Some places just do it right...

There has been a steep learning curve to feed our Xander. We are currently avoiding: Corn, soy, dairy, peanuts, almonds, blueberries, eggs, and carrots.

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Have fun making a grocery list for that one. ;) Coupons? Schmoopons. Most of what we make for him cannot come out of a box or bag.

As you can imagine, it is difficult to feed him at home and eating out makes it even more difficult.

But some places do it right and save the day.

Here is a little list:

1. Chick Fil A- Chick Fil A now has grilled nuggets and applesauce. He still gets his little kid's meal bag and doesn't feel left out. He scarfs his nuggets down in a flash. "Shicken- A" is a favorite around here.

2. Moes- The folks that work at our Moes really go above and beyond. At first, we were scared to try. (HELLLOOOO CHEESE AND SOUR CREAM EVERYWHERE!!!!) But Brandon struck up a conversation with the manager one day and he let us in on a few tips to help. First, we explain that we have some food allergies and ask for them to change their gloves. Since we can SEE them make Xander's food, it is very easy to make sure that he only gets what we ask for. We can also see if the ingredients are contaminated-- you know.. that gob of sour cream sitting in the lettuce.

3. Jason's Deli- Jason's Deli's regular kids meals are not allergy friendly for Xander. BUT, again, Brandon stepped out of his comfort zone and asked what we could do. The manager made Xander his own little wrap that IS allergen friendly for Xander. He personally made it and delivered it to our table to make sure that we didn't have issues. In fact, Jason's Deli was our pick on Mother's Day this year because of the excellent service.

4. Sweet Frog- Be still my heart. I rarely have a sweet tooth, but frozen yogurt hits the spot when I do. Sweet Frog ALWAYS keeps a dairy free option available. Their website has a very detailed ingredient list for each flavor. The one dairy free option that Xander cannot have is Very Berry (because it has blueberries.) Xander gets SO excited about getting "real ike-ceam!"

Basically all of our eating out is limited to these four choices. It is very different, but Xander is doing the best he ever has.

He's worth it!

~Stephanie