Welcome to Eating With Food Allergies!
I am Kristi Winkels, mom of two boys, wife, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and adventurous cook. This website is a little project I started back in 2007 to answer the question, “What do you eat with all of those food allergies?!”
Our journey with food allergies started in March 2005. My oldest son was 9 months old when a bite of scrambled egg sent his immune system into overdrive. We later found out that he was also allergic to dairy, peanuts, wheat, and barley. My youngest son came along two years later and ended up being allergic to eggs as well.
Being new to managing food allergies was overwhelming. For most parents, watching their child try a new food for the first time is entertaining. For us, it was scary! Grocery shopping took forever as we tried to decode food labels. Family gatherings were stressful instead of fun. Foods that we always loved were off the table…literally!
I have always enjoyed cooking and baking so when I was able to get over the shock of removing so many foods from my cooking repertoire, I started to get creative in the kitchen. And when something turned out, I wanted to shout from the roof tops!
I have had so much fun sharing my family’s favourites on this site. My hope is that the tips and recipes here help you learn to eat well with food allergies!
Wondering where to start?
Read about the most common food allergies.
You will find ingredient lists and foods to avoid for each allergen.
Learn about Allergy Friendly Substitutes.
Here you will find substitutes for the top 8 most common food allergens. Use these substitutes in place of the allergen to create your own allergy friendly dishes.
Get meal planning tips.
As a mom, I want to make food that my kids will eat. As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I want to provide balanced nutrition, so my kids will grow and be healthy. These are some of my tips for meal planning with food allergies.
I use the term “allergy free” quite often throughout this site. Of course, nothing is truly allergy free. When I use the term, it means free of the top 8 allergens. Almost all of the recipes are free of the top 8. If a recipe is not free of the top 8, it is noted and can often be made free of the top 8 with a substitute.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and would like to work with me one-on-one, consider Nutrition and Food Allergy Coaching.