Help for Common Food Allergies? My Ready, Set, Food! Review

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Reviews » Help for Common Food Allergies? My Ready, Set, Food! Review

Go to any birthday party, school lunch, or neighborhood picnic and it’s obvious… With allergies to nuts, dairy, eggs, soy, gluten, and more, we have a food allergy epidemic going on. It’s affecting our kids on a large scale, and many parents are left wondering why… and what to do about it.

This is why I’ve been paying close attention to the research since several landmark studies on food allergies came out. The research clearly showed for the first time that early exposure is key to reducing future food allergy risk — the opposite of the standard approach at the time.

I wrote about this topic in-depth before and a company called Ready, Set, Food! making it easier and safer for parents to act on this research. I got so many great questions that I wanted to give my full review and share why I chose to help spread the word about this potential solution to the food allergy crisis.

Food Allergies in Kids: A Growing Problem

5.6 million — that’s how many children in the U.S. have food allergies, according to the CDC. That’s 1 in 13 kids.

While that’s an alarming statistic in and of itself, it’s also concerning how quickly the numbers of allergy-compromised kids are rising. Again according to the CDC, food allergies in kids have increased by 50 percent in recent years.

What’s causing these changes? There are many theories, but in 2015 the first large landmark studies on the topic brought some clarity to the picture.

From Avoidance to Exposure

I can’t claim a lot of firsthand experience when it comes to food allergies (other than a brief dairy intolerance with my son).

However, I’ve been to the pediatrician’s office enough times with an infant to know that the common advice in recent decades has been to wait to introduce common allergens (like eggs or peanuts) until a year or two years of age.

Many of us acted on this in good faith (myself included), but what I didn’t realize at the time was that there was no significant research to back up this approach.

When the first landmark studies came out, they painted a very different picture!

LEAP and EAT Studies

The LEAP (“Learning Early About Peanut Allergy”) and EAT (“Enquiring About Tolerance”) studies released in 2015 found that early and frequent introduction of peanut, egg, and dairy between the age of 4-11 months could significantly reduce the risk of future allergies to these foods.

The studies changed everything… and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the National Institute for Health (NIH) issued new guidelines to parents.

One problem though…

Many parents (and doctors) still aren’t educated enough on this research. Also, there’s the practical problem of how to safely introduce these foods during the prescribed window (4-11 months)… possibly before a child even starts solid foods!

This is why I took notice when Ready, Set, Food! approached me about their simple, science-backed system, all started by two parents who were also MDs and allergy specialists. Their commitment to research and education impressed me, and I knew I wanted to help get the word out.

I teamed up with some mom friends with littles to try it out. Many of them had older children with food allergies and were interested in any science that could help avoid a repeat experience.

Ready, Set, Food! Review & How to Use It

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, then these revised guidelines may save many families from the worry and stress of a serious food allergy.

One serious drawback: the LEAP and EAT studies show that introducing egg, peanut, and milk gives the best results during the age of 4-11 months. They also suggest that breastfeeding alone doesn’t have the same allergy risk-reducing effect.

To close the gap, Dr. Andy Leitner and Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan designed a system called Ready, Set, Food! It consists of individual packets containing pure, powdered egg, dairy, and peanut in safe, targeted amounts.

The Ready, Set, Food! System: How It Works

When you buy Ready, Set, Food!, you get two boxes, one for each of stage of the program:

Stage 1

Stage 1 is the introduction stage, ideally starting when baby is 4 months (I personally would start at 6 months. I explain why below.) You receive 15 individual packets, each color-coded and clearly labeled for each week and day of the program.

The packets contain carefully measured, precise amounts of the following ingredients:

  • Ingredients Days 1-4: Organic cow’s milk
  • Ingredients Days 5-8: Organic cow’s milk, organic cooked egg white
  • Ingredients Days 9-15: Organic cow’s milk, organic peanut, organic cooked egg white

How to Use: Open the packet for the day and add the finely powdered contents to a bottle of expressed breast milk, formula, or age-appropriate baby food.

In our test, the powder dissolved completely and quickly even in cold breastmilk or formula without much effort (it takes about 10 seconds). The babies also didn’t seem to notice anything different about the content of the bottle.

Stage 2

The Stage 2 box contains 30 individual packets of the maintenance formula, which simply contains organic cow’s milk, organic peanuts, and organic cooked egg white.

Continue the maintenance system for a minimum of 6 months. This follow-through is very important to get the results found in the studies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the great questions you’ve asked:

Is It Safe?

I certainly approach giving a baby any supplement or food with an abundance of caution. I always encourage you to do your own research and to consult with your doctor for the best approach for your child.

It may not be how we’re used to thinking about things, but a 2018 study confirmed that infants have less chance of a serious allergic reaction (anaphylactic) than toddlers/older children. Another finding that flies in the face of the outdated approach of avoidance.

Personally, after checking out the studies and what the experts say, as well as seeing the product, I would give Ready, Set, Food! to my own children if it had been available when I had babies… with a few modifications.

What I Would Do:

Despite the studies’ recommendation, I’d wait until 6 months to start anything other than breastmilk, since some more recent studies suggest that anything else could negatively affect an infant’s microbiome. (Also, waiting would reduce any chance of nipple confusion in a breastfeeding infant.)

However, be aware that my recommendation departs from the LEAP or EAT studies, and from what Ready, Set, Food! recommends for best results.

