Crohn's Food Allergies Help

[Ali29]

My daughter was recently diagnosed with Crohn's and severe food allergies to:

Peanuts, Wheat, Soy, Walnuts, Corn

Can anyone recommend a breakfast or protein bar without these items? If they are Gluten Free they usually have soy or nuts.

We are having a terrible time finding things she can eat on the go as she is a single mother.

I would appreciate any advice on lines of food she can buy that does not contain these ingredients.

Thank you so much!

 

[Basmah]

It will be hard to find things on the go, but it's great if she can spend some time cooking things in advance. Take advantage of the crock pot or pressure cooker if she has one (if not, you can find them pretty cheap online or at tj maxx). She can make hard boiled eggs, and eat them with easy to prepare fruits and veggies (grapes, apples, cucumbers, baby carrots, avocados, etc). Yogurt (check the labels), cheese, dried fruit, veggie chips, on the go salads. I don't know if she can handle other nuts and seeds, but almond butter, hazelnut butter, sunflower butter are great sources of protein. So is hummus.

See if there is a grocery store nearby that has a salad/deli/hot bar. The only breakfast bar I can think of might be some Larabars, but again, you have to check the labels.

She might benefit from a paleo diet for now, since it bans all of those things except walnuts. so try to look up 'paleo friendly granola bars", or "paleo foods on the go" - something like that. It will get easier, and there's so much more information now than before.

 

[Lady Organic]

I eat a lot of raw almond butter which I can also spread heavily on a banana. I can put blueberries on top too. My friends tell me my concoction looks like a Banana split lol. that is delicious and really filling up the belly. I start every morning like that.

 

[UnXmas]

Would rice be ok? Rice cakes? (Like crackers but made of rice.) Rice Krispies?
Oats? Oat cakes? Oatmeal/porridge? You can get oat cereal bars and instant porridge pots: http://www.quakeroats.com/products/hot-cereals/instant-oatmeal-cups/apples-and-cinnamon.aspx

(I'm not sure of all the inredients in those, you'd need to check.)

Or dried fruit, and there are bars and snacks, aimed at children but fine for adults, made entirely or almost entirely from fruit, a couple of different brands:

http://www.frootzkids.com/

http://www.bearnibbles.co.uk/yoyos

https://www.organix.com/our-baby-toddler-foods?field_stage_taxonomy_tid=All&&&&&page=4

But there are many other ranges of kids' fruit snacks available.

 

[lenny]

What about smoothies? You can make a few at a time and store them in cups in the fridge and grab one on your way out the door.

A Vitamix can handle nuts, seeds and frozen fruit..

 

[Justanothercp]

I would suggest trying whole foods: banana, almond butter, peeled apple with cinnamon on it, or cook/freeze paleo type muffins, hard boiled eggs...
I found that staying as far away from "processed" foods was a life saver to me, I try to only eat food that doesn't have an "ingredients" list. Difficult transition, but made a huge difference for me. Good luck!

 

[Ali29]

Thank you for all these suggestions - this will help so much - she has felt lost and my sickness doesn't include allergies so i had no experience there!!!

 

[RNGirl]

Agree with Justanothercp, taking chemicals and additives out of the equation has helped my crohns a lot. Xanthan gum, carrageenan and guar gums are in a lot of health foods and gluten free stuff. Not healthy for me, so stick to simple whole foods and make my own bread and treats. Tough to get going on this diet, but worth it and gets easier. Good luck and hang in there!

 

[InstantCoffee]

For my all-purpose baking needs I use oat flour, I make my own with Bob's Red Mill oats and a coffee grinder.

1 cup oats to 2 eggs, 1/4 stick butter, add sugar or honey to sweeten to preference and baking soda to rise it. If you're in a rush 1:30 in the microwave in a bowl and you have a little cake.

It's filling and fast.

 

[Suave]

Allergies are so hard to work with. So many people have allergies or sensitivity to foods and they don't even know it. I had a feeling my son was allergic and took him to the allergist. But, it is so good to know what the allergies are because at least you can avoid those things. For my son, I make dinner at night and save for lunch the next day. So, breakfast smoothie at home and lunch, left over. It really helps. Then the next day, make a different dinner and save for lunch.