Craving chocolate? I’ve got you covered. These easy no bake oatmeal and chocolate sunflower butter bars will hit the spot. Approximately 20 minutes and 6 ingredients is needed for preparation prior to refrigeration. Follow the full recipe in the video or at the end of this post.

I never want my little to miss out on the experience of licking the cake batter bowl or enjoying fun foods. The variety of allergy friendly substitutes like sunflower butter (a peanut butter sub) and diary free vegan butter derived from plant based oils that are available today make it possible for him to explore tasty foods with a sense normalcy.

Safety is paramount for any parent that has a child with food allergies as accidental exposure could lead to life threatening symptoms, namely anaphylaxis. Navigating keeping a child safe who has multiple food allergies requires keen attention to label details and advocacy. Even when a product is labeled “nut free,” it may be produced in a facility that manufactures any of the major food allergens which could increase its susceptibility to cross contamination. Generally, this information is also shared on the label.

If your child has food allergies, it’s important to have an allergy action plan completed by their pediatrician. In addition, daycare will require that you provide any first response medications such as Benadryl and Epi-Pens. A list of allergies for your child should also be listed in their teacher’s room and checked prior to offering meals and separate table seating during mealtime is recommended, when possible. Furthermore, it’s critical to communicate to teachers and staff prohibition of outside snacks that parents may bring to share with the class. The latter are days when it’s a good idea to prepare a homemade treat or purchase an allergy friendly snack for your child so that they can enjoy a special snack time with the rest of the kiddos.

As an added safety measure and for visibility to all teachers who interacted with my child throughout the day, as floaters may drop in at times, I purchased an allergy alert bracelet. There are a number of options available online. I chose this one because of the bright color and allergen tags included to place on the bracelet for a quick visual reference. In addition, my child did not have an issue keeping this bracelet on during the day.

Continue reading to learn more about scientific advances in food allergy treatments.

Ingredients 🌿

• 3 cups Organic Oatmeal
• 6 tbs Vegan Butter
• 1/2 cup Organic Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 tsp Sunflower Butter

Directions 🔖

• On medium heat, melt butter in saucepan
• Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and mix
• Add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
• Add oatmeal (one cup at a time, mixing between additions)
• Transfer oatmeal mixture to baking dish and pack evenly (leave approximately 1/4 cup for topping)
• On medium heat, melt chocolate chips
• Add sunflower butter and mix well
• Using spatula, add chocolate sunflower butter topping to dish and spread evenly
• Sprinkle remaining oatmeal topping on top of chocolate spread. Using spatula, gently press the oatmeal into the chocolate layer
• Cover dish and refrigerate for 2-2.5 hours for a crunchy bar (for softer chewy bars, refrigerate for approximately 1 hour)
• Remove from refrigerator, cut into small bars and enjoy!

🧪 Scientific Advancements for Food Allergies

Immunotherapies are being researched to target specific food allergies. Of the various food allergens, peanuts is one that is often lifelong with only 1 out of 5 children outgrowing this allergy. Last year, the FDA approved the first treatment, Palforzia, for the treatment of peanut allergies in children ages 4 to 17. A capsule containing powder derived from peanuts, Palforzia, is administered per an escalated dosing regimen by breaking open each capsule and adding the powder to food (e.g., applesauce). The clinical goal is to increase tolerance to peanuts and reduce risk of severe or life threatening reactions. Due to the risk of anaphylaxis inherent to this product, only patients enrolled in a special program to evaluate risks and mitigation strategies may be prescribed this drug.