Design a Healthy Diet that Allows You to Live Symptom Free

People with food intolerances can sometimes consume small portions of the problematic food. For instance, those with lactose intolerance can usually drink one or two glasses of milk a day. Milk is easier to digest with a meal. In addition, some high-calcium dairy foods, such as hard cheeses and yogurt, seem to cause fewer symptoms of lactose intolerance.

People with food allergies are usually advised to avoid the food completely. This is particularly important for people with severe allergic reactions. These people can develop a severe reaction after ingesting even a tiny amount of the offending food. For instance, 1/44,000 of a peanut may trigger a reaction in severely allergic people.

Additional Strategies for Parents of Children with Food Allergies

Tips for Avoiding Problem Foods

• Find out exactly what you need to avoid. People who are allergic to shrimp often are allergic to other types of shellfish, such as crab and lobster. In contrast, people with peanut allergies can usually consume peanut oil safely. That's because the protein in peanuts that typically causes allergies gets removed when peanut oil is made.
• Ask your doctor for a complete list of ingredients that you need to avoid. If you need to avoid eggs, you should also avoid foods listing albumin, or egg white, in their ingredients. If milk makes you sick, watch out for products that contain casein, sodium caseinate, lactoglobulin, and nougat.
• Carefully read ingredient lists on food labels. Even seemingly safe products might contain offending foods or additives. For example, even plain chocolate candies can contain traces of nuts if made with equipment that was also used to make nut products.
• Beware of any vague terms on food labels. If you don't know what something means call the manufacturer to find out. If a product doesn't have a label, don't eat it.
• When dining out, ask what's in an entrée before ordering it.
• If not everyone in your house follows the same food restrictions, you may want to keep a separate cutting board, dishes, utensils, and other equipment to prepare only your meals. When you have the kitchen to yourself, you may want to cook several meals at a time and freeze them. This reduces the risk of your meals coming in contact with other foods that family members might have.
• Ask your doctor for "allergy-free" recipes and other resources, such as support groups, that may help.
• When several foods must be avoided, it is smart to ask a dietitian for help. A dietitian can help you develop a safe, balanced diet. Even highly allergic infants and children can have healthy diets while avoiding certain foods.

Additional Tips for Parents of Children with Food Allergies

• If your child has severe reactions to food, talk to your child's teachers, babysitters, and others. Tell them what symptoms they should look for. Give them your child's medicine and show them how to use it. You should also write down a list of foods that your child must avoid at school. Let the teacher know your child won't be able to eat food brought in by others.
• If your child is old enough, teach her what foods to avoid.
• Pack safe treats for your child to have during special events at school. If your child receives a wrapped treat at school, have her bring it home to "trade" for a safe treat that she loves.