy. They're great for taking to the store. Here's the site. Good luck to you!

http://foodallergy.org/

K.

S.,

My seven-year old daughter has had a peanut allergy for four years. We have seen several allergists, including, most recently, the food allergy experts at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.

They all say to avoid ALL nuts because there is a greater likelihood of developing allergies to other nuts besides peanut (which my daughter actually eventually developed). They advise staying away from anything that is processed in a facility with peanuts or that says "may contain traces of peanuts" because there is between a 10 to 30 percent chance of cross-contamination from something that was made on the same machine using peanuts.

Be very careful about reading ingredients in everything. Don't rely on the allergy statements at the bottom of a package because several times I have found peanut or peanut flour is an ingredidient but it is not highlighted at the bottom of an ingredient list as is required by law.

Also, read EVERYTHING, even if you don't think it contains peanut. I gave my daughter cheese ritz bits a few years ago, before I started reading everything routinely. It turns out that they contained peanut flour. Alot of cookies and bake and break cookie mixes contain peanut flour.

Also, avoid bakeries and bake sales and baked goods, because "if you can't read it, you can't eat it." That's the rule we have in our house. Again, the issues are possible hidden ingredients and the risk of cross-contamination. A boy at my daughter's old preschool had a very serious anaphalactic reaction when she relied on a waiter to know whether a baked dessert had nuts in it.

If you go to ice cream parlors, ask that they use a clean scoop, and scan the area for loose peanuts. I have my daughter avoid the messier ice cream parlors where peanuts are spilled all over the place. It is better now that she is older and can tell me if she thinks there is something in her ice cream, but with a toddler it is more difficult.

Maybe you have heard of FAAN, the Food Allergy and Anaphalaxis Network, based in Virginia. They have tons of helpful info on their website.

The bottom line is that it can be a scary allergy, and one to take very seriously. I wish I had realized this right away with my daughter. Unfortunately, our first allergist gave us very little info, and I didn't develop strict habits right away.

It is impossible to know whether a reaction will be severe or not because it depends on how much peanut is ingested. People always ask whether my daughter's allergy is severe and I always say "yes" because it could be.

When your toddler is at a preschool or daycare, make sure the environment is peanut-free. Most preschool environments are very good about that these days.

Hope this helps.

Hi. Welcome to the club! Most packages state at the end of the ingrediants section if they contatin peanuts or where processed on machines with peanuts. Also, this rules out homemade stuff. You have to ask anyone what the ingredients of their stuff is. Also, please notify any daycare providers.

The biggest hidden thing that we've found is what type of oil the restaurants fry things in. Several of them use peanut oil. (Chinese food, French fries, etc.) Two that I know of are 'Chick-fil-a' and 'Boardwalk Fries'. Whenever I go to a new restaurant, I ask what they use.

Another thing that I do is send food with my child. When we go out to a restaurant that is in question, we pack a lunch/dinner for my son. Also, I sent took a container of safe snacks to my son's school so that when there is a birthday party or something that I don't know about ahead of time, my son will be able to be included.

Good luck.
M.

I would check with the allergist but if I were you I would stay away from all nuts. My daughter is class 3 for tree nuts (class 4 is fatal). At age 2 she had a severe reaction to walnuts. The allergist said to avoid peanuts as well since they eventually become allergic to those too. (She had eaten peanuts previously with no problem.) I recently introduced seeds and she has no problem. Just be very careful as I read that seeds are next to nuts in causing anaphylaxis. By being careful I mean waiting until they are older( I am very conservative and wait until 5 years or so) and giving a little bit on their lip first. If no reaction then giving a tiny piece to swallow. Wait 15 minutes and if no reaction try 1/4 tsp. I would wait several hours or even the next day.

Read labels carefully. Don't buy things from bulk bins as they may be contaminated with nuts. Join the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, 10400 Eaton Place, Suite 107, Fairfax, VA 22030, 1-800-929-4040. They have great books, pamphlets, newsletters, how to read labels, stuff for school, etc.

Always have benadryl around wherever the child is and an epipen if necessary. A medic alert bracelet or emblem on shoes would be an idea also.

