Spotlight on Childhood Food Allergies: Info and the Top 6 Experts and Influencers

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Learn about food allergies in children, their symptoms, nutritional risks, and expert-approved meal solutions. Discover top food allergy experts and recipes and practical tips for safe, balanced eating.

Introduction

Food allergies are a growing concern, affecting approximately 8% of children in the United States. For parents, managing a child’s food allergy is more than just avoiding certain foods—it’s about ensuring proper nutrition while preventing life-threatening reactions.

This guide will help mothers understand the causes, symptoms, and prevalence of food allergies, including the immune system’s role, how to recognize an allergy in children, and the latest treatment options. Finally, we’ll explore practical solutions from leading allergy-friendly food influencers to help parents make mealtimes safe and stress-free. As with all medical conditions, it is vital that you consult with your child’s pediatrician and/or allergist or immunologist before making significant diet changes or engaging in any treatment of your child’s food allergy.

Understanding Food Allergies in Children

Food allergies occur when the immune system misidentifies a food protein as harmful, triggering an overreaction that can range from mild to severe. The immune system produces immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, which bind to mast cells and basophils, causing them to release histamine and other inflammatory chemicals. This reaction leads to allergic symptoms, such as hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, or even anaphylaxis (Elghoudi & Narchi, 2022; Hopkins Medicine, 2025).

Common Food Allergies

The most common food allergies in children are: eggs, milk, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish and more recently identified sesame.

Food Allergies and Nutrition

Eliminating common allergens from a child’s diet due to food allergies increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies, particularly when allergenic foods provide essential nutrients for growth and development. (Skypala & McKenzie, 2019; Wright et al, 2022). Children who avoid foods such as milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, peanuts, and tree nuts are at higher risk for deficiencies in calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, iodine, and essential fatty acids. The removal of cow’s milk, for example, can lead to inadequate calcium and vitamin D intake, both crucial for bone mineralization and growth.

Similarly, the exclusion of fish and eggs can reduce omega-3 fatty acid and iodine intake, which are necessary for neurological development and thyroid function. Studies have also shown that children following elimination diets without appropriate nutritional counseling are at greater risk for growth and feeding difficulties due to the lack of diverse food sources. Early dietary intervention with the guidance of a registered dietitian is essential to ensure that children with food allergies receive adequate nutrition and avoid the negative long-term consequences of micronutrient deficiencies.

Underlying Causes of Food Allergies

Food allergies are influenced by genetics and environment. Children with a family history of allergies, eczema, or asthma are at a higher risk of developing food allergies. Research suggests that a failure in the immune system’s oral tolerance mechanism—which helps the body recognize harmless food proteins—can lead to allergic responses.

Can Children Outgrow Food Allergies?

Some food allergies can fade with age, while others persist into adulthood.

  • Milk, egg, wheat, and soy allergies: Often outgrown by school age.
  • Peanut, tree nut, fish, and shellfish allergies: More likely to be lifelong (Hopkins Medicine, 2025).

Recognizing Food Allergies in Children

Allergic reactions typically occur within minutes to two hours after consuming an allergen.

Mild Symptoms:

  • Hives, redness, or itchy skin
  • Swelling of the lips, face, or tongue
  • Nausea or stomach cramps

Severe Symptoms (Anaphylaxis):

  • Difficulty breathing or wheezing
  • Swelling in the throat
  • Rapid heartbeat or low blood pressure
  • Dizziness or loss of consciousness

If your child shows signs of anaphylaxis, seek emergency medical help immediately.

Treatments for Food Allergies

Currently, there is no permanent cure for food allergies. However, research is advancing, and several treatment options are available to reduce severity of the allergic reaction and increase tolerance over time (Elghoudi & Narchi, 2022; Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, 2025).

1. Oral Immunotherapy (OIT)

  • What it is: Gradual exposure to small, increasing amounts of an allergen under medical supervision.
  • Effectiveness: Helps some children develop partial tolerance, reducing the risk of severe reactions.
  • FDA Approval: The first FDA-approved treatment for peanut allergies, Palforzia, can help desensitize children.

2. Probiotics and Gut Health

  • What it is: Certain probiotics (e.g., Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) may support immune tolerance.
  • Effectiveness: Some studies show moderate success in helping children outgrow milk protein allergies.
  • Current status: More research is needed before probiotics become a standard treatment.

3. Biologic Treatments (Omalizumab/Xolair)

  • What it is: A medication that blocks IgE to prevent allergic reactions.
  • Effectiveness: Helps some children tolerate higher doses of allergens without a reaction.
  • Current status: Still being tested in clinical trials.

4. Recent studies indicate that exposing children to baked forms of milk and egg (e.g., in muffins or pancakes) may help speed up tolerance development, allowing some children to reintroduce these foods safely. This should, however, only be undertaken under the supervision of a physician.

Top Allergy-Friendly Food Experts & Influencers

Finding reliable information and practical solutions for managing food allergies can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are experts in the field who specialize in allergy-friendly meals, nutrition, and research. The following professionals provide valuable guidance through social media, books, and online resources, helping families manage food allergies with more confidence and less conflict.

  1. Dr. Ruchi Gupta MD, MPH
  2. Malina Malkani MS, RDN, CDN  
  3. Lauren Murawski
  4. Michelle Palin
  5. Catherine McCord  
  6. Susie Hultquist – The Spokin App

Additional Resource:

Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE): Resource to identify trained dieticians by location; in person or video consultation available.

Do you have information, resources, recipes or stories to share about food allergies and how to manage them so they don’t manage you? Start or join a discussion in the forum.

Did your baby received antibiotic and developed severe eczema & food allergies?

Food allergy meal ideas 

Food allergies any recipes?

Food Allergy advise needed 

Lunch ideas for child with several food allergies

References:

Elghoudi, A., & Narchi, H. (2022). Food allergy in children—the current status and the way forward. World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, 11(3), 253-269. https://dx.doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.v11.i3.253

Hopkins Medicine. (2025). Food Allergies in Children and Babies. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/food-allergies-in-children

Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. (2025). Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Research. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns-hopkins-childrens-center/what-we-treat/specialties/allergy-immunology-rheumatology/research

Skypala, I.J., McKenzie, R. Nutritional Issues in Food Allergy. Clinic Rev Allerg Immunol 57, 166–178 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-018-8688-x

Wright, K., Feeney, M., Yerlett, N., & Meyer, R. (2022). Nutritional management of children with food allergies. Current Treatment Options in Allergy, 9(3), 375-393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40521-022-00320-7

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