Hello from Seattle! Food-Allergy Alternative Seeker

[Melpy]

Hi Everyone,

 

I was so excited to find this forum and am looking forward to exchanging recipe's and ideas for myself and others with food allergies/food sensitivities. This is new for me so it's going to be a huge challenge to eliminate these foods from my diet. I'm just starting to explore the world of home-cooking and love it so far.

 

IgE Allergies: Almonds, Barley, Black Pepper/Paprika, Carrots, Garlic, Hazelnut, Lettuce, Oats, Oranges, Peanuts, White Potatoes, Rice, Rye, Scallops, Sesame Seeds, Soybeans, Tomatoes, Wheat, White/Navy Beans.

 

IgG Allergies: Eggs (Duck & Chicken), Egg Yolks, Dairy (Cow Only), Almonds

 

Other foods I'm known to react to: Pistachios, Garbanzo

 

Thanks,
Amanda/Melpy

Edited June 30, 2016 by Melpy
Added Allergies (log)

[Deryn]

Welcome to eGullet, Melpy.

 

That is quite a list of allergens you have there. If this is new to you, it does sound as though you will be very challenged with carbs of just about any sort, including from garbanzo/chickpeas, being denied to you. You list scallops but no other shellfish - again if this is new for you, I suspect you may want to be cautious about using any other shellfish as well since allergies to similar things can 'grow'. My heart goes out to you - I would not be able to live well without pepper and garlic in particular. And I can see that salads may also be somewhat limited in your case as well without carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, beans, oranges, nuts. Luckily it seems that meats are mostly ok for you so I guess you are going on a high protein diet.

 

I have things I need to be cautious about eating for medical reasons but luckily having them (cooked) once in a while won't kill me (at least quickly) so I just avoid them most of the time. Most of those are vegetables and fruits. But even for me, the list gets longer and longer as I get older - and there is a possibility I may also now be developing a shellfish allergy (which would be a tragedy for me in terms of the loss of enjoyment of a whole category of foods that often make up most of the protein content I enjoy).

 

At any rate, I feel your pain though I can't really at this time offer you much in the way of any advice other than to just avoid those things to which you are sensitive and/or allergic. I am sure others may be of more help in that area however, especially if you can talk a bit more about specific types of foods or categories of things (salads, casseroles, stews, desserts, etc.) you DO like or need help with.

 

p.s. check everything you buy (processed foods) for soy ... and learn the variant names by which it may otherwise be identified. I have to avoid soy too - and I love Asian dishes. Through experimentation I have found that if I use black vinegar, sriracha, fish sauce, and toasted sesame oil (which I can see that in your case you need to avoid completely) and sometimes a bit of non-soy containing oyster sauce I can get a depth of flavour that is satisfying to replace soy sauce. Mushrooms are also good for injecting umami and good nutrition where soy is not an option.

Edited June 30, 2016 by Deryn (log)

[pastrygirl]

On 6/30/2016 at 9:27 AM, Melpy said:

IgE Allergies: Almonds, Barley, Black Pepper/Paprika, Carrots, Garlic, Hazelnut, Lettuce, Oats, Oranges, Peanuts, White Potatoes, Rice, Rye, Scallops, Sesame Seeds, Soybeans, Tomatoes, Wheat, White/Navy Beans.

 

IgG Allergies: Eggs (Duck & Chicken), Egg Yolks, Dairy (Cow Only), Almonds

 

Other foods I'm known to react to: Pistachios, Garbanzo

 

OK, so what CAN you have?  Luckily you are in a big city where you can find just about anything!

 

cashews, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, quinoa, teff, spelt, amaranth, millet, corn, tapioca, yam/sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, celery, radishes, leeks/onions, mushrooms, asparagus, peas, green beans, fennel, cucumber, goat & sheep milk products, meat, most seafood, most fruit...

[pastrygirl]

celery root, parsnips, artichoke hearts, eggplant, jicama, avocado...

 

I don't know how active the low carb-ers are here on eG, but some other food boards have a lot of activity on the subject, which might be helpful in dealing with no wheat, rice, or potatoes.

 

good luck!

[Melpy]

Thanks for the tips!! So far the biggest challenge has been eliminating eggs from the breakfast routine while still getting protein in the morning! I'm trying a new shake with Pea Powder Protein with fruits/cacao that is delicious and tides my hunger until lunch.

 

Tonight I'm going to attempt Cauliflower Rice and tomorrow Split Pea Soup!

 

Also Deryn I love Asian foods as well and recently discovered "Coconut Aminos" as an alternative to Soy-Sauce Seasoning. It's sweet instead of salty but I've been loving it!

 

Thank you both again so much!!! Looking forward to posting my findings and discovering other's as well

[Deryn]

I tried coconut aminos a couple of years back but I am not that great a fan - but it was worth trying and I am glad you like it.