Sweethearts Candy Blog's

We're in the height of cold and flu season so what better time to tell you about a great brand of allergy-free, gluten-free vitamins that I just found out about? One of my regular readers, (another Jenny from Illinois!) had asked me recently about safe, allergy-free kid's vitamins. It's true that vitamins can contain many food allergens such as fish, milk or casein and of course, peanuts or tree nuts. In my own research, I've found fish and milk ingredients to be the most common.

So I was thrilled to be contacted by Jen (yes, another Jennifer!) on behalf of Yummi Bears brand about their organic product line. Yummi Bears offer vitamins for both children and adults. All of their products are free of the the top food allegens like peanuts, tree nuts, fish, soy, eggs, milk, wheat and shellfish. Plus, none of the Yummi Bears products contain gluten, yeast, salt, or casein and they are completely natural--no artifical colors or flavors. A few of their products are also gelatin-free, making them a good vegetarian choice.

My kids tried the Yummy Bears Organics Supervision dietary supplement today and they thought the orange taste and candy-like texture was really delicious. My kids are almost 7 and 10 years old, respectively, so they'll willingly take vitamins, but for those of you with tiny little ones--these are a great option. They're soft, chewy and according to my kids, yummy!

I was also sent a sample of Slice of Life Gummy Vitamins for Adults. These are a fruit-flavored multivitamin that is free of food allergens, gluten, salt and preservatives, just like the kids' vitamins. They're a great choice for adults with food allergies or intolerances and they taste good--even if you don't have food allergies, you'll want to give them a try!

Yummi Bears many varieties are available at fine health food stores and also online. Check out their website for a coupon and also to learn more about their product line. There is definitely something for everyone. And best of all--they're allergy-free!

Blogger's Note: I received no compensation for this review other than samples of said products.

Have you heard of Welcoming Kitchen? This food allergy resource consists of a dynamic duo--Kim Lutz, the mom of a child with multiple food allergies, and Megan Hart, MS, RD, LDN. I first found out about this great, Chicago-based food allergy resource about a year and a half ago when they were featured alongside my Chicago Parent article about coping with food allergies and play dates. You can read the Welcoming Kitchen article that appeared with my story here.


Recently, I was contacted by Welcoming Kitchen with news about a few of their most recent ventures. They have a new blog that offers recipes and kitchen tips for allergy-free, gluten-free and even vegan meals. Plus, they have a book coming out in 2010.


It's always great to hear about the creative ways that food allergy moms help their food allergic kids eat healthfully and deliciously! Be sure to check out out this great resource--and tell them The Nut-Free Mom sent you!

School is just around the corner and for many of us that means packing our allergic child's lunch every day. I've found some great, environmentally-friendly products to help us do this the "green" way. Plus, these products give a little extra cheer to your child's lunch--especially nice if your child is eating lunch at school for the first time this year of if they feel conspicuous about not eating the cafeteria offerings.


If you're looking for reusable lunch containers and napkins, check out Litter Free Lunch, a company started by two moms--one of which is a "nut-free mom" that I met at the FAAN Conference last spring. Her company offers "green" lunch napkins that you can include in your child's lunch and just throw in the wash after using. Plus, they now offer stainless steel lunch containers and thermoses. Check out the site for styles--right now you can save 15% if you buy two or more sets.



What a great way to save $$ on paper napkins--not to mention helping the earth by reducing the amount of garbage you produce. We recently received our pack of Litter Free Lunch napkins and my daughter is thrilled with them. They're a nice touch to any lunch! And you know that moms invented these when you look at the back--each napkin has a label for your child's name. Cool!



As far as chic and green lunch accessories go, check out Litter Free Lunch's stainless steel lunch containers and thermoses. My kids really enjoy getting a hot lunch in winter and the Litter Free Lunch thermoses are a great option for soup or hot drinks. The stainless steel lunch containers are perfect for lunch foods and have handy compartments to accommodate condiments, etc. I really like these and I think my kids will too. Besides saving money on plastic sandwich and snack bags, you won't add to the landfill. It's a win-win.

I like to support the efforts of other moms who want to provide products or services that benefit kids with food allergies, so let me suggest a company to try if you're looking for something to fill your Litter Free Lunch food containers: FAB Snacks. Founded by the author of Food Allergy Buzz, FAB Snacks has nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free and many other allergy-free snack foods that are safe for kid with allergies.

I don't know about you all, but with the mad crowds packing the stores and malls right before the start of the school year, I like to sit back and shop the "point and click" way. Any other allergy-friendly back to school products that you love? Let me know.