Common Food Allergies

Common Food Allergies
by Yvonne Mei

Food allergies affect around 32 million people in the US, including 5.6 million children under the age of 18. That is 1 in 13 children.(1) A food allergy is an abnormal response to certain foods. It is triggered by the body’s immune system, mistakenly identifying the food as something dangerous. As a result, the body creates antibodies to fight the food allergen leading to allergic reactions.

Reactions can vary in severity and can be potentially life-threatening.(2,3) Mild allergy reactions may present as hives or minor abdominal pain.(3) More severe allergic reactions can involve severe anaphylaxis with low blood pressure and loss of consciousness.(2)

Food allergies can occur at any stage of life. (2) The most common food allergies in children that account for 90% of all allergies are milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.(2)

It might seem difficult to know what foods to avoid and it can feel limiting. Here we list some of the foods that might contain common allergens and some substitutions or alternatives for common foods!

Milk/Dairy

Foods to avoid (4,5): butter, cheese, cream, custard, milk, yogurt, ice cream
Dairy-based ingredients (4,5): casein, , ghee, hydrolysates, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin, lactose, lactulose, nisin, nougat, recaldent, whey
Potential Substitutions (6,7):
- Milk – Lactaid, Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Oat Milk
- Yogurt – Coconut Milk Yogurt, Almond Milk Yogurt, Soymilk Yogurt
- Cheese – Goat Cheese, Plant-Based Cheese, Nut-Based
- Butter – Vegetable Oil Blends, Coconut Butter, Vegan Butter, Nut Butter

Eggs

Common foods that contain eggs (8): Pancakes, Muffins, Some Pastas, Baked Goods, Casseroles, Custards, Pudding, Ice Cream, Mayonnaise, Cream Sauces
Egg-based ingredients (8): Albumin, Globulin, Livetin, Lysozyme, Ovalbumin, Ovomucoid, Ovovitellin, Surimi, Lecithin, Nougat
Potential substitutions (9):
- Baking – Applesauce, Mashed Bananas, Ground Flaxseeds, Silken Tofu
- Burritos/Fried Rice – Tofu, Seitan
- Meringues, Foams, Soups – Chickpea Water (aquafaba)

Peanuts

Common foods that contain peanuts10, (11,12): Cereals, Granola, Chili and soups (peanuts or peanut butter sometimes used as thickeners), Grain Breads, Veggie Burgers, Sauces, Dressings, Nougat
Peanut-based ingredients (10,11,12): Goobers, Mixed Nuts, Nut Meat, Lupin, Monkey Nuts, Beer Nuts, Artificial Nuts, Peanut Protein Hydrolysate
Potential Substitutions (13,14):
- Chopped Nuts – Pretzels, Seeds
- Peanut Butter – Sunflower Seed Butter, Almond Butter, Soy Butter

Soy

Foods to avoid (15,16,17): Soy Milk/Cheese/Ice Cream/Yogurt, Soy Flour, Tofu, Miso, Natto, Shoyu, Tempeh, Soy Sauce, Tamari, Teriyaki, Edamame
Soy-based ingredients (16,17): Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (HSP), Soy Albumin, Soy Fiber, Soy Flour, Soy Grits, Soy Protein, Monosodium glutamate (MSG), Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Vegetable Broth/Gum/Starch
Potential Substitutions (18,19,20):
- Soy Sauce – Olive Brine, Balsamic Vinegar, Soy-Free Miso Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce – Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Soy Paste (Miso) – Chickpea Miso (South River Miso Company, Miso Master), Adzuki Bean Miso (South River Miso Company)

Wheat

Foods to avoid (21): Breads, Cereals, Crackers, Pasta, Farina, Farro
Wheat-based ingredients21: Bran, Bulgur, Cereal Extract, Cracker Meal, Durum, Einkorn, Emmer, Enriched/All-purpose/Graham Flour, Farina, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Matzoh, Seitan, Semolina, Spelt, Sprouted Wheat, Triticale
Potential Substitutions (22):
- Flour – Rice Flour, Potato Starch Flour, Soy Flour, Tapioca Flour, Corn Flour
- Noodles – Wheat Free Pastas, Gluten-Free Pasta
- Breadcrumbs – Shredded Parmesan, Crumbled Wheat-Free Crackers, Cornmeal
- Thickener – Cornstarch, Rice Flour, Pureed Tofu

Tree Nut

Foods to avoid (23,24): Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Cashews, Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, Macadamia Nuts, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Pistachios, Walnuts
Tree-nut based ingredients (23,24): Artificial Nuts, Gianduja, Nut Butters, Nut Meal, Nut Meat, Nut Milk, Nut Oils, Nut Paste, Nut Flavorings or Extracts, Nut Liqueurs
Potential Substitutions (25):
- Nut Butters – Sunflower Seed Butter
- Baking – Oatmeal/Rolled Oats, Granola, Crisp Rice Cereal, Pumpkin/Sunflower Seeds, Raisins, Dried Cranberries

Fish & Shellfish

Foods to avoid (26,27): Fish, Crustaceans & Mollusks
Unexpected sources (26,27): BBQ Sauce, Caesar Dressing, Imitation/Artificial Fish or Shellfish, Worcestershire Sauce, Omega-3 Supplements
Potential Substitutions (28,29):
- Alternative Protein Sources – Tofu, legumes, beans, poultry, meat, grains, dairy, eggs, seeds
- Fish Sauce – Soy Sauce, Tamari, Hoisin Sauce
- Omega-3 – Freshly Ground Flaxseeds, Vegetarian Supplements (made from flaxseed oil, algae, or hemp oil)

References

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