Allergic to Healthy Foods

IronMike0213

Hi I'm Mike. At the time of this post I am 35 and overweight. I'm an Army Vet (non-combat) and started gaining after sustaining injuries during service. I'm trying to take charge of my health and eat foods that are going to be beneficial to me overall. In short, I want to be around for my family.

There are some physical limitations, but my major limitations are dietary (hence my title). I'm allergic to raw fruits and veggies. I'm also allergic to tree nuts. Most recipes include something I can't have! In the short term I'm making changes to my diet by being meticulous about the foods I buy and aiming for products that are healthier. In the long term I would like to have a large option of recipes I can make (instead of buy) so I can save money and meal prep better.

I'm be more specific:

I can't eat any vegetable raw except romaine and iceberg lettuce. Anything else needs to be cooked or processed in some way. Frozen doesn't work because it's usually flash frozen and by the time it thaws it still gives me a reaction.

I can't eat most fruits. I do OK with grapes and citrus fruits (in small amounts), but if I eat too much I have a reaction (I can eat all the lemons I want, but you know... who cares). Same thing, it needs to be processed in some way because frozen can be hit or miss.

I've been told it's due to pesticides and I've been told it's a protein the the skin that I'm allergic to. Either way, it sucks!

Absolutely no tree nuts! I grew the allergy to fruits and veggies, but I've had the but allergy since birth. Peanuts are fine since they're legumes, but even those can't be raw.

My reaction will range from slight tingling in the mouth, to swelling of lips, to vomiting, to strong chest pains and shortness of breath so I can't afford to mess this up.

I'm willing to do the work, but I need your help to find food ideas that can work around my allergies. Thanks for your help!

Alatariel75

Ooof, that has to be so frustrating!

My tip is to cook veggies into things that might not otherwise have had them. Last week I made a big pot of chilli, but I used very lean beef, and a ton of butternut squash cubes, zucchini and mushrooms. They absorb all the flavour, and blend in really well. This can work with all sorts of stews, soups, casserole etc. Making a lasagne with thinly slices zucchini or eggplant instead of pasta is a good swap too to get more veg in.

Roasted veggies are something I adore, too. Honestly, I don't eat a great deal of raw veg, I roast, steam, sautee, stew etc.

IAmTheGlue

Hey Mike!

It seems like you are in a rough place nutrition wise. Have you asked to see a registered dietitian? They may be able to help guide you a little.

The good news is CICO can be any kind of foods. Set up a not super aggressive goal and stay inside the calorie goal and you will lose weight. 👍. I’m specifically saying “ not a super aggressive goal” because you want to succeed and starting off slow is good for avoiding frustration.

SuzanneC1l9zz

No suggestions, but a lot of empathy! I'm varying degrees of allergic (mostly slowly getting worse) to nightshades (tomato, potato, eggplant & peppers), legumes and citrus. It's hard enough to find truly safe food that I take my life in my hands pretty much daily - take a bunch of meds first and hope for the best. These all developed in adulthood and like... I miss food! 😭

neanderthin

You're describing a demographic where many that have tried carnivore find relief. Research and possibly get in touch with a medical facility that deals in these kinds of interventions first, simply because like any extreme therapy there are limitations.

littlegreenparrot1

I would encourage you to look at vegetarian and vegan cook books just to get some inspiration for recipes that would include more veg.

First thoughts would be soup, (all sorts of things you can do with that) and stews, things like ratatouille. Vegetarian curries work well.
(I'm not trying to suggest you become vegetarian, just that those recipes would provide more variety for you, and of course all the veg would be cooked)

I often cook fruit and have it with yoghurt or porridge for breakfast. Did stewed rhubarb the other week and that was lovely.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

Tree nut allergy is very common. Allergy to all raw fruits and vegetables is extremely uncommon, because that includes such a wide variety of items. Difficulty digesting raw vegetables is quite common, however.

But, you don't need to eat raw vegetables to be healthy. If steaming vegetables allows you to eat them, then that's a great way to go. I love my bamboo steamer! You can put anything in it from potato to kale to meat to apple pieces. Yes, you can steam a chicken breast or piece of fish on a different tier.

As a side note, I was shocked to hear that people can get digestive issues from long-term use of cannabis. Something to consider, if you regularly imbibe. Search on "Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS)."

Best of luck!

s_r_baron

You can roast a sheet of vegetables all at once and then put in a glass container and keep in your fridge to add to quick lunches through out the week so that you don't have to go through the trouble of cooking them every single time.

A lot of time when you see people cook down fruit for compote, they are adding sugar, but you don't have to! You can pre-cook some fruit compote to make smoothies, top ice cream, or as an oatmeal add on, or to top waffles in leu of syrups.

Canned vegetables are pre-cooked and are very good for you. Green beans, carrots, asparagus, mushrooms, potatoes, all kinds of things. You can use these to make quick pot pies, soups, and stews.

Fajitas is one of my favorite go to meals, and you can use vegetables you pre-roasted, or you can cook them up on the stove from a frozen state or raw from the produce section, though frozen may be best if you are trying to avoid touching the juices pre-cooking.