Food allergies are nothing to take lightly. If you ever had symptoms after eating a particular food such as itching, hives, swelling, wheezing or shortness of breath to dizziness, digestion problems, nasal congestion to headaches, then you know that you don’t want to repeat that feeling. After all, it is safer to try to avoid the trigger food that brought out the reaction. For this reason, I have several food substitutes that could replace past favorites when food allergies hit that could help when you find yourself in such a fix.
Eggs are a common problem for many people due to their proteins. The reason for this is because those proteins attach to specific IgE antibodies in the immune system that put up a fight since they perceive them as threats. Being the case, you can try baking eggs such as in an omelet or quiche since heat does help counteract the clinging ability of those proteins, but you really should check with an allergist first or consider a plant-based egg substitute made from legumes such as chickpeas, peas and mung beans as the protein source along with spices, emulsifiers, etc.
Flax or chia seeds may be a better alternative, especially for using in recipes. For flax seeds, you need about three tablespoons of water with one tablespoon of flax seeds is the equivalent of one egg. Chia seeds need a bit less water with two and one-half tablespoons water to one tablespoon of chia seeds. Grind them if you intend to use them for baking.
Nuts can be problematic for a lot of people, especially one grown underground like peanuts as well as tree nuts such as almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. If you’re among those with such nut allergies, you can opt for seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds or in the case of nut butters sunflower and pumpkin.
Another of these food substitutes for nuts is roasting garbanzo beans or soy beans for turning into crunchy snacks. You can soak either dry beans or used two cans per recipe. The simplest way to prepare this is to use two cans of garbanzo beans that you patted dry. Next, all you do is place the beans in your mixing bowl with one tablespoon of olive oil. Transfer to a cookie sheet before seasoning with one-fourth teaspoon of salt. Bake in a 375-degree oven for about a half hour, turning them after fifteen minutes. Remove and add a teaspoon of chili powder and sprinkle the roasting beans with Parmesan cheese (optional) before returning them to the oven to cook for an additional twenty to twenty-five minutes.
Toasting oatmeal for adding to coffee cake toppings, pudding, yogurt or smoothies is another idea as an alternative for nuts. Anyone that is a fan of pecan pie should check out my mock pecan pie recipe that uses oatmeal in place of the nuts. You really don’t miss them in my recipe.
Some people may have a problem with cows’ milk. Just like eggs, it is the protein in the milk that causes allergic reactions. On the other hand, similar digestive problems also can be credited to a lactose intolerance from the body’s inability to supply enough of an enzyme called lactase. Regardless of the protein that caused the allergy or the slacking lactase production, it is still helpful to just switch to plant-based options such as almond, coconut, rice, oat, and soy milk.
These are just a few food substitutes for those mentioned food allergies that could help you with new alternatives.
