Feingold Diet at Disney? (ADHD)

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We have opted to begin Feingold for our daughter and should get the food list just before our trip next week.

We have the Dining plan.

I am wondering if any folks have had any trouble with Feingold at Disney. (I only know that generally you avoid dyes and certain foods like lemons I think--but there are a few other things you eliminate. The food list will be very helpful, but I don't think it is something that I can say...here chef, create!)


Thanks for any input.

 

[mechurchlady]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=15155437&highlight=feingold+disney#post15155437

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=6550788&highlight=feingold+disney#post6550788
REad post 32 as that is very explanative.

Been there, done that.

What you describe as avoiding dyes falls under the the Feingold program. www.feingold.org. It is dietary support program that helps parents eliminate artificial colors, flavors and preservatives for ASD kids.

Disney is familiar with these guidelines and is very supportive in offering alternatives for those people sensitive to artificial colors and flavors.

Many of our members have visited WDW, DL and DCL. Many times, we have already found alternatives to the colored offensives. It's been awhile, but there used to be a certain Mickey mouse Ice cream bar you could get on main street that didn't use artifical colors or flavors. I remember it was NOT the Nestle one.

Also, I believe in the old fashioned soda fountain, you could get a natural lemonade. NOT to be confused with the Minute Maid lemonade sold by the street vendors on Main street.

Also on the cruise line (leaving on 10/9/04), the chef will call you ahead time to discuss the ingredients to find meals that fit within allergy restrictions.

You are not alone. We all fall off the wagon, especially on vacations. We all thought we learned the lesson: no exceptions to the diet, regardless. However, we all fall off again in the future and pay the price.

You can do it. Have that Disney experience and great vacation without the artficial colors, flavors and preservatives. If you need help, check out the Feingold Organization. There is also a yahoo chat board for people interested in learning more about Feingold. We have been members for over 6 years. Couldn't do it without it.

A fellow "No more ritalin" pirate
~endkaos

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http://www.feingold.org./pg-overview.html

The Feingold Program eliminates these additives:

* Artificial (synthetic) coloring
* Artificial (synthetic) flavoring
* Aspartame (Nutrasweet, an artificial sweetener)
* Artificial (synthetic) preservatives BHA, BHT, TBHQ

In the beginning (Stage One) of the Feingold Program, aspirin and some foods containing salicylate (Suh-LIH-Suh-Late) are eliminated. Salicylate is a group of chemicals related to aspirin. There are several kinds of salicylate, which plants make as a natural pesticide to protect themselves.

That said there are snacks like apples available Fruit Bu leathers/roll ups type snacks and lots of things that you can get that are additive free. You will have to talk to the special diets people for a list of items that would meet your diet.

The problem with all kids is that the younger ones cannot tell mom that eating a food makes them itchy, their throat constrict, or cause them to be hyper. The push has been to get the neurovariant kids off of all gluten, cassein and additives. The proper diet for any child is organic with few if any additives other than herbs, spices, and natural preservatives and coloring.

http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/2003/apr03/WI-High-School.shtml
This is an average High School that saw learning improve as they changed the diet of the kids.

I only use aspartame when I crave diet coke because ti is aspartic acid which is not so bad and floor cleaning methy alcohol you know the stuff momma told you not to touch ro drink.

==================================

Most of the food from table service restaurants can be made according to the Feingold Diet without major changes unless you are gonig full out with the diet and and are eliminating Salicylates like lmonds, Apples, Apricots, Aspirin, Berries, Cherries, Cloves, Coffee, Cucumbers, Currants, Grapes, Nectarines, Oil of wintergreen, Oranges, Peaches, Peppers (bell & chilli), Pickles, Plums, Prunes, Raisins, Rose hips, Tangelos, Tangerines, Tea, Tomatoes.

Make a list of what your diet prohibits and send it to the special diets people. If you have more than a few limitations then you should make a bunch of index cards with all the limitations on it. Hand a copy to the greeter to give to the chef.. It is easier than trying to remember 10 things that a person cannot have.

Good luck with the diet. I hope it helps and I have seen changes from going partially organic and simpler foods. Mom loves her artificial-free jelly and has it every morning. Remember that until recent history people did not have artificial additives, BHT, and most food was organic as in right from the dairy, butcher or baker.

 

[BeckyScott]

This is just my opinion- we have the Feingold pack and I am slowly converting both DS's over so at least I'm familiar with it that much--

I think you might have a hard time doing Feingold at Disney. And my youngest DS has lots of food allergies and they did wonderful with him.

The difference is that with Feingold you're going to get that list/ booklet of acceptable brands. I don't know if Disney is going to be able to get those specific brands of whatever item it is, and by the Law Of Feingold, those are the only brands you can use.

You might luck out, email them and have them email you back and say they know exactly what Feingold is and they'll do it no problem. I wouldn't put it past them to do that. At the same time, even with food allergies, some restaurants are better than others, and I would imagine that would hold true with Feingold too.

It's easy enough to tell them okay, no artificial flavoring or coloring, msg, etc. No apples or tomatoes. But Feingold is very specific with the brands that are okay, and they're specific because those are the ones that they really know what's in them.

