I'm wondering if people have considered just bringing their own food with
them on the airline.  We (my husband, son and I) have never eaten on the
airline except when travelling overseas when it is just too impractical to
pack food.

For domestic flights, I have found that it is very easy to cook some simple
grain (i.e. cous cous), simple vegetable and pack some tofu, fruit leather,
pretzels, bread, etc. and have a very nice meal that we can all eat.  I
just pack it all in containers and put it in an insulated bag we bought.

It is a carry on peice of luggage and after your meal the load gets a lot
lighter.  Especially with a six year old, munchies are needed anyway.  We
find airport food expensive, and usually not too appealing.  Since I cook
everything we eat myself, I guess we are spoiled with eating exactly what
we want.

Regarding relatives, I have a very supportive Mother and MIL, who would
love to cook for my son but just don't know where to begin.  So I cook
everything when we are visiting and leave them to cook the plain noodles
and plain vegies, etc. Even breakfast is easy--just give them his cereal
and the soymilk to put on it, along with some fresh fruit. That makes them
happy to do something for my son and him happy that Grandma is making
something for him.

Someone mentioned a MIL who "saw" their grandchild have a reaction and
still tries to feed them foods that have ingredients the are allergic to.
(That is pathetic to be blunt.)  My Mother and brother only had to see my
son break out in hives one time to "really" believe us (and that was just
to my son accidently getting milk on him at a petting farm where milk was
being fed to the baby goats).

Rachele Shaw