Cooking for families with food allergies

Allergies, allergies, allergies… whether it’s wheat or soy or nuts or dairy or WHO KNOWS what else, cooking for a family with allergies is certainly a challenge. Having a family who suffers from food allergies does not mean that you need to be restricted with your cooking and baking; the trick is to be clever by making appropriate substitutions for the ingredients that the recipe calls for.

Wheat allergy

Let’s start with one of the top allergens out there: wheat. Did you know that you can easily substitute wheat flour for another kind of flour, and still get the same end results? Some other flours for you to use as a substitute are:

• Rice Flour
• Rye Flour
• Oat Flour
• Barley Flour
• Quinoa Flour
• Millet Flour
• Garbanzo Flour

…And that’s just a SHORT list! There are several different flours available to you.

Soy substitutes

Soy substitutes can be a bit trickier, particularly if you also have a dairy allergy as well. Soy and dairy-free milks that can be used as a substitution include:

• Rice Milk
• Almond Milk
• Hemp Milk

You can also find soy and dairy-free margarine in the stores, though it again can be somewhat problematic. Do a bit of internet research to find which brands are available and which your store may carry.

Cheese substitutes

For cheese, you can find some great rice vegan slices, so you can still make those delicious pizzas that the kids love! Shortening, soy sauces… almost any food that there is out there, and with a bit of work you can find ingredients that do not contain soy.

TIP: Most “vegan” food substitutes do NOT contain soy, so be on the look out for those products.

Nut allergies

Nut allergies can perhaps be the most concerning on anyone’s list of top allergies as many foods are often “contaminated” with traces of nuts. Again, do your research and try to cook with as many natural ingredients at home to keep that allergy at bay.

If you have a child who loves peanut butter but can’t take the peanut, try:

• Sunflower Butter
• Soy Nut Butter

…or any other number of nut-butter substitutes, such as almond butter.

Visit PeanutAllergy.com for more information on peanut allergy.

Egg substitutes

Lastly, we’ll explore egg allergies. Most baking recipes always call for at least ONE large egg so many people who are faced with allergies tend to abandon all baking duties all together. You can still enjoy baking with a simple egg substitution at the grocery store, by using an unflavored gelatin, or even make your own “eggs” at home.

How to make a Homemade Egg

To make your own “egg”, simply mix 1½ Tbsp of oil, 1½ Tbsp of water, and then 1 tsp. of baking powder. Whisk until it is foamy and add it to your recipe with reckless abandon!

Explore what works and what doesn’t for particular recipes, and remember to have fun with this cooking challenge. In no time you will be concocting your own allergy-free recipes for your family – and be sure to share them with the rest of us!

photo by Dawn Allynn