Food Allergies and diet

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Replies

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    Libby283 wrote: »
    KeithWhiteJr wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    Spent 20 minutes in the grocery store today looking for anything baked goods/ sweet without eggs, nuts, palm oil or coconut.

    Nothing... any suggestions?
    vim_n_vigor wrote: »
    Many people in my family have allergies to trees and grasses, but there is a cross reaction that happens during certain seasons where things like squash, bananas, etc. cause tingly tongues, hives, itching, and for some of the family, constantly taking allergy medication is enough to keep these things under control, for the rest of the family, allergy shots are necessary. If you have not seen an allergist about this, please do. These reactions can become life threatening if you don't. The doctor can also give you advise on what you can/cannot eat, what to avoid and when, and what other items could be causing reactions that you don't even know about.

    Saw the allergist on Monday. He said don’t eat potatoes, strawberries, eggs, nuts including almonds and peanuts, turkey and fish.

    I ate lettuce with carrots and chickpeas for lunch. Sucks... now I want dessert and can’t find anything.


    Make some cookies or whatever at home, with ingredients that you can trust. It isn't as hard as it seems.

    Also, there are way more things than lettuce and carrots that you can eat. Maybe have a ham sandwich, with lettuce and tomatoes and some vegan mayo, with some apple chips instead of potato chips, and a banana for dessert.

    Or, why not try some chicken tenderloins, smothered in BBQ sauce with some white rice?

    Or a couple tacos?

    Cheerios?

    Pancakes?

    Sloppy Joes?

    Roasted turkey in gravy?

    Allergic to turkey....

    I can’t cook, but I did contact some local bakeries to see if we can get a standing order of something that is allergy proof that will fill the need for my sweet tooth. A banana is fruit and I do sometimes have one for breakfast but it is not a dessert. I want cake, cookies and those yummies.

    I never realized how much stuff has eggs. Breakfast with eggs and potatoes have always been my favorite meal.

    I go back to the allergist the first week in July. Hopefully he has some solutions to be able to bring these items back into my diet. At least eggs and potatoes. I can live without the rest.

    I have tried allergy medicine in the past but it made me deathly ill. Maybe something new has been developed that we can try.

    You could call a vegan bakery and ask them if they have anything sweet without nuts, coconut oil, or palm oil. (By definition, a vegan bakery won't use eggs.)
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    Libby283 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    When I was baking for vegans I had good success with Bobs Red Mill Egg Replacer https://smile.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Egg-Replacer/dp/B01LX2AOMH

    This would be great but it has potatoe. I found out today that shredded cheese has potato.

    Not if you shred it yourself. Buy block cheese. Get a grater.
  • Libby283
    Libby283 Posts: 288 Member

    jgnatca wrote: »
    From what I can tell you are waiting for the grocery store to get your memo so you don’t waste twenty minutes wandering the aisles looking for decent replacements to your favourite foods.

    You haven’t been terribly clear clarifying between what you can’t eat and won’t eat, what you can’t do and what you won’t do.

    I think there is a grief process in here as well, some anger and denial.

    There is no industry incentive to develop foods to satisfy highly individual intolerances like yours.

    And I am done providing suggestions.

    Perhaps your allergist will cave and let you eat eggs and potatoes again.

    Best of health to you.

    Last night was literally the first time I have actually went grocery shopping in 3-4 years. The only time I have ever stopped into one is swinging in on my morning commute to grab a yogurt, donuts or prepared salad for lunch.

    So yes not being able to just eat on the go is a struggle. I spent 20 minutes in Chick fil a and couldn’t get anything but an unsweetened tea.

    I can’t eat fish, nuts, peanuts, eggs, potatoes, coconut, palm oil, strawberries, turkey, lamb and oysters.

    I don’t eat steak and pork, with the exception of bacon. I also don’t like cucumbers, uncooked veggies
  • Libby283
    Libby283 Posts: 288 Member
    shaumom wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    Ugh I think I might die of starvation... I know me and we are not good with food work.

    It is interesting that you say pain. I have been aching for the last 3-4 years. Like 80 year old pain...

    I can’t have peanuts either. I hate tofu.

    Darn - tofu is easy, if you like it. And peanuts - also easy, but only if you can have it.

    re: pain - I used to feel like I must be 90 years old, I had pain all over. Know lots of allergic folks who had the same. So...good side, hopefully the pain IS allergies and might go away after a few months. :-)

    And also - I am so sorry you are struggling right now. I am NOT a good cook myself. I don't like cooking; I could literally think of anything in the world I would rather do than cook. And I have had to slowly, slowly learn how to cook at least a little bit, just to get food that didn't make me want to choke and die.

