Happy Herbivore Blog

The most common food allergens are dairy, eggs, seafood (i.e., shellfish), tree nuts, peanuts, wheat/gluten and soy. Still, there are many other allergies and sensitivities to food out there. For example, I have a friend who is allergic to all citrus fruits, a friend's husband is allergic to quinoa, I can't eat broccoli, my sister is allergic to black pepper, my mom was allergic to bananas, and so on.

So often, people email me asking if they can be plant-based if they have allergies — and the answer is yes. It doesn't matter what your allergy is or how many allergies you have, you can be plant-based. It takes a little creativity at times, but it's possible.

For those with common allergies, especially allergies to things like corn, soy and wheat, eating plant-based tends to much safer since animal feed contains many common allergens that can trigger a reaction.

We discovered this the hard way with my sister. In addition to being allergic to black pepper, she's also allergic to cottonseed. It seemed pretty easy for her to avoid cottonseed. Except for a few brands of tortilla chips, peanut butters and icing, cottonseed isn't a common ingredient in food. She gave those foods up (or switched to brands that didn't use cottonseed) and yet she wasn't seeing much improvement. Her allergy symptoms were going strong.

After some digging, Courtney learned that cottonseed oil is included in most animal feeds. It was a lesson that you are what you eat (and what it eats). The cottonseed was going into the animal's muscle (meat), coming through in the milk, etc. and so forth. Even though chicken breasts, cheese, and other foods sold at the store didn't include "cottonseed" in the ingredients, my sister was still ingesting cottonseed — just unknowingly. Once she eliminated animal products and went 100% plant-based, her symptoms completely cleared.

The basis of a plant-based diet is whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables (and limited amounts of nuts and seeds). Nearly all these foods are free of the top 8 common allergens. While tree nuts, peanuts, wheat/gluten and soy can be part of a plant-based diet, you don't have to eat them.

In fact our meal plans are always soy-free, gluten-free and typically nut-free, too.

Other allergies to specific plant foods, say mangoes, or onions, or in my case, broccoli, can typically be worked around.

I find when dealing with allergies, the first thing you need to do is switch your mindset to "abundance" and not "deprivation." Think of all the foods you CAN have, not what you're having to give up.

I had a client come to me recently. She was allergic to roughly 20 different plant foods, including all legumes (beans), all nuts (including peanuts), and gluten. She insisted there was nothing she could eat. I asked her to sit down and start writing a list of foods — fruits, vegetables, grains, whatever, that she isn't allergic to. She got tired of writing before she ever came close to finishing.

"I guess my diet really isn't that limited after all," she remarked. The problem was she had been concentrating so hard on the foods she was allergic to that she couldn't see all the foods she could eat. What's that expression? Forest for the trees or something?

She'd ask me things like, "but if I'm allergic to all nuts and legumes, where will I get my protein?" And I'd tell her how protein was in ALL foods and even if she ate nothing but potatoes all day, she'd still exceed her daily protein needs.

I could tell she wasn't buying it, though, so I told her to go home and only eat fruits, vegetables and grains, and come back the next day with her food journal. We plugged it into a calculator and she was amazed instantly. "I can't believe I ate 30% protein!" And with that, she left happy as an uneaten clam.

The trick to dealing with allergies is to first make a list of all the foods you can have. Then make a list of good substitutions for foods you are allergic to.

For example, I'm allergic to cauliflower — so anytime I see a recipe I want to try that has cauliflower, I use potato. A friend of mine is allergic to tomatoes, so she uses red bell peppers or beets in place of the tomatoes.

It can be a lot of trial and error, but you can also find a wealth of information online. Try Googling "Substitution for [ingredient name]."

Related blog post: Ingredient Substitutions & Recipe Adaptions

Here are some FAQs I get about allergies:

I'm allergic to nuts and seeds

I find this allergy is generally easy to avoid on a plant-based diet (I personally avoid nuts and seeds as they don't sit well with my stomach). In most recipes, nuts and seeds are a garnish or added in (i.e., walnuts in banana bread) and leaving them off won't destroy the recipe. You can omit them without running into any issues.

