Diet
Low-Allergen Diet
Best Bets
The following foods are the least likely to provoke allergic reactions:
- Almond milk
- Herb teas (no lemon or orange)
- Pure fruit juices without sugar or additives (dilute 50:50 with water)
- Roasted grain beverages may be used as coffee substitutes
- Seltzer (salt-free)
- Spring water in glass bottles or clear plastic
- Oatmeal
- Oat bran
- Cream of rye
- Puffed rice and millet
- Diluted apple juice, apple slices, and nuts go well on cereal
- Use almond milk
- Bean flour
- Buckwheat flour
- 100% buckwheat soba noodles
- Cooked whole gains, such as oats, millet, barley, buckwheat groats (kasha), rice macaroni, spelt (flour and pasta), brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, rice, or millet breads (that contain no dairy, eggs, sugar, or wheat)
- Potato flour
- 100% rice cakes
- Rice crackers
- Rice flour
- 100% rye or spelt bread with no wheat
- Rye crackers
Dried beans should be soaked overnight. Pour off the water and rinse before cooking. Canned beans often contain added sugar or other potential allergens. Some cooked beans packaged in glass jars, and sold at health food stores, contain no sugar.
- Nuts and seeds, either raw or roasted, without salt or sugar
- Nut butters from health food stores or from fresh ground nuts (such as almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter, sesame butter, and sesame tahini)
- Peanuts are a common food allergen and should be avoided, along with peanut butter
Oils:
- Use cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils (available from health food stores), as they are safer for the heart and blood vessels. Do not use corn oil or “vegetable oil” from an unspecified source, as this is usually corn oil.
- Canola oil
- Flaxseed (edible linseed) oil (Use this oil for salads or adding to cooked foods, but not for cooking as heating this highly unsaturated oil will destroy some of the essential fatty acids and create potentially toxic byproducts.)
- Olive oil
- Peanut oil
- Safflower oil
- Sesame oil
- Sunflower oil
Protein:
- All vegetables except corn are generally acceptable.
- Tomatoes sometimes cause problems and should be avoided by susceptible individuals.
Nonfood Factors
Exercise as you normally would. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week.
Is This Diet Vegetarian-Friendly?
Yes. Although vegetarians with allergies may need to avoid soy products, eggs, or dairy, other sources of protein such as legumes and whole grains are generally low-allergen. Depending on the range of foods that must be avoided, vegetarians may need to consult a healthcare professional to ensure they are consuming adequate vitamins and minerals.
Eating Out
Call ahead to find out what the restaurant offers. Make sure that you are getting complete answers to your questions about ingredients. Ask what you can have, instead of what you can’t, and understand that most restaurants can’t guarantee that your food will be allergen-free, since the chance of contamination in a traditional kitchen is high.