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The Wonderful World of Food Allergies
By Luisa writer of thislittlekitchen.blogspot.com
Several years ago our family discovered through several incidents that out oldest child may have food allergies. Like all parents we tried new foods at the appropriate stages but soon discovered we would be one of thousands of families living in the United States with food allergies. Well what to do after suspecting something we went to see an allergist. At the appointment we also met with a nurse who showed how to use an Epi Pen Jr. and what to do in case of an emergency. That day we were lucky the nutritionist was in and we learned how to read labels, where to shop and received sheets on ingredient lists and substitutes. After leaving the doctor’s office armed with information and instructions I felt overwhelmed.
My first thought going home was “What’s for dinner?” Everything I have ever known about cooking and recipes all changed. I might as well have throw out every cookbook and everything I have ever known about cooking because let’s face it the recipes were just a danger for anaphylaxis shock.
With the discovery of food allergies for a short time it took the joy out of cooking and the fun of baking. In came expensive and unappetizing substitutes, unappealing allergy friendly cookbooks, bland meals, and uninspiring ideas for lunch and dinner. There was definitely no creativity. The resources that were available were just not meeting my family’s needs.
Once my son reached toddlerhood there seemed to be a turning point. I met another mother who shared a love for baking and together we came up with variations and new ideas to make some of our family favorites better. Along the way there was a lot of trial error that led to mistakes and some not too tasty desserts but also some new found creations. Finding support and awareness of allergies was growing which turned around an overwhelming situation in the kitchen. Gathering information through other moms, media and the internet became a new hobby to make meal time better.
As the years went by progress was being made in the kitchen.
· The egg substitute came to be known as the baking powder mixture: 1 egg = 1 ½ tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, 1 ½ tablespoons water, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. For 2 eggs just double each of the ingredients. This worked well for most baking recipes.
· When the baking powder mixture didn’t work ¼ of mashed banana or a ¼ cup of applesauce for 1 egg helped.
· Unusual combinations can bring about the best in desserts. Avocados added to a brownie recipe were quite a find. Grated zucchini added to some muffin batters made them moist. Grated zucchini to a brown mix is so tastey and moist that the zucchini is undetectable. Canned pumpkin puree has made cakes and pancakes fluffier and moist.
· Then there was the discovery of another egg substitute ¼ cup of soy milk equals one egg. This was helpful in some baking recipes preferably the cakes. But it was most useful with the ground meat recipes such as meatloaf, meatballs and turkey burgers.
· Soy yogurt replaced regular yogurt but it is not a handy item that is always stocked in my kitchen.
· Which leads to the buttermilk substitute. In regular recipes milk mixed with cider vinegar is a substitute for buttermilk. In the food allergy world to replace yogurt, buttermilk or to make a cake tastier try ¼ cup of soy milk and mix in a ¼ teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Let it stand for about 5 minutes and it will curdle. Add to your recipe as usual. The key is equal part soymilk to apple cider vinegar for example: 1 cup soy milk mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar.
· Vegans I think of as cousins to the food allergy families. Vegan living has been introduced on television by celebrities and chefs on talk shows which brought about new recipes. They may have chosen to give up the meat, dairy and eggs but not the flavor. Checking out some of their cookbooks can be helpful such as Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Any cupcake in this cookbook can be made into a cake.
· Magazines such as Cooking Light, Heart Healthy and Diabetic Living have been helpful resources because half the work of adjusting recipes is done. Magazines geared toward healthier eating adjust recipes to omit unhealthy ingredients and try to boost the vitamins and proteins. This can be advantage because they tend to cook with oils instead of butter and reduce/replace eggs and dairy.
Meal planning can be hard enough no matter the size of the family but add in severe food allergies and well that changes everything. Meals become more complicated and confusing with many ingredients not allowed. I think the philosophy behind planning meals with food allergies is to be open minded, creative and find support. Most recipes can be delicious by omitting certain ingredients or replacing them. Viewing each recipe with fresh eyes on how to make it allergy friendly can be a cooking inspiration.
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