In order to offer a varied and appetizing meal to her son Christophe, allergic to 13 foods, Marie-Josée Bettez has long transformed her kitchen into a real laboratory.
Lunches are part of the everyday life of allergic children, who often have to lug their own food as soon as they set foot outside the house. To make life easier for them, Marie-Josée Bettez and her son have just published a recipe book that helps reinvent the preparation of lunches despite the prohibitions.
With his 13 allergies, Christophe Bettez-Théroux has a “practical experience” of lunches: the young man of 19 years has eaten more than 3000 since his birth! Foodie in the soul despite the daily constraints with which he must juggle, Christophe decided to team up with his mother to produce the recipe book Lunchs reinvented, the latest in the series Déjouer les allergies alimentaires, written by Marie-Josée Bettez, Editor-in-chief of the website with the same name.
“Not a brake”
Ms. Bettez wanted to give a boost to those who have to prepare lunches daily, recalling that a child who suffers from severe allergies eats more meals to take away than average.
As a child, Christophe used to lug his little cooler when he went out for a day or when he went to visit a friend. “I always told him: you can not eat everything, but you can do anything,” says his mother. Food must not be a brake on experiences. ”
To lessen the frustrations of her boyfriend, who has never been able to share a fast-food meal with her friends, Mrs. Bettez has decided to bet very early on appetizing and attractive lunches, which are sometimes the envy of her friends , Says Christophe.
A daily challenge
Preparing meals for an allergic child is challenging, but the daily puzzle becomes even more complicated when it comes to lunches that have to be prepared in advance or resist thermos, says Bettez.
The 90 recipes selected in their book are cooked quickly, one day in advance, or give a performance large enough to freeze some.
Accompanied by a wealth of information and practical advice, these recipes prove that it is possible to prepare a variety of appetizing lunches despite allergies.
“The best way to reduce frustration is to focus on what you can eat rather than on bans,” says Bettez. The list of foods you can eat is much longer than you can not eat, and it stimulates creativity. We cook from this list and we see all the possibilities. “
