You Have a Food Allergy . . . Now What?

by Deborah Hones, R.D., L.N.
St. Peter's Hospital Director of Nutrition Services and
President of the Montana Dietetic Association

You just received the news that you are allergic to wheat. What does that mean?
What can you eat and what happens if you do eat a food to which you are
allergic? There are eight foods that cause 90 percent of food allergies. They are:  
milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, tree nuts (almonds, pecans, Brazil nuts, etc.),
fish and shellfish.

What is a Food Allergy?

    A food allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly believes that a food
is harmful. To protect the body, specific antibodies are created to the food. The
next time any allergen containing food is eaten, a signal is sent to the immune
system that releases massive amounts of chemicals and histamines. The chemicals
trigger allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal
tract, skin, or cardiovascular system.

If you suspect that you have a food allergy keep track of the food items and the
symptoms that you experience. Your doctor can then have the diagnostic tests
done.

Check out http://www.foodallergy.org and http://www.csaceliacs.org for further
information on food allergies, food intolerances and recipes for those conditions.

What to Watch For

There are no pills to take to stop food allergies. Strict avoidance of the allergy
causing food is the only way to prevent a reaction. You must learn how to read
ingredient labels to avoid allergy causing foods. Check the food allergies below
for items or ingredients that have proteins that can cause the allergy symptoms: 
milk – goat’s milk; eggs – influenza vaccines; foams or milk topping on specialty
coffee drinks; egg substitutes as most are made of egg white; commercially
cooked pastas; peanuts – artificial nuts (sometimes are de-flavored peanuts that
are re-flavored with pecan or walnut flavoring); arachis oil; African, Chinese,
Indonesian, Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese dishes often contain peanuts, many
foods sold in bakeries and ice cream shops come in contact with peanuts, many
brands of sunflower seeds are produced on equipment shard with peanuts, many
alternative nut butters share equipment that process peanut butter also; soy- soy
sauce; cereals; crackers; infant formulas; soups; one brand of peanut butter; cold
pressed, expeller pressed or extruded soybean oil; wheat – Kamut, Spelt, check
hot dogs, ice cream, imitation crabmeat labels, Asian dishes use as beef, pork and
shrimp flavored wheat as an ingredient; Tree Nuts – artificial nuts (peanuts
re-flavored with pecan or walnut), Mandelonas (peanuts soaked in almond
flavoring), Mortadella may contain pistachios, barbeque sauce, cereal, crackers,
ice cream, hacky sacks are sometimes filled with crushed nut shells.  Note that
water chestnuts are a root and not a nut so are safe. If allergic to one tree nut it is
best to avoid all tree nuts; fish and/or shellfish – Caponata, Caesar salad dressing,
steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cooking oil used to cook fish, surimi (imitation
crab contains fish), Carrageenan and iodine should not cause fish/shellfish allergy
symptoms.

Make an appointment with a Registered Dietitian to help you to plan a healthy
diet while avoiding the allergy causing foods.

Tips for Allergy Reaction Free Days

1. Prepare allergy-free dishes early in the day, cover them, and keep them
   separate from the cooking area.
2. If have milk allergy do use broth to flavor mashed potatoes and remember
   that many people use butter or margarine that contains milk for cooking.
3. Do use parchment paper as a liner for countertops when blending or
   mixing foods that may cause a reaction and thrown the paper away when
   you are finished.
4. If you have a fish or seafood allergy do not choose a seafood restaurant as
   any food prepared in the oil used for frying fish, grill used to cook fish and
   spatula used to turn fish could be used for your meal.
5. Do ask about ingredients and cooking methods used whether you are in a
   restaurant, friend’s home or about to serve a dish someone brought to your
   home.
6. Do not eat high risk foods including desserts, sauce, pastry covered dishes
   and fried foods when eating away from home.

   An acquaintance shared this recipe from her gluten/wheat free recipe collection.
It is delicious!

Lemon Bars

Crust (mix and bake first):

1/2 cup butter/margarine
1 cup GF flour mix (see below)
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix with pastry blender and pat into a 4x 8” pan (bread loaf pan) and bake for
10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Lemon Filling

4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
4 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon rind
3 1/2 Tbsp GF flour mix
1 tsp baking powder

Pour over baked crust and bake for 20-23 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool, and
sift small amount of powder sugar over all, cut and remove from pan.

GF Flour Mix

1 1/2 cups White Rice Flour
1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour
2/3 cup Potato Starch
1/3 cup Tapioca Flour

Mix this ahead and store it in an air-tight container.

back