A meal planning checklist for families with food allergies

Planning meals around a food allergy comes down to habit. A few checks each week keep dinners safe without letting the planning take over. This is general information. Your doctor or allergy specialist, and your child's written action plan, come first.

Know exactly what you are avoiding

• Write down each person's confirmed allergens as your doctor or specialist has diagnosed them.
• Note the hidden names. Milk can appear as casein or whey, egg as albumin, and wheat in many sauces and coatings.
• Keep the list where everyone who cooks can see it, and share it with grandparents, babysitters and school.

Read every label, every time

Recipes and ingredients change. Check the label on each packaged item each time you buy it, even if you have bought it before. Look at the allergen summary and the ingredients list. Treat "may contain" statements seriously, and ask your doctor how to treat them for your family.

Plan swaps before you shop

When a recipe contains an allergen, decide on the replacement in advance, and check that the replacement is itself safe. Some swaps, such as nut milks for a dairy-free recipe, are wrong for a family avoiding nuts. Write the swap next to the recipe so it does not rest on memory.

Prevent cross-contact in the kitchen

• Wash hands, boards, knives and benches with hot soapy water before you prepare a safe meal.
• Use clean utensils for each dish, and do not reuse a spoon that touched an allergen.
• Store safe foods on top shelves and in sealed containers, apart from the allergen foods.
• Prepare the allergy-safe meal first and cover it.
• Be careful with shared items such as toasters, butter and spreads, and fryers.

Think about lunchboxes and school

Check your school or childcare centre's allergy policy. Pack food in labelled containers, and tell staff about your child's action plan. Never rely on a child to read labels alone.

Eating out and visiting

• Tell the venue about the allergy when you book, and again when you order.
• Ask how the food is prepared, not only what is in it.
• If you are not sure, choose another dish or another place.
• When visiting family or friends, offer to bring a safe dish, and give them the label to read.

Weekly checklist

1. Check the allergen list and update it if anything has changed.
2. Plan the week's dinners and write any swaps beside each one.
3. Read labels on every packaged item in the trolley.
4. Check that adrenaline devices, if prescribed, are in date and where they should be.
5. Make sure anyone else who feeds your child this week has the plan.

Where to get reliable information

Your doctor or allergy specialist is the authority for your family. For general information and action plan templates, see the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at allergy.org.au and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia at allergyfacts.org.au.

MealMemory is an assistive tool. It filters out the allergens you list when it plans a week, but it cannot see an ingredient list on a pack, so always check labels yourself. Try it free for seven days.