Dear Applebee's - Is it Soy or Not?

Okay, so in the foodie world finding any restaurant anywhere that is willing to list a menu for those with food allergies is RARE! But I recently learned that a major chain, Applebee's has done just that. They have an entire menu listing of foods that are 'x' allergy free. WOO-HOOO!!!! NOT! 


So in glancing upon the 'soy free' menu I immediately spot mayonnaise and several salad dressings. The red flags go up. . . almost EVERY salad dressing (EXCEPTION is home-made) has soy oil. And ditto for mayonnaise. Dang. I'm mumbling under my breath. 
Hubby is very optimistic. "They're a large chain, they actually may have these items made with a different oil."
"Harrumph", I say. Chains are notorious for using the standard, whether it's Hellmans Mayo, or the like, they STILL all have soy!
So, I shoot off a query. Short, sweet, and simple. I indicate that I am allergic to soy and read their soy free menu. I noticed the salad dressing and mayo. . . so what gives? I specifically asked, "what oils are contained in your salad dressings, and mayo, which you call soy free?"


{Choke, gag. . .} received my response tonight, and thought I'd share. This IS the full email, not any revision or changes made:

Dear Christina,

Thank you for your recent request for a list of Soy-free menu items available at Applebee’s. As America’s Favorite Neighbor, the health and safety of our guests are top priorities at Applebee’s. As part of our commitment to you, we provide the most current allergen information available from our food suppliers on eight common allergens: milk, soy, wheat, eggs, fish, shellfish, treenut and peanuts.  We do not use peanut oil.  The items listed that would be soy free, are made free of soy.  Oils can vary from soy or vegetable oil from location to location.  Please contact your local Applebee's if you have any additional questions.

You can view our allergen listing at www.applebees.com under our Menu tab.

If you have any questions or comments, please call us toll-free at 888-592-7753 (888-59APPLE). You can reach us between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, central time.

Sincerely,
XXX
Guest Relations Coordinator

Case # 1181089

Okay, I was nice and XXX'd out her name. So, let me get this straight. . . I ask you about your soy free menu. You tell me that everything on that soy free menu is free of soy, yet in the next sentence you tell me the oils you use (in your dressing and such which is listed as part of your soy free menu) IS SOY OIL?!?!?!?

Am I the only one missing the boat on this?????

I told Hubby and he was just as shocked as I was. One would think that a large, major restaurant chain that went through the trouble of actually including a menu for us allergic folks, would ACTUALLY KNOW or at least hire a consultant for such matters. . . the stupidity astounds me!

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Posted in: food allergies,gluten-free,recipe

Hive, Hives, Hives. .

You know, sometimes I willingly subject my taste buds (and body) to things I can't/shouldn't eat. There's nothing like biting the bullet and having a full-fledged Chinese meal. Yes, soy sauce and all. I, know. I know I shouldn't eat things that I'm allergic to, but every so often I just go for it! And knowingly subject myself to after effects of hives, stomach distress, etc all  in the name of food.

But it's different when I think I'm being mindful, not eating soy or wheat, then WHAM! I wake up covered in hives. Times like that I just want to kick myself. And two days ago I discovered yet another item I'd better steer clear of - Ben and Jerry's Ice cream. I just want to cry!

It started out simple, "Ohhhh, haven't treated myself to ice cream lately. . . {scans freezer at local supermarket} and here's Ben and Jerry's 'All Natural' ice cream! {grabs container of coffee with heath bar crunch} Mmmmm."
Foolish me was so enamored with the thought of the ice cream and the natural contents that I didn't even bother to scan the label. So, home I went with my purchase. After dinner I announced that I was having ice cream. It's a big deal in our house when I actually have dessert. Hubby and daughter are sweet hounds and take every opportunity to catch a dessert, but me. . . it's a real rare occurrence. So I scoop out just a little bit of ice cream into my bowl, and then savor it's coffee-chocolate goodness.

Next morning as I'm about to climb into the shower, I notice a small red dot on my shoulder. Uh, oh. I move over to the mirror and turn to view my back. Yup. Hives. Covered in 'em. "NOOOOOO! " I wail. I knew the only thing that could have possibly been the cause was the ice cream. But maybe, it was something else (what I hadn't a clue). . .  I had a few moments of fleeting happiness before I looked at the label. Yes, all natural ingredients, milk sugar, chocolate, etc. all up until I got to the soy lecithin part. Dang. And you know what's even worse is that 'They' say that most people who are allergic to soy can tolerate soy lecithin. Obviously, I'm not one of 'Those' people.

So - shall we sing? "Hives, hives, hives, hives. . . Hives! Wonderful Hives!" Not.

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Posted in: allergic reaction,food allergies,hives,soy

Dark Green Leafy Veggies - They Rock!

After posting about my daughter and her experience with her nose bleeds at school. . . it reminded me of something very important - dark green leafy veggies! I know, it seems like a non sequitur, but here's the scoop - dark green leafy vegetables are high in many vitamins, including vitamin K, which aids in blood clotting and contains iron.

Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, chard, collard greens, are super powerful foods! They contain a ton of vitamins (including C and K), contains iron, aids in weight loss (they keep you feeling full since they are loaded with natural vegetable fiber), contain antioxidants, and help inhibit the growth of cancerous cells in the body. Now THAT is a super food!

My daughter prefers not to eat meat, and we monitor her carefully, making sure she gets all her necessary vitamins, but when she gets her seasonal nose bleeds, we need to step things up a bit and she knows the routine - Spinach, and if she's still feeling ill, then we break out the burgers.

Green leafy vegetables are a great addition to a pasta dish, or on the side of other foods. Just remember do NOT over cook it! The rule of thumb is that the vegetable should remain a dark green color, and be fork tender. If you over cook it, not only do you lose flavor, but all those wonderful vitamins as well.

So - grab yourself a few leafy greens at the grocer and get cookin'!

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Posted in: food allergies

School and Food Allergies

I wanted to share this story with you - this comes from my daughter and her experience a few weeks ago at school.

She'd been sitting in the nurses office with a bloody nose. Unfortunately, this time of year it happens frequently for her. We've been to doctor after doctor, and it is pretty much just a case of dry air, etc. So, anyway, she's just 'waiting it out' at the nurses office when a child arrives who was experiencing a major allergic reaction. She told me that his face and tongue were swollen. Apparently what happened was his friend shared an Oreo with him, but didn't know the boy was allergic to peanuts. . . and the filling had peanuts. Well, my daughter was in the corner of the nurses station, and though she desperately needed a new tissue for her own issue, she told me she knew this boy was in serious trouble, and she just stayed put. She told me the nurse called 911 and shortly thereafter the ambulance and crew arrived at the school. They took the boy (in a wheel chair - despite his argument that he could walk) out and into the waiting ambulance. When the nurse returned to her room, my daughter finally moved from her chair. The nurse was quite shocked that my daughter, whose arm was blood drenched, but didn't get tissues. My daughter told her that it was very obvious to her that the boy needed space and help, and she could just wait until his emergency was handled. I was very proud of her, and let her know. We've always told her what could happen to those with food allergies, and though she's never seen it (until that day), she knew it was a very serious situation.

I think educating people about food allergies and the seriousness of the situation is very important. Many people just do not understand. Learning signs, symptoms, and what to do in case of a food allergy emergency can save a life!

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Posted in: food allergies