    And it was not easy, and I still kind of suck as a cook, but every once in a while, I've managed to find a good recipe here and there that helps.

    I would just say, as encouragement - you will likely find something you can have that you like, whether that is some random food that has no allergens, or a recipe that finally works. It takes a long while, and a lot of meals with (if it's like me) some crappy, crappy meals where you just wanna look at your food and wish you could numb your mouth just so you don't have to taste it again. But it will get better. Slower than you would like, in all honesty, but truly, it gets better. :-)

    When it comes to looking for pre-made foods that are allergen free, I forgot to mention before - check out things online. A lot of foods that are allergen free are not available everywhere so they can be tricky to find anywhere BUt online. Amazon.com has a lot, oddly, and you can do some google searches and sometimes find some other possibilities. Typically cheaper to order in large amounts online, anyway. :-)

    re: desserts - oh man, I sympathize. one thing that saved my life - I got an electric ice cream maker. Just take ripe fruit (soft fruit, or cook harder fruit until soft). Blend it up in a blender until really smooth, and then just dump in the ice cream maker and make your own sorbet. You can add seasonings and such to make it better (cooked apple, blended smooth, with things like cinnamon added, seriously tastes like apple pie sorbet. Both weird and awesome). This is very quick and easy, but it's sweet and nice and kind of saves your sanity, if you really like desserts (like I do. ^_^)
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    ...Just buy a couple of cookbooks for beginners and go from there. The skill will really be mastering which foods you can substitute to make it allergy friendly for you but a dietician could help with that.

    Just to save you some time - yeah, the above won't work for the most part. Dieticians sometimes have a little knowledge about a few foods (like dairy, for lactose free diets, or gluten free for celiacs) but once you get 2 or more allergens, their ability to help you with recipes or substitutions goes down rapidly. Better to look at which people can't eat that food and check with that.

    Like vegans don't use eggs, so they have some good substitutions for that (apple sauce, flaxseed...)

    Cookbook for beginners - also sorta helpful, sort of not. Helpful if you know nothing about cooking and are trying to learn basics like, say, how to make pasta. Not helpful in that the majority will end up having ingredients you can't use, sometimes to the point that you literally have almost nothing left in the recipe that you CAN use...not helpful, you know?

    But learning about ingredients from basics can really help.

    I actually have an ice cream maker. Used it once. We do have a local creamery that can accommodate my allergies, so I will continue going. But sometimes I want cake, brownies and cookies. I did find chocolate covered pretzels and rice crispy treats at the grocery store last night. I am still on the hunt for cakes, danishes and donuts without eggs.

    I also grabbed some oatmeal, cream of wheat and grits. This is the most cooking that I do these days. Picked up some lettuce, carrots, beans, yogurt and fresh fruit. Basically what I ate the last time I lost 50 lbs. that diet gets old quick and obviously I went back to real food.

    I also live in the middle of farm country. You say vegan and they look at you like you sprouted a second head. Our nearest grocery store is 15 miles away. I have to make the trip further out to find vegan eggs and mayonnaise.
  • Libby283
    Libby283 Posts: 288 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    KeithWhiteJr wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    Spent 20 minutes in the grocery store today looking for anything baked goods/ sweet without eggs, nuts, palm oil or coconut.

    Nothing... any suggestions?
    vim_n_vigor wrote: »
    Many people in my family have allergies to trees and grasses, but there is a cross reaction that happens during certain seasons where things like squash, bananas, etc. cause tingly tongues, hives, itching, and for some of the family, constantly taking allergy medication is enough to keep these things under control, for the rest of the family, allergy shots are necessary. If you have not seen an allergist about this, please do. These reactions can become life threatening if you don't. The doctor can also give you advise on what you can/cannot eat, what to avoid and when, and what other items could be causing reactions that you don't even know about.

    Saw the allergist on Monday. He said don’t eat potatoes, strawberries, eggs, nuts including almonds and peanuts, turkey and fish.

    I ate lettuce with carrots and chickpeas for lunch. Sucks... now I want dessert and can’t find anything.


    Make some cookies or whatever at home, with ingredients that you can trust. It isn't as hard as it seems.

