Please bare with me as I try to make blogger do what I envision ; )!! Until I can move those mountains, please check under the "Food Allergy Recipe" tag Or check the links on this page. What I hope to post is information, recipes/substitutions, and plenty of personal experience related to food allergies; specifically dairy and most nuts, and what I'm calling low temp. eggs (excludes egg in products cooked at a high temperature).
Wee Mind Recipes:
(All recipes are also yummy for us big kids too! And usually quick and easy to make!)
Banana Oatmeal/Banana Berry Smoosh
Asparagus with Tomato (Coming soon)
Chinese Veggies & Tofu in Orange Sauce (Coming soon)
Miso Soup (coming soon)
Food Allergy 101 (the short version)
The first step is: Is it an allergy or intolerance. Allergy means there is an allergic response (rash, digestive issues, and/or severe reactions like anaphylatic shock) that happens with in a few minutes to a few days of eating the food. A dairy allergy is due to the body's inability to recognize casein as "safe", as opposed to lactose intolerance, which is related to the lactose in milk. More in depth info at: Dr. Sears, Kelly Mom and here.
Elimination diets in mom help diagnose breastfeeding infants. If a particular food is suspect, remove it from your diet for a week (2 for dairy), and note any changes. If rashes clear, behavior changes, and bowel changes occur, you've probably discovered the culprit. The same would hold true for the food that baby consumes, once eating solids. In my experience, S only has a severe reaction when he consumes specific foods himself. In simple terms, breast milk offers a "buffer", allowing him to consume with less severe reaction those foods he is allergic to.
Many allergies clear around a year to 18 months, unless you're among one of the lucky parents or people with a severe reaction. Then it could take up to 5 years, if the allergy ever goes away at all. Little boys with dairy and nut allergies inevitably develop asthma, according to our Allergist.
I, like many I've talked to, find it difficult to wrap my head around these allergies AT FIRST. Especially the whole food group ones (dairy). Nuts weren't so hard, eggs is just annoying. All totaled, they suck. Expect grocery shopping to take more time, as you'll be reading labels. Appreciate new standards that require companies to list in bold allergenic substances. Don't forget that there are still some tricky things like "whey" is dairy. Dairy is in most everything. Luckily we aren't dealing with any soy or glutten issues, as those are two other biggies.
Dairy is found in many foods, ones you'd never expect. Cold cuts, most breads and crackers, and many prepared foods have dairy. I read EVERY LABEL, even if I think the food certainly couldn't have dairy. Once I figured out which brands were safe and what foods were safe, things became easier.
Though shopping gets better, and the initial worry that he'll accidentally consume something with an allergen, living day to day without a whole food group is pretty annoying, to put it politely. I touted bacon as a great substitution ;) but that doesn't hold up when I want ice cream. So, it's been a challenge to find substitutions that still taste acceptable (don't expect them to taste as good, that happens very rarely) and recipes that exclude allergens that we like. The mindset to have is that you aren't substituting with something pretty close, but rather, exploring a whole new flavor profile; ie. almond milk doesn't compare to milk, it is a whole new drink to enjoy. The one exception: Coconut Milk Ice cream. I would choose to eat it and it makes a great substitution.
So more specific suggestions, recipes, ways to survive are found under "Food Allergy Recipe", once I get posting there. Hope you find something to help!! Good luck!
