Originally Posted by Evansmom:
I feel for ya. DS2 was dx with peanut allergy 3 years ago and our lives have totally changed...for the better. We eat so much better and we've all lost 30 plus lbs 
so there is an up side to all of this.
But I remember that overwhelming feeling at first. It's horrible to feel that such a necessary thing like food can make your child very ill! I found a lot of very helpful info and advice at the Kids With Food Allergies website. They also have a forum where parents can share info and experience which is really helpful. I encourage you to visit the forums.
All I can say is educate yourself. As you go along it will become second nature, but it's hard at first.
We chose to make it simple and so our whole family eats the same as my allergic son. We feel this normalizes his allergy and he doesn't feel singled out. He knows some foods are not safe for him and he waits to be sure it's safe before he eats anything. That happens more when we are outside of our home. In our home we eat meats, fish, veggies, fruit and cheeses whenever we want. We almost never eat any packaged food. This makes it so simple to be sure there is no cross contamination.
As for eating out I know Chipotle is very allergy aware and my friend who's son has multiple food allergies including wheat and corn eats safely there.
It takes time but this will become your new normal. PM me if you want, I'll give you my email and we can chat that way.
I likewise have the allergy. Lost 20 lbs since changing my diet.