Ingredient Substitutions/ Easy to assemble meals

brilynn79

I had some testing that revealed many intolerances and am going to start eliminating. I mostly rely on take out and prepared foods.

My list of foods/spices to avoid:
Moderate/High Allergens: Dairy, Wheat/Gluten, Chicken, Sardines, Garlic, Walnuts, Yeast

Low level Allergens: Pork, Turkey, Duck, Eggs, oysters, Fish except shellfish and salmon, Rice, Almonds, Pecans, Peanuts, Lentils, Oats, Buckwheat, Alfalfa, Mushrooms, peas,zucchini, Soy, Sesame, Sunflower seeds, Coffee, Cane Sugar.

Spice Allergens: Allspice,Basil, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Cumin, Dill, Mustard, Nutmeg, Paprika, Peppermint, Sage, Thyme

I can eat all fruits, most veggies, beef, and lamb. My only dairy sub is coconut. Most gluten free substitutes are out bc soy, rice, almond, buckwheat flours. I have yet to find any packaged foods that really work. Obviously eating out will be a nightmare.

I have been using all recipes app that lets you avoid certain ingredients. I would like advice on ingredient substitutions, experience you've had with substitutions, pitfalls, or and any easy assemble meals that might come to mind.

Garlic- shallots may work?
Bacon- fatty cut of beef sliced thin and fried? Need to look at liquid smoke ingredients
Eggs in recipe-chia seeds soaked in water?
Soy sauce-coconut aminos?
Dressing- apple cider vinegar with honey?
Breading-corn flour or masa? Coconut flour
Whipped cream-coconut whipped cream.
Buttermilk-coconut milk with apple cider vinegar
Avocado to replace sour cream
Potato Vodka
Champagne with yeast removed from processing

Thoughts on salsa, ketchup, steak sauce, and barbecue sauce recipes? Spices I can use bay leaves, cloves, curry, fennel, ginger, horseradish, marjoram, oregano,parsley, rosemary, and vanilla.

Some meals that will work:
Roast, carrots and potatoes
Beef smoked sausage(need to verify label) with potatoes and green beans
Beef and potato hash
Vegetable soups
Bean soups
Corn cereal with coconut milk
Salads

I will cross post this.

Thanks in advance

ClubSilencio

Shallots, like garlic, are part of the Allium family. Probably best to avoid.

brilynn79

I just read that. Thanks for response.

sugaraddict4321

Oh boy, that is a daunting list, especially if you're relying on processed foods.

A friend of mine recently had testing with similar results. Her doctor told her to focus first on eliminating the "high" allergen foods, because those are the most concerning or causing the most discomfort. Apparently many people have a mild skin reaction to lots of foods/spices but can still eat those things in moderation. Some people just have sensitive skin that reacts to everything.

To make your journey more manageable, and depending on what your doctor says, you might also want to start with the really big trigger foods and then test out the more mild ones in moderation.

I'm not great with substitutions, but here are a few things to watch out for (read labels as much as you can or research online for take-out):

Sausages - Many beef sausages are still in pork casings. To be safe, choose Kosher or Halal sausages.

Soups - Many of these contain MSG (glutamate) and garlic powder. A lot of the labels might also just say "spices" so you won't have a clue what's in them.

Nuts - You mention walnuts, almonds and pecans. These are all tree nuts, so you should also be careful with other tree nuts (cashew, brazil, hazelnut, pine, macadamia, and pistachio are most common). Also take care with how much coconut substitution you do, since it is considered to be a tree nut too.

Fish - You mention you're allergic to "fish except shellfish and salmon", but at the same time you list oysters as an allergen. Oysters are a shellfish. So maybe be careful with all shellfish and don't assume oysters are the only ones that can trigger an allergic reaction.

Good luck! Hopefully some more folks will be along soon with additional suggestions.