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Cheryl Marks Young
Looking for Food Allergens Beyond Your Plate

Looking for Food Allergens Beyond Your Plate

You’ve got this allergy thing down pat. You’ve gotten good at scanning labels in the supermarket to make sure the cereal you’re about to toss in the cart is nut-free. You’ve learned that sometimes milk shows up in things like hot dogs – a good reminder to check packaged foods even if you think they’re safe. You remember that sometimes companies change their processes or their recipes and so you check the label on that old reliable go-to snack just in case it now contains egg. You do deserve a pat on the back. This allergy stuff can be tough...

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Cheryl Marks Young
Allergies Offer One More Reason to Wash Your Hands

Allergies Offer One More Reason to Wash Your Hands

Your child has just settled down at a picnic table to eat her peanut butter sandwich, a side of powder cheese covered snacks, and a cup of that yummy almond milk you’ve recently discovered.  There’s a mother on the other side of the picnic area eyeing your kid warily. You glance her way and wonder if she’s silently judging the lack of carrot sticks in your child’s lunch bag. What you don’t realize is this: Yes, she’s taking stock of what your kid is eating, but not because she’s secretly rating your nutritional choices. Her young child has several food...

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Cheryl Marks Young
Spread the Word: Raising Awareness about Food Allergies

Spread the Word: Raising Awareness about Food Allergies

You’re prepping a few dozen cupcakes for a class party. You’re pondering whether the kids will prefer a chocolate cake or a yellow one. You’re debating what frosting to make. You’re wondering whether to pull out your piping tips and go crazy or just smear on the sugary gobs of goodness with a butter knife. In the average class, however, there are two other parents wondering whether or not the treats you and other parents are prepping will be safe for their children to consume. These are the parents of the 1 in 13 children with food allergies. Next month...

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Cheryl Marks Young
Dreaming of a Cheese Plate

Dreaming of a Cheese Plate

Our son was staring at the cheese counter in our local store and was curious about the flavors and textures. Rather than explain that he could not safely eat the cheese, I asked him what was interesting and what looked good. I then took him on a creative search through the allergy safe cheese section and helped create an experience he would safely enjoy. We talked about Cheese Plates and how they are sometimes served as an appetizer, a main course and even as a dessert. Thanks to a family visitor for the holidays, we also had a videographer in...

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