Managing a Food Allergy While Traveling

Roughly 50 million people in the U.S. travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, and more than 15 million people in the U.S. have with food allergies. That means this holiday season, there are a lot of Epi-Pens® going through security. And though there’s comfort in these numbers, people with food allergies and their family members are never fully relaxed or off duty when traveling. They’re well aware of the fact that most fatal food allergic reactions are triggered by...

How to Navigate Your SAGE Menu

As you look forward to the school year ahead, we encourage you to look over your menu in advance to plan what to eat, especially if you have food allergies or follow a specific eating pattern. This guide will remind you of key features of our menu, and might even introduce you to something new! Access You can always access the menu via a web browser on any device, as well as through our Touch of SAGE™ mobile app. The...

Being an Allergy-Aware Parent

For parents whose children don’t have food allergies, it can be hard to understand how stressful it can be, and to know how to help. Whether you’re hosting a party, having your child’s friends over after school, making a dish for a potluck, or volunteering during a field trip, here are some tips for keeping kids safe. Preventing an allergic reaction begins with an awareness of what you’re serving, and to whom. Teach your kids to share books, toys, and...

Food Allergies 101: Facts, Symptoms, and Taking Action

Food allergies are a serious matter. Since data was first collected in 1997, the incidence of food allergies in American children has risen sevenfold. Food Allergy Facts SAGE’s research of its client population has found a frequency of 1 in 12 students for the 12 top food allergens: eggs, fish, gluten, milk, mustard, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, sulfites, tree nuts, and wheat. Most fatal food-allergic reactions are triggered by food consumed outside the home, where the individual has much less...

Keeping Students Safe: How SAGE Handles Food Allergies

SAGE’s first priority is keeping our students safe and healthy. For this reason, food allergies need to be considered just as seriously as any other threat. SAGE’s research of its client population found that 1 in 12 students has a food allergy. For students with food allergies, meals can bring uncertainty and fear. We alleviate that fear through our allergy management program. Since peanut allergies are the most common and severe, SAGE doesn’t serve peanut or tree nut products (*unless...

The Prevalence of Food Allergies at SAGE

SAGE Leads in Allergy ADA Compliance

SAGE Co-Founder and CFO Tina Rodriguez and Director of Nutrition Lesley Vogel recently led a presentation at the National Business Officers Association (NBOA) 2016 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles entitled, “Food Allergies as Disabilities: Is Your Dining Program ADA Compliant?” Educators and other professionals who serve school-age children are keenly aware that food allergies are serious and on the rise. It is estimated that 1 in 13 children has a food allergy, and that number is growing. According to...

One-on-One with a SAGE Dietitian

Lesley Vogel is the Director of Nutrition at SAGE Dining Services®. To celebrate Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day, I stole a few moments with her during a busy day of meeting with her team of Registered Dietitians, reviewing menu plans, and answering Managers' questions about allergens, ingredients, and recipes—read on to learn more! So, Lesley... what's the coolest part of your job? There's never a dull moment! I just got back from speaking about how to accommodate for food allergies as...