    Also, there are way more things than lettuce and carrots that you can eat. Maybe have a ham sandwich, with lettuce and tomatoes and some vegan mayo, with some apple chips instead of potato chips, and a banana for dessert.

    Or, why not try some chicken tenderloins, smothered in BBQ sauce with some white rice?

    Or a couple tacos?

    Cheerios?

    Pancakes?

    Sloppy Joes?

    Roasted turkey in gravy?

    Allergic to turkey....

    I can’t cook, but I did contact some local bakeries to see if we can get a standing order of something that is allergy proof that will fill the need for my sweet tooth. A banana is fruit and I do sometimes have one for breakfast but it is not a dessert. I want cake, cookies and those yummies.

    I never realized how much stuff has eggs. Breakfast with eggs and potatoes have always been my favorite meal.

    I go back to the allergist the first week in July. Hopefully he has some solutions to be able to bring these items back into my diet. At least eggs and potatoes. I can live without the rest.

    I have tried allergy medicine in the past but it made me deathly ill. Maybe something new has been developed that we can try.

    You could call a vegan bakery and ask them if they have anything sweet without nuts, coconut oil, or palm oil. (By definition, a vegan bakery won't use eggs.)

    I am working on finding one. A local place does do frozen vegan cupcakes but they can’t guarantee that it is nut and contamination free. I have a few more on my list to call in the nearest large cities.
  • Libby283
    Libby283 Posts: 288 Member
    edited June 2019
    KeithWhiteJr wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    From what I can tell you are waiting for the grocery store to get your memo so you don’t waste twenty minutes wandering the aisles looking for decent replacements to your favourite foods.

    You haven’t been terribly clear clarifying between what you can’t eat and won’t eat, what you can’t do and what you won’t do.

    I think there is a grief process in here as well, some anger and denial.

    There is no industry incentive to develop foods to satisfy highly individual intolerances like yours.

    And I am done providing suggestions.

    Perhaps your allergist will cave and let you eat eggs and potatoes again.

    Best of health to you.

    Last night was literally the first time I have actually went grocery shopping in 3-4 years. The only time I have ever stopped into one is swinging in on my morning commute to grab a yogurt, donuts or prepared salad for lunch.

    So yes not being able to just eat on the go is a struggle. I spent 20 minutes in Chick fil a and couldn’t get anything but an unsweetened tea.

    I can’t eat fish, nuts, peanuts, eggs, potatoes, coconut, palm oil, strawberries, turkey, lamb and oysters.

    I don’t eat steak and pork, with the exception of bacon. I also don’t like cucumbers, uncooked veggies


    Why couldn't you get anything at Chick-fil-a?

    And why did you go to chick-fil-a without checking the website or app ahead of time to see if they had anything you can have? I have to literally check websites or call ahead to every single restaurant I want to visit before even thinking about going there. It's a pain in the neck, but it keeps things like that from happening.

    But, I do eat at chick-fil-a, and for the life of me, I dont know why you couldn't find anything to eat there...
    KeithWhiteJr wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    From what I can tell you are waiting for the grocery store to get your memo so you don’t waste twenty minutes wandering the aisles looking for decent replacements to your favourite foods.

    You haven’t been terribly clear clarifying between what you can’t eat and won’t eat, what you can’t do and what you won’t do.

    I think there is a grief process in here as well, some anger and denial.

    There is no industry incentive to develop foods to satisfy highly individual intolerances like yours.

    And I am done providing suggestions.

    Perhaps your allergist will cave and let you eat eggs and potatoes again.

    Best of health to you.

    Last night was literally the first time I have actually went grocery shopping in 3-4 years. The only time I have ever stopped into one is swinging in on my morning commute to grab a yogurt, donuts or prepared salad for lunch.

    So yes not being able to just eat on the go is a struggle. I spent 20 minutes in Chick fil a and couldn’t get anything but an unsweetened tea.

    I can’t eat fish, nuts, peanuts, eggs, potatoes, coconut, palm oil, strawberries, turkey, lamb and oysters.

    I don’t eat steak and pork, with the exception of bacon. I also don’t like cucumbers, uncooked veggies


    Why couldn't you get anything at Chick-fil-a?

    And why did you go to chick-fil-a without checking the website or app ahead of time to see if they had anything you can have? I have to literally check websites or call ahead to every single restaurant I want to visit before even thinking about going there. It's a pain in the neck, but it keeps things like that from happening.

    But, I do eat at chick-fil-a, and for the life of me, I dont know why you couldn't find anything to eat there...