Hi S.,
My now 8 year old son was diagnosed with peanut allergies as a toddler along with egg and soy. At first it was so overwhelming reading all the labels and we spent so much time in the grocery store. Eventually, you will come to know what your daughter can have and what she can eat at different restaurants for the most part although we still have to ask a lot. Be very careful at restaurants because some of them act bothered to have to check the ingredients and will try to tell you they are sure it's o.k. without actually checking and I tell them that is not good enough because my child can die from this and then they will usually cooperate more. My son is allergic to all nuts and had a reaction from helping me pick up walnuts in the yard so I recommend staying away from all treenuts and any kind of nuts. Also sunflower seeds are often produced on equipment shared with peanuts. I would never recommend what one parent advised about putting a little to the lip and waiting for a reaction, this could be deadly. The best way to find out is to have the allergist test your child and then you will know for sure. Make sure when your child goes to preschool and school there is a plan developed such as not sitting next to or close to anyone with peanut products and having children who bring peanut butter for lunch to wash their hands throughly. When the entire school has peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, my son has to eat lunch in the office. Ask to have a friend join them so they don't feel so alone. All the children in my son's class then have to wash their hands before returning to class. Sometimes, as with my son, the allergy is so bad that just having contact on the body causes a severe reaction. Our biggest problem has been with the ignorance of other adults and children who don't understand the allergy and the cruelty of the children at school. Also, please don't give them anything that says manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts. I have a friend who has a son with peanut allergies and she said her son would never get to eat anything if she paid attention to that warning but she is risking her son's life because of cross contamination. It only takes a tiny amount to do harm for someone as allergic as my son is. It's not worth the risk! Please make sure everyone who teaches your child in church, schools, camps and everywhere know of the allergy. It will get easier but you can never let your gaurd down even when your child gets older. I wish you all the best and I know you are in a difficult stage right now of just recently finding this out.
M. B

I have a son who is three and he has a peanut allergy. Your best bet is to stay away from all nuts and read the allergy warnings on the back of foods. My son as an epipen just in case he comes in contact with peanuts. It is better to be safe than sorry.

My daughter is allergic to Peanuts too. I read all labels. Things that you wouldn't think of at least I didn't was tollhouse morsels (chocolate chips). They are manufactured in a plant that processes peanuts. So I figure that on of those morsells may have touched a peanut. So she gets none. You can go to many of the manufacturers web sites like Mars.com and they will give you list of ingrediants for all of their products.
About other nuts and things. I had her tested for other nuts and some she is allergic to and some she isn't...I just keep her away from all of them. Seseme seeds, poppy seeds she has been fine...I don't know about the others.
Her allergist prescribed an epi-pen just in case. I carry it with me all the time, and I usually know the quickest route to the nearest hospital.

Hi,

It's good that you found out about the peanut allergy early as we didn't find out about our son's allergy until he was about 7 yrs. old. I would say that you should get in the habit of checking food labels as peanuts or peanut oil may be in things you may not suspect. The way I found out about my son's allergy was from a can of curry sauce that I used to cook some chicken. The sauce contained peanuts. The good thing is that it seems like the food manufacturers have become better at noting if a product has peanuts or was processed in a factory with peanut products.

My son's allergist advised us to not only avoid peanuts but tree nuts as well although there was no clear evidence that he was allergic to tree nuts. We are following her advice. It's best to check with your allergist. Hope that helps.

I volunteer for children's activities at my church and one day a child came in wearing a really cute T-shirt with a big "warning: no peanuts" sign on it. We decided to order some for the church to keep and quickly slip on our other kids with allergies as they come in so no mistakes are made at snack time.
Check out this link to see the shirts: http://www.cafepress.com/buy/peanut+allergy

