One of the biggest stresses when you or someone in your family has food allergies is how to make small changes in a recipe without affecting the taste of a recipe. Not every single one will work, but this Allergy Substitutions Video will give you a bunch of ideas and solutions to help you make small changes whether you have a gluten, diary, nut or egg allergy so you can enjoy eating and feel as good. If you have any other ideas, please leave them in the comments below!
Gluten Substitutions
Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour BlendThis was created by Chefs Lena Kwak and Thomas Keller as a baking substitute. Follow the directions on the bag to use as a substitute in your favorite baked goods recipes. I’ve used it to make sugar cookies this past Christmas with great results.
Mary’s Gone CrackersGluten-free and vegan, these crackers are great for adding to school lunch or serving as a snack with dip.
Bob’s Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot CerealCertified gluten free and a great way to start your morning off right! Check out the many other gluten-free options from Bob’s Red Mill.
Dairy Substitutions
Califia Farms Almond MilkThis has become a favorite in our house. They have so many flavors to choose from. Use it in your cereal, coffee, or just when you need a cold glass of this creamy treat.
So Delicious Coconut Milk CreamerI have been using this in my coffee for years. I love the flavor it adds.
Coconut OilA wonderful substitute for butter in many recipes like these chewy chocolate chip cookies. It can also be used for high heat cooking like stir fry dishes or baked french fries!
ApplesauceUse applesauce in place of butter for baking. It keeps the calorie count down, but retains all the moisture! Make these Apple Applesauce Muffins to see for yourself.
Nutritional YeastThis really tastes like cheese! Sprinkle it on salads, sandwiches, or use it to make vegan mac and cheese!
Nut Replacements
Sunflower Seed ButterWe love peanut and almond butter in this house, but we also love sunflower seed butter. It is the perfect replacement for any recipes that calls for peanut or almond butter. We use it in everything from muffins to pancakes to good old PB&J… or should I say SB&J!
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds are super easy to make and are a wonderful healthy snack.
Sprinkle sesame seeds or Seaweed Gomasioon vegetables, salads, and more. Let the kids do the shaking and they’ll get super excited about whatever you’re serving that night.
Three Seed Brittle is a fantastic alternative to the popular sweet treat peanut brittle, but it is way more healthy and nut free!
Egg Substitutions
Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds or chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then use it to replace 1 large egg in baking recipes.
Mash up 1 small banana to substitute 1 large egg in baking recipes.
My son is allergic to dairy, sesame, soy, all nuts, and sunflower but we were found a great peanut butter/sun butter substitute- “Sneaky Chef No nut Butter.” It is found in some Whole Foods but we typically buy it online.
My daughter is allergic to bananas. She loves smoothies, but many call for bananas. What could be used instead of them to keep the same consistency?
Check out all my school lunch photos on Instagram and Facebook and also poke around the site here for tons of school lunch ideas! 🙂
hello, my daughter is allergic to pork, turkey, potatoes, string beans, apples, bananas, strawberries, pears, and cottonseed oil. Ideas for school lunches other than pb&j?
Just going glutten free. Can’t wait to try new recipies
Excellent video! Going to share with all my mama friends who’s kids struggle with allergies. Thanks!
Thank you for this video! I have been dairy and egg free for a little over 6 mo and my daughter is also dairy and egg intolerant. I have used a lot of the products you reviewed but there were some others that I haven’t tried yet (like the brewer’s yeast).
*dairy
I haven’t used soy butter, but if it is the same consistency as peanut butter then it should work great!
Hi Catherine. Thanks for this. My daughter is allergic to all nuts, sesame and sunflower seeds, so we’re into soy butter around here. Have you tested soy butter in recipes calling for peanut/almond butter? I’m just curious if I can make that substitute!
Hi Catherine – Just wanted to alert you that margarine (in your Vegan Mac n Cheese recipe) is actually NOT diary-free (or therefore, vegan). You probably want to replace this with Earth Balance or another diary-free butter substitute in the recipe. BTW, I love your recipes – my son is allergic to dairy and I’m still able to modify most of them to meet his needs.