Food allergies result from the body’s immune system mistaking proteins or other ingredients as a threat to the body. About 90 percent of food allergens are in eggs, milk, shellfish, peanuts, wheat, gluten, tree nuts (cashews and walnuts), soy, and fish. However, those with food allergies can still enjoy most of their favorite dishes by substituting allergens with other ingredients.
The most common allergen is cow’s milk, which is generally considered healthy because it is a rich source of calcium and Vitamin D and calcium. However, someone with a food allergen might break out in hives, begin wheezing, feel itching or tingling around the mouth, and the lips, tongue, or throat might swell, among other adverse reactions. To avoid experiencing these reactions, a person can instead use flax milk, fortified rice milk, or fortified hemp milk. Some sources report that cashew milk or almond milk are suitable substitutes for milk. However, because these two kinds of milk come from nuts, a person with nut allergies should be careful not to use these substitutions.
Recipes using these substitutions include lasagna. For instance, this traditional dish usually requires ricotta cheese, which cooks can replace with cashew or almond ricotta. Waffles are another food that a person with a food allergy to milk can still enjoy by replacing the milk with sparkling water.
Eggs are another common food that causes allergic reactions, which is problematic because many recipes include eggs. Banana, apple, pumpkin, and squash puree are popular replacements, with pumpkin and squash puree used in savory recipes. If a leavening agent is needed for baking, one suggestion is to mix chia seeds and water and let it set for 15 minutes.
In addition to milk and eggs, replacing fish is easy, but many sauces contain fish ingredients. For example, fish sauce is in many Asian dishes, and even Worcestershire sauce uses anchovies. These sauces are important because they provide dishes with certain flavors. Substitutions include vegan products that mimic the taste of fish sauce, or one can make a similar sauce containing wakame, garlic, miso, peppercorns, and soy sauce.
For instance, a hearty pho broth can use soy sauce instead of fish sauce. Also, the same recipe can be made using lemongrass, star anise, and cloves.
Peanuts and tree nuts, other allergens, have begun to disappear from restaurant kitchens simply because of the number of people who suffer from them. Creative cooks have replicated the taste and flavor of these ingredients by using seeds, oven-roasted beans, or crumbled pretzels. Seeds, especially, have a particularly nutty flavor and replicate the crisp texture of nuts.
For example, pesto is a standard recipe that requires nuts. Cooks can substitute the nuts with pumpkin seeds. Kung Pao chicken is another favorite that relies on nuts, which cooks can replace with sunflower seeds instead of the peanuts used in the traditional recipe.
Finally, wheat and gluten allergies are the trickiest because of the proteins found in wheat, including gluten. The other proteins are gliadin, globulin, and albumin, which trigger eosinophilic esophagitis in children, causing their esophagus to become inflamed. While many wheat-free products are available, they might still contain gluten, an allergen. In fact, gluten can be found in Worcestershire sauce, thickeners, candy (gum), chocolate, gravies, soy sauce, and salad dressings.
Cooks can substitute wheat flour with quinoa, buckwheat, gluten-free oats, brown rice, and millet to get a similar taste without the risk of an allergic reaction. Additionally, cooks can replace gluten flour with blends that contain brown rice, teff, quinoa, or sorghum flour to make bread, pasta, pastries, and sauces.
For example, instead of using flour to make flat bread, cornmeal is a good substitute. Furthermore, a rice flour-based roux can replace a flour-based roux in gumbo.