OK -- I've been there and done that. My daughter, now 12, HAD a very sever peanut allergy when she was about 15 months old - she was also allergic to wheat and corn at that time. I took the extreme route and I am very glad I did. I eliminated EVERY possibility. Our allergist said to read all the labels on foods the list of ingrediants is from the most quantity to the least. (We had to carry an EPI-Pen everywhere we went.) The Dr said if it is down at the bottom 3 or below, she could have it but if it said it anywhere I did'nt give it to her. So for us at this point peanut was the easiest. Remember this was also 12 years ago - now they are much better at labels and warnings. We watched labels very strongly. We also considered WHERE things were made, ex. M&M's we didn't allow them at any point as a treat because they are made in the same factory as the peanut M&M's - same thing with cereals (peanut butter crunch and crunch berries are made in the same place) and cookies. We shopped at health food stores quite a bit too which was a little more expensive but worth it. When you go out to eat ask what type of oil they cook with - some places use peanut oil because it doesn't burn. We have a local restaurant that serves peanuts while you wait for a table - stay away from there as well because even if your child doesn't eat them it is in the air and the oils from them are on the surfaces. Also if your child goes to a party - make sure you "warn" the party-giver of the allergy so that in case "treat bags" are prepared they would know not to include anything with peanut/peanut butter in it. Or if they go to a friends for a play date - make sure they dont offer peanut butter sandwiches or peanut butter crackers. Even if they give your child a cheese sandwich and their child eat peanut butter and jelly - that could be dangerous. I also showed my daughter the things she couldn't have so as she got older, she was more cautious and aware of things around her. It is alot to take on but you have to do your investigating and teach others around you. Dont take it lightly. My daughter went back and was retested when she was in first grade and then she had to take a peanut challenge in the allergist office and they had said that she "outgrew" the allergy. Our doctor felt that it was partially due to the strict practices that I used. So there is hope that this may not be a forever thing. Good luck.

my two year old has a peanut allergy. you have to read all labels and don't let your child have anything you don't know the ingredients. also, many baked goods are processed on equipt that processes peanuts. you have to be vigilant. see a pediatric allergist as soon as you can!

Be sure to check the ingredients on the label. It will say "allergy alert" or something like that. Many baked goods are cooked on or near equipment with peanuts in it, and therefore no good to someone with a peanut allergy.

It's go0ing to ba a rocky start but if you read the allergy statements on every box it sould be fine.

S. ~ Thank you for your post! I tried to share this information today, but Mamasource would not allow me to... I am not sure why!
To make a 13 year battle short: our family has struggled with a host of medical problems some of which come from my struggle from allergies to processed food, food coloring, preservatives and artificial anything, as well as a heart condition that I share with some of my children.
My 2 year young princess suffers from some of the same food allergies.
It has been a long learning process and there have been many times where I have felt so alone in my struggle. People just never seem to understand how important it is to read EVERY ingredient that goes into or on our bodies. With reason it has had to engulf our life and has not made things very easy ~ But then give me a challenge and I will try to over come that!

I am not sure how many of you watch The Apprentice Celebrity, but I was watching the show last night and Trey Adkins said his daughter suffered from bad food allergies like us as well. It was so wild how I felt an immediate connection!
The charity he chose to represent was The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.
When I see posts such as yours, it makes it even more clear to me that we all should be asking:
Do you know anyone with food allergies?
Do you watch children and know if they have food allergies? Do you think twice about offering a food to a child at the local baseball game?
Last spring at a local babseball game was were we discovered I had passed some of my allergies onto my daughter.
I wanted to make sure all of you knew about this network and about the danger of allergies that many children are beginning to face in numbers.

http://www.foodallergy.org/about.html

One of the most important reasons I want to pass the word around is the fright I always have that someone will give me or my daughter something that could cause a bad deadly reaction. I also never knew this Network existed ad am glad I found it!

It is important to me to make everyone aware! Make sure all of you really think about offering a child food if you do not know for sure about ANY food allergies!

Thanks for your time!Mama Jenn
Mama to Bryce~9 Austin~7 Taylor~2

My son was allergic to dairy for a while as a young toddler, but outgrew it. The pediatrician recommended a website called Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) for help and info. There's a main site and a site for kids. I found both to be extremely helpful. While this doesn't answer your question about peanut allergies, hopefully the links will be of some help.

http://www.foodallergy.org/
http://www.faankids.org/

Good luck!

I don't have a child with a peanut allergy, but I have worked with them through my job. Most nuts are processed in the same machines as peanuts and often have a warning that they can be "contaminated" with peanut. Be very careful. Lots of processed foods have warning labels now.

