As you may know, feeding a child with food allergies in locations with “No Outside Food” policies can be difficult to manage. Some examples include a movie theater, a theme park, or a sporting venue. We’ve had two recent experiences with sporting events, one easy and one challenging. I thought I’d share my experiences with the hope it might save others some hassle.

I have had a few different experiences to note. First, at a stadium for a college football game. Our biggest challenge here was figuring out who to speak with regarding outside food. After being passed around, we eventually spoke with a individual who asked that we bring along a letter from my son’s doctor specifying his needs. Second, that we print out an email she was sending us giving us permission to bring in outside food. We were to have both documents ready for review at the entry gates.

On game day, we packed a small cooler for my then 2.5-year-old son. We had no problems at the gate and my son enjoyed his first football game.

We had a different experience when trying to take my son to a PGA golf tournament event. If you’ve ever attended a PGA event, you know they have a VERY long list of regulations regarding entry into the event, including very specific policies about what can be brought into the golf tournament (no food of course!). They even specify the size of purse one is permitted to carry. We knew we would face a challenge with this event.

My husband visited this event earlier in the week alone and spoke with those at the gate. They reiterated the “no food” policy. Once inside the event, he determined the only thing my son would be able to eat that was available for purchase would be apples and bananas. How many apples and bananas can one kid eat in a day???

So then we began the arduous process of finding someone to speak with over the phone to find out how to proceed. Surely they must make exceptions to the rules? Let’s not forget that a large portion of the audience at events are over the age of 50, and there are many of those in that age group that either require medication or have medical needs that require a cooler.  Can’t they make an exception for a 3-year-old? Was it really that crazy to ask for a reasonable accommodation to pack some food in a small bag so he could eat throughout the day? (BTW, they had no problem with the Epipen...only the food we wanted to bring in)

My son LOVES golf. He watches it on tv, goes to the driving range, has his own clubs.. He’s already a pro at Wii Tiger Woods Golf. He had been talking about going to the tournament for days. We couldn’t let him down! We talked to person after person who either gave us no answer or discouraged us from coming. It was a very stressful few days, and we actually never even spoke with any person who actually helped us. Why was this so hard, I wondered?

We just decided to try it. We packed a small bag with his Epipens, a Sunbutter sandwich, a snack bar, some raisins, and a couple small odds and ends. We had a copy of the letter from his doctor specifying his allergies. I was very concerned as he headed off with his Dad to his first event. He was SO excited, and I had visions of my poor son breaking down into tears at the gates because they wouldn’t let him in because of his food.

When all was said and done, they were able to get in, but not without some effort. I was very disappointed in how (unnecessarily) stressful the experience was for us. I don’t understand why the PGA does not have a policy for such things considering the prevalence of food allergies today. I do plan on contacting them with the hope they will make the process easier for other parents.

All in all, here’s what I suggest in case you find yourself in the situation where you’d like to take your child to any event where outside food is not permitted:

1.     Ask your Allergist for a generic letter specifying your child’s food allergies AND specifying the need to carry an Epipen. Make copies and take a copy any time you are attending an event.

2.     Start asking around AT LEAST two weeks before the event. Call, call, call. Talk to anyone and everyone and don’t stop talking until you find someone who says yes. When you finally get a person who can approve your situation, ask for written documentation so you have it in writing to show anyone who needs it.

3.     Speak to the concessions manager if possible and find out what pre-packaged foods will be available (we would never buy any prepared food at events).

4.     Pack light, and pack only what won’t be available at the event. Don’t pack bottled water or bags of chips or something that is available for purchase.

5.     Try to pack food that can be eaten without being chilled. It will just make things a bit easier for you!

6.     Once you arrive and make it through the gates, be sure to identify the location of the First Aid center.

This is just one of those situations we as parents have to be diligent in advocating for our children. Thankfully, most situations will be routine and most venues cooperative.  Good luck!


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It's the big "why" question....why do so many children have food allergies today?

I don't know about you, but I don't believe I met a single person with a food allergy I was aware of until after college. Now, a recent study suggested that 1 in 12 kids may have a food allergy (click here for a report on the study). What gives?

No one knows for sure, but like most parents who deal with this on a daily basis, I have my suspicions. Mine lean to two primary things:

First, the way we grow and process foods in this country has changed drastically from when I was a child. Pesticides, chemicals, additives, preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, genetic modification of crops, mass production of meats on animal feed lots, feeding animals things they were never meant to eat, etc. There is no possible way that these "advances" in food production are not having negative effects on us.

Second, the chemicals we encounter everyday in our lives. Our hair products, lotions, soaps, lawn care products, household cleaning products, plastics, etc. How can things with such a long list of indecipherable ingredients be good for us?

Now of course I have absolutely no proof of this. But, I do believe these two things are in some way affecting children in ways we were never affected as children, and in ways we are not affected in our adult bodies (though I believe this happens too, just not as drastically as it affects little bodies).

I bring this up not to start a debate on where allergies come from, but if you are a reader of my blog, to help you understand why I focus on certain things. Why, for example, I will constantly post coupons and deals for only certain brands of foods, personal care products, cleaning products, or household goods when (perhaps) cheaper alternatives exist.

Over the past couple of years, I have focused on ridding our home of items where I felt safer alternatives existed. I have done this slowly and given myself time to research, find out where to obtain the best prices, and also to do things little by little as the budget allows.

I started with plastics, eliminating plastic food storage in favor of glass. Any plastic children's items like sippy cups that remain in our house are BPA free. Then I swapped out my non-stick cooking set in favor of enameled cast iron.

From there I moved onto cleaning products, then personal care products. Food has been an ongoing thing. I am constantly re-evaluating food choices and really just recently began focusing on the "dirty dozen" to buy organic and also buying only pasture-raised beef and poultry (and with the cost means we are buying much less meat!). We do try to cook mostly fresh meals and I try to rely on convenience foods at most once-a-week.

Don't get me wrong, I still have times when I eat horribly. I'll always sit closest to the buffet line and don't ever try to keep me away from a potluck. In either, I will nearly always choose the most unhealthy options. I have always had a horrible time trying to kick the soda habit (I still haven't). I use plastic from time-to-time, and I buy "dirty dozen" produce that's not organic sometimes because convenience does count and I don't always want to run all over town just to save a buck. And, I get frustrated by the constant barrage of "what will kill you today" news....especially when the next day the same news will report that something will "save your life tomorrow!" Who do you trust and how do you not lose your mind in the process?

There are PLENTY of foods out there that do not contain dairy, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts. But, there's only so much time in a day so on my website you'll only see me post coupons for products I purchase or for brands I believe in. I try to focus on foods that cater specifically to allergies, or organic/specialty foods where coupons will make the item more accessible to the average budget. Likewise, you'll see me plug certain lines of cleaning products or personal care products that I believe are more natural and make you aware of deals that make these items less expensive.

Also, I'm also not trying to make anyone feel bad for their Rubbermaid food storage or their Lysol. To each his/her own! But blogs are about sharing personal experiences, and part of my personal experience is how allergies have affected our home, and the choices we have made moving forward.

Hopefully, if you already are or have been thinking along the same lines as me, I can help you make the transition a little cheaper, a little less time consuming, or maybe just a little less painless. And if you think I'm crazy, that's ok too! Just as long as you keep reading!


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Cascadian Farm Coupon! We buy their Oats and Honey granola and their Clifford cereal. They also offer organic frozen fruits and vegetables and granola bars (though none are safe for my son).

$0.75 off any one product
*you should be able to print 2



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