    Chicken is cooked in peanut oil, fruit is cross contaminated with strawberries. Fries are potatoes. No point getting salad without chicken and egg. Not interested in a bowl of lettuce without flavor. The milkshakes are literally 700-900 calories so didn’t bother checking the ingredients.

    I do have two kids to feed, so regardless if I can eat or not, I do have to feed them somewhere.
  • tracybear86
    tracybear86 Posts: 163 Member
    Best egg substitute for baking that I have found.
    https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-a-flax-egg/

    I honestly cannot remember your full list of allergies but this recipe has no eggs or dairy and makes really good cakes or cupcakes! This site has multiple flavor options. The recipe came about during the depression when people did not have access to eggs and a lot of dairy products. I have personally made the chocolate, vanilla, spice and lemon, all were good. There is a mug cake version on the site as well which takes about 5 minutes to make in the microwave.
    https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/tried-true-tuesday-crazy-cake-no-eggs/
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    my experience was that shredded cheese was coated in maize starch!!!!!

    On the subject of mock egg white. vegan girls living with my granddaughter at uni used the liquid at the bottom of tinned chick peas instead of egg white.

    Intrigued by allergy medicine. Just to add something to your list of problems it could be preservatives they use in medications. Paraben and that does not need to be listed.

    A book and web site which might interest some of you, foodcanmakeyouill.co.uk/. In my day it was a book but as a site there is much information and the books are still available.
  • Libby283
    Libby283 Posts: 288 Member
    mph323 wrote: »
    Out of curiosity, if you never set foot in a grocery store, and don't cook at all, what do you feed your kids?

    eta This is getting weirder by the minute...

    As I said earlier, we eat out a lot. Mostly local restaurants. Sometimes pizza delivered to pool. Sometimes Chick-fil-a. We don’t eat at any other fast food places.

    My fiancé stops into store to get basics like milk, coffee, tea, drinks, snacks. He cooks sometimes. Like throwing chicken on the smoker.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited June 2019
    Yeah, instacart is grocery delivery, and you can usually choose one of a number of grocery stores, although Libby said she's out in the country so may have fewer options. WFs here delivers too (maybe free with prime?). I've never done either, but it seems like a nice option.
  • slbbw
    slbbw Posts: 329 Member
    Is soy ok? Try veggie burgers or tofu. I like Seitan as well. Smashed avocado makes a lovely mayo substitute for things like chicken salad. Add soem salt and lemon/lime juice. Not all vegan options will be availble to you, but you might look for nut free vegan recipes as a starting point. You don't mention beef at all except you don't like steak. is hamburger an option, that should open up a host of things.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Yeah, instacart is grocery delivery, and you can usually choose one of a number of grocery stores, although Libby said she's out in the country so may have fewer options. WFs here delivers too (maybe free with prime?). I've never done either, but it seems like a nice option.

    Whole Food delivery may be available with Prime - depends on how far away the store is - I can get delivery but my Mom cannot. There is a $5 delivery fee when you order at least $35. It is another $5 if you do not meet that threshold. The first few times I ordered the delivery fee was waved, but even with it, it is worth it for me to save me the time of going to the store, which is about 20 minutes away when the traffic is good. Plus I do a lot of impulse buying at WF so the delivery fee pays for itself.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited June 2019
    Libby283 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    collectingblues wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    Out of curiosity, if you never set foot in a grocery store, and don't cook at all, what do you feed your kids?

    eta This is getting weirder by the minute...

    As I said earlier, we eat out a lot. Mostly local restaurants. Sometimes pizza delivered to pool. Sometimes Chick-fil-a. We don’t eat at any other fast food places.

    My fiancé stops into store to get basics like milk, coffee, tea, drinks, snacks. He cooks sometimes. Like throwing chicken on the smoker.

    I get that you don't want to cook.

    But think of it this way, if nothing else: You're going to save a ton of money if you actually bother to cook and shop -- even if you did something like Instacart.

    I can't even fathom spending my entire life eating out, and feeding a family exclusively by eating out, but you clearly have more money to spend than I do.

    Instacart is a grocery delivery service, yes?

    @Libby283 there are also meal delivery services like Blue Apron / Hello Fresh. These have perfect portions and all the ingredients you need.

    However, you said on page one that you are away 12-15 hours a day - is this 5 days a week? In this case, I can see why cooking a dinner each night is not an option, and why your family eats out/gets takeout all the time.

