Not for the kid with a wheat allergy. As much as having a food allergy is a challenge for the person affected, it can be an even greater challenge for family members who are responsible for preparing meals. They have to learn about substitutes for common ingredients like flour, then try to find them. They have to become avid label-readers. They have to find new recipes that their kids will like, and hammer home to their children what they can and cannot eat.
Food allergies can create complications when it comes time to pack a youngster's lunchbox.
And they have to be hypervigilant about cross-contamination of foods in grocery stores, schools, friends' homes, and even their own kitchens. Turns out that the well-meaning mother of a classmate had fixed the boy a special snack of apples and marshmallows, while the rest of the class got apples and peanut butter. Not all children with food allergies are as sensitive as that boy, and not all food allergies are life-threatening. Wheezing, hives, eczema, chronic runny nose, vomiting and diarrhea are common symptoms. About 5 percent of children and between 1 and 2 percent of adults suffer from food allergies.