10 Favorite Food Allergy Books

I learned almost everything I know about food allergies from reading books from the library. Back in 2006 when my younger son was first diagnosed, there wasn’t much information online. I looked for authoritative books written by allergists because I knew nothing about food allergies. And I read food allergy picture books to help my children to understand some basic concepts without frightening them.

Fast forward to 2020 in an age of misinformation, it’s even more important to rely on trusted and respected resources for information. Our health, our lives, and our families depend on understanding food allergies. This list of food allergy related books are some of my favorites and might be helpful for those who want to learn more about food allergies.

Disclaimer: I do not share medical advice, please consult with your medical care team if you have any questions. This post contains affiliate links, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Edit: I updated the post and added some new books so there’s more than 10 books now. 😉 10/12/2020

Informative Food Allergy Books

When managing a life threatening allergy, it’s so important to have the best information available. All of the following food allergy books are written by well respected allergists and will help you to better understand food allergies and related conditions. Read at least one so you can talk with your doctor and understand the nuances necessary to manage food allergies. Please remember that your doctor knows you or your loved one best, so it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions and ask questions if you have any questions.

• The End of Food Allergy: The First Program To Prevent and Reverse a 21st Century Epidemic by Dr. Kari Nadeau and Sloan Barnett (affiliate link). I received a copy from the publisher to review and highly recommend Dr. Nadeua’s book. Dr. Nadeau is my son’s much loved food allergy trial doctor at Stanford and she has written a comprehensive book about food allergies and food allergy immunotherapy. It’s a must read book to better understand what is food allergies and written by one of the most reknown allergists in the world. 

• Food Allergies for Dummies by Dr. Robert Woods (affiliate link) is easy to read and contains all the information you will need. Life with food allergies is complex and you might find it helpful to re-read or flip through this book from time to time to deepen your understanding.

• The Peanut Allergy Answer Book by Dr. Michael Young (affiliate link) provides a great overview of what is a food allergy and how to manage food allergies in general. However, this book is quite comprehensive for those with a peanut allergy.

• Food Allergies: A Complete Guide For Eating When Your Life Depends On It by Dr. Scott Sicherer. (affiliate link) This book is written in a question and answer format and answers a wide range of questions based upon Dr. Sicherer’s extensive pediatric allergy practice at Mt. Sinai in New York. It’s very easy to read. Edit to note that Dr. Sicherer has updated his book (first edition has a red cover), his second edition has a teal cover. I haven’t read it yet but it’s always best to have the most updated information.

• Asthma Allergies Children: A Parent’s Guide– by Dr. Paul Ehrlich, Dr. Larry Chiaramonte and Henry Ehrlich (affiliate link and Henry is my friend, opinions are my own). This books helps me to understand the relationship between asthma,  eczema, food and environmental allergies and how to manage all these conditions. Some of the fly on the wall stories make me laugh aloud.

•  A Little Bit Can Hurt: The Shocking Truth about Food Allergies – Why We Should Care, What We Can Do by Dr. Donna DeCosta, MD (affiliate link, Donna is also my friend, opinions are mine). This is an eye-opening book for those who want to understand what is it like to live with a food allergy.  The book is a collection of essays by food allergic individuals and their families followed by thought provoking questions to consider.  The main take home message is that food allergies must be given serious consideration and reassurance that people can still thrive with a little bit of planning. (disclosure: I received a copy to review, opinions are my own).

Cute Children’s Food Allergy Books

I updated this blog post to add a section on children’s food allergy books. Allie the Allergic Elephant and The Peanut Free Cafe were my favorites when my kids were little, and I’m sure they will be yours too. Can I Have Some Cake and Everyday Cool with Food Allergies were published more recently and what I needed 10 years ago.

• Allie the Allergic Elephant: A Children’s Story of Peanut Allergies by Nicole Smith (affiliate link)- This was the best book in 2006, it was cute and clear. A few years later Nicole also wrote Chad the Allergic Chipmunk: A Children’s Story of Nut Allergies and Cody the Allergic Cow: A Children’s Story of Milk Allergies.

• The Peanut Free Cafe by Gloria Koster (affiliate link) – Is perfect for kids about to enter school and how the peanut free table became a fun table to sit with friends. I think that the book sets a positive tone about food allergies and good one for teachers to read with students.

• Can I Have Some Cake Too? – A Story About Food Allergies and Friendship by Melanie Nazareth (affiliate link) – This book is about how a little girl wonders all day whether a birthday cake brought to school to share will be safe for her to eat or not. It opens our eyes to how children might feel in social situations in which they might be excluded. (disclosure: Melanie is my friend and gave me a copy of her book as a gift, opinions are mine).

• No Biggie Bunch Everyday Cool with Food Allergies by Dr. Michael Pistiner, et al. (affiliate link) Dr. Pistiner is an allergist and with loved ones who have food allergies. This book is more like a story workbook with facts, scenarios, questions, and suggestions very well woven together to help children and parents to discuss and find solutions for children to manage their allergies effectively.

A Book For Parents of Children With Food Allergies

• Feeding Eden: The Trials and Triumphs of a Food Allergy Family by Susan Weissman. (affiliate link, Susan became one of my friends, opinions are mine). The first time I read Susan’s book I didn’t know her but it was as if she knew me and our family’s challenges of nailing down a diagnosis and finding solutions. It took me awhile to resume reading it again, but over time I laughed, cried, and celebrated with Susan. This book is a good one to read if you want to feel like you are not the only food allergy parent that struggles or if you want to understand the heart and mind of a food allergy parent who is desperate to keep their child healthy and safe.

Related reading: Sharon’s Favorite Asian Cookbooks & Authors

What are your favorite food allergy books? Please tell me in the comments.

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