Hi S....
I don't have a peanut allergy or anything but something some people do not know or realize is some places cook with peanut oil...such as Chick Fil A. My advice to you is to ask before ordering other places if they cook with any peanut oils or products. I worked at Chick Fil A for 3 years in high school and I was surprised at the amount of people who didn't know what their food actually contained! (being cooked in peanut oil). Please be cautious of this!!

I have a 19 month old who was diagnosed a few months ago too. It sucks!! Definitely have an epi-pen with you and any other caregiver (day care too) at all times and know how to use it. His allergist said to avoid all nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds as well as shell fish. Read all labels. Most cookies are processed on equipment used to process peanut products and the same with sunflower seeds. Be careful getting anything from bakeries as well as the equipment could be used for peanut products. Many restaurants use peanut oil (five guys and chic fil a included) so be sure to ask about that as well. Also make sure anyone around her knows about the allergy so that they don't offer her a cookie or something without reading the label or asking you first. You can order braclets that have it written on them as well which I will do once he is old enough for it not to bother him. It is overwhelming and scary but just be informed and keep everyone around her informed as well.

I would stay away from any of the nuts and you will have to read all labels to see what ingredents are in the food. Make sure you stay away from anything made with peanut oil or any type of nuts in the ingredents. When she starts school make sure that they know about her allergy so if anyone brings in treats for the children that they will send a note out to other parents not to use peanut oil or any kind of nuts in any treats brought to the school. Hope this helps

My 4 year old has a peanut allergy...how high was her number when she got her blood work?? I think anything over 20..they will have forever. My daughter had a reaction around 2 1/2 and they say since she has had a reaction the next one may be worse. She was diagnosed at one with it.
Here is what I do:
-ALWAYS carry an epipen jr. I have several! Practice with the tester-refresh yourself every few months.
-be extremely careful when you eat out. I use to bring her own food. Talk to the chef if you have any questions.
-I avoid pretty much all nuts..to be safe.
-IF the container says made in a facility that contains peanuts...we may try it. I think for the most part the food companies are being overly careful and put that on the label. Certain things we do stay away from though.
I was told that C. fila is alright because it has refined peanut oil-which is expressed differently.
-becareful that something you order out-maybe bakery did not get cross contaminated.
-Educate your daughter as soon as she is able to understand!! She will have to learn to be very careful!
-any relatives that eat -make sure they brush their teeth and wash hands before being around her.
I am a freak about it! If you have any questions about it..please contact me. It is something that you have to learn to change your lifestyle and never let your guard down. Don't be afraid to remind caregivers etc..about her allergy. My Mother in law still forgets and bring peanut stuff into my Peanut free house! IT is scary...
Best wishes!!!
Melissa C.

I know about food allergies because i have some. You will need to be a label reader to check ingredients on everthing. Peanuts are a common allergic food. Peanuts are not in the nut family. They are actually a legume. So most likely your daughter can eat nuts. Sometimes food allergies are really food sensitivities that will diminish in time. Avoid the food for one year then try it again. If she has no reaction she may be over it. If she does react avoid the food for another 6 months. If one loses sensitivity to a food it is still wise not to eat it on a daily basis or the sensitivity could return. AF

Dear S.,

I have great news for you. I have a friend whose son almost died as a result of peanut allergy that provoked his athsma. He started taking some amazing nutritional supplements and his life has turned around. He no longer has to be on steroids for athsma and he has a higher tolerance to peanut exposure. Truly incredible. I use the same nutritionals for my kids and they have GREAT immune systems. I get them through another friend of mine:

Dave and Trish Delevante,
USANA Health Sciences
###-###-####
____@____.com

Ask him to tell you the story of Timothy Sovine. You will be amazed.
My name is L. Hubbard. Tell him I told you to ask about how the nutritionals help with peanut allergies.

Good luck!

Hi S., I am a paretn of an 11 year old who was diagnosed when he was 3. He is allergic to peanuts and some tree nuts.
My advice is to read every label, ther are nuts where you would least expect them. If your child is only allergic to peanuts I would still avoid all nuts. Most of them are processed in the same places. Restaurants, always ask a to speak to a manager before you go in. If there is any risk of cross contamination do not eat there. There is a lot of helpful resources on the internet just search "peanut allergies". Hope this helps. C. B.

