Help needed: Very limited diet

[Lonestar190]

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this, hope I am right.

My younger brother recently found out he is highly allergic to many common foods. Since eliminating them from his diet he has stopped having stomach upset, felt much better, and started gaining weight to return to a normal level. Unfortunantly, his diet is very limited and his food is becoming rather bland and repetative. I know almost nothing about cooking, and nobody in my family is very qualified. I would like to get together a list of recipies that would add more flavor and variety to his diet.

Things he is allergic too:

Bananas

Cheese

Corn

Eggs

Milk (cow and goat)

Peanuts

Pepper (BW and Green)

Pineapple

Radishes

Sesame

Sugar (cane)

Tomato

Wheat

Yeast (Bakers and Brewers)

If anyone has ideas for any course of a meal, I would appreciate it. I am hoping to get the recipies together and make a book for him to have.

Thanks

[Pan]

This doesn't seem insurmountable to me. If I can take your list as a complete list of foods he's allergic to, that leaves ingredients such as:

Rice, beans or noodles made from same

Squashes

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, other tubers (taro, etc.)

Spices except pepper and perhaps chili

Beets

Cucumber, lettuce, spinach, cauliflower, artichoke, collards, cabbage, etc.

All fruits except for bananas and pineapples

Maple syrup, honey

Perhaps yogurt (though considering the milk and cheese allergies, I wonder)

Tofu

All kinds of meat and seafood

All nuts and seeds except peanuts and sesame seeds?

Anyway, I think that Indian food may be in his future. Fish with mustard seeds. Potato and cauliflower curry. Chettinad Chicken with urad dal.

And Chinese food: Sweet potatoes with ginger and scallions. Lion's head soup. Steamed fish with ginger, scallions, and soy sauce.

And perhaps Iranian food, which often uses plums instead of tomatoes for acidity.

Good luck to your brother! This is doable but does take some patience and imagination.

[rooftop1000]

all I can pull out of my head right now are ingrediants

potato or rice starch for thickening stuff

asian stuff...rice noodles - tofu obviously...some dumplings even use rice starch for the wrappers

maybe some vegan baked goods

fun with lentils - barley - wild and regular rice...cold salads, soups

Rice syrup for Sugar substitute...rice milk ....sheeps milk cheese? like Romano

health food store ..whole foods and traders joes should have lots of fun stuff to play with

I foresee a lot of baked potatoes in his future but the above metioned grains cooked in stock with some onion make great starchy side dishes also

next......

tracey

[Malawry]

I did an allergy-free diet for about 6 months once. (It didn't help my allergies much, but it was worth a shot.) My allergies weren't as extensive as these but I did avoid gluten, dairy, and egg entirely--and I was a vegetarian at the time which didn't help!

There are all sorts of good rice noodles out there. Rice cakes with jam and/or nut butters make a good snack. I ate lots of Asian-style rice crackers too. Diamond makes some great "nut thins" crackers that are addictive--I'd eat the hazelnut ones straight from the box. Investigate health food stores. They carry things like spelt quick breads that may be edible for your brother--there may be options like spelt tortillas that are yeast-free. If I was dying for a sweet, I either bought lemon sorbet or made Chex muddy buddies with rice Chex (I didn't have a peanut problem, but you can probably use almond butter instead in that recipe).

I learned to eat a lot of foods that I'd previously disdained at that time in my life. Encourage your brother to explore produce and meats that he previously disregarded or believed he disliked. My palate changed and I found myself scarfing things like mushrooms that I'd never cared for before. Fortunately, this phase of my life didn't last long--but I tried to approach it as if it was a permanent set of changes (which it might have been when I started).

After your brother eliminates all these foods and has cleared out his system for several weeks, he may be able to try adding some of those foods back in one at a time to see how he reacts. I still have food allergies--some of which I avoid entirely, others of which I consume anyway--but I know which ones will make me miserable and which might result in something minor like a little bit of eczema on my arm. This may not be a life sentence.

[Luckylies]

hmm a few things off the top of my head. You should mine the Dinner thread for ideas. Even if you cannot re-produce the dishes exactly you can probably make some subs and end up with some nice meals he would like.

Fallafel salad (no tahinini) with hummus

Roast chicken with roast hearbed potatoes and veg.

fried rice with whatever meats he likes.

Pad thai... no peanuts

braised lamb shank or shortribs with mashed potatoes (no tomatoes)

[snowangel]

You listed cane after sugar. Does that mean that beet sugar is OK?

[Patrick S]

Things he is allergic too:

Sugar (cane)

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Wow, I've never heard of sugar allergy before! I thought all food allergens were proteins. Can your brother eat other types of sugar?

[Patrick S]

You listed cane after sugar.  Does that mean that beet sugar is OK?

←

I don't see how that could be the case, since both beet and cane sugar are 100% sucrose, right?

[prasantrin]

Perhaps yogurt (though considering the milk and cheese allergies, I wonder)

With lactose intolerance, yoghurt is often OK, but if he's indeed allergic to milk (milk proteins) then yoghurt will be out, as well.

