Nine Tips To Master Food Allergy Cooking
How To Go From Cooking From Boxes To Mastering Food Allergy Cooking
(Without Losing Convenience Or Your Sanity)
Before having kids I didn’t think twice about cooking from a box. It was easy and worked for our lifestyle. It wasn’t until I had my first daughter that I started to think about healthy food. Then when my daughter was diagnosed with severe food allergies to milk and eggs, I realized there was almost nothing pre-made that she could safely eat.
Later, my 2nd daughter was diagnosed with peanut and tree nut allergies and a gluten intolerance and finding safe foods became even more difficult.
Like many food allergy mamas, I was forced into food allergy cooking from scratch. Even though it was hard at first, I now find it easy, more healthy, and less expensive.
Now after 16 years of this life, I can see that there were some key ideas that made food allergy cooking so much easier.
Keep reading to see what they are!
Make TIME for food allergy cooking.
Often, food allergy cooking means cooking from scratch. But don’t let that scare you because it doesn’t take more time than cooking from a box, if you do it right. That said, it may take a bit of trial and error in the beginning. Until you get your system down it will likely take MORE time. But this is the same with anything worth doing. AmIright?? Give yourself some grace to start. As you become better and start to create rhythms and processes, you’ll get more and more efficient. Just remember it doesn’t come overnight.
If you want to get a jump start on creating your rhythms and learn how to make food allergy cooking easier and less time-consuming, I teach how to get started in the 90-Minute Variety Booster. When you buy it from the link in this blog it’s 44% off!
2. Use meal planning as your secret weapon for food allergy cooking.
Meal planning is your secret to success when it comes to food allergy cooking. It helps so you have everything you need on hand and allows you to only go to the store ONCE per week instead of many times.
Not only that, but you can use meal plans over again so that you’re working once and getting results many, many times. Don’t underestimate the importance of meal planning as a part of food allergy cooking!
In the beginning, you’ll need to MAKE TIME for meal planning as I mentioned in point #1. After a while, you’ll be able to reuse your plans and you’ll become efficient in other ways so you gain back the time you originally set aside and MORE.
If you don’t know where to start with meal planning, be sure to check out the 90-Minute Variety Booster. I’ve got everything you need to get started so you can make food allergy cooking easier and less stressful! Don’t forget that 90-Minute Variety Booster is 44% off when you use this special link to buy.
3. Use mise en place.
Mise en place is the practice of having everything you need for a meal ready to go before you start cooking. This means measuring out all the spices, washing and chopping all the meats and veggies, and placing them within reach before turning any heat on. This is essential for easy food allergy cooking because it makes cooking less stressful and more enjoyable. It gives a much better quality meal too because you’re less likely to burn the meat while you're chopping the veggies!
PRO TIP - Buy a bulk package of meat and chop it all at once and place them in pre-portioned containers in the freezer. You’ll save money and now you’re cleaning your cutting board ONCE (instead of many times) and you don’t have to do it after work or when your babe is the fussiest right before dinner.
If you have a little that’s less than happy right when you’re trying to cook dinner, you can easily do this step in advance! Try getting it done the night before (I know, it’s hard to do this at first but once you try it once or twice you’ll be hooked!), or during a nap OR in the morning when your little one is more likely to play for a few minutes by themselves.
4. Find simple substitutes.
Often dairy is one of the hardest things to cook without. If you have a dairy allergy, you will eventually want to find product substitutions for things like mayo and cheese but don’t forget that simple ingredients can make amazing substitutes too. For example, instead of adding cream to a soup, try adding a small amount of pureed cauliflower and a drizzle of good olive oil on top (you won’t notice the cauliflower, but it will give it a creaminess, and the olive oil will give it a rich flavor too). Or instead of adding mayo to a sandwich, try adding an avocado with a squeeze of lemon to give the sandwich a rich tang.
Food allergy cooking is a process so allow yourself to experiment and give yourself some grace.
There may be dishes that fail, and that’s OK! That’s how we learn. Keep going and don’t let it phase you.
For a list of simple, dairy substitutes, check out the 90-Minute Variety Booster. You’ll be surprised at some of the simple substitutes there are!
5. Don’t worry about cooking times.
As you get better at food allergy cooking, you’ll start to feel confident cooking without a recipe. I know it’s hard to believe, but you’ll get there!! The one thing that’s stressful can be knowing the right cooking times to ensure chicken, pork, and beef are properly cooked.