My daughter was diagnosed very young-four months. I was breastfeeding and chowing down on trial mix loaded with peantus daily!! She started having symptoms by two months old. I would avoid all nuts. Often when there is a peanut allergy, it's to all tree nuts. Double check with your doctor. You'll have to read lots of labels. Many times a food may not have peanuts but have been made on or shared equipment that may have. I'm sure it depends on how high her levels are/ how allergic. I'd avoid it all and when you get her retested, they'll be able to let you know if it's gotten better. Check out www.foodallergy.org for more info too.

Hi S.,

All Labels state whether or not there is p-nut in the mixture. At this time staying away from all p-nut products will be fine. Read all labels on foods. It is a chore but will be worth it for you and the baby.

Good luck. D.

My children do not have peanut allergies but my mother has been living with all her life. Other nuts can be eaten without any triggering the peanut allergy. Unless it's something homemade, there should never be hidden peanut ingredients. Peanuts will always be in the list of ingredients and/or it will have a warning that it may contain peanuts or was made in a factory that processes peanuts. Just be sure to look closely at the list and go slowly through it. There may be a lot of ingredients but it's worth the time to make sure your child doesn't suffer. Once you become familiar with products you won't have to look and it will become easier to find the peanuts in the list once you get used to looking for it. If it's homemade, you can always ask the person that made the food. I wish you the best of luck with your little one!

http://www.cookingtf.com/children.html

A great resource for children and nutrition.

~L.
www.accesspilates.com

hi S.,

our g.daughter was diagnosed around the same time with the same allergy. you are going to have to read labels cause they use peanuts in a lot of things. i am sure there is probably a site to find out what they can or cannot eat.

you need to also find out if she is allergic to nuts that grow above the ground or just below the ground. peanuts grow in the ground but our g.daughter can now eat walnuts which grow on trees. keep the epipen nearby too just in case of a reaction. lexi is now almost 5 and is growing out of all of this little. I really wish you well.

Hi S.,

READ ALL THE LABELS! Most foods now have warnings on the labels that say they are manufactured in a facility that also manufactures peanuts or peanut products. Abuela

Peanut allergies are pretty common now. Susan 0. gave you the two best websites. Also, if you are in the Tidewater Area CHKD has a support group for Food Allergies. Contact the Allergy Department for date and time. If your daughter has been tested for a peanut allergy they should have tested her for a Tree Nut allergy also. Being allergic to one does not automatically mean you are allergic to the other. My son is allergic to tree nuts but not peanuts. I have several friends whose children have multiple food allergies so this is a constant topic of conversation. The most important thing is read labels and ask questions! If you are looking for a peanut butter substitute, soy nut butter is great! Also Cherrybrook Kitchen (online, Farm Fresh & Krogers) has a line of peanut & nut-free cake mixes that are really good. There is also a website Allergators.com that has a line of items (t-shirts, bracelets, stickers, etc.) that I used to "announce" my child allergy at school and parties. Good luck.

Peanuts are legumes. Be careful with beans and peas. My son has had reactions with both of these. Stay way from chinese restaurants..lots of cross contaimination. Chick-filet also uses peanut oil.

S.,
When our daughter was 1yr old, we found out that she's allergic to peanuts, eggs, cats and dogs.
It wasn't fun at first due that both my husband and I LOVE food! And the fact that we also have 2 dogs and a cat, prior of me getting pregnant.

For the first 2yrs, we created a menu at home and constantly read labels everytime we go grocery shopping. When dining out, we make sure we asked lots of questions first before ordering our food - just to be safe than sorry. As for our 4 legged family members; we limit them from being in her bedroom, changed from carpet to hardwood floor and we would vacuum the house every other day.

Our daughter is now 4yrs old, and she loves eating variety of food. As she gets older and understand the consequences, she became very receptive whenever we told her that there's either peanuts or eggs in that food/dish. She'll acknowledge it and just ask for something else to eat. Fresh vegetables, fruits, rice/noodles, fresh fish, pizza, chicken nuggets are just to name some of a few things that we would start giving her. And for myself, I am a fulltime working mom and I would spend every possible free time I have to cook at home - just so I know that my dauther is eating healthy food that is safe for her. As for seeds, the only thing that we would add in her salad is pumpkin seeds.

