Food Allergy Living Blog Tagged Results

If you’ve ever tried to prepare a meal for a picky eater, you know that the process can be a handful. But what do you do when your little one has a very limited diet and they do not find the things they can eat appetizing? That’s just one of the many things we here at Nutricia have in mind, so we try to offer as many options to our customers as possible. Our goal is to make meal time as stress-free as possible for a diet that is difficult, but necessary. One of the easiest solutions we offer is our Flavor Packets.

What makes our Flavor Packets so great? They come in 3 flavors (cherry-vanilla, grapefruit and lemon-lime) that are different from the Neocate Junior and Splash flavors. Each packet adds only about 15 calories and contains no protein, making them perfect for an elemental diet. This gives more variety to a formula-based diet for children over one year.

The best feature of the Flavor Packets is that you can use as little or as much as needed to match your child’s flavor preference. For instance, some children who start using Neocate Infant at a young age and then transition to unflavored Neocate Junior make the switch with no problem. However, as they get older and experience new tastes (like fruit juice) they may not like the taste of an unflavored elemental formula as much. But it’s also possible to find one of our flavored formulas a bit overpowering. In this case, you can add just enough flavor to help mask the taste of the amino acids, but not so much that the flavor or sweetness is overwhelming.

Not sure how much of a flavor packet to use? Each flavor packet is designed to mix with about sixteen ounces (or two cups) of prepared formula. For a child who is accustomed to unflavored formula, a good suggestion might be to start out at half-strength and see what they think. If your child is old enough, you could set up a blind taste test “experiment” for them with a few different concentrations and flavors to see what they like best and make the experience more fun! Also, for children over a year old you can use Flavor Packets with Neocate Nutra. We suggest experimenting to see how much flavor is right and a good place to start might be ⅛ or ¼ teaspoon per serving of Nutra.

Have you found the Flavor Packets to be helpful with keeping your little one interested in their elemental formula? Let us know in the comments section below.

- Rob

As we’ve mentioned before, mixing food allergies and birthday parties requires a bit of effort.  This includes both hosting a birthday party (with guests with food allergies) and sending your food-allergic child to a birthday party.

We wanted to round up a few recipes that could provide a potential solution. It would also be great to have an allergen-free dessert, whether you’re hosting the party or sending your little one to a party.  This way everyone can safely enjoy a treat.
 

Cakes & Baked Goods

Most cakes and baked goods call for dairy, eggs, and wheat, which are three of the top eight allergens.  In fact, fish and shellfish are the only two of the top allergens that do NOT regularly appear in baked goods! Here are a few alternatives to a traditional birthday cake that could make a great stand-in.

On page 14 of the Neocate Food Allergy Cookbook, there’s a great recipe for a frosted birthday cake, made with a cake mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen – free of dairy, nuts, and eggs. But don’t count out serving cookies, brownies, bars, cupcakes, or cobbler, all of which appear in the same great cookbook. Another great place to check is the Kids with Food Allergies website, which offers a variety of recipes.

Not interested in handling the baking yourself? There are several companies that can bake a great, safe alternative and have it shipped straight to you, candles not included. A few places whose treats are allergen-free to varying degrees are Divvie’s Bakery, Home Free, Liz Lovely, and Betsy & Claude Baking Company.  You can also check grocery stores that cater to special dietary needs, such as Whole Foods.
 

Delicious Desserts

Who says that an equally delicious dessert can’t make a stellar stand-in for cake? Not us! Here are some ideas for other great foods that most kids would never refuse.

See our Neocate Nutra Recipe Guide for allergy-friendly ice creams and puddings.  Also check back into the Neocate Food Allergy Cookbook for great shake and smoothie recipes, many submitted by parents.  Top suggestions include the Banana Chocolate Shake or Chocolate Covered Strawberry Slushy.  If you really feel like going all-out, you can use one of these frozen desserts alongside a baked good, in place of the usual cake and ice cream.

Feeling REALLY adventurous? Try your hand at a homemade ice cream cake by combining recipes for an allergen-free ice cream, cookies, and frosting.

What have you used in the past when the traditional birthday cake wouldn’t do? Let us know in the Comments section below.

- Rob

If you’re used to preparing your little one’s powdered Neocate formula, you might be wondering if there is an easier way. It’s tough enough getting kids dressed in the morning, much less having to measure out and prepare powdered formula to send to daycare or school. Fortunately another option is E028 Splash!


What is E028 Splash?

E028 Splash, or just “Splash” for short, is part of the Neocate line of hypoallergenic formulas. The “E028” doesn’t mean anything special: it’s just a unique product code that stuck! Splash is technically a “medical food,” which falls somewhere in the middle of a food, a drug, and a supplement. Orange-Pineapple Splash has been available in the US since 1995, and in 2006 we introduced 2 new flavors: Tropical Fruit and Grape.

Splash, just like Neocate Junior, is designed for kids over a year old and contains some of all of the nutrients growing bodies need, like carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Splash is unique because the protein source is free amino acids, which are safe for kids with food allergies and other medical needs that require an elemental diet. It’s also gluten-free and casein-free.


What makes Splash so great?

The number one reason parents love Splash is because it’s so convenient. Splash is the only ready-to-feed amino acid based formula there is! It goes into a backpack just as easily as any other juice box. No more measuring powder, measuring water, and shaking! Not only is this convenient for daycare or school, but it also takes the guesswork out of the equation for babysitters, family, and other parents when your child visits on a play date.

Kids love Splash for a number of reasons. Severe allergies may mean they need a special formula, but who says it has to LOOK like a special formula? Not us! Splash is packaged to look like other juice drinks, so allergic kids don’t have to feel “different” from everyone else. We even use colored straws to mask the look of a formula, because Splash has NO artificial colors. For some kids, the novelty of getting to drink their formula through a straw instead of from a cup can make a world of difference. And don’t tell your little one that we said this, but the drink box keeps the distinct smell of formula wrapped up. And to top it all off, Splash comes in 3 great flavors, which can help kids to stick to an elemental diet by adding variety.

Splash has been a blessing for so many families that it has even appeared in a few news stories: here’s a video of Splash helping Matthew Bernard!

- Rob