    Then again, your quality of life is important - I used to have a two hour commute and a long day. That experience was so horrible that I prioritized short/no commute over better paying jobs. Currently, if I were willing to commute into Boston or Providence I would make more money than I am now, but I value my no-commute and overall quality of life more.

    Yes every day we are out 12-15 hours. We are home to sleep. I take the dog with me to work. I am also on call 24/7. Between work, running kids and all we are not home much. My commute is not far, but my days are long. I literally answer phones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for work.

    Weekends are when I run around doing errands or running children to their fathers. My daughter is traveling next week on a school trip and I still need to get her a suitcase and clothing that is appropriate for where she is going.

    I have a feeling I am going to get skinny, or learn to survive on chipotle and Chinese. So far both have been fine with my allergies.

    Those time commitments to your place of work sound dreadful to me.

    Your employer needs an energy balance consultant. https://theenergyproject.com/why-you-hate-work-2/
  • Libby283
    Libby283 Posts: 288 Member
    edited June 2019
    collectingblues wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    collectingblues wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    Out of curiosity, if you never set foot in a grocery store, and don't cook at all, what do you feed your kids?

    eta This is getting weirder by the minute...

    As I said earlier, we eat out a lot. Mostly local restaurants. Sometimes pizza delivered to pool. Sometimes Chick-fil-a. We don’t eat at any other fast food places.

    My fiancé stops into store to get basics like milk, coffee, tea, drinks, snacks. He cooks sometimes. Like throwing chicken on the smoker.

    I get that you don't want to cook.

    But think of it this way, if nothing else: You're going to save a ton of money if you actually bother to cook and shop -- even if you did something like Instacart.

    I can't even fathom spending my entire life eating out, and feeding a family exclusively by eating out, but you clearly have more money to spend than I do.

    Instacart is a grocery delivery service, yes?

    @Libby283 there are also meal delivery services like Blue Apron / Hello Fresh. These have perfect portions and all the ingredients you need.

    However, you said on page one that you are away 12-15 hours a day - is this 5 days a week? In this case, I can see why cooking a dinner each night is not an option, and why your family eats out/gets takeout all the time.

    Then again, your quality of life is important - I used to have a two hour commute and a long day. That experience was so horrible that I prioritized short/no commute over better paying jobs. Currently, if I were willing to commute into Boston or Providence I would make more money than I am now, but I value my no-commute and overall quality of life more.

    Yes every day we are out 12-15 hours. We are home to sleep. I take the dog with me to work. I am also on call 24/7. Between work, running kids and all we are not home much. My commute is not far, but my days are long. I literally answer phones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for work.

    Weekends are when I run around doing errands or running children to their fathers. My daughter is traveling next week on a school trip and I still need to get her a suitcase and clothing that is appropriate for where she is going.

    I have a feeling I am going to get skinny, or learn to survive on chipotle and Chinese. So far both have been fine with my allergies.

    Are your food delivery places really that fast? I know for me, living in a pretty decently sized area, it takes less time to get delivery to my house than it does for me to cook.

    Also, unless you sleep 12 hours a day, you're home and awake for more than 0 hours.

    It's fine to not *want* to cook -- maybe not the best idea, but whatever, go ahead and whine -- but most people do have lengthy commutes and time commitments. They make food procurement a priority because they have to. We don't all have the freedom or money to decide that nope, we're not going to cook. And that's *especially* true when you have food allergies. I'm really surprised that you're able to safely eat out as much as you do with those -- cross contamination is a nightmare, and very few restaurants are allergy safe.

    I'm especially surprised Chinese is fine with your allergies, considering how those places are cross contamination nightmares. Do they always get fresh pans for you, and prep and cook your food separately?

    Case in point: I have celiac. So not all that different from a food allergy. I also leave my house at 8, and routinely get home close to 9. I still figure out meals. Because there are a handful of restaurants where I can *safely* eat. So I *have* to make it a priority. Because I am neither made of cash, nor do I like being in physical pain. I may not like it, but I'm a responsible grownup and don't have a choice.

    No idea, but I consider it a good day when I don’t have a swollen tingly tongue and/or hives. So far neither place has given me a reaction and I had no egg in my fried rice...

    I get delivery when at pool and it takes about an hour. We are far out. They are the only place that delivers. We have another 4 local restaurants in our small town, that I call in orders and swing in to pick things up. At work I send an assistant out every day to pick up food.

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