A dietician's guide to managing food allergies

Food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs after eating certain foods. Allergies and intolerances can significantly impact an individual's life, often requiring acute attention to what one eats to avoid potentially harmful, even fatal reactions. Even a small amount of allergy-causing food can trigger digestive problems, hives, or swollen airways. In some people, a food allergy can cause severe symptoms or even a life-threatening reaction.

Navigating these dietary restrictions can be a challenging and overwhelming task, but with the guidance of a dietician, these can be managed better. 

Elimination protocol: One of the best ways to manage food allergies and intolerance is the elimination protocol. Try to observe which food is giving you discomfort and eliminate it for a month or three months. Your dietician may propose an elimination diet based on your diagnosis. This is eliminating the suspected trigger items from your diet for a certain amount of time, usually 2-6 weeks, and then returning them one at a time to evaluate your tolerance. After the elimination duration, start introducing that food in your meals in very small quantities. If you can tolerate it, gradually increase the quantity, or else cut that food out completely.

Always check labels: While shopping for groceries or dining out, always check the food label or the ingredients which will help in better recognition. With new products and iterations of existing products being introduced every day, you don't know what the manufacturers changed. It’s always best to be sure. And when you’re dining out, let the waiter or chef know about your allergies when you order. 

Know what your symptoms are: Knowledge is everything when it comes to allergies and it’s extremely important to identify the signs of an allergic reaction. Different parts of your body can react in different ways. Your skin may turn red, you may start to itch, and it may swell up. The same goes for your eyes. You could face respiratory issues—running nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, cough, shortness of breath, etc. The allergies could also lead to a rapid or slow heartbeat, you may get dizzy or fainting, or face a drop in blood pressure or consciousness. 

Look for substitute ingredients: Investigate viable alternatives for allergic or intolerant foods. If you're allergic to dairy, for example, consider plant-based milk substitutes such as almond, soy, or oat milk. Gluten-free flours (such as rice, almond, and coconut) can be used in lieu of wheat flour in recipes. 

Cooking should be done with caution: If everyone in the home isn't eating allergen-free, you'll want to avoid cross-contamination. It's beneficial to keep multiple sets of cooking and eating utensils, one for the allergic individual and one for everyone else, to ensure the knife used for cutting a peanut butter sandwich doesn't end up buttering the bread for a person who's allergic to peanuts. Between usage, all utensils and plates should be thoroughly cleaned in hot, soapy water. 

Be prepared with an action plan: If you have a life-threatening food allergy, it is recommended that everyone you come into contact with knows what to do during an allergic reaction.

Inputs by Kajal Aggarwal, Clinical Dietician and PCOD Expert and Dt.Vidhi Chawla, Founder of Fisico diet Clinic