How to Survive the Top Five Food Allergies

Food allergies impact the daily lives of millions of Americans each day. From mild skin irritations to asthma-like attacks to deadly anaphylactic shock, food allergies are becoming more prevalent. With the top five allergens being present in many foods, those living with serious reactions need to be aware of how to check for these common allergens, as well as how to eat satisfying and healthy meals.

Before one can understand how to check food labels and inquire about ingredients, consumers need to understand the top five food allergies that affect so many children and adults. These include milk, peanuts, eggs, shellfish and tree nuts. Other common allergens include wheat and soy. Cow’s milk can cause indigestion, diarrhea, wheezing, rashes and vomiting. When a person allergic to peanuts consumes them or is in a room with peanuts present, he or she will have difficulty breathing and tightness around the throat. Shellfish, eggs and tree nuts will create similar symptoms if a person with the allergy ingests the food. Fortunately, there are easy ways to check for these foods along with delicious and healthy substitutions.

When browsing the local grocery store aisles for cans of soup, boxes of cereals and packages of pasta, it is very important to be vigilant and read the fine print. Eggs can be disguised on a label as dried egg solids, powdered eggs and albumin. Cow’s milk is present if whey, butter flavor, casein, lactalbumin and saccharum lactin are listed. Peanuts may be found in ingredients such as natural flavor, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and nougat. Shellfish include lobster, crab, shrimp, mollusks, clams and scallops. These foods are easy to spot in labels but may be hidden on food lists as fish stock and seafood flavoring. Tree nuts include macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, pistachios and many others. They are found in baking mixes, candy bars, pesto sauces and even face washes.

For those suffering with food allergies, dining out and cooking and savoring a meal can be challenging and frustrating. However, today’s chefs are very mindful of their customer needs and will work diligently to make sure the meal is safe. Delicious substitutions for cow milk products include coconut, almond, hazelnut, rice or flax seed milks. Soy and nut cheeses can work well on sandwiches and pizza.

While eggs, tree nuts and shellfish are not easily substituted,a person can still eat well while avoiding these allergen-inducing foods. To know more about curing food allergy in Apex, check out this website.