If you're only allergic to one item, say, peanuts, you could try using a tree nut like almonds, cashews or almond butter (in place of peanut butter) instead.

If you're allergic to peanuts and all tree nuts, but not seeds, you could try sunflower seed butter or soy nut butter if you're not allergic to soy or legumes.

I also find beans, particularly white beans, tend to replace nuts really well in savory recipes. For example, in HHA I have a nut-free pesto stuffed mushroom recipe and that uses beans instead of pine nuts.

I'm allergic to legumes  

In many recipes, you can leave off the legumes without much trouble. For example, if a stew calls for a can of white beans, the stew will be fine without the beans added. Instead of black bean enchiladas, try making sweet potato and kale enchiladas. Be a little creative!

That said, trying to replace beans in things like bean burgers gets a little tricky, and I'd advise on skipping over those "heartbreak" recipes and look for recipes where beans can more easily be left out or look for a bean-free recipe of what you're craving, i.e. if you want a "burger," try searching for a mushroom burger recipe instead.

Lastly, if you're not allergic to lentils, lentils are a great bean substitute and very versatile.

I'm allergic to soy

You can usually leave edamame off any recipe it's called for. If you're not allergic to beans, you can try using beans instead of edamame. Beans and vegan yogurts (rice, coconut or almond-based) can also stand in for tofu, depending on if it was a firm or silken tofu called for. See my post about How to Replace Tofu.

You can use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and chickpea miso instead of soy-based miso. Also opt for almond milk, oat milk or rice milk instead of soy milk.

For more information:

Herbie 101 Series: Soy & GMO
Ask Happy Herbivore: Soy-Free Vegan

P.S.: Our meal plans are always soy-free!

I'm allergic to corn

The easiest way to replace cornstarch is to use arrowroot (available at all health food stores and larger supermarkets). Another option is potato starch, though I have never used it. After a little Googling, I found this recipe where millet is used to make cornbread.

In most recipes that call for corn, such as a vegetable chili, you can leave the corn out without running into problems. Obviously, you'll need to avoid corn chowder — but any soup or dish with corn as a component will generally survive if the corn is missing.

I'm allergic to wheat and/or gluten

I find gluten and wheat are also fairly easy to avoid on a whole foods plant-based diet. There are some whole grains you have to avoid, like barley or couscous — but quinoa, rice, millet or any other gluten-free grain can generally be substituted without issue.

Brown rice wraps and corn tortillas are easier to come by and a great alternative to their white flour counterpart. You can also make or buy commercially prepared gluten-free flour blends that replace whole-wheat flours in cooking. (There is a fool-proof blend in EHH and HHA). You can find brown rice pasta and quinoa pasta at all supermarkets. Although I advocate eating as whole as possible (whole grains over fiber broken grains like breads and pasta), you can still find or make gluten-free alternatives with ease.

For soy sauce, use wheat-free tamari.

Related posts:

Gluten Free Herbies
Gluten Free Seitan
Gluten-Free Happy Herbivore (Gluten-Free Vegan)
Using Gluten Free Flours
What is Gluten Free?

P.S.: Our meal plans are always gluten-free!

Our friends at Engine 2 also have great posts on allergies, including tips for substitutions.

Allergy: Nuts & Seeds

Allergy: Soy & Other Legumes

Allergy: Gluten

I try not to get my wisdom from television — but a few weeks ago, a character said this line and I can't seem to get rid of it. It's been on loop in my life:

"At some point, it's not about giving up. It's about accepting your new reality."

