Through our 1-800-Neocate information line we get a lot of questions but we also hear a lot of great stories from parents who deal with the effects of their child having a milk allergy every day.  We love hearing those stories and we love to share them with other food allergy parents who are coping with the same situations. 

With that in mind the old way of sharing your stories, recipes and photos – via snail mail –  is slow, cumbersome and just a little tough for most busy parents to put together, pack it up and send into us.  So our team of nutritionists has worked diligently to provide all of you with easier ways to share what you love to share the most.

If you have an account on Facebook, feel free to become a fan of our Neocate Fanpage where you can:

• Post questions, comments, suggestions, recipes & stories
• Add your photos (parents love to share their before & after photos of their children)
• Add videos
• Start discussions about relevant topics like the new Texas State Insurance Reimbursement Laws

If you are an avid user of MySpace, we just started our MySpace Neocate profile and you can read snippets of our blog posts over there (so you can decide quickly if our latest informational post is of interest to you), see photos and interact with us there by commenting on our wall.

And for those avid Twitter users out there, we didn’t forget you either.  We’ve got our own Neocate Twitter account where we tweet out links to our latest blog posts, answer questions about Neocate and give suggestions where we can.  We’re also looking into hosting some Tweetchats in the future about dealing with food & milk allergies, so keep your eyes open for that!

We recognize that in today’s busy world sometimes it’s just easier to connect with us through the places where you are already actively participate and we wanted to make it easier for all of you to do so.  So come on over and join the discussions, we’d love to hear what you have to say!

- Sarah

This Apple Delite is a tasty treat for your little ones on Neocate Infant.

 Apple Delite

1/2 cup cooked apple (diced)

2 diced prunes

2 oz water

3-4 scoops Neocate Infant

 Add water to apple and prunes and blend to desired consistency. Add the Neocate powder and stir. Sprinkle with cinnamon (if tolerated) and serve immediately.

Yields 1 serving

Calories: 156

Protein: 3

Fat: 3.8

Carbohydrate: 29.6

Valentines Day is a fun holiday for kids and most schools have some kind of celebration, where students share valentines, candy and other treats.  For a child with food allergies (and their parents), this day can be stressful. You want to ensure your child stays safe from potential allergens while making sure they get to enjoy all of the fun. Here are some ideas for a safe and fun Valentine’s Day celebration!

First and foremost, you want to make sure your child stays safe during any classroom valentine exchanges. Kids with Food Allergies compiled a list of 7 tips to follow in order to keep your child safe at school on Valentines Day:

You may want to bring in some allergy-free treats for your child so he/she doesn’t feel left out.

Here are some allergy-friendly* treat ideas:

• Chocolate-Peanut Butter Hearts
• “Just Sugar” Lollipops
• Mint Lollipops
• Milk-Free Chocolate Cherries
• Peanut-Free, Mock “Buckeyes” (chocolate peanut butter balls)
• CHOCO boom™ candy bars (sold in many grocery stores)

If you are looking for an alternative to candy and sweets, your child can bring valentine-themed stickers, pencils, etc. Another idea is to talk with your child’s teacher about making a valentine-themed craft that everyone can participate in and enjoy. This way, the celebration isn’t totally focused on candy and treats.

For example, the class could make these valentine-themed crafts:

• Valentine mobiles
• Valentine wreaths
• Friendship boxes

What allergy-friendly Valentines Day ideas/tips do you have to share?

-Mallory

*These allergy-friendly recipes are free of the most common allergens but as always, double check to make sure all of the ingredients are safe for your child.

These mashed potatoes are great to serve to your food allergic little ones during the holidays.  

Nutra Mashed Potatoes

• 4 scoops (18.5 g) Neocate Nutra powder

• 1 medium potato, cooked

• ¼ cup chicken broth

Mash potato with chicken broth. Add Neocate Nutra powder and mix well.

Yields 1 serving

Calories  230

Protein  5 g

Carbohydrate  46 g

Fat  3.5 g

Calcium  139 mg

Vitamin D 1 mcg