VEFA Knoxville

3rd Annual VEFA Trunk or Treat!

jsinger — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:26:00 +0000

Food allergy friendly Trunk or Treat on Saturday,October 29, 2011.
Bring your ghouls, goblins (princesses or fairies) to a Halloween event safe for them! Decorate your trunk and bring non-food treats to pass out.
1-2 pm 9017 Cross Park Drive (Allergy and Asthma Affiliates parking lot close to The Cedar Bluff exit on I-40).
We hope to see you there.

Download a copy of the flyer to distribute here

Back to School Time!

jsinger — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:54:54 +0000

FAAN the Food Allergy and Anaphlaxis network has a host of helpful tips for back to school on it’s website. I have heard rumors that Knox County public schools may have some new policies or forms. Can anyone comment here?

Noodles and Company in Turkey Creek

jsinger — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:18:48 +0000

The new Noodle place in Turkey Creek is very allergy-friendly. They record all allergies on the order ticket and use separate pans. They do serve peanuts on several of their dishes, but we have been pleased with the cross-contamination avoidance. They are able to accommodate our nuts and egg allergic daughter. Just make sure and tell them the allergies when you place the order and enjoy!

Egg Free Brownies- Finally!!

jsinger — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:15:01 +0000

I got a hot tip from a woman in Indianapolis about how to get brownies to work without egg: The magic ingredient- pumpkin!

1 brownie mix (milk or nut free if you also are avoiding those, I used duncan hines)

oil and water called for in the recipe

1/2 can pumpkin pie filling (the extra spices seem to add to the brownies or just plain canned pumpkin also works)

Make the brownies following package directions, mix in the pumpkin in place of the egg.- I used 5 degrees cooler in the oven than called for and probably 5-10 minutes longer than called for in my pan- use the toothpick test to tell if the brownies are finished.

I made a double batch using an entire can of pumpkin for our 4th of July family reunion (two 11 by 13 pans and no one guessed that they were special brownies safe for my daughter!!!

Food Allergy Research Article

bchaves — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:55:06 +0000

Link to article regarding published research by Dr. Ruchi S. Gupta.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43447764#

New Gluten Free Baking Mixes

bburnett — Wed, 11 May 2011 10:12:55 +0000

King Arthur flours is now producing gluten free flour mixes in a dedicated top 8-allergen-free facility. The mixes are also kosher. They have a multi-purpose flour, bread mix, pizza crust mix, cookie mix, brownie mix, chocolate cake mix, and muffin and pancake mixes. www.kingarthurflour.com/glutenfree

Order Labels Now and Save 15% !

bburnett — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:59:55 +0000

Label It or Lose It has their iron-on and stick-on labels on sale for 15% off! This is an even better deal than the 10% discount we get using the VEFA code. The iron-on stickers are perfect for clothes and are washer and dryer resistant. Awesome for day care and camp! The stick-on labels are waterproof, and microwave and dishwasher safe. They can be individualized with your child’s allergies. You can also get smaller labels with just a name on them – great for sticking on the bottom of your containers the next time you take allergy-free foods to the family picnic! www.labelitorloseit.com

Part Three – Dietary Guidelines and SoFas

bburnett — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:51:58 +0000

SoFas is the new term for “Solid Fats and Added Sugars.” Solid fats are saturated fats and trans fats which contribute to heart disease. They are high in calories, but have few nutrients and no fiber. Sources for solid fats are mainly grain-based desserts, pizza, cheese, sausage, bacon, franks, and ribs, and fried potatoes. Milk and fruit have natural sugar, but a food has added sugars if you see the terms “high fructose corn syrup,” corn syrup solids, fructose sweetener, anhydrous dextrose, crystal dextrose, and honey. Like the foods containing solid fats, foods with added sugars provide lots of calories and few essential nutrients and no fiber. In the American diet, the major sources of added sugar are soda, energy and sports drinks, grain-based desserts, sugar-sweetened fruit drinks, dairy-based desserts, and candy.
Choose more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains to reduce the SoFas in your diet.

Part Two – Dietary Guidelines and Salt

bburnett — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:35:32 +0000

The average sodium intake for most Americans is 3400 milligrams (mg)per day. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee wanted to set the new daily sodium goal at 1500 mg per day, however, they settled on 2300 mg as a more practical target. They also recommend further reductions in sodium to 1500 mg for people that are 51 or older, and those of any age who are African-American or have high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease.
About three quarters of the sodium in the American diet comes from processed foods, not the salt shaker. Read nutrition labels on packages. A sodium level of 150 mg per serving is considered a high sodium food.

Part One: The Latest Dietary Guidelines

bburnett — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:07:02 +0000

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were issued by the US government in January 2011. Because 2/3 of American adults and 1/3 of American children weigh more than a healthy weight, the main focus of the new guidelines is “Enjoy your food, but eat less.”
In addition, the guidelines stress a shift in what Americans eat, calling for us to include MORE vegetables, fruits, whole-grains legumes, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and seafood, as well as LESS sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars and refined grains.
While the seventh edition of the Guidelines was 112 pages long, don’t plan on having to read all of them! I will be posting and giving more details about some of the highlights here. Look for those soon!