Table 3 Summary of themes and supporting quotations

Food allergy causes substantial burden for families

Having a child with food allergy can cause many challenges for families. This was demonstrated by the additional effort required for management.

“Just having to read every single label was a huge eye opener, having to pretty much switch most of my recipes for dinners … it was a big change for us.”

“I have to make everything on my own for him and then he also gets the jealous factor of what everyone else is eating, so [the childcare has] a 3-week rotating meal plan that I try to follow so he does not get jealous of what the other kids are having.”

“I have to get his allergy-friendly food first before getting to my basic needs”

Parents described sacrifices made to meet their child’s dietary needs. Including putting the child’s needs above their own, and avoidance of the child’s allergen by the entire family for risk of cross contamination.

“[I] have to get his [food] first before getting to my basic needs … and sometimes I have to put stuff on credit versus putting things back if I absolutely need them.”

“I had to have a very strict budget and sometimes I would have to put things back for myself that I would need just to accommodate for the things he needed for his allergies.”

“For myself personally, my consumption of it [child’s allergen] changed significantly because I will barely have it when he is around just to not cross contaminate anything.”

Perceived emotional and financial benefits of an allergy-friendly food subsidy program

Parents spoke of this food subsidy program having many positive benefits, emotionally and financially, especially for those with recent diagnosis.

“He was able to try these new things [dairy-free products] without going into our budget of our regular spending.”

“We spent less on these particular items, because I would never have to go to the store and buy dairy-free cheese, so it definitely helped for sure without cutting down.”

“It was really getting to try all the different things, see the range of products that we did not necessarily even know were out there.”