According to the World Allergy Organization, between 220 and 250 million people globally have at least one food allergy. That means about 6-8% of children and 3-4% of adults have some sort of food allergy. Every three minutes, an allergic reaction sends someone in the US to a hospital.

Food allergies are also on the rise. From 1997-2007, the occurrence of food allergies increased by about 18% for kids under the age of 18. However, this may not be the end of the world, as about 20% kids outgrow a peanut allergy, and 9% outgrow a tree nut allergy.

Although almost any food can be allergenic, about 90% of all food allergies come from eight foods: eggs, peanuts, milk, tree nuts, wheat, fish, soy, shellfish.

With millions of online recipes, it may not be as hard as it used to be to find allergen-free recipes. However, what if we find a recipe that we really love, or have a family recipe that contains one or more these items? Or what if we simply cook with these ingredients regularly?

There are LOTS of substitutes for the most popular allergens. Our “allergy cheat sheet” covers 3 replacements for four of the most popular. Give some of the replacements a try, and let us know which ones work best for you.

Which allergen substitutes are your favorite? Let us know in the comments. You can also download Nutrino for personalized, allergen free recipes.

References

World Allergy Organization

CDC – Food Allergies