Let’s say that, for whatever reason brought you to this place, you are determined to try to feel better, have more energy, and then be happier. One way to do this is to eat the right foods, and that doesn’t necessarily mean following the “food pyramid.” Food affects everyone differently, and it’s often hard to tell because of a particular symptom. Honestly, food is often the last consideration when you’re not feeling your best.
So, you’ve gone to see a doctor or other health professional, such as a holistic practitioner, and it’s official that you or someone in your family needs to be on an allergy-free diet. You are happy to have an answer to your health problems and some steps you can take without medication, but at the same time you don’t know where to start to make it happen.
You go home with this long list of things you can’t eat, and your mind is overwhelmed by the size of the task ahead. Yes, it’s one thing for the doctor to recommend you do this, making it happen is a whole other concept. You take a look in your pantry and feel completely overwhelmed and confused on how to do this and where to start.
Well you are in the right place because I can help you with that.
You are worried about how you are going to tell your family. Food is a very important part of their lives, and restricted diets can be really depressing. Food is often not much of a problem until it is no longer an option. You are concerned about how your child will take this change.
It’s easier if the culprit is an item, like shellfish. When allergy is a major part of our diet, such as wheat/gluten, dairy, or nut, these ingredients are much more prevalent and much more difficult to deal with. They can be in many unsuspecting foods and in many forms, known as hidden ingredients, making it very difficult to know what to exclude. Even now that food labels are much more specific when it comes to ingredients, allergy sufferers still need to be careful and diligent.
In our fast-paced, time-hungry world, this is a daunting task. And the best part, it doesn’t have to be.
And it doesn’t have to mean the end of eating what you love, either. Today there are more substitutes than ever, and it is possible to find them in your regular supermarket.
Often the hard part is knowing which brands are good and which you and your family will like. This is especially true with dairy-free and gluten-free products. In addition, they are expensive and there are brands that are simply not very popular. Some pastas are easy to overcook, others get musky and fall apart and there are some that are really good.
It is not to worry. I can help.
The first 3 things to do to quickly and easily adapt your home and family to life with food allergies
First: Take a moment to determine if this will require an adaptation/change for the whole family or if it is possible for just one person to have this diet. For example, if one person has symptoms and needs to eliminate milk or wheat from their diet, the whole family may not need to as well. On the other hand, if this person’s allergy is severe, then it might be necessary to eliminate all of these foods from the house.
Second, the next thing to do is determine which foods exactly need to be replaced. Take a few minutes to write or just scan the pantry for your favorite foods. They are most likely obvious.
- Ask yourself what foods this person eats the most.
- How can I integrate this plan into my family kitchen instead of having to make multiple dishes per meal?
The most common items that need to be replaced vary depending on the allergy. Some of the main ones are listed below.
- Wheat or Gluten – bread, pasta, cereal
- Dairy – milk, cheese, butter
- Nuts – all nuts, peanut butter
Third: look at the recipes/meals you cook most often and figure out how they will need to be adjusted or replaced. It might be possible to continue serving your family’s favorite dishes, with just a few tweaks here and there. If your family loves brownies, it may mean simply looking for a different brand to buy instead of not buying at all. Or maybe another possible solution is to make certain things from scratch instead of using a mix.
- Think about the seasonings – ketchup, syrup, salad dressing
- think about baking – brownies, cakes, muffins, frosting
- think sauces – cream sauce, gravy
- think about cooking – sauté, grill, bake
If you found this information helpful and would like to learn more about accommodating your home and family for food allergies, please contact me at…
I have so much information that I could share that would help your family that it is too much for this place. All the information you need to adjust to living with food allergies, including a list of ingredients to avoid, a list of foods to avoid, a list of foods to buy as great substitutes for all your family’s favorite foods, and some recipes to help you. started right away.