Let me assure you that you don’t need to stress! You can find all the cooking times you need with Google. And if that fails, just ask Siri or Alexa what temperature the chicken should be when it’s done. Make sure to have an accurate meat thermometer and you’re good (see the next point). If you want you can verify it with another website, but it’s as easy as that, and you don’t need to worry!
6. Use quality tools.
At the beginning of my mom life I never really thought that I needed to invest in cooking tools. That was until the day I bought a new vegetable peeler. I could NOT believe how quickly I could peel veggies!! TO THIS DAY every time I pick up my veggie peeler I still think about how I struggled with the old one and how much easier this new one is. IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY to get proper tools. It will go a long way to saving you time and effort because your time and effort are completely WORTH IT, my friend!
7. Experiment with fresh meat, veggies, and herbs.
Sometimes it takes a bit of experimentation to learn what you and your family like and don’t like. Start with the fresh meat and veggie aisle and look for sales. If something catches your eye or is on sale, this is a great way to become inspired to cook a meal. You can always search for a recipe on Google afterward. Becoming inspired with your ingredients is how restaurant chefs choose daily menus too!
90-Minute Variety Booster includes a recipe ebook with a month of easy recipes and also includes a bonus list of 50 meals and side dishes made from fresh meat, veggies, and herbs so you don’t have to read a bunch of labels! These dishes are so simple and delicious! If you purchase from the link in this blog it will be 44% off.
8. Taste everything while cooking.
Don’t underestimate the power of TASTING different foods. Getting to know what flavors different foods offer is one of the FIRST steps for becoming a confident cook. So start tasting herbs, veggies, spices, and vinegar, and play with how mixing these things changes the flavors.
When you’re out for a meal, read the menu description and then challenge yourself to really TASTE those elements mentioned and pick them out. You’ll start to see how chefs are pairing items together to get delicious results. It may take a little while to get good at it, but the more you do it the better you’ll become!
9. Make your own allergy-friendly freezer meals.
One of the best ways to take a break from cooking is to pre-make freezer meals that you can pull out of the freezer whenever you need them. I call them Freezer Frenzy meals. With these meals, you can choose recipes you know will work for your family’s allergies and preferences. I like to make things like soups, stews, pasta sauces, and casseroles all laced with extra veggies!
These freezer meals will allow you to pre-cook delicious meals and pull them out on busy nights when there is no time to cook from scratch. They offer a huge piece of mind just knowing they’re available when you need them!
There is a full week of cook-once, eat-twice recipes included in the 90-Minute Variety Booster. When you buy from the link in this blog post, it’s 44% off!
FAQ’s about food allergy cooking
Can you destroy food allergens by cooking?
No, food allergens can not be destroyed by cooking. That said, there are certain allergens like eggs or milk that can be less “allergenic” if they are cooked. Even so, not everyone with egg or milk allergies can tolerate baked milk or egg, so you need to check with your doctor to confirm before eating. If you have a milk or egg allergy, never try eating baked milk or egg, without consulting your doctor first.
2. How do I prevent food allergies in my kitchen?
There are 2 main ways.
The first is to read every label and understand what is in EVERY ingredient you use. It’s important that you also look for “may contain” statements which mean that there could be allergens in the food and it is not safe to eat if someone has a food allergy. Fresh meats, produce and herbs are the easiest ingredients for food allergy cooking because there is typically only one ingredient!
The 2nd way to prevent food allergens in your kitchen is to understand what’s called cross-contact in the USA and also known as cross-contamination in Canada and take steps to prevent it. Cross-contact is when foods touch something, and when they touch, it leaves behind a small trace of food, which is enough to cause a reaction if it gets into the eyes, nose, or mouth of someone with a food allergy.
3. How do you cook for someone with food allergies?
The 9 expert tips I list above will help you master food allergy cooking. As well, I would highly recommend checking out the 90-Minute Variety Booster before you leave this post!
Conclusion
You CAN cook like an expert home chef and create easy and delicious meals for your family instead of relying on boxed foods that are expensive, unhealthy, and are often not safe for your child’s food allergies. Start with the 9 steps above to get well on your way!
Let me know in the comments which point was most helpful for you! I love hearing from my readers!
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