Isabel Smith Nutrition

May 12th, 2020

Our Favorite Top 8 Allergen Food Swaps

Food Allergy + Anaphylaxis Awareness Week is HERE!

This week, I’ll be shedding some light on the topic of food allergies and how I work with clients to help them adjust to their new normal after being diagnosed. While the number of people with food allergies used to be relatively low, it is now estimated that about 32 million Americans have food allergies (insane!). Nowadays, it almost feels normal to have at least one food allergy, and lucky if you’re not affected by two or more. As a Registered Dietitian who not only specializes in food allergies, but was diagnosed with an anaphylactic nut allergy at the age of 31 (I know, crazy), I can speak firsthand to how difficult and frustrating the beginning first few weeks/months can be. It’s a transition that has to be made immediately, and can often affect the entire family if working with a child or adolescent still living at home.

The top 8 allergens typically include wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, shellfish, fish, and soybeans. While it can sometimes be a pain to deal with food allergies, there are TONS of alternatives these days and the options just keep getting better and better. When working in my private practice, I am so excited to be able to provide clients with a wealth of substitutions that are still healthy, nutritious, and fit their personal needs. New to food allergies or need some new ideas? I’ve rounded up the top 8 allergens below and included some of my favorite swaps to make!

WHEAT: Can’t eat it? Try these:
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Millet
- Buckwheat
- Oats (look for gluten free oats)
- Amaranth
- Teff
- Flours (Coconut, Cassava, Tapioca, Quinoa, Almond)

TREE NUTS: Can’t eat it? Try these:
- Peanuts
- Seeds (flax, chia, sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, sesame)

PEANUTS: Can’t eat it? Try these:
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Walnuts
- Hazelnuts
- Brazil nuts
- Chestnuts
- Macadamia nuts

MILK: Can’t eat it? Try these:
- Nut milk (almond, cashew, macadamia, walnut, hazelnut)
- Oat milk
- Hemp milk
- Soy milk
- Coconut milk

EGGS: Can’t eat it? Try these:
- Flax egg
- Chia egg
- Applesauce
- Mashed banana
- Tofu
- Yogurt
- Egg replacer

SHELLFISH: Can’t eat it? Try these:
- Salmon
- White fish (cod, flounder, sole, halibut, snapper, swordfish, seabass)

FISH: Can’t eat it? Try these:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Eggs
- Red meat
- Vegetarian options (tofu, beans, lentils, tempeh, peas)

SOYBEANS: Can’t eat it? Try these:
- Olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Coconut aminos
- Chickpeas
- Peas
- Lentils

Have any questions on food swaps?

Please feel free to reach out! I also encourage you to follow along with me on Instagram (@isabelsmithnutrition) as I continue to post food allergy friendly recipes and informative education tools throughout the week!