Having said that, am I reading correctly, that your trip is next week and you're just now getting the Feingold packet? If that's the case, you might be pushing your luck to request special diet- I know they say 48 hours notice but by the time you get the food list and know what you're looking at- And your daughter isn't Feingold right now, right? One option would be to email Disney pronto and tell them your child's diet doesn't allow artificial flavoring or food coloring, and leave it at that. It won't be 100% Feingold but it will be something, and since she's not Feingolded right now, it will be a step in the right direction.

You're going to have to completely clean out your pantry and go thru a whole learning curve with Feingold anyway, and it sounds like that might not happen in your home until after the vacation. So either get started, sort of, on the vacation... or don't even start until after you get home. The timing is just too close. If I were in your situation, I wouldn't even try the Feingold until you got back. I can't imagine dealing with my DS's food allergies for the first time while I was at Disney. By the time we got there I was a year into it, and I could spout information out off the top of my head, knew what brands of bread were okay, knew more about what things were going to be safe, and I wouldn't have wanted to drag a booklet with me for the week.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I actually just got it today.

That was fast.

Okay--so I have the book. They do state brand specific and while I have not read through everything, I do notice that they state that anything made from scratch according to the standards is okay.

So I guess--I was more interested in how easy it was to find the "safe" things for the plan.

We may hold out before going all out and just transitioning her.

Surprisingly we do several things that are Feingold safe in an effort to eat more cleanly at home. We have our share of unsafe, but a transition won't be as bad as someone who may not have shopped anywhere close to that before.

Whom do I e-mail about dietary requests?

So far my luck with the sign language did not pan out--maybe I'll have better luck when inquiring about food?

We are on the Dining Plan and have one sit down per day--I know she is having steak in Canada--so things like that if I was able to request that it just be prepared "straight" so to speak (I know restaurants in general will season and butter them up and that is why it tastes so good.)

We are at our whit's end to help her to enjoy life and with meds she was not able to do that. We've been off them for a couple of months and recently found out she was being picked on in one of her extra-curricular activities due to her behavior. So anything we can do to help her better behave appropriately would make us happy.

Those with an ADHD child know--you are beating a dead horse in getting them to "behave".

Good thing though that with Disney there is so much going on that she better controls herself since there is not opportunity to be bored.

Thanks for the insight.

 

[BeckyScott]

The food allergy info is here- http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=595713 in Post #3.

If you email them and tell them what your child cannot eat, they will forward it around to the places where you have ADR's. When you show up for your meal, it should be in their computer that you have a guest with food allergies. The hostess or the waitstaff will get the chef to your table. If it is a buffet, the chef will walk you thru the line and tell you what is okay to eat. They might also "add" something and bring it out. The other table-services, the chef will make something up for your child and bring it out to you.

I found it easiest, at the buffets, to go ahead and grab a plate as I walked with the chef. Then right there on the spot, if it was something I knew DS would eat, I'd put some on the plate. That way he had a plate of food right away, and I wouldn't have forgotten what the chef said. It also kept DS from going up to the buffet and seeing things he couldn't eat.

The counter-services were a little harder. You will get an email back from the Special Diets people listing all kinds of stuff. And each counter-service has a 3-ring binder of the ingredients in all their food. Suggestion- go at an off-time, because it's a bit of hassle and it's worse if they're really busy. What we ended up doing, is for example, we knew the hot dogs were okay for DS (he's not Feingold! they probably aren't Feingold hot dogs!) We knew that if they could get us a gluten-free hot dog bun, that he could have a hot dog and fries. He ate that for lunch almost every day, thankfully he was fine with doing that. It seemed that there was one counter-service in each park that sort of catered to the food allergies, the one that had all the allergy-food in stock, so we made an effort to go to that place.

Some places were better than others with the food allergies. We had probs with Yak & Yeti, and after I got back I found out here that they aren't owned by Disney. Which would explain a lot. I suspect you aren't going to Yak & Yeti anyway, as you could tell it would be msg heaven. And we did get food there, they were just clueless and made me feel like we were an inconvenience. I think the best one was probably Chef Mickey's breakfast. DS ate very well that week.

What I also did, I didn't want to carry around all the print-outs that the Special Diets people had sent me, so I made little cheat cards for the counter-service.

I would hope that the Special Diets people are familiar with Feingold, I mean, it's not like you'd be the first person to go to Disney that had a kid on Feingold.

Please do come back and let us know how it worked.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Wow--okay.

I will see what we can do.

We may just have to transition like another poster said and perhaps this trip is not the moment for us to go all out.

My daughter is getting better about reading labels as we get our processed foods as natural as possible.

 

[mechurchlady]

It is hard to do special diets. Imagine telling a kid that they can no longer have many of their favourite foods like Oreos and tangerines. The diet is not necessary like a person with no wheat or soy diets. It is a life change that in theory will change the lives of your family for the better. It is better to subtly change over from commercial foods that not safe to ones that are safe especially if the child has any neurovariancies.

Enjoy your trip and have fun one last time before you are on such a strict diet. If you have options where you can do Feingold then do it. I would not doubt that special diets has heard of the Feingold diet. They are pretty knowing people. I would concentrate on getting rid of the artificial stuff first then later get rid of the berries and raisins as them chemicals are the worst thing not them salycilicates.

Hugs
Laurie

Psst, you are a great mom.