What Can I Eat On A Hypoallergenic Diet?

On Aug 15, 2022

apples
apricots
asparagus
avocados
barley
beets
broccoli
carrots
cauliflower
chicken

Hypoallergenic diets are designed to minimize the chances of provoking an allergic reaction. Doctors commonly recommend hypoallergenic foods to patients to determine whether their allergic reactions are a result of the foods they eat. Eating a hypoallergenic diet can be challenging, since common foods like wheat, eggs, milk and soy are not allowed.

To get started on an elimination diet, you might want to:

Download our comprehensive Elimination Diet book for nutrition coaches, which includes food lists, recipes, and all of the resources you or a client would need to get started and be
Keep a food journal for a few weeks.
Try to see this journey as an experiment that helps you learn more about yourself, your body, and your eating choices.

The only foods allowed on this level 3 strict elimination diet are:

Apples or apple juice
Apricots
Asparagus
Beets
Cane or beet sugar
Carrots
Chicken
Cranberries
Honey
Lamb

Why is hypoallergenic diet important?

Fruit. Apples and pears are the most hypoallergenic fruits. Other fruits considered allergy safe are apricots, bananas, plums and melon. The University of Idaho recommends parents add canned fruit to the school lunches of children on hypoallergenic diets.

Eating a hypoallergenic diet can be challenging, since common foods like wheat, eggs, milk and soy are not allowed. However, with some planning, you can find a pleasing variety of hypoallergenic foods that are both delicious and nutritious.

Meat. Lamb is one of the most hypoallergenic meats, since it is not exposed to wheat or dairy products during its growth cycle . Most cows and chickens are fed wheat and dairy products to help them grow quickly; this can trigger allergic reactions.

How long does it take to get over a hypoallergenic diet?

A hypoallergenic diet starts with eating only foods that are known to not cause allergic reactions in most of the population, for a set length of time (usually about three to six weeks, depending on the extent of your gastrointestinal symptoms). This is referred to as the food elimination phase of the diet.

Your best bet to avoid an allergic reaction to a food is to cook it yourself from scratch. Many processed foods contain a variety of common allergens, including nuts, dairy and fish, even those you would not suspect. For example, many people are unaware that Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in it. Also, some foods are not necessarily allergens in themselves, but they may be exposed to cross-contamination from proximity to allergenic foods, such as peanuts being processed in the same factory as tree nuts. Always be sure to read the label on any processed food product you buy to check for possible allergens. Following are a few useful tips so you can avoid inadvertently consuming a food you are allergic to:

Only eight foods are responsible for 90% of allergic reactions to food: peanuts, milk, eggs, tree nuts (such as walnuts, pistachios, almonds and cashews), fish, shellfish, wheat and soy. Allergic reactions range from mild (rash, itching, swelling) to deadly (the throat swells due to anaphylactic shock, preventing the passage of air).

This is referred to as the food elimination phase of the diet. During this phase you are allowed to eat as many of the foods on the approved food list as you like, as the gastrointestinal symptoms are allowed to subside and the allergens are cleared from the system.

According to a 2008 study performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food allergies increased about 18% in the decade between 1997 and 2007, and peanut allergies in children actually tripled between 1997 and 2008.

Once symptoms have been reduced , the next phase of the diet begins, called the food challenge phase.

Also, some foods are not necessarily allergens in themselves, but they may be exposed to cross-contamination from proximity to allergenic foods, such as peanuts being processed in the same factory as tree nuts . Always be sure to read the label on any processed food product you buy to check for possible allergens.

Is there a normal response to diet?

There is really no “typical” or “normal” response. A person’s initial response to any new diet is highly variable, and this diet is no exception. This can be attributed to physiological, mental, and biochemical differences among individuals; the degree of exposure to, and type of “toxin;” and other lifestyle factors.

Most often, individuals on the elimination die t report increased energy, mental alertness, decrease in muscle or joint pain, and a general sense of improved well-being. However, some people report some initial reactions to the diet, especially in the first week, as their bodies adjust to a different dietary program.