But soy milk yoghurt has become more and more available. One must be careful to get the unsweetened kind, though, if there is an allergy to sugar.

[snowangel]

You listed cane after sugar.  Does that mean that beet sugar is OK?

←

I don't see how that could be the case, since both beet and cane sugar are 100% sucrose, right?

←

I do know that when one is making candy, one of these sugars behaves differently and boils much higher in the pan than the other. Can't remember which.

[flour girl]

Lonestar190, one place to look for help on the internet is faan.org (The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network). FAAN is pretty much the gatekeeper of food allergen information in the US and most professional medical allergy groups have a link to their site. You will find more specific information (like alternate names of allergens) and other resources that will come in handy. Is he anaphylactic (have a life-threatening allergy) to anything? For example, if he were anaphylactic to dairy he would need to know that food manufactured on shared equipment could contain enough of the milk protein "casein" to cause a reaction even though there are no dairy/derivative ingredients listed on the label (even some products listed as Kosher Parve/Pareve and/or vegan on the front, not all). A few people are exquisitely sensitive enough to these trace amounts from shared equipment and must call the manufacturer to ask whether a product contains (whatever allergen) to make sure it is okay for them.

And depending how serious some of his allergies are - buying some new baking equipment may be a possibility. Things that are usually handwashed like rolling pins may cause a problem from dough that contained eggs, flour, butter etc. and baking sheets used for peanut butter cookies might have enough peanut protein baked on too. I recommend baking parchment for any baking you do.

There's a book called The Food Allergy Survival Guide by Vesanto Melina, Jo Stepaniak and Dina Aronson that may be more useful than FAAN's small paperback for recipes in your brother's case. It is kind of overwhelming at first since you have to watch out for so many allergens, but it will get much easier with a little time. I'll try to find a suitable recipe in the meantime - I think breakfast items would be good to have - I'll check. Good luck to you and your brother and if you have any other questions just ask away - there are lots of people that would like to help.

Oh, oh, forgot to mention Miss Roben's Allergy Grocer is a great place to order special foods and ingredients ~ lots of info there too.

Edited September 18, 2005 by flour girl (log)

[Saffy]

We had a meal last night that would suit your brother

Lentil Soup

Soak 4 cups of french green lentils in cold water for 2 hours. Drain and then complete next step

In a large pot ..

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 tblspoons garlic crushed

1 large leek chopped finely

2 carrots diced

2 medium or one large onion chopped

saute until leek and onion are transparent

Add in 1-2 tspn ground cumin and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.

Add in drained lentils and 8 cups of vegetable stock. Cook with lid on over a low heat for around an hour. Lentils should be tender by this time. You may need to add in more stock if the soup gets too thick. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper. Some spinach added in towards the end of cooking can be a great addition as well.

Very tasty.. very filling and enough left over for the freezer ( there are about 12 serves in this recipe)

[Patrick S]

You listed cane after sugar.  Does that mean that beet sugar is OK?

←

I don't see how that could be the case, since both beet and cane sugar are 100% sucrose, right?

←

I do know that when one is making candy, one of these sugars behaves differently and boils much higher in the pan than the other. Can't remember which.

←

I've never compared the two side-by-side, but I have made candy with both beet and cane sugar and never noticed any difference in how the behave during boiling. And since both cane and beet sugars are 99.9% sucrose, I'd be surprised if one boiled much higher in the pan than the other. There are unrefined cane sugars like demerara and turbinado that are only like 96% sucrose, though, and I wouldnt be too surprised if they boiled differently than 99.9% beet sugar.

[Eden]

take a look at Wendy wark's gluten free flour mix you'd have to sub out the cornstarch, but I've found it works pretty darn well for my friends with similar allergies in terms of adding bread products back into thier lives.

[jaynesb]

For what it's worth, I've got a brother-in-law with sensitivity to gluten. My sister often stocks up on Kosher-for-Passover foods and keeps them for him year round. The rigid requirements for the ingredient and preparation methods (including how the machinery is cleaned) seem to work out well for him.

jayne

[Rebecca263]

I am also allergic to tomatoes and have found that I am allergic to all nightshade plants and lilies as well. Yes, onions and garlic are in that bunch! How about your brother? Has he noticed problems from ingesting, say, potatoes or eggplant as yet? I've found that as a few years pass, the allergies have lessened, perhaps because I abstained for so long, and now eat those items sparingly. Very difficult for a Syrian girl!

[Rebecca263]

PS: You should see my list! UGH! At least I can still eat bananas, but wheat gets to me, too. I use bean flours for dredging my fish and making some breads, BTW, they are delicious!

[Moopheus]

Things he is allergic too:

Sugar (cane)

←

Wow, I've never heard of sugar allergy before! I thought all food allergens were proteins. Can your brother eat other types of sugar?

←

I think this is not a matter of an allergic (immune system) reaction as a sensitivity caused by lacking an enzyme needed for proper digestion, like lactose intolerance.

