Soy Allergy - HELP!!!!

WifeMomDVM

So, I just found out (the hard way) that my 2 year old is allergic to Soy. I started going through my pantry to mark items she can no longer have and MY GOODNESS it's in everything!!! From Graham crackers to cheez-its (ok so my kids don't always eat as healthy as their mom).

So my question is, what do you feed a kid with a soy allergy (besides the obvious answer of NO soy!)

I'd love to get advice from another parent with a same or similar issue.

Thanks in advance for the help!

MB_Positif

My goodness! I wish I had something to tell you, my son is allergic to milk and eggs which are in everything too!

NoAdditives

Yikes! I can't imagine having to deal with a food allergy. I guess the best thing to do is to make all your daughter's food and snacks from scratch. Martha Stewart has all kinds of recipes for just about anything you can think of, even graham crackers. You can dehydrate fruit puree and make fruit leather.

DannyMussels

You're already on this site, which gives you a huge advantage .

You already know about nutrition, and cooking, that's a given.

If you live in a town with specialty food stores, or bulk food stores (even large chain groceris) some'll have allergy-specific aisles. Some'll be gluten-free, some soy free.

Next you wanna check the health food section. Lots of those are basic foods, with few ingredients, less fillers and preservatives. For the most part, they're all natural foods (soy is an additive in a lot of things, for a variety fo reasons)

Then, once you have an array of products you know are safe, those can be your staples. Fruit, chicken, certain brands of chicken fingers, hotdogs, etc will always be there for you. You can start developing meals around them.

Also, stuff like tomato sauces, salsa should also be go-to accessories to healthy meals.

I've had a gfs younger cousin who was allergic to soy (he was 8ish)..and by then their whole family knew the brands that were safe to buy and consume, so he pretty much ate all the food normal kids do.

Eating out is a whole nother ballgame. Not to scare ya, but even our burgers, french onion soup, and sauces somehow contain bread (crumbs) or other things as binders, or additives...ultimately containing soy. So you gotta watch out that way. Even guys I cook with will say 'they can have a burger, no bun'.....but I say no, it has other stuff in the meat.

Anyway, I also knew of an elderly woman, who could have soy lecithin I believe, but not soy itself (i dont know the difference myself). I also know of a woman in her 40s, that is allergic to soy, but would eat our fish dishes that had a coating, that included soy. She didn't mind it in small amounts. I'm not saying he should consume it, but that lets you know in the future it may be less and less of a problem.

Don't worry about it too much, it could be way worse. I once had a woman come in with a list of about 20 things she was allergic too. Crazy vegetables, spices I've never seen people allergic too. Garlic too is obviously a biggie.

But you'll figure it out soon enough, and won't have to think twice in a few years when out shopping, it'll be part of your routine once you figure out a few safe items.

anyonebutmehaha

Hi there. i couldn't help to respond to a post by someone's who's user name has DVM in it.

wow, tough allergy to have- soy is hidden in a lot of places you wouldn't even think of to look.
maybe this link will help (and at the bottom it as links to more soy allergy helpful links):
http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/learning-how-to-eat-again-when-you-have-a-soy-allergy/

marasw

My mom has a soy allergy so I can sympathize. It really comes down to reading all the labels and once you find a brand with no soy, stick with it! Whenever I eat something I like, I check the label and if there is no soy in it I immediately call my mom and share it with her. It's THAT groundbreaking to find something new that she can eat lol.

w8sarge

My son was diagnosed with multiple food allergies when he was 15. Wheat, soy, peanuts, egg whites, cod fish. Bummer! For snacking he likes corn chips, potato chips and popcorn. Gotta watch for things that are "health food/gluten free" as they may have more soy ingredients. Pamela's Baking Mix is our go-to for things like pancake/waffle mix. I can make cookies with it. You may not need the wheat free, but it's also soy free.

Make sure your child gets plenty of calories of the things he CAN have. Good luck to you!

Rilke

You may or may not already know this, but any oil labeled "vegetable oil" is soybean oil.

WifeMomDVM

Thank you everyone! You've really opened my eyes to even MORE places we have to watch for soy. Going to have to educate the family next! Thanks again!