Tuesday 7 February 2012

Pre-made foods that are Bob safe

I have been asked by various people about exactly what Bob can eat, well the answer to that is not much pre-made, but to help out those and to save you all having to scour shelves/fridges/freezer in varying supermarkets my daughter has made up a list of the foods she has found and uses.

All the below foods are dairy, egg, wheat, gluten and nut free, however some may contain soya.  I have marked the ones that I know contain soya, but others may contain it too.
All of the information in this sheet is correct, to the best of my knowledge, however, please do not take risks with either your own or your child’s health, and please check all ingredients on everything you buy.

Frozen Foods
Sainsburys free from Chicken Nuggets
Sainsburys free from Chicken steaks 
Doherty’s gluten free Sausages (available in most supermarkets, fairly cheap and really tasty, contain soya)
Young’s free from fish fingers (available in most supermarkets)
Asda free from garlic baguettes (contain soya, expensive)

Bread
Dietary Specials rolls and loafs (the rolls are a lot nicer than the loafs, and can be warmed in the oven to make them even nicer, contain soya)
Dietary Specials breadsticks (these are tasty, and also free from soya)
Dietary Specials Crackers

Ready meals
Sainsburys do a range of ready meals in foil packets (almost like cat food pouches!) – the chickpea curry is fairly cheap, and very tasty, but the portion size isn’t very generous.  The tomato and basil soup is really nice, and the pouch is big enough for both kids.
Asda kids great stuff meals – a few of these are free-from, however you need to read the ingredients as they are not marked up as free from – the chicken and veggie rice is free from everything, and really tasty.
Marks and Spencers do a range of fresh ready meals, some are free-from.

Snacks
Haribos are free from everything (except sugar and colourings!)
Orgran do a fantastic range of free-from foods, including biscuits and pasta (they can be ordered from www.allergyessex.co.uk among other places)
Sunstart biscuits – available from Asda and Holland & Barrett.
Miss Robens is an American make, who state all their products are free-from the major allergens (choc-chips contain soya lecithin, but are kept separate from everything else) – again available from www.allergyessex.co.uk
Sainsburys basics Cinema Sweet popcorn
Snack-a-jacks  These are one of the strange things you need to be careful of,  The salt and vinegar flavoured ones are fine, as are the large caramel ones. but the small, snack size bags of caramel are not safe as they contain milk, why this should be I have no idea, but this is the sort of thing you need to be aware of.
Kinnerton make a range of dairy free chocolate, including Easter eggs (available in the supermarkets) and an advent calendar (must be ordered direct from Kinnerton themselves, mail-order, and limited supplies - £6.50 each, (but £5 goes to the anaphylaxis campaign)  Kinnerton chocolate contains soya. It is very nice perfectly acceptable chocolaty chocolate

Others
Cheese – Bute Island foods make Sheese, which is dairy free (contains soya), can be ordered online, but if you check their website, you can find the nearest wholesaler, who will give you details of your local stockists. I have had samples send out of this and will get a product review in the next few days and will add a link to the review once it is done.

Toffutti is another ‘cheese’ available – it’s a cream-cheese type.
Redwood foods make Cheezly,  and other gluten free foods, some of which I have done a review on here available in most health food shops.
Pure make soya spread, and a sunflower spread.
Heinz tomato ketchup
Bisto Best gravy granules – some flavours are safe (although they say made on a line handling wheatflour, so it depends on your level of allergy to wheat.)  Not all flavours are safe, though, some contain milk.
Alpro make soya yoghurts, desserts, cream and milk (available in most supermarkets), most of them very pleasant.
Asda have their own range of soya yoghurts, a little cheaper than Alpro, but not half as tasty.
Rice Dream make a range of rice milk (soya free), chocolate and plain, available in individual cartons as well as large ones, ideal for school lunches (there are two types available, both taste the same, but one has added calcium) – I find them in Sainsburys.

Redwood foods also make Wot no dairy yoghurts , which you can also see reviewed here
Asda and Sainsburys basic range ham.
Asda and Sainsburys basic range ready salted crisps. Walkers plain crisps are no longer Bob safe so do remember and read the packaging

Kellogg’s Coco pops (contain barley), Asda and Sainsburys own make frosties (Kellogg’s frosties may contain traces of nut).

Eating out -  as many of you may be aware your biggest danger here is cross contamination. How can you be sure they are following proper food handling procedures in their kitchen? Are they wiping a work surface/knife with a cloth that has previously been contaminated with something else? Are they wiping every table with the same cloth and spreading food unsafe for you child? We always carry antibacterial wipes and wipe every surface Bob and his food will come across, plus put down napkins, if it falls of the napkin it is binned. But have no safe guards against bad practise which does go on.

McDonald’s chips, hash browns and fruit bags are safe.  If you turn over the sheet that is placed on your tray in McDonalds, it has a comprehensive list of allergen information on the back.  Their website is also really good, and is up-to-date with allergen information.  Most staff in the restaurants are good too (but try to speak to a manager or supervisor)
Frankie and Benny’s will cook up your own food, and add bits to it as well (they will give no guarantees, but, if you call beforehand and speak to the manager, they are generally really helpful.)  We use the one in Ayr regularly, and Bob loves it because he gets a full plate of food like everybody else. They charge a child's meal price, but do provide juice as well as what we take in, and their sorbets are safe for pudding too.


Helpful websites
www.allergyessex.co.uk – sells free-from foods, website is easy to use, allergen information kept up to date, and easy to read, every time I’ve ordered, I’ve had next-day delivery.

www.allergyuk.org – charity for allergies.  They have a forum for people with allergies, and they also provide an e-mail service, where they will email you with product recall notices, if they concern allergies.
www.blossomcampaign.org – Allergy UK’s sister site for parents and children with allergies.
www.anaphylaxis.org.uk – charity for people who suffer from anaphylaxis – charges a yearly joining fee (but run workshops etc, however, unless you are based near to London, it’s probably not worth it)



2 comments:

  1. Excellent List here! Very helpful for those starting out on the road to avoiding allergens. I would add that Tesco own brand foods contain allergy warnings on the label. Some of these do say *recipe contains no nuts but cannot guarantee nut free* and this is because Tesco cannot be certain that an allergen hasnt been in contact with any ingredient before the manufacturing process is carried out by Tesco itself.

    Past experience has shown myself and E that if it says no nuts(etc), it means no nuts(etc)

    But again NEVER be complacent, and ALWAYS check the ingredients.

    Another handy tip- if the packaging of a product has changed it generally means 1 or more ingredient has also changed- so double check before you buy!
    :0)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. why thank you,good thinking on Tescos' part, and good last point there Sammykins.Thanks for the info.

      Delete

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