Make An Allergy Cheat Sheet For Your Church

One thing that may be very helpful for when you go to a new church or learn about new allergies and want to remain an active part of your church will be a Cheat Sheet for those who are in charge of food preparation. I made up the following Sheet for my own use. It has been helpful and it has been put up on the bulletin board in the kitchen for reference. 

Elizabeth's Gluten, Dairy, Oat, and Soy Free Diet

Allows:

Fruit (apples, oranges, pears, peaches, bananas, berries, avocados, grapes, grapefruit, pineapple, dates, figs, lemons, limes, melon, pomegranates, tomatoes, etc)

Vegetables (asparagus, peas, beans, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, celery, corn, herbs, lettuce, mushrooms, peppers, okra, garlic, onion, potatoes, lentils, squash, spinach, etc)

Meat (chicken, pork, bacon, ham, beef, lamb, duck, fish, shrimp, etc)

Grains and Flours (Rice, Corn, Potato, Tapioca, Bean, Garfava, Sorghum, Quinoa, Millet, Buckwheat, Arrowroot, Amaranth, Teff, Montina, Flax, and Nut)

Nuts (walnuts, pecans, coconut, tree nuts, peanuts,

almonds, etc)

Alternatives May Be Surprising Things

(almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Spread, lard, coconut oil, peanut oil, canola oil, olive oil, corn starch, rice flour, etc)

Simple Meal Ideas for Reference

Salad: lettuce mix, vegetables, fruits, nuts

Please do not add cheese, croûtons, or dressing.

Breakfast: eggs, bacon, orange juice, fruit

Please do not use butter.

Lunch/Dinner: baked/roasted/grilled chicken (other meat), steamed/roasted/boiled vegetable, potato or rice

Suggested seasonings: herbs, oil and vinegar, lemon juice, honey

Please no butter, generic vegetable oil, bread crumbs, or fried foods.

Desert: fruit, with honey or sugar or nuts

Warning! I will not eat food with:

Dairy (milk, butter, cheese, buttermilk, etc)

Soy (soybeans, edamame, tofu, soy lecithin, etc)

Oat (oats)

Gluten (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, etc)

Be Careful! Gluten, Dairy, and Soy are sneaky!

Many processed products have some of all of these in them. Sauces, mixes, cereals, dressings, pastas, soup bases, stuffings, thickeners, mayonnaise, alcoholic beverages, and processed foods are likely to have at least one of these items in them.

Stores in ... with Gluten, Dairy, Soy Free items:

Since this diet is for health reasons, my motto must be “When in doubt, go without.” Please do not feel offended if I do not always eat the same foods. I appreciate your help, your honesty, and your grace in my journey with food.

Thank you!