What’s In My Cheese?
So, it’s confession time. Food allergies and convenience don’t typically go hand-in hand, but sometimes I want shortcuts like everyone else. Sometimes I’m even so tired and grateful for a reprise that I forget the basics.
The Lure of Convenience Cheese
I picked up some shredded cheese recently for convenience (usually I shred it myself) and used it last night for dinner. By the end of the meal, my son claimed that he “didn’t like it” and left a big clump of it on his plate. No big deal, though strange from a kid who eats anything and everything these days.
He went upstairs to get ready for bed and came down a few minutes later with a strange look on his face. He claimed that “something strange fell out of my mouth.” Huh? We went up to investigate and he’d gotten sick on the comforter – more spittle than food. As Daddy-O talked with him and I brought the laundry downstairs, I stopped to check the label of the cheese package. Sure enough, potato starch and perhaps soy (cellulose) – things I never dreamed would be in cheese.
.
His reaction never got any worse, thank goodness, but I did check on him a ridiculous number of times after he fell asleep – and slept terribly myself for all the worry. There is nothing quite like the guilt that comes with accidentally poisoning your own child.
So this is my confession for not reading ONE label, ONCE. This is also a glimpse of what our lives are like with multiple food allergy and the amount of attention it always demands.
Finally, this is my plea and challenge to YOU to be more aware of labels and ingredients in your own food and the food your feed your kids. Even if you don’t have an allergy, it is important to know what you’re putting in your body – and start asking why these ingredients are hiding in our food.
Leave a Reply