Example of Low Allergen Diet

HK BioTek

Translation: Mosher Matthew, HK BioTek Intern

The most common question our nutritionists come across when doing consultation is: What should I eat when I am sensitive to wheat, dairy and egg?

The book “The China Study” is a best-selling nutrition book in the United States written by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, the professor of Nutrition and Biochemistry at Cornell University. The book is based on a 20-year research project in conjunction with The Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine, Cornell University, and Oxford University. The book highlights the importance of a plant based diet, which is consuming mainly vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. The diet also reduces the intake of animal products, refined sugars and saturated fats. Interestingly, this diet avoids most of the common allergens.

Since the most of the Asian food are naturally allergen-free, you may consider an Asian diet when you have food sensitivity. Taking reference from Asian eating style, what else could we eat when we have to give bread and milk for breakfast?

For those “Free-from” food products manufacturing in foreign countries, they are usually made with white rice, brown rice, glutinous rice, sorghum, cassava, buckwheat and millet, which are common grains used in Asian countries. Traditional rice cake, mung bean cake, and coconut cake from Asian countries, which are naturally allergen-free!

The following is a simple whole-day meal plan which are gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free. If you have any questions, please consult your healthcare professionals.

Breakfast

• Cornflakes, oatmeal, cereal with soy milk, almond milk or rice milk and topped dried berries

• Rice noodles

• Congee (with millet, buckwheat, corn, pumpkin seed, nuts, minced meat, etc.)

• Japanese styled rice dumpling with tuna, mixed beans or chicken

• Steamed sweet potato

• Fruit, fruit puree

Lunch/Dinner

• Rice (with non-creamy, buttery or cheesy sauce)

• Rice noodles, 100% buckwheat noodles (soba), sweet potatoes

• Oatmeal

• Congee

• Vietnamese rice paper roll

• Steamed rice roll

Snack

• Rice cake

• Dried fruit

• Nuts

• Seaweed

• Jelly

• Fruit popsicle / sorbet

• Chia seed pudding (with almond milk)