ALLERGENS (What She CAN'T Eat)
*Zelda passed an oral food challenge for "baked goods," meaning that she can tolerate both egg and dairy when they are baked for at least 30 minutes at 350 degrees or higher. The heating process alters the proteins so that her body no longer reacts to them as foreign invaders. She can also tolerate packaged goods that contain egg and/or dairy as long as they aren't one of the first three ingredients. See below for a sample list.
Please see each link for a list of alternate names for these allergens that can be listed in the ingredients of food products. When in doubt, take a picture of the ingredients list and send it to Zelda's parents.
A note on dairy: Zelda is allergic to the protein in milk, which means her immune system reacts to anything made from cow milk. She is not lactose intolerant, which is a condition of the digestive system.
SAFE FOODS (What She CAN Eat)
Foods are safest when prepared at home in a kitchen where none of the allergens are present to eliminate the chance of cross-contamination. When eating at a restaurant, wait staff and chefs must be advised of Zelda's allergies. (We printed "allergy cards" to hand out at restaurants.)
This is a list of fresh, frozen, and canned foods that Zelda eats regularly. This list is not comprehensive. I'll keep adding to it as we explore the food pyramid.
Fruit
- apple
- banana
- grape
- strawberry
- blueberry
- nectarine
- plum
- watermelon
- cantaloupe
- pineapple
- ...really, everything
Vegetables
- avocado
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- green beans
- lima beans
- kidney beans
- corn on the cob
- carrots
- bell pepper
- asparagus
- zucchini
- squash
- onion (red, white, yellow)
- brussels sprouts
- potatoes
- sweet potatoes
- ....and many more!
Protein
- Perdue lightly breaded chicken nuggets
- bacon
- tofu
- chicken
- turkey
- Jennie-O turkey kielbasa
- deli meat (roast beef, turkey - check for dairy products in processed meats)
- soy milk (vanilla and chocolate - double check that it isn't produced in a facility with tree nuts)
- peanut butter
- Daiya cheese slices and grated cheese (only some flavors are safe; "lactose free" is not safe)
- lobster, crab, scallops, shrimp (she's tried them but doesn't seem to care for them yet)
Condiments & Spices
- dried/fresh garlic
- dried/fresh onion
- dried paprika
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil
- Earth Balance non-dairy spreads
- Heinz ketchup (which she doesn't really like)
- Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (which she doesn't really like)
- Kikoman soy sauce
- Vlasic pickles (not all varieties; check for mustard seed in ingredients)
- Hershey's chocolate syrup
Snacks & Cereals
- Enjoy Life brand cookies, trail mix, chocolate, etc. (everything they make is safe)
- Ritz crackers (original and mini)
- Skinny Pop popcorn (regular flavor)
- Veggie Stix
- Veggie Straws
- Teddy Grahams (honey or cinnamon)
- Dried fruit (apples, cranberries, etc.)
- Snyder's pretzels (currently prefers the stick shaped ones)
- Goldfish (original, cheddar, princess, rainbow)
- Cocoa puffs
- Cheerios (regular, chocolate, fruit, multi-grain)
- Life cereal (regular)
- Pop Tarts (chocolate fudge)
- popsicles (all fruit varieties or the old fashioned sugar water and food coloring varieties)
- So Delicious brand soy ice cream (chocolate velvet flavor - always double check for coconut as an ingredient)
- Whole Fruit sorbet (strawberry, lemon, raspberry)
- Skittles
- Dum Dum lollipops
- Starburst
- Pez
- Twizzlers (but she doesn't like them, so Mommy eats them)
- Jet-Puffed Marshmallows (regular and mini)
- ...to be continued...
