The main issues will be sourcing other suitable forms of proteins and fresh vegetables, and of course checking the labels of any pre-packed foods that you buy. Some products such as cooked meats include pea protein or fibre, and ‘gram flour’ (from chickpea) appears in many vegan foods as well as in Indian foods like poppadums and some curry sauces. Paleo recipes can be a useful resource, as the paleo diet doesn’t allow legumes - but do bear in mind it also omits grains, and does allow nuts. I have found some great ideas from this arena, including a chickpea-free houmous recipe! For us, cook ..read more

This is a cake which always satisfies, the sweet potato adding a healthy element and a fudge-like consistency to this party-worthy pudding. I recently made it egg-free and dairy-free for a dairy-intolerant and vegan diet, which you can do by substituting the butter and egg; I've explained how within the recipe ingredients and method below. Please source your chocolate carefully for the allergies you're catering for. For nut/legume-free, I use Dr Oetker. Kinnerton offers a nut, dairy, egg and gluten free bar of dark chocolate, too.  Ingredients: 250g sweet potato, peeled and cut into small ..read more

Some legumes, like peanuts, soya or lupin, are easier to check for because they are in the group of allergens that legally have to be declared and therefore will be listed in red or bold on packaging in the EU.  For our other legume allergens, we have to scour the ingredients list for possible culprits.  At a glance, the food ingredients in the picture on the left highlight wheat, milk and celery, as these are in the top 14 allergens that have to be declared. However, people avoiding other allergens need to read more thoroughly.  The red lentils and the peas in this list of ingredients ..read more

I'm not being fussy I don't 'like the drama' It's not just a preference A fad or palaver  The allergy folder I've already seen  But some of my allergens  Are outside the top 14 I don't want to be awkward Or attract attention My allergy's life threatening  So I do have to mention The risks of misunderstanding Or cross contamination I'm just ensuring  A thorough explanation If I leave a restaurant It's not just a flounce I've risk assessed the menu And I've too many doubts   I celebrate when eateries Provide lists of ingredients I can then check it myself A fantastic experience ..read more

As a family of four, one child having multiple allergies (peanuts, tree nuts, chickpeas, lentils, all peas and beans) we have adapted our menu to avoid these foods. I'm sharing these weekday meal ideas in case anyone else finds it useful. Even if you're not navigating food allergies, but have little ones at home, you may find it useful! What do we eat? Spaghetti Bolognese A firm favourite in our house. It's also my favourite way of sneaking a lot of vegetables into a meal that they thoroughly enjoy. I actually blend the veg into a sauce using the wonderful Secret Veg Sauce recipe. I like us ..read more

I have moved this list to its own sub-page here ..read more

I wanted to post the [someone else's] link again to spread this fantastic recipe, but alas the internet states 'it no longer exists'. So here's my own take on this fantastically versatile recipe which even my three year old will willingly eat, and which my husband raves about also! I cook a vat and then freeze it in 400g portions so that when I want to make an easy, tasty pasta sauce, a base for lasagne, spaghetti Bolognese, or use it as a jacket potato topping with a sprinkle of cheese, I have some readily available. Secret Veg Sauce Ingredients: 1 aubergine (eggplant) Half a ..read more

We may not be able to casually saunter in to whichever café you like, or accept a party invite without a good few questions. But we make up for it in other ways... 1. We always carry extra snacks. The need to carry safe alternatives to placate a child who's desperate to have what his friends are having means we'll usually have a decent bag of tricks at the ready wherever we go. 2. We bake. Oh, do we bake. We've had to learn to make our own, because we can't always rely on shop bought or other people's kitchens being allergen-free. Bon appetit! 3. We'll probably invite your kid over for dinn ..read more

My husband's heritage is half-Caribbean, and he's attended Notting Hill Carnival for years, playing in the procession for several years before he met me. We've visited Carnival almost every year since we met, and so it seemed only right we take our children along, even though they are only little. I consider it part of their culture. Despite Notting Hill Carnival's reputation (as far as some are concerned), the Sunday is actually the children's day, when you'll find lots of children in the procession, as well as spectating. It's mud-mas day, so expect to get at least splashed with a mix (ofte ..read more

I'm getting annoyed. Cue Hulk: "You won't like me when I'm mad...". We need two Epipens (I'd ideally like approximately forty-five, to be honest). But we #alwayscarrytwo and here's why... You see, I know what the stereotypical allergy parent is. Of course, we're all neurotic and obsessed with our kid getting a bit of an upset tummy from a tiny bit of this or that. We've probably made the whole allergy thing up, you know, for fun. Except, we have not. We don't consider it 'fun' that we have to pester others about not feeding them 'this or that', or anything that 'may contain', and to carry ..read more