Food Allergies Blog

Thanksgiving With Food Allergies

Oct 3, 2009 · 2 Comments

Food is the focal point of Thanksgiving making it a challenging holiday for those with food allergies and intolerances. This is our guide to having a delicious and safe Thanksgiving with food allergies.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Thanksgiving with food allergies can be a challenge, after all, food is the focal point of Thanksgiving and it is probably safe to say that it always will be.

Don't let a holiday centered around food scare you. Even though a traditional Thanksgiving meal is full of common food allergens, you might be surprised to know that it doesn't have to be. With a few substitutions, you can have a feast free of the top 9 allergens.

Following are recipes for traditional Thanksgiving dishes that are free of the top 9 allergens.

Allergy friendly appetizers

For a holiday that involves so much eating, a light appetizer to start should do the trick. (And, if you're hosting, having appetizers away from the kitchen prevents eager guests from sneaking a taste of the main meal before it starts!)

Our traditional appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner is this turkey veggie platter. We serve it with hummus usually but have also made ranch or dill dip using SO Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt.

Salad

Some might say that there is no room on a crowded Thanksgiving dinner plate for a green salad. But I beg to differ! Not only are salads healthy, but they also introduce different textures to your palate and color to your plate.

One of my favorite salads for Thanksgiving is mixed greens topped with fruit and homemade cranberry vinaigrette.

You can have a lot of the components done ahead of time so it's easy to include in your Thanksgiving feast.

Get the recipe for Green Salad and Cranberry Vinaigrette.

Roasted Turkey

In my opinion, Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without a juicy turkey.

Turkey on its own is naturally free of the top 8 allergens but it is important to check the packaging, especially for ingredients containing wheat/gluten.

Occasionally, I come across a turkey that has been injected with a broth mixture that contains gluten. So, be sure to watch for that.

Luckily, it isn't difficult to find a gluten free turkey at your regular grocery store. Just be sure to read the label carefully and, if the label isn't clear, call the company directly to confirm that the turkey is gluten free and free of any other allergens you're avoiding.

Also, if you have a wheat allergy, throw out the gravy packet that is often included with the turkey because it most likely contains wheat.

Finally, there are a number of ways to prepare your turkey. Many recipes call for an herbed butter mixture to be rubbed under the skin of the turkey. I often do this but use dairy free margarine or olive oil mixed with herbs instead. It still turns out delicious without the dairy!

Cranberry Sauce

Many people could live without cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving. I would have agreed until I made this cranberry-apple relish for the first time. Now, our Thanksgiving feast would not be the same without it.

This isn't your ordinary cranberry sauce out of a can, it is much more delicious! I make it a couple of days ahead of Thanksgiving. One Thanksgiving, I forgot to put it out for the meal! It was sad but we had more leftovers for spreading on our leftover turkey sandwiches so it was still a win!

Potatoes

Is it even Thanksgiving without some kind of potato? The answer is clearly "no"! Following are some of our favorite potato dishes.

Mashed Potatoes

Traditional mashed potatoes often contain heavy cream and butter which makes them light, fluffy, and rich all at the same time.

But don't worry if you're avoiding dairy and other common allergens. You can still enjoy mashed potatoes!

If you have a pressure cooker, these mashed potatoes are the way to go. They're so easy to make and are "no drain" meaning the broth used to cook the potatoes is mashed right in. Go to the pressure cooker mashed potatoes recipe.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, no worries! You can still make delicious mashed potatoes! Go to the stovetop mashed potatoes recipe.

Sweet potato casserole

This gluten free sweet potato casserole is very easy to make, can be made ahead of time, and is so tasty. It's a must-have dish on our holiday table.

Get the recipe here.

Vegan Twice Baked Potatoes

If you want to step up your potato game and get a little fancier than mashed potatoes, I highly recommend twice baked potatoes! They're gluten free and free from the most common allergens including dairy, eggs, and soy!

Get the vegan twice baked potato recipe here.

Gluten and Dairy free Cheesy Potatoes

gluten free cheesy potatoes in a casserole dish

Cheesy potatoes are an ideal dish for Thanksgiving dinner because you can make them ahead of time and put them in the oven just before you're ready to eat.

This is a dairy and gluten free recipe as well as the other top 9 allergens.

Get the recipe for gluten and dairy free cheesy potatoes here.

Gravy

You cannot have mashed potatoes without gravy! Unfortunately, the gravy packet that comes with the turkey will more than likely contain wheat, so you'll need to make your own allergy-free gravy.

Not to worry, though, because making a boat full of delicious gravy is easy and tastes WAY BETTER than the other stuff! Go to the recipe for "Allergy Free" Gravy.

Stuffing

Stuffing is made with dried bread, most often bread made with wheat flour. Even stuffing mixes that have dried bread cubes are made with wheat.