Read more about their standards for safety here.

How Much Does It Cost?

A box of supplements costs $49 with a monthly subscription (get a discount through this link) or $174 in total for the 6 month subscription. That’s less than $1 per day.

Why Do I Recommend RSF Above Other Brands?

Ready, Set, Food! isn’t the only early introduction system on the market, but after comparing I find it to be the product that makes the most sense for families. This is because:

  • Founded by both parents and doctors – Founders Dr. Andy Leitner and Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan are both brilliant doctors, but they are also parents. They understand both the science and the responsibility parents feel when making decisions that affect their children’s health.
  • Precise – The dosing in the packets follows the studies and guidelines very precisely (unlike other similar products on the market).
  • Step system – It introduces only one allergen at a time, according to recommendations.
  • Dissolves in breastmilk or formula – It can be introduced in a bottle (especially important since I would feel more comfortable waiting until 6 months for any solid food). The powder also doesn’t clog bottle nipples unlike some other brands.
  • Simple – There’s only one packet/dosing a day. (Other companies require multiple dosings.)
  • Education first – I appreciate Ready, Set, Food!’s education-focused website and direct linking to studies for transparency and authority. Check out their website to see what I mean!

It’s worth mentioning that other brands do cover more allergens than just the three in RSF. However, since egg, peanut, and milk were the only foods studied in the LEAP and EAT reports, I feel the most comfortable recommending a product that targets those three.

My Thoughts on Ready, Set, Food!

While it may seem like a radical suggestion (especially from me!) to give your baby a powdered supplement, after checking out the research I personally feel this is a giant step forward in saving families from the hassle and worry of food allergies. I’m glad to finally see concrete research to guide parents on a confusing problem.

If you want to dive into the research further, here are some resources to get started:

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Scott Soerries, MD, Family Physician and Medical Director of SteadyMD. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.

Do you worry about food allergies in your family? What questions didn’t I answer? Let me know in the comments below!

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

5 responses to “Help for Common Food Allergies? My Ready, Set, Food! Review”

  1. Devin Avatar

    My pediatrician recommended Ready, Set, Food! for my daughter. I used it for her for 6 months and I was so happy to know that she is now allergy-free and in fact, peanut butter is one of her favorite foods! It’s so great that it’s organic and so easy to use. I highly recommend it to any parents with infants!

  2. Anna Avatar

    I definitely think food allergies have increased significantly in recent years. I can remember when I was a kid, kids just didn’t have them or none of the kids I knew did. I work at a large local elementary school and every hallway has at least 2-3 peanut/nut free signs by classroom doors. I’ve been in education for 20 yrs and I don’t think food allergies were really prevelant even 10+ yrs ago as they are now.
    I think this early method is a great way to kick start a baby’s immune system to view the top 8 allergens as good and not deadly.

  3. Connie Gerbasi Avatar
    Connie Gerbasi

    This is so totally UN-natural …. We can go back historically and know how babies have been fed….Exclusive breast-feeding until at least six months of age. If there’s any truth to giving baby small amounts of common allergens … This is bound to happen naturally when mothers let baby taste food. How much better to give them tiny taste of real organic raw cow milk rather than some dehydrated powder. Of the hundreds of people I’ve known that breast-fed babies … really and truly breast-fed I don’t know very many who have allergies. Most of the allergies I know of have come from environmental factors. Some of these are controllable and some of them aren’t ….

    1. Katie Wells Avatar

      I would not personally give this before six months (I never pumped anyway so I couldn’t have) but would implement when introducing solid foods for the first time anyway. In the past, parents would not have avoided these foods at all so babies would have had regular early exposure.

    2. Stephanie Avatar
      Stephanie

      I am unsure about what to think about this. I have three kids all with food allergies. I have been told that their food allergies are genetic. I breastfed all of my kids. My first son had signs of allergies from infancy. He would sneeze and get hay fever looking eyes, all red and itchy, every time he nursed…from newborn. I was eating all of the major allergens and they seemed to affect him through my breastmilk. The first time he had a major reaction was when I first introduced solid food (really watery rice cereal mixed with formula.) I had been feeding him the rice cereal for about 2 weeks with no major symptoms, but one day I was not at home and had no expressed breastmilk to mix with the cereal so I mixed it with formula. He was just over four months old and the first spoonful touched his lips and he started screaming like it was burning him. He quick turned his head and it got on his cheek and then turned to big red blotches with white little hives on his cheek. He continued crying and trying to use his arm to wipe off his cheek and the red blotches and hives then spread to his arm.
      It took until he was nine months old before I could get my pediatrician to refer us the the pediatric allergy specialist. After the visit, the did the prick tests on his back, we found out he was allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts. He is now 16 years old and still has anaphylactic results when accidentally exposed to milk products. (His throat and tongue itch & swell.)
      When I was pregnant with my second child, I was encouraged to avoid those foods my son was allergic to until I was done breastfeeding. But instead of milk, eggs, and peanuts, my second son is allergic to beef, pork, and chicken! My daughter (our youngest) is allergic to beef, pork, milk, peanuts… I had decided not to avoid any foods while pregnant and breastfeeding with her.
      All of my kids got allergy tested at young ages and not sure if early introduction to ANY specific food would have changed their allergies now! I now just manage their diets with healthy, organic, whole foods that don’t trigger their allergies.

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