Edited September 18, 2005 by Moopheus (log)

[flour girl]

Here's a base muffin recipe if you're interested - haven't tried it, though, since I have a different list of allergies to work around:

Food Allergy Survival Guide’s Magical One-Bowl Muffins (paraphrased)

12 muffin version, best served warm from oven, freezes well, reheat wrapped in foil at 300F briefly, lots of savory/sweet variations possible with suitable additions 18 options given after- but no time to enter them all yet, sorry.

2 cups (500 ml) gluten-free all-purpose flour mix*

½ cup (125 ml) sugar (would beet sugar or honey work?)

1 tbsp (15 ml) corn-free baking powder**

½ tsp (2 ml) xanthan gum or guar gum

½ tsp (2 ml) salt

2 cups (500 ml) non-dairy milk or water (soy or rice milk)

½ cup (125 ml) organic canola, safflower, or coconut oil

Position your oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Use baking cup liners for your muffin pan. Combine dry ingredients (thoroughly) in a large bowl. Whisk in wet ingredients until smooth and well mixed. Fill the baking cups as evenly as possible without overfilling. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan and cool them briefly on a rack. Serve warm. (Sometimes whether it is served warm or not will make a huge difference in taste…)

*their GF-all-purpose flour mix is a combination of potato starch or tapioca starch; chickpea flour, brown or white rice flour, and arrowroot starch – you can buy pre-made or mix your own. Let me know if you want the amounts posted.

**corn-free baking powder – I think, but am not 100% sure that Hain’s Featherweight Baking Powder is corn-free – it is a single acting baking powder and anything prepared with this should go into the oven quickly for best leavening results. This book also gives a corn-free baking powder recipe – let me know if you want it.

Obviously everyone's situation is unique, so use whatever works for you/him. As I got better at baking with unfamiliar ingredients I learned to adjust some of my old favorite recipes. Hope this helps.

[scott123]

Chicken soup with rice (is nice! )

Seafood risotto (traditionally prepared w/ out parm)

Baked fish (with garlic butter and lemon)

Pot Roast (Mire Poix plus beef)

Meat loaf (using wheat free bread crumbs and an egg replacer)

Rice pilaf

Olive Tapenade

Refried beans

Sushi (omitting the sesame seeds)

Chicken/Beef Teriyaki (using a non sugar sweetener)

Rice pasta with basil pesto (omitting the parm but adding some msg for the missing umami)

Green pepper huh? Does that mean all of the capsicum family? Has he been tested for paprika? How about dried chilis such as ancho or cayenne? A good chili can be made without green peppers and without tomatoes, but the dried peppers are a must (obviously).

Assuming he can do cayenne, I'd highly recommend Thai red curry (omit the green pepper) A thai red curry with thin slices of beef and broccoli is wonderful.

Potato chips with guacamole (omit the tomatoes/peppers)

Tofu can take some getting use to but I find if you bake it, it gets quite a bit meatier and not so slimy.

Whole Foods carries a stevia sweetened soy ice cream that I really don't care that much for, but if he can't do sugar and milk, it might be a treat. I've also seen people successfully make coconut milk ice cream as well.

Rice pudding made with coconut milk

Definitely seek out an Asian grocer. They'll have rice noodles in almost every imaginable shape and they'll be a fraction of the cost of anywhere else. Coconut milk will be cheap as well.

If you get the right brand of soy nut (some can be really dry tasting), they can have a peanutty quality to them. Pad Thai with crumbled soy nuts perhaps.

Arrowroot makes an excellent thickener for gravies

mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, white wine and garlic

Has he been tested for spelt? Amaranth? Quinoa? Teff?

Edited September 19, 2005 by scott123 (log)

[annanstee]

Find out if he is allergic to dairy, or lactose intolerant. If the latter, he should be able to eat cheese/yoghurt, since the fermentation process gets rid of most of the offending lactose.

I think the person upthread is right- true allergies tend to be to proteins. Sugar reactions tend to be intolerances.

[Lonestar190]

He is allergic to dairy, soy yogurt only. He had extensive testing and now carries an official little card around detailing the allergies. The protien ones are more severe, and they have a (+3) next to them to indicate the most severe level of allergy. The sugar is a (+1), but he is still very sensative to it.

Thank you to everybody for your replies. I am writing things down and taking all the notes I can. Thanks again.

[Pan]

My father has been using stevia instead of sugar in cooking for years, and I find its taste just fine. Since it's sweeter than sugar, he uses half the amount recipes call for if sugar were used.

[Carlovski]

The yeast one can be a pain - I have a friend who is allergic to yeast. I never knew how many commercial food products contain yeast (For no obvious reason I can think of)

[ludja]

The yeast one can be a pain - I have a friend who is allergic to yeast. I never knew how many commercial food products contain yeast (For no obvious reason I can think of)

←

The same is true of milk and milk constituents. Many items have 'hidden' dry milk ingredients in them (commercial stuffings, sausages Sometimes, just "whey" will be listed as an ingredient.

Edited September 20, 2005 by ludja (log)