For a constantly busy job or a housewife, unpacking a blue apron and HelloFresh meal is like getting a birthday present. You won’t make a list, shop for groceries, come up with something that won’t bake cheese again tonight, or measure it. Just cut out the package and follow the instructions. The end result: You’ll have less food, less preparation time, and a delicious and healthy diet without having to feel guilty.
If you are the main meal planner, grocery shopper, and dishwasher loader in your home, a night like this sounds like a dream. But for 32 million Americans with food allergies and their families, these pre-measured perfect diets are an illusion.
Local mom Angie Nelson aims to change that with Safer Plate, a food preparation service that does not contain nine top allergens. Six years ago, her son responded to peanut butter at the age of six months. Further testing revealed that he was also allergic to nuts, eggs and milk. “Diagnosis has shaken my world and changed my family’s meal times,” says Nelson. “At that time, I was breastfeeding, so I had to remove these items from my diet too.”
Feeling overwhelming, overwhelming, alienating.
“I was tired of spending hours reading all the labels at the grocery store and coming up with recipes that the whole family could enjoy,” she says. And, in recent years, the number of allergy-friendly snacks has increased rapidly, but snacks alone are not enough. “What’s missing is a good dietary solution,” says Nelson.
She was anxious for a solution that could ease the burden of shopping, preparing and planning meals. “I like the concept of letting others take care of the food planning and the conveniences that come with it,” she says. However, she was unable to comfortably order for her family due to the high risk of mutual contamination with existing meal kit services.
Despite the high prevalence of food allergies (about 85 million US consumers buy allergy-friendly products for themselves, family, or friends), they have dedicated facilities. No other meal kit company is free of the top nine allergens (to eliminate crosses) pollution risk). “When walking down the freezing aisles of grocery stores, one meal without top allergens is very limited,” Nelson said.
From this struggle, a safer plate was born.
“ADA considers food allergies to be disabled, but it’s difficult for families like me to find safe food options at grocery stores, event centers, airports, hospitals and malls. You name it. “Masu,” says Nelson.
I myself remember the fight well. Soy is the only option and many because I was allergic to dairy products for the first decade of my life and allergy-friendly options such as oats and almond milk were not widely available in the early stages. Was not offered at the location. My parents brought dairy-free meals and snack containers back to parties, malls, and friends’ homes to ensure that I had a safe meal.
“Our goal at Safer Plate is to be a solution by serving food anywhere, anywhere to normalize allergic foods and help those who feel left behind. [to] I feel seen, understood and welcomed, “says Nelson.
The top nine allergens include peanuts, nuts *, crustaceans, seafood / fish, milk, gluten, eggs, soybeans and sesame seeds. (* But safer plate meal conduct Contains coconut. )
So what are the edible foods on the list, with all these allergens out of the way? “It’s amazing how many things you have can Eat, “says Nelson. “Meat, rice, fresh vegetables and fruits, [and] Gluten-free pasta is part of many of the ingredients we can incorporate into our diet. “
The Safer Plate chef will thoroughly investigate each ingredient to make sure it does not contain the top nine. Also, to eliminate the possibility of mutual contamination, all products that enter the facility where meals are prepared must not contain the top nine. Each food and ingredient entering the facility must be SQF (Safe Quality Food) certified. That is, the cleaning and allergen testing procedures are documented.
After a detailed study of the ingredients, the Safer Plate chef will create a diet that does not include these top allergy categories. please think about it. Oven fried chicken with jojo potato and ranch dip, crispy maple mustard chicken, Mongolian beef, sweet and sour orange chicken, and a hot meal chicken alfredrotini.
And say goodbye to preparing separate meals for allergies. “We aim to please everyone, not just those who are allergic or intolerant,” says Nelson. “With their experience and skill set, [the chefs] You can make the most flavorful and delicious meals. “
Apart from other boxed meal services, Safer Plate is a non-subscription company. “We understand the changing needs of the week and don’t want people to feel tied to their plans,” says Nelson. “You can order as many as you like.”
The menu is updated weekly, but standard menus such as soups and individually cooked meals are always available. Meals are shipped on Tuesdays and are usually delivered on Wednesdays and Thursdays. “I personally think it’s worth it. I know how much time I can save each week by reading all the labels at the grocery store and coming up with new dinner ideas. “Masu,” says Nelson. “Needless to say, we send you the exact amount of ingredients you need to prepare your meal, so there’s little waste.”
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