Fyi, we were given an epi pen for emergency used. So far, we never had to use. Now, our daughter is big enough to ask an adult if there is any peanuts or nuts or eggs in either a cookie, or cake or any dish before she eats them.

It's a lot of work.. but it'll pay off.
Good luck to you and feel free to ask me any further questions you might have.

- R. D.

I have several friends who deal with this challenge. I remember one checking the cake mix I had used, and it passed, but obviously some don't. I also recall them having problems with walnuts, and items cooked in peanut oil, such as the chips served at Panera. Just having the Dad eat them nearby his daughter was enough to make her react. They always carry an epipen, the girl wears a medic alert bracelet, and she just has to be organized and inform friends and playdates, and now teachers and bus drivers to school, who also have been trained to use the epipen. I also recall breads with nuts are dangerous. This 10 year old girl is highly allergic, but has always been healthy and happy otherwise.
I know another mom who buys the Sunflower Seed Butter from Trader Joe's for her allergic son. We get it too and it's great. Best wishes to you and your daughter!

Usually kids who have peanut allergies should avoid all nuts. You have to check the label on everything! Now they label all foods with allergy information, which is great. I'm very often surprised by things that are labeled as containing trace amounts of peanuts-dried fruit, baking mixes, etc... things that don't contain nuts but are processed on the same equipment that processes nut products.

The allergist might be able to give you some guidance on this. How severe her allergy is, whether her allergy is specific peanuts or all tree nuts or what, and probably can give you a list of things to avoid. If you google the words "peanut allergy" you can find some pretty helpful articles and websites about dealing with this condition. I have a friend whose daughter is DEATHLY allergic and she reads labels like crazy. One of the biggest challenges for her is keeping up with what she eats at other peoples homes, school parties, birthdays, etc... because there are always cookies, cakes, snacks and such that might have been processed in the factory that handles peanuts. She has just gotten used to bringing a snack or special cupcake or something for her on play dates or parties. One good thing about finding out while your daughter is young, is that by the time she is school-age, she will be used to asking you if it is ok before she eats something. OH! I almost forgot... be careful of foods cooked in peanut oil,,,, Chick-fil-A, for example. Also, you should not feel weird about really letting people who might be taking care of her know about her allergy, and making it VERY clear what she can have. They won't be fine -tuned to all the things that might have nuts in them like you will be, but you can give them a list of ok foods. Hope this helps! Good luck, and don't worry, after a few months of watching for nuts, you will be a pro at it. :)

You've been given good advice here!

Peanuts are different from tree nuts. I have a friend who's son started out with the peanut allergy only. A few years later developed an allergy to tree nuts. Has your daughter had a full food allergy screening? It would be a good idea. My cousin's daughter was diagnosed with allergies to all nuts, dairy and wheat when she was about your daughter's age. It is an adjustment to get used to avoiding the triggers, but it becomes second nature.

Be diligent about reading labels for prepackaged/processed foods. Talk to your doctor about carrying an epi-pen, if they haven't suggested this already. (In case of accidental exposure)

Best of luck to you,
T.

Hi S.,

Im H., a mother of 2 wonderful kids. My girl is 48mos and my son who is 19mos. My daughter also was diagnosed when she was abt 2y/o, what i did i just avoided all nuts for the time being bec whenever it triggers i really pity her. Eventually, she overcomed it. Guess what's her favorite now a days, its peanut butter.

Hi S.!

I am 30 years old and have lived with a peanut allergy all of my life. Here are some foods that have hidden peanuts products:
* chili (some people/restaurants use PB as a thickener)
* plain M&Ms have crushed peanuts
* many granola bars use peanut flour
* Chinese & Thai foods -- when asking let your waiter know that it is a serious allergy, not a dislike
* hard ice cream from an ice cream parlor! This one is a whammy! I cannot eat ice cream out when there is an open bin of PB ice cream because they will often use the same scooper or just rinse it in water when going from one bin to the other. I have ended up in the emergency room after a few licks of my chocolate cone because of the cross contamination.

Also, when traveling, be sure to call the airline ahead of time and ask them not to serve peanuts. Southwest has an amazing policy. Best wishes!

L.