If you have a hungry toddler with food allergies, you know managing allergens in the kitchen is important. Here’s how we tackled it: Stickers! Etsy is so helpful in this regard.

Safe and Not Safe stickers can be applied to food products themselves or to containers where you put snacks in easy reach.

My little one’s school also suggested a picture that our son could recognize as “his” when he was at school. This helped a ton – he knew the Moon sticker was his spot at the lunch table, where his nap mat was kept, etc. I adopted the Moon sticker, added his name and we were off to the races. This container in my fridge is full of his safe snack favorites: Pumpkin muffins and cookie bars.

Over time, the simplicity of the sticker system really became part of my routine. I now use it for my spices, so at a glance I know which ones are Not Safe, without having to read labels each and every time. 

Also – if you’re judging me by the contents of my spice rack – it’s OK. I tend to purchase McCormick’s as they’re less subject to recalls. The company is  vertically integrated – they own the fields where their spices are grown. So the cumin/peanut recall of a few years ago never affected their products. Wildtree sources their brand organically, and they guarantee gluten free production. So I feel good about their practices too.

That said – recalls can and do happen; your child’s reactions can be based on items not yet subject to a recall. So it pays to pay attention.