Cookbooks or blogs that avoid the major allergens, specialty foods, &

[rafiki]

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[Tess in the Burbs]

I have several allergy cookbooks but like you find they don't avoid everything we need to. We have allergies and intolerances and honestly, I have learned to make the things we want to eat using what we know we can eat. I gave up trying to buy certain flours and such b/c it was expensive!

 

I would love any sites people could share b/c I usually just cook until I find a good recipe and then use it over and over and over ;-)

[Lara in Colo]

There is a website, Ithink its this one

http://www.cookingallergyfree.com/users/login

 

I used it (I think) to make a recipe for a friend.

 

You make a profile of all your allergies and it gives recipes. They are not perfect and you still need to watch the ingredients. It sort of goes by the best match and then the choices degrade from there.

 

HTH

Lara

[Murmer]

keep prepackaged foods to a minimum if at all?

 

Four of the five of us have multiple food allergies and intolerances. The food allergy cookbooks I've seen avoid some allergens, but not all or use expensive or hard to find ingredients.

 

Paleo still has egg, dairy, fish, and nuts.

 

I want to avoid wheat, egg, dairy, nuts, soy, and fish without subbing other modified/processed foods using basic whole foods you can buy at any grocery store and that are healthy and won't break the budget.

 

I'm not the only one out there facing this challenge. It would be wonderful to have a group, blog list, book list, etc. to get and bounce menu ideas off as we continue this lifestyle change and create a new normal.

 

The subgroups here seem to get lost, I'm not sure how many others would join in if we kept a single thread devoted to this, PM's are wonderful, but I think there are others in a similar situation too who would benefit from the support and shared experiences. Food allergies and intolerances can be a frustrating road.

Because of moves, we have seen 4 different ped allergists over the years and pediatricians. All simply give us a list of what to avoid and haven't helped us with the important part - implementation and what the dc's CAN and WILL eat and HOW to keep their nutrition balanced with so many restrictions. I have yet to hear a doctor suggest a nutritionalist. On the other hand, I think it's more valuable to talk to others who have walked the same shoes. So what happens when we take all 8 allergens out of their diet and don't sub with other prepackaged items? It's been 2+ weeks for us and the results are very encouraging thus far.

 

Got to run -

 

Yes! Before my daughter was diagnosed with a milk allergy she had lost 3 to 5 lbs which is a lot when she was only 25 lbs. But all recommendations to increase fat and weight is whole milk products or peanut butter or avocados. Of those my daughter could or would only eat the peanut butter. I wish the first move after food allergy diagnosis was a nutritionist to help with the transition.

 

That said I have a cook book at home call something like the whole foods something that is available through FAAN (food allergy and Anaphalaxis Network). Haven't tried it but it is whole foods.

[FairProspects]

 

This is my favorite. She has a great section at the beginning where she tells you how to substitute ingredients in regular recipes, and then she gives all her own recipes which avoid the top 8 allergens. She also includes snack recipes (including even making your own crackers) which I have found to be so helpful. I love that she also adds to the sidebar of each recipe "if you are allergic to corn or soy" here's how to modify this recipe etc., so all of the recipes are really versatile and are tasty. This cookbook has been a lifesaver for us in learning how to cook allergy-free, and like you we have noticed a big difference when we take the allergens out. It is great!

[Dana]

It doesn't help with wheat, so this may not be useful, but I like Linda Coss's books: What's to Eat and What Else is to Eat. (egg free, milk free, nut free)

The recipes may be very simple for people who are used to cooking, but for people who were used to eating out and using packaged food (us!) they've been really helpful.

 

The Milk-Free Kitchen has also been good for us. It does have some recipes with nuts or sesame oil which we have to avoid, but we like the Paprika Chicken and BBQ chicken a lot.

 

Both books also have dessert recipes! Yea!!! Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips work great and so does Earth Balance margarine.

 

We avoid dairy, nuts, and sesame.

Both books do use flour, so you may want to see if a library has them or check at a bookstore to see if there are enough recipes that avoid the allergens you need.

[amyable]

My favorite resource is the Kids With Food Allergies message boards - for general support and a whole big database of recipes. The forums are now free (used to have to pay to get into most of them).

[Luckymama]

My favorite resource is the Kids With Food Allergies message boards - for general support and a whole big database of recipes. The forums are now free (used to have to pay to get into most of them).

 

Thank you thank you thank you! I joined those message boards when ddNow15 was diagnosed with her allergies at 12. I haven't been back since my paid year was up.

