MI Gluten Free Gal: Kemnitz Family Kitchen Food Labels

How often have you gone to a restaurnant, ordered a gluten-free meal, only to wonder if they really brought you the right dinner? I love when restaurants take extra precautions, such as dedicated color plates or picks, to highlight your dish. Even when eating at a friend's house or at a party, sometimes you're unsure if the foods in question are safe to eat. This is why Kemnitz Family Kitchen is such a great help. Read the story about why they were created and enter to win below!

I asked Susan Nelson, founder of Kemnitz Kitchen, why she went into business. Her story is so touching that I want to share it in her own words. I'm sure many will see reflections of their own journey in her tale, just as I did.

When I was 10 years old, my dad told me that I had to help take care of my mother. She was sick and no one really knew why. I studied Biology and Medical Technology to figure it out. In the mean time, I was also starting to duplicate her symptoms When she went in for hernia surgery, she was told her intestines were a mess and that she had Celiac Disease, even though she has previously tested negative 5 times for it. The only instruction she was given was to stay away from bread.

I knew from my symptoms that when I ate simply, I felt better. My symptoms included passing out daily, migraines, muscle weakness, peripheral neuropathy and aches/pains. Shortly after my cousin’s daughter was diagnosed with Celiac as well, I went gluten free and my symptoms decreased substantially.

When my mom entered a nursing home, the staff was very inexperienced in providing her celiac-safe meals. I brought food in for her, talked to kitchen, said NO snacks from the cart and educated them as best as I could. Her health completely depended on who was in the kitchen. It was very frustrating to finally have information that could help her, but no one understood, or knew what to do with this information, including my mom.

That is where the labels came in. I thought the labels would let mom know that her food was safe to eat and that it would be a reminder to the kitchen that they had to get it right. Also, since I was living in a gluten environment, I used labels for my gluten-free food, and also labeled whatever got cross contaminated. The food picks helped with eating safely at large events and holidays.

I started the allergy-friendly labels as I realized that those with other food sensitivities could be helped too. That way one label could encompass several allergens instead of 4 different labels. This is so important for families with small children with multiple allergens. I can't imagine how difficult it is for them sometimes.

While my mother was in the nursing home, I kept taking my new ideas and labels to her. I told her that “we have done it –we figured it out” and that she was my true inspiration of the labels and that everything she went through in this life was not in vain. Because of her, we are going to help people and families have a better and safer life. She has been and always will be my partner in this mission.