Talking Allergies

The recent discussion about soynut butter made me realize that I never posted info about SunButter. I actually prefer it to soynut butter, but obviously it's a very personal choice.

You used to be able to find it in health food stores, but for some reason (distribution issues I think), that doesn't seem to be possible any more, at least not where I live.

But you can order it from the Winnipeg distributor at http://www.sunbutter.ca/sunbutter.htm

We did a large order for my support group, and found the prices to be very reasonable. For the less expensive Creamy and HoneyCrunch SunButter, I think it was about $4 a jar, including S&H (compared to about $6 for what I'd been paying at our local health food store). The Natural and Natural Crunch SunButter was a bit more expensive, but not by much.

You do have to order by the case (of 12 jars - you can mix and match I think), but that wasn't a problem for our group. And they will send you small samples to try.

If you want more info about the product, you can also go to the U.S. site at http://www.sunbutter.com (but you cannot order it from there and have it shipped to Canada - I've tried).

K.

P.S. As for giving my kids a PB substitute or not: I used to worry when they were younger out of fear that they would get confused, but their choices are so limited (because of a combo of what they cannot eat and/or what they will not eat) that I've decided that it's okay for us. We always call it by its name, just like we do for rice milk and DariFree. And to be honest, it's really my husband and I that eat it the most. The kids don't seem to like it as much... only my oldest will eat it, and he rarely takes it for lunch. The odd time when he has taken it, I've labelled it well.

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Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

Karen,
Can you describe the taste? I have seen some sunflower butter in the store but it has nut warnings on it.
Stephanie

I find the taste is extremely close to peanut butter, to be honest. Although it's so long since I had pb that my taste buds might be a bit rusty.

Someone else told me about another kind of sunflower seed butter with a nut warning, but this product is made in a dedicated facility in the U.S. that is targeting the peanut and nut allergic (which you can definitely tell from the U.S. website).

K.

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Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

woah! Thanks for the canadian website!!

We love Sunbutter here. Each time we travel to the States, we buy everything we see! We can't have Soybutter or Peabutter, because of legume allergies anyway. Sunbutter is our only answer (or we go without).
The fact that Sunbutter is exposed to soy falls within our comfort level, (the soy allergy is small).
Just yesterday, my husband scored 8 jars while in Owego, NY ! Yeah!!

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11yo boy - peanuts nuts chickpeas
8yo daughter - peanuts, nuts, mustard, eggs, sunflowers (new! ), oral allergy syndrome
husband - pollen of all kinds
me - seafood,, oral allergy syndrome

A couple of months ago I asked my local health food store to see if they could get Sunbutter in. They looked into it and I was told that they didn't have an Ontario distributor and that I'd have to order directly from Winnipeg if I wanted it. Well today, I saw it sitting there on the shelf!! They only had one variety, "New Organic Sunbutter" -- ingredients: sunflower seeds. It is really delicious -- I have to agree with you Karen, I'd have to say that I prefer the taste of Sunbutter over soynut butter too.

Ethans mom
I found it at Planet Organic in Edmonton. I really liked it but my husband and kids do not, they prefer the soy nut butter.
I can't win
Stephanie

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myself -Shell Fish, asthma, environmental allergies
Husband - Environmental allergies
7 year old- peanut, environmental
5 year old- eggs, nuts, fish, peas, environmental, and asthma.

stephanie -- I still don't mind the soy nut butter but find that it can have a bit of a bitter after taste. I'll usually add bananas and drizzle some liquid honey to cut the bitterness.

In Ottawa, Rainbow Foods (Ottawa health food store) is now stocking SunButter again. A few of my members have called to confirm. At the end of May, I was told by the AAIA that SunButter would be found in lots of Ontario stores in the near future.

The price at Rainbow Foods is more expensive (they have to make some profit I guess) than if you buy it from Winnipeg, which is what my support group has been doing for the past year. We have also started buying the trail mix, which lots of people seem to love. (It's not safe for everyone - just peanut and nut free I believe).

We are going to try to see if Rainbow Foods will give us a bulk discount... It's a lot of work to order and deliver, but the cost for us has been very reasonable.

K.

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Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

Karen,
if you make a bulk buy, I'd drive to Ottawa to get my part! We're down to one jar now...

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11yo boy - peanuts nuts chickpeas
8yo daughter - peanuts, nuts, mustard, eggs, sunflowers (new! ), oral allergy syndrome
husband - pollen of all kinds
me - seafood,, oral allergy syndrome

I've sent you a PM - check that and get back to me.

K.

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Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

Sunbutter is tasty, but the soy cross contamination gets me every time, so I don't buy it anymore.

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~*~*~ That which does not kill me only gives me hives. ~*~*~

That's great news - about it being available in more stores across Ontario soon. I used all my samples from the Triple A Run/Walk (including the ones I took from all of my friends bags ) It's certainly left me wanting more...

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4ye old DD allergic to sesame, peanut, raw egg , and mulitple environmental & seasonal allergies

2 yr old DS -no known allergies!