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AllergyAWESOMENESS By: Morrgan Zmolek
AllergyAwesomeness is showing why allergen-free food is— well, awesome. It was in fall 2015 that Megan Lavin started her blog, AllergyAwesomeness. The blog showcases the recipes she creates, all of them free from the eight most common allergens. She began AllergyAwesomeness to catalog what recipes worked for her family, as her son was diagnosed at a young age with a rare allergic condition called eosinophilic esophagitis. This diagnosis came with many food allergies. Lavin said she hoped the things she had learned during this journey would help other moms who have children with allergies. “I used to tear up at the grocery store wandering the aisles wondering what I could safely feed my son,” she said. “I wanted to be able to save any other allergy parent from those feelings. Having a child, or yourself, with food allergies can feel very scary, since it’s life threatening, and very isolating because food is so central to our culture.” She said it can be difficult to create recipes because of disappointment when it doesn’t work out. Recipe creation can also be an expensive venture. She said allergen ingredients can not only be 3-4 times more expensive than regular ingredients, but they are also difficult to find. Lavin said she sometimes goes to three or four stores to get the ingredients she needs. However, it is because of these reasons that Lavin decides to share her recipes. “It can save so much heartache for others if we share our journey,” she said. “It really stinks to be excited to eat something, and then be left with a sink full of dishes and nothing to show for all your effort.” Lavin said when people are accommodating of people with allergies, it can make them feel seen. “It’s an incredible burden they have to carry and they have to be so responsible and have so much restraint,” she said. “It’s not like an intolerance where they can cheat and deal with an upset stomach or other irritations, but where they could literally die.” “Think about a time you’ve been dieting or trying to eat better,” she said. “Even as an adult, it’s hard to see others eating something that smells or looks delicious. Now imagine being a kid and having to do that and not even being able to cheat or have ‘just a bite.’” The most rewarding aspect for Lavin is the reaction she gets when she makes a recipe her boys like. “That’s why I do what I do at the end of the day,” she said. “It’s wonderful to be able to help others outside of my family, but at the end of the day if my boys are happy, then I am happy.” To get a copy of Megan’s cookbook, you can find it by searching: “An Allergy Mom’s Lifesaving Instant Pot Cookbook” on Amazon. Discover Megan’s allergen-free recipes and learn more about her story on her Instagram: 18 @allergy_awesomeness. Megan’s favorite recipe – her chocolate cupcakes!
