The Must-Have's for the Allergy-Free Pantry

My daughter is allergic to milk {dairy}, eggs and peanuts and has been since birth. So for 5 1/2 years, I've been trying out new things and continuously searching for allergy-free products, but recently I decided to begin looking for more 'normal' items that my girl can eat. And I have been pleasantly surprised by some of the things I've found. I may add to this list later, but off the top of my head, here are some of the things I buy on a regular basis that are free of milk, eggs and peanuts.

*Please keep in mind that some items are made and distributed from different places and therefore may be labeled differently for various parts of the country, so please continue to check every label and not go by word of mouth.*

Pantry: {in random order}

Snack foods:

• Oreos brand cookies {not Cakesters} the moment I realized this, I'm pretty sure I shouted 'Hallelujah!'
• Teddy Grahams
• Lorna Doone
• Animal Crackers {Only Nabisco brand}
• Marshmallows {so far, I haven't found a brand she can't eat}
• Fruit snacks {although, I try not to buy these}
• Honey Maid Graham Crackers {some off-brands have been processed around allergens, check carefully}
• Saltines brand crackers {Great Value brand has been processed around allergens}
• some Ritz brand crackers - not the sandwich crackers {Check label}
• Pringles Original chips, Whole Grain chips and Honey Mustard chips
• Duncan Hines brand cake mixes {READ LABELS, not all of them are okay and labels change often}
• Pillsbury Frosting {Read labels}
• Cherrybrook Kitchens Cake Mixes, Cookie Mixes and Brownie Mixes, available @ Whole Foods

Lunch/Dinner Foods:

• Wacky Mac brand pasta
• Publix brand pasta {name brands have all been processed around or contain eggs}
• Laura Lynn brand pasta {please check labels, just in case}
• Canned beans {I buy Bush's brand. Publix brand works, but contains High Fructose Corn Syrup so I do not buy them.}
• Long grain rice {Uncle Ben's, etc. The boxed kinds need to be checked for allergens. Some are ok, some not.}
• Soy Butter {I use Safe4School WowButter - sold @ Walmart for approx $3/jar - Also, look for almond butter, sun butter, etc. but check to make sure they haven't been processed around peanuts like most I have seen.}
• Kraft Creamy Italian Dressing! This was another 'Hallelujah' moment for me and my girl!
• Tyson brand Chicken Nuggets {breaded or honey battered} It's better to make your own, but these are great for the sake of convenience.
• Great Value brand or Armour Meatballs - plain, NOT Italian {Great as barbecued meatballs in crockpot or meatball sandwichs or spaghetti & meatballs.}

Refrigerated/Frozen Items:

• Smart Balance Light buttery spread - non-dairy and tastes great!
• Tofutti brand cream cheese
• Tofutti brand sour cream
• Silk Almond Milk (there are other brands, too.)
• Rice Milk, Soy Milk
• SoDelicious brand yogurt and ice cream
• Coconut Milk Yogurt and ice cream
• Trader Joe's Cherry Chocolate Chip Soy Ice Cream {delicious!}
• Tofutti brand ice cream sandwiches and ice cream
• All Fruit Sorbets
• Luigi's Italian Ice
• Philly Swirls in popsicles or cups
• Popsicles {not creamsicles or fudgesicles}

These are just a few off the top of my head that I rotate and/or keep in my house regularly. These are, of course, in addition to fresh meat and fresh fruits and vegetables. If you can learn to cook fresh foods and leave out the processed things, your child will have healthy, balanced meals everyday. It may take a little longer to prepare, but it is SO worth it. Shopping with food allergies becomes difficult when we're looking for convenience foods. I think breakfast is the one I struggle with the most and I will be doing some posts on breakfast foods soon! Hopefully, I can bring some new ideas to the table!

What are your staples??