Going Tree Nut Free

Let me make a long story short...

It all started with a cupcake with almond flavoring and hives that won't go away since the 4th of July. 

I apologize...I am going to become one of THOSE moms.  You know those moms that ask you what you are having to eat at your parties, restaurant menus, etc, etc.  I am going to be THAT mom.  I don't mean to be a pain in the you know what but this is important...

It is important because Olivia was diagnosed with having an allergy today.  Not something easy like carrots...but pistachios (which she has NEVER even eaten before).  To be on the safe side she is to avoid ALL tree nuts including...

• Almond
• Artificial nuts
• Brazil nut
• Beechnut
• Butternut
• Cashew
• Chestnut
• Chinquapin nut
• Coconut
• Filbert/hazelnut
• Gianduja (a chocolate-nut mixture)
• Ginkgo nut
• Hickory nut
• Litchi/lichee/lychee nut
• Macadamia nut
• Marzipan/almond paste
• Nangai nut
• Natural nut extract (e.g., almond, walnut)
• Nut butters (e.g., cashew butter)
• Nut meal
• Nut meat
• Nut paste (e.g., almond paste)
• Nut pieces
• Pecan
• Pesto
• Pili nut
• Pine nut (also referred to as Indian, pignoli, pigñolia, pignon, piñon, and pinyon nut)
• Pistachio
• Praline
• Shea nut
• Walnut

Tree nuts are sometimes found in the following:

• Black walnut hull extract (flavoring)
• Natural nut extract
• Nut distillates/alcoholic extracts
• Nut oils (e.g., walnut oil, almond oil)
• Walnut hull extract (flavoring)

Some Unexpected Sources of Tree Nuts*

• Tree nut proteins may be found in cereals, crackers, cookies, candy, chocolates, energy bars, flavored coffee, frozen desserts, marinades, barbeque sauces and some cold cuts, such as mortadella.

NOT so fun! I admit I am devastated and overwhelmed.  Being that I was a child that had food allergies I was hoping to avoid this with Olivia.  This means reading labels on EVERYTHING.  We may just have to bring our own food places to avoid the cross-contamination.   We really don't mean to be a pain or inconvenience  anyone BUT we need to know...

We will now carry 2 Epipens with us at ALL times.  I am hoping one day she will grow out of this like I did, but now telling her she can't have things (even M and Ms) is going to be hard because she doesn't understand.  Reading the labels and finally when she gets bigger for her to read the labels will become part of our life from this point forward.  We will have to clean out our food and find some "new" foods to try with Olivia.  So please pray for us as we take this new difficult journey of living in a tree nut free world!