 

I've come to the sad realization that dd's dairy intolerance is getting worse and we may have to go dairy-free. In fact, this afternoon I was trying to figure out how on earth we'd do that, being already soy-free.

 

:tongue_smilie:

 

I'll check out the cookbook recommendations and keep :bigear:

[sarawatsonim]

I women I met at my daughters art class has a blog. Both her husband and son have celiac disease so she blogs about recipes the life changes they have had to make. It's called She Let Them Eat Cake. She also has a list on there of other cooking blogs that she uses for inspiration.

[sbgrace]

I haven't checked out the links you've gotten (can't wait) but we're dealing with multiple allergies as well and it does make recipes very difficult.

 

I just wanted to add something I wasn't aware of (to my son's detriment) in that wheat free and nut free is quite tricky. Most gluten and wheat free items are produced on shared lines with tree nuts. Basically, major cross contamination is rampant right down to flours and oils. I was floored.

 

If you want to stick to locally available unless you live in a large area you're limited in grain and flour sources particularly. Even if you do live in a large area you may find it difficult. I order all our grains and flours online. I can give you a list of nut safe wheat free grain and flour sources if you would like that. Call companies basically about the nuts on shared lines with whatever product when transferring to wheat free. Everything I had was majorly cross contaminated.

[rafiki]

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[athena1277]

http://www.livingwithout.com/

 

Lving Without Magazine has lots of stuff for people with various allergies and intolerances. Recipes as well as other info.

[AnneGabe]

Thanks for this thread, it comes at a good time for me... I was really needing some new blogs/books for inspiration.

My son has gluten, dairy and soy allergies and it's gotten tiresome googling recipes and experimenting with alternate ingredients. I just want someone to tell me what to make and how to make it. lol!

[Food4Thought]

One of my favorite books, which doesn't appear to have a mention yet, is The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook. It's not just about the GFCF diet - the first half of the book goes through most of the major food allergens and how and why to take them out. The last half includes many delicious recipes, with easy-to-decipher codes showing the allergens involved. It's a great resource!

[Snickerdoodle]

Homemade meatballs

 

Roasted chicken with roasted sweet potato

 

Beef stew thickened with arrowroot

 

Chicken and veg soup (flavored with dill)

 

Steak with this marinade

[Snickerdoodle]

Here's how I make my meatballs:

 

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

salt

pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 small onion

1/4 cup of parsley

1/4 of a large zuccini (about 1/3 of a medium or half a small zucchini)

 

Put the last three ingredients in the cuisinart and chop it very fine. Then add to the other ingredients in a bowl. Form into balls and brown on each side in some olive (or coconut) oil. Then cover the pan and cook them for a few minutes until cooked through.

Edited July 31, 2010 by Snickerdoodle
oops forgot to add the onion

[Snickerdoodle]

Cookbooks or blogs that avoid the major allergens, specialty foods, & keep prepackaged foods to a minimum if at all?

 

 

I think sometimes we are writing our own personal cookbooks. I find most of the cookbooks trying to do "mock" recipes of all of the things we can't have. I don't want to have pretend muffins or gluten & dairy free pancakes. I just want real food ideas. I find Mediterranean cookbooks to have lots of wonderful ideas.

[Snickerdoodle]

Usually when I think of Charmoula sauce I think of fish, but I think it would be wonderfully adapted to chicken:

 

http://www.bigoven.com/42914-Roast-Chicken-Charmoula-Moroccan-recipe.html

[rafiki]

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[rafiki]

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[rafiki]

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[Caryl]

Ok, so it's a shameless plug for my sweetie! We're a gluten-free family of 9 (and I'm dairy-free, grain-free and sugar-free). She started experimenting with recipes a few years ago. Some of her recipes would work for you, but maybe it would also help for your kids to see other kids who eat "without" and it's OK.

 

anyway,

gluten-free-snacks.com

 

For me, I just eat foods that are either meat, fruit, or vegetables. This time of year, there's tons of veggies and fresh fruit available. A meal will look very simple- a piece of lean meat cooked simply (often grilled), some veggies raw, steamed or lightly cooked in olive oil, a big salad with an olive oil/herb/balsamic vinegar dreesing. I've found that I can really taste the flavors of the food now (e.g., peppers are really sweet!).

 

Sometimes I miss stuff, but I feel so much better!

[rafiki]

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[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

 

Fresh Clean Start. I think Lindsey is vegan (so no eggs, fish, or dairy) and gluten-free.