Treading through the waters of living with food allergies can be exhausting! Everything from learning how to read labels, cooking differently, and most importantly, how to keep you or your loved one safe! Although this doesn’t cover everything, I wanted to give you a place to start.
Food Allergy Substitutions
When looking for making substitutions for different food allergens, here are some great options.
Substitutes for Milk:
- Coconut- milk, yogurt, ice cream, creamer, frozen desserts
- Soy – soy milk, soy cheese, soy yogurt, soy sour cream, soy cream cheese, soy creamer (Silk®), soy frozen desserts
- Rice – rice milk, rice cheese, rice butter, Rice Dream® dessert
- Almond milk and cheese
- Oat milk and cheese
- 100% vegetable oil, non-hydrogenated alternative to butter or margarine
Ex. Spectrum® or Earth Balance® Spread - Rice-based pudding (chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, banana, and lemon)
Ex. Imagine® Puddings
Substitutes for Wheat:
- Cereals – amaranth, millet, or kamut* flakes; puffed rice, millet or corn; and grits or oatmeal
- Grains – rice, amaranth, millet, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, teff, corn, kamut*, wild rice
- Flours – potato, rice, soy, barley, buckwheat, corn, teff, tapioca
- Breads – millet, teff, kamut* or rice bread
- Pastas – corn, quinoa, lentil, and rice
- Thickeners – cornstarch, potato starch, arrowroot or kuzu
- Snacks or sides – rice crackers and cakes, polenta, corn tortillas
*Gluten-sensitive people may not tolerate kamut.
Substitutes for Eggs:
- ENER-G® egg replacement powder (follow directions on box)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp gelatin (for puddings and custards)
- 2 tbsp flour +1/2 tsp oil +1/2 tsp baking powder + 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp water +1 tbsp vegetable oil +1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp flaxseed powder + 3 tbsp warm water
- 1 tbsp chia seed + 3 tbsp warm water
- 1 tbsp fruit pectin (Sure Gel®) + 3 tbsp warm water
- Non-dairy yogurt, mashed banana, applesauce, pumpkin, or other pureed fruit or vegetables are good replacements for eggs in muffins or cakes.
* To replace eggs in casseroles, burgers, or loaves try mashed vegetables, tahini, nut butters, or rolled oats.
Substitutes for Soy:
- Legumes & Beans – green pea, kidney bean, peanut, lentil, split pea, butter bean, lima bean, chickpea, black-eyed pea, carob, green bean, snap bean, string bean, azuki, white bean, fava bean, garbanzo bean, northern bean, pinto bean, black bean, snow pea, navy bean
- Flours – potato, rice, lentil, barley, buckwheat, corn, teff, amaranth, tapioca, quinoa, spelt, kamut
- Cow or goat milk and cheese
- Rice milk and cheese
Oat milk and cheese - Coconut milk and yogurts
Substitutes for Peanut & Tree Nuts:
- Seeds – roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds
- Beans – specifically roasted soy beans, peas or chickpeas
- Pretzels – Yes, pretzels
Substitutes for Corn:
- Vegetables – acorn squash, butter cup squash, banana pepper, peas, carrots, butter nut squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, tomato, beans, yams, red pepper, yellow squash, winter squash, and eggplant
- Grains – rice, amaranth, millet, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, teff, kamut
- Thickeners – tapioca starch, potato starch, arrowroot or kuzu
- Snacks or sides – rice crackers and cakes, flour tortilla.
Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you’re allergic to.
This causes your immune system to release chemicals that can cause you to go into shock — your blood pressure drops suddenly and your airways narrow, blocking breathing. Signs and symptoms include a rapid, weak pulse; a skin rash; and nausea and vomiting.
Anaphylaxis requires an injection of epinephrine and most often, a trip to the ER. If not treated right away, it can be fatal.
Food Allergy Printable Guide
Learning how to live with food allergies can seem challenging but it starts with getting the facts on what food allergies are—and how to recognize the symptoms.
I’ve put together a quick, easy to understand, printable guide to help you as you navigate through keeping you and/or your loved ones safe.
Leave a Reply