In recent months, I've come to realize that while I love change, I only love change that I initiate. I don't wallow in change that's forced upon me with the same ease, thrill or happiness as I do when *I* am the one calling the shots. I suppose this is proof I'm a control freak ;)

Yet life is, well, life, and I can't control everything. I have a little bit more control over my life than most — I work for myself, for example, so there is no "boss" to contend with, and even my publisher is more like a "colleague" than a boss. We are more like a partnership.... and speaking of bosses, my husband technically works for me — and well, reminding him of that never gets old ;)

Still, it rains when I want it to snow. I feel fat on days I want to wear skinny jeans. I think of great blog post topics or recipe ideas at 3:00 a.m. in the middle of my sleep when there is no way I'm going to climb out of bed to write it down, let alone act on the idea and so on.

I have at least half a dozen stories of "bad timing," but that's okay because I have at least one great story of being in the right place at the right time. (Scott likes to tell me that life is on my side and everything balances out in the end).

Anyway, I have OCD and with it comes one of my biggest flaws: It's my way or the highway.

I dreaded group projects in school. I've always been an, "I'd rather do it myself" or "If I want it done right, I have to do it myself" person. Writing books and having assistants has beaten a little of that out of me. Yet, I'm still a perfectionist to a disabling degree.

My OCD can't take all the blame; there is still some personal accountability, but it's still "my way or the highway" — especially with my work and business.

I really suck at not getting my way.

I'm terrible at compromise.

I have tried to make strides with my flaws — improve upon them so I'm not always a Tasmanian devil, but I haven't had much luck. Most of the people who work with me know that I have OCD and know that I'm crazy nitpicky and controlling (and bless them for working around that), but I wanted a better solution.

Perhaps that is why that line has stayed so much with me. It's given me a new perspective.

It's not about giving up, it's about accepting your new reality.

"Giving up" was the root of the problem. I don't "give up" — I have dogged determination with things I'm passionate about. That's what "my way or the highway" is about. I'll do anything — try anything — to make what I want work. (This trait is what made me a great lawyer).

My fierce determination helped make me successful — I am relentless on my quests... but it has it downsides.

When things don't work out, I don't accept it. I keep trying and trying to find some other solution. Some other work-around. I'm very persistent.

This means I usually get my way in the end. So all is right in the world. Except, sometimes, I just can't get what I want, and then I'm intolerable. "Giving up" is awful for a person with OCD.

... Which is why I like the idea that I'm not giving up, but accepting a new reality. It's still hard, but not nearly as much. Perhaps only fellow perfectionists with OCD will get it. (I hope I don't sound too crazy!)

Anyway, one thing I've learned through this reflection is that taking one small step helps you to accept your new reality. I've read about how there are different stages of grief and I think it applies to all kinds of loss... including disappointment or not getting your way.

I'm not trying to belittle the loss of a loved one, or finding out you have a life-ending illness. There is no greater loss than that. Still, I find when I'm not getting my way or when things are not working out the way I had hoped, I find myself going through DABDA (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) in some fashion. Perhaps I'm all alone on my island with that, but maybe you've experienced something similar. (I spin around on "bargaining" for a good long while, as demonstrated above!)

Or maybe you are like my husband and you can just go with the flow and compromise with the best of them. Be flexible and agreeable and able to say, "I was wrong."

I wish I was more like that.

But I'm me, and this is one of my big works in progress.

I've found that taking a small step helps me learn to "accept my new reality."

For example, for several weeks, Scott and I have been trying to relocate to a new place and have had the worst luck finding housing. It's remarkable how bad it's been. It's almost like the universe is fighting against us — that we really shouldn't go there or something. I'm not saying we lost out on one apartment, we lost out on seven. SEVEN!

After the last rejection, I put this on Facebook: "Okay universe, I hear you. When you try to deny something, there always comes a point when you no longer can deny it. Acceptance is inevitable. Lesson of the day!"

It took 7 rounds of trying before I started to accept my new reality. "Giving up" out loud helped, but I finally started to feel better and really accept my "new reality" when I unsubscribed from the list of potential apartments that was emailed to me daily and told our housing agent we were moving on.

One little step really helps you inch towards acceptance.

So this Minimalist Monday, inch towards acceptance. If there is something you've been fighting or trying to deny, take a small step toward that acceptance.

