Diabetic and peanut allergy (same person) dining

[Selket]

I'm trying to plan a trip this summer and trying to wrap my tiny brain around meal planning for my 28 month old who has both diabetes and a severe peanut allergy (touches peanut butter= 911 experience for example). Bear with me because both things were diagnosed since March so I don't have a great deal of experience with either!

I found the Contemporary Resort to be VERY helpful (willing to make sure items are available in the Food and Fun center for him to eat that are peanut free and appropriate - willing to help us any they can even if they need to provide some simple things from the kitchen for him). So I know at the hotel he will have a safe place to eat counter service style meals. I am not worried about the PS restaurants because I can plan with them ahead of time. However to save money I'd like to eat lunch or dinner counter service sometimes at the parks - and we also might want a treat to go with it.

For example, I noticed at one counter service restaurant at Epcot the food is probably fine but the only sugar free dessert I see is ice cream. Will they KNOW there at the restaurant if it or other food is safe from peanut contamination? Do we have to plan in advance for counter service meals as well? Will the food cart vendors know if the food is peanut free? I know folks talk about the mickey bars being peanut free (some debate over that maybe) but they aren't sugar free right? Will they have nutrition info listed on the package? Are there sugar-free drinks routinely available at the counter service places other than diet colas? Are all the drinks at ice-station cool with sugar? (I know he loved that place last year )

I have done searches here at the boards on both diabetes and peanut allergy issues but combining the two things is difficult. If anyone has suggestions for diabetics or peanut allergies while visiting WDW please let me know.

Thanks!

 

[Ambassador]

We will be visiting all the Parks and many restaurants later this month. I will keep your questions in mind, and get back to you after June 2nd.

 

[Talking Hands]

Only sugar free drinks available besides diet COKE is sugar free tea. To be honest I do not eat their sugar free ice cream but prefer to have some regular ice cream evenif I can have less. All the sugar free ice cream has nutrasweet which I do not tolerate at all. Makes me very sick. Better to have sugar that be sick. DIabetics can have a certain amount of sugar( carb) in their diet and sometimes it is better to plan cheating.

 

[Ambassador]

We are always careful about diet soda from fountain dispensers. Better to give milk and water to your 2 year old. I suggest speaking to a dietician/nutricianist about your travel plans and needs. Go to the American Diabetes website http://www.diabetes.org/communityprograms-and-localevents.jsp and look for a recommended program and dietician.

 

[Selket]

TH - I know that Bryers makes an ice cream with splenda in it - but of course that is at the grocery and not a WDW The carb count on it isn't that much different than the regular Bryers however. I agree that I want to be able to give insulin to cover food and have him eat a regular diet with some treats thrown in.

I do have an appointment lined up with a nutritionist to discuss various things. William is not allowed concentrated sweets yet and because he is so newly diagnosed we frankly haven't yet figured out a way for regular "sweet treats" like regular ice cream or a brownie, etc. We have done it and try to compensate with the insulin but we are really just "flying by the seat of our pants" when we do that it seems (that is an issue I have with his medical team that hasn't yet been resolved). I know most diabetics can consume things everyone else eats, in moderation.

He *will* want a soda sometimes - especially when he sees us drinking one (and we all drink sugar-free). I can bring some choices for him in a small cooler. We make kool-aid with splenda which he likes also so I will plan on providing drinks. He gets more than enough millk/cheese/yogurt and the like and has milk with all meals but in between he will request something else other than water sometimes.

Thanks!

 

[Talking Hands]

If you check the exchange tables you will find that ice cream can be used as a milk exchnage plus a fat exchange. Something like that. Vanilla of course but regular ice cream has always been allowed as a treat.

 

[Selket]

TH - we haven't been told to follow exchanges or carb counting or any plan at all actually. It is frustrating not knowing his carb to insulin ratio. I've been carb counting on my own and trying to figure it out (dr. has helped some) but frankly it seems to change - possibly because he is in the honeymoon period and sometimes his own insulin kicks in (I guess) and drives him much lower than I would have thought (based on what he ate and how much insulin I gave him). At least the dr. tells me this. I am looking forward to meeting with the nutritionist and see if she can help me out. I really don't like him consistently running above 300 for hours on end or yo-yo -ing like he does at times. He feels terrible I can tell - and I am just when that happens.

We have started allowing him more treats (birthday cake, cookies, ice cream) and so forth. It still causes havoc sometimes with his glucose levels - but so does his balanced meals. Toddlers sometimes eat all the carbs and non of the protein - or vice versa! LOL! Anyway - it has been easier for me to keep the sweets out of the picture as he rarely asks for them unless he sees us eating them - and we have all cut back on our intake of bad stuff - which is good for all of us.

 

[dj2]

i think it might be helpful for you to talk with the chefs. they have info about the ingredients at counter service/food carts and probably have lists as to what items are peanut free, sugar free, etc., as those ingredients are fairly common for people to avoid.

here are the numbers i used last june (hope they're still accurate)

MAGIC KINGDOM Executive Chef 407-824-5967
EPCOT Executive Chef, Sharon Schifano, Epcot F&B, 407-560-7483
MGM STUDIOS Executive Chef Michael LaDuke 407-560-1347
ANIMAL KINGDOM Executive Chef Robert R. Adams 407-938-2441

 

[Talking Hands]

Selket,
With my daughter many years ago the restaurant they were taking the kids on the tour had nothing my daughter could eat. They arranged for something to be brought from another restaurant for her. This was a special kids tour they used to have but Disney does go the extra mile for kids and adults who have special dietary needs. Btw they do have sugar free candy in some of the shops and will show you the label if you request. You might check into some of this as a treat. Do it on the sly thogh so if it isn't appropriate he isn't disappointed.

 

[SueM in MN]

I wanted to answer your question about Ice Station Cool. We were at WDW in March and I only saw sugared drinks there. They have a number of "stations" where you can fill up your cups, but they all appeared to be dispensing exactly the same drinks.
If he really liked that place, you might want to make a run in there alone to check it out and see if they added any sugar free drinks.

 

[Talking Hands]

In the past ICe Station Cool has had at least one sugar free drink so do check.

 

[Figaro]

Below is the url to a story about cleaners and how well they work at ridding surfaces of peanut allergen. Just thought some of the people dealing with peanut allergies might like to see this!

http://tinyurl.com/39x9o