May 14-20 is Food Allergy Awareness Week and Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia is encouraging everyone to show they care.
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Australia has one of the highest rates of food allergies in the developed world and the incidence is increasing at an alarming rate:
- One in 10 babies born in Australia today will develop a potentially life-threatening food allergy.
- Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia estimates that there are more than 650,000 Australians with diagnosed food allergy – which doesn’t account for the many who are undiagnosed.
- Recent research has found a link between incidence of asthma and food allergy in teenage children.
- There has been a rapid increase of food allergy over the last 10 – 15 years. Anaphylactic reactions now account for 1 in every 500 hospital admissions for children aged 5-14.
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA) is calling on Australians to join together for one week to: Be Aware. Show You Care. The week aims to help raise community understanding of food allergy and much-needed funding.
“Allergic reactions to food can rapidly become life threatening, so education on daily management, prevention of a reaction and emergency treatment is crucial,” said A&AA CEO Maria Said.
“It is essential for Australians to know the signs and symptoms of when a food allergy occurs. Food Allergy Week is about helping keep people with food allergy safe by making Australians allergy aware.”
SHOW YOU CARE
- Donate by simply texting ALLERGY to 0455 021 021 or head to www.foodallergyaware.com.au
- Paint one nail to symbolise that one in 10 babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy and post a pic on your social media channels using #allergyaware
- Adopt an allergy for one day to better understand the challenges allergy sufferers face every single day. People can also sponsor your effort
- Change your profile pic by downloading a badge from our website to use through your social media channels
- Educate others by sharing Food Allergy Week content with friends, family and through social media channels by using the hashtag #allergyaware
For further information, please visit www.foodallergyaware.com.au.
ALLERGY AWARE DELIGHTS
These allergy-friendly recipes have been created exclusively for Food Allergy Week by The Allergy Plate food blogger (allergyplate.com) and include spaghetti cakes, chocolate bliss balls and blueberry ice cream. They are nut, egg, dairy, wheat and soy free.
Blueberry ‘icecream’
Ingredients
- 3 frozen bananas - cut into 2cm lengths (cut before freezing)
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
Method
Place bananas and blueberries in the food processor and let sit for 3 minutes. Whiz at high speed until a smooth consistency is formed.
Enjoy!
(If you prefer a firmer ice cream, place ice cream in an air tight container and freeze for several hours)
Choc Bliss Balls
Ingredients
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 12 medjool dates
- 1 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
- 1tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp course sea salt
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
Method
Place the sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in a food processor and chop on high speed until seeds and the consistency of fine crumbs.
Add remaining ingredients and blitz until well combined. Mixture should stick together between your fingers.
Roll into bight size balls and coat in coconut.
Store in the refrigerator.
Chocolate Tart
Ingredients
- 14 medjool dates – pitted and halved
- 1 + 1 cup of water
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 3 cups shredded coconut
- 250ml coconut cream
- ¼ cup cocoa
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
- 2 tbs gelatin (grass fed is ideal!)
Method
Pre-heat oven to 160 ºC.
Place dates in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Cover bowl with foil and set aside for 30 minutes.
Grease a 24 cm flan tin with removable base and place on a dinner plate (dinner plate helps with moving to refrigerator).
Meanwhile, spread shredded coconut onto a lined baking tray and brown in the oven (stirring every 5 minutes until golden). Set aside.
Heat coconut oil in small saucepan over low heat until just melted.
Combine coconut oil and shredded coconut in a medium sized bowl. When the shredded coconut is fully coated with oil, line the base and sides of flan tin with the coconut mixture. Place the coconut base in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
When dates are ready, add to food processor with the water from the bowl and chop on high speed until a smooth thick liquid is formed. Add coconut cream, 1 cup of water, cocoa, vanilla and salt to the food processor and mix until well combined.
Add the gelatin to the food processor and continue to mix for a further minute.
When coconut base has been in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, pour chocolate mixture into base. Return to refrigerator and leave overnight to set.
When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and leave on counter top for 15 minutes before serving. Remove sides of tin and decorate with fruit of your choice.
Spaghetti Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 3 tbsp water
- 300g wheat free/gluten free spaghetti
- 1 tbsp virgin olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 500g beef mince
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 large carrot
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 zucchini
- 250g mushrooms
- 400ml passata
Method
Preheat oven to 170ºC. Line muffin trays with 15 non-stick muffin liners.
Combine chia seeds and water in a bowl and set aside.
Cook spaghetti according to packet directions. While spaghetti is cooking, heat olive oil in frypan over medium heat.
Use food processor to chop onion and garlic, add to pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Add beef, salt and oregano to pan and brown.
Chop carrot and celery in food processor and add to pan. Separately chop zucchini and mushroom in food processor and add to pan.
Stir through passata. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
Combine spaghetti with meat sauce and chia seed mix.
Using tongs, fill each muffin case with mixture. You may need to add more meat sauce to each one and gently mix through with a spoon.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven when tops appear crispy.
Allow to set for 10 minutes before removing cases and serving.