To make a wheat free stuffing, you just need some wheat/gluten free bread that is also free of other allergens you're avoiding.

I was worried that gluten/wheat free stuffing wouldn't be as tasty as traditional stuffing. Luckily, wheat free bread still makes a delicious stuffing! Go to the recipe for Wheat Free Stuffing.

Green Bean Casserole

Green bean casserole is another dish that was traditionally part of our Thanksgiving feast. With a few substitutions, the traditional holiday dish can be free of the top 9 allergens but still enjoyed by everyone. Go to the recipe for Green Bean Casserole

Dessert

Dessert is the perfect ending to any great meal! It can also pose the greatest challenge to those who are eating with food allergies. So many favorite and traditional desserts contain common food allergens.

Luckily, there are many "allergy free" dessert options including those that don't require baking from scratch.

You'll find many baking mixes to choose from at the store. Cupcakes decorated with the Thanksgiving theme, sugar cookies in the shape of turkeys, and pies made with "allergy-free" pie crust mixes are all easy options.

An allergy friendly pumpkin bar on a white plate — *These allergy friendly pumpkin bars are our favorite Thanksgiving dessert.*

Our favorite dessert at Thanksgiving is these pumpkin bars. They remind me of pumpkin pie but without the allergens.

Here are some more recipes that would be great on Thanksgiving:

So, that is a traditional Thanksgiving with food allergies at our house. Yours may differ a little (or a lot) but hopefully, this menu helps you plan your traditional meal, too.

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and tag your allergy friendly Thanksgiving photos with #eatingwithfoodallergies to share the deliciousness!

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Allergy Free Ice Cream (Top 8 Free!)

Jun 28, 2009 · 6 Comments

This allergy free ice cream recipe is dairy free, soy free, egg free, wheat/gluten free, peanut free, and tree nut free and is creamy and delicious.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

It used to be difficult to find ice cream that is free of common allergens, but not anymore! You won't have to look too hard in the freezer aisle at the grocery store to find dairy free options made from oat milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, cashew milk, and more!

These dairy-free ice cream options can be pretty pricey and often have advisory statements regarding cross-contact with other common allergens. So, why not make your own?

Ingredients

Making allergy friendly ice cream requires a few specialty ingredients, many that you can easily find at the regular grocery store.

Milk

So many of the ice cream options at the grocery store contain at least one of the top 8 allergens, so I wanted to make one that is top 8 free. I make this ice cream with rice milk or soy milk. Either way, it turns out creamy and delicious!

Fat

Fat is an important part of achieving smooth, creamy ice cream. Ice cream made with dairy has milk fat and even lower-fat ice cream made with reduced-fat milk has some of that milkfat to help produce that creamy texture.

I use canola in this recipe because it is free of the most common allergens and it is basically flavorless. You could use vegetable oil or grapeseed oil as well.

Starch and stabilizers

Arrowroot starch comes from the roots of the arrowroot plant. It is similar to cornstarch but helps give this ice cream its silky texture.

Xanthan gum is a stabilizer in ice cream that helps to reduce the size of ice crystals that form during the freezing process. This also helps create a smooth, creamy texture. Other stabilizers you might see on ice cream ingredient lists include locust bean gum, carrageenan, and guar gum. Xanthan gum works well and is easy to find at the specialty food store whereas other stabilizers may be more difficult to find.

Marshmallows have gelatin in them and this works as a stabilizer, too. Some gourmet marshmallows are made with egg white so be sure you choose one that is "safe" for you. Marshmallows also add some additional sugar and add to the sweet flavor of this ice cream.

Equipment

Ice cream happens to be one of my favorite foods! When we started eating dairy free, it didn't take me long to invest in an ice cream maker so I could make my own dairy free ice cream!

I already had a Kitchenaid mixer (which, by the way, I absolutely love!) and Kitchenaid makes a variety of attachments for the mixer including this ice cream maker attachment. It includes a mixing bowl, drive assembly, and a dasher to mix the ice cream.

You will need to freeze the mixing bowl for at least 15 hours prior to making the ice cream in order to freeze the inner water-filled compartment. I just store mine in our deep freeze wrapped in a plastic bag so it's always ready.

Recipe tips

If you prefer chocolate ice cream, you can whisk in ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the batter while it's cooking.

The batter will be very thick. This helps to minimize ice crystals from forming which helps prevent the ice cream from having an "icy" texture.

Be sure to cool the batter completely before adding it to the ice cream maker!

Serve with safe chocolate syrup (we like Hershey's Simple 5 chocolate syrup) and other safe toppings like sprinkles, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows! Yum!

📖 Recipe

Allergy Free Ice Cream

Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD

A recipe for ice cream that is dairy free, egg free, soy free, wheat/gluten free, peanut free, and tree nut free.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings ½ cup servings

Calories 280 kcal

Equipment

Ice cream maker I use this attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer

Ingredients

4 cups vanilla rice milk, divided
3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
15 large "safe" marshmallows
⅓ cup sugar
Dash of salt
½ cup canola oil
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
1-½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the arrowroot starch with ¼ cup of the rice milk, set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the remaining rice milk, marshmallows, sugar and salt. Cook over medium high heat until marshmallows are melted and mixture comes to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat. Pour the hot mixture over the arrowroot flour and milk mixture; stir well. Add the oil, xanthan gum and vanilla extract and whisk mixture together until blended. Mixture will be thickened to the consistency of gravy. Place in the refrigerator until completely cooled.
Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Makes about 1 quart.

Notes

Nutrition Facts: Serving size: ½ cup, calories: 280, total fat: 15 grams, saturated fat: 1 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, sodium: 106 mg, total carbs: 35, fiber: 0 g, sugar: 22 g, protein: 1 g

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal

Tried this recipe?Please share how it was!

Love this recipe?

Please leave a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and share your comments below!

Stay in touch on social media! You can find me @ Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I love getting your feedback so please tag me if you try a recipe!

Minnesota Tater Tot Hotdish {Allergy Friendly!}

Mar 3, 2009 · 8 Comments

Minnesota tater tot hotdish is a family favorite! This version is made without canned condensed soup so it's free from common allergens like gluten and dairy but it's still delicious enough for everyone to enjoy!

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

If you live in Minnesota, there are two things that you must embrace: the cold winters and hotdish.

Hotdishes (casseroles if you're not from Minnesota) are usually made by mixing meat and some kind of starch (rice, pasta, potatoes) with a can or two of condensed cream soup. (And there might be some vegetables thrown in, too.)

Condensed soups usually have wheat, dairy, and soy which are common allergens. But you can still make a delicious Minnesota tater tot hotdish without it.

Ingredients

Ground beef or ground turkey
Onion
Earth Balance Buttery Spread - This comes in a dairy free variety or a soy AND dairy free variety. If you can't find it, you can substitute a safe cooking oil like olive oil instead.
All-purpose gluten free flour - I use Bob's Red Mill all-purpose baking flour. Any gluten free flour should work fine.
Gluten free beef or chicken broth - I like Kitchen Basics broth which is free of the top 9 allergens.
Frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots)
Frozen tater tots - be sure to read labels carefully and choose a brand that is free from your allergens (see FAQ's below for more).

Recipe tips and FAQs

Add extra vegetables

This recipe calls for one 14 ounce bag of mixed vegetables but I often add two bags because I love my veggies! It also helps the dish go a bit further which is nice if you want some leftovers.

Add extra meat

Speaking of adding extra components to make the dish go further, adding more meat is another way to do that.

My kids love this meal so much that they want to eat it for lunch the next day! So, I started adding an extra half-pound of meat so we'd have leftovers. I still make the same amount of sauce and it still turns out well, just not as creamy.

Make it ahead of time

I often make this dish while I'm preparing another dinner that also uses ground beef or turkey. I start with two pounds of ground meat and then divide it.

A dish this works particularly well with is this gluten and dairy-free turkey stroganoff because both of these dishes have a similar creamy sauce. I make double the sauce and divide it between the two dishes, then add the other components to each.

Once the hotdish is assembled, just cover it and put it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Freeze it

You can assemble this dish and freeze it before baking. Ideally, you would let it thaw for 24 hours before baking, and then bake the normal amount of time. If you are baking it frozen, the baking time will be quite a bit longer.

I also like to freeze individual portions of leftovers. This is my version of a frozen entree but without the allergens!

Are tater tots gluten free and allergy friendly?

You can find tater tots that are gluten free and free of other common allergens such as dairy and eggs.

The most widely available brand that I have seen is Ore-Ida. Their Golden Tater Tots say gluten free right on the label and they do not list any other common allergens except soybean oil.

Like Ore Ida, many tater tot brands are made with soybean oil which can be a problem for those with soy allergies.

If you are avoiding soybean oil and are looking for safe tater tots, here are some options I found (updated March 2022):

Alexia Organic Yukon Puffs
365 by Whole Foods Tater Puffs - does have an advisory statement that states these are processed ina facility that processes wheat, milk, and soy (here is a link to the company's allergen policy).
Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs - I've been sweet potato tots are excellent on this dish and these are free from the top 9.

More main dishes

📖 Recipe

Minnesota Tater Tot Hotdish

Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD

This Minnesota tater tot hotdish is one of our favorite dishes and it's free of common allergens. Be sure to read labels carefully to make sure the ingredients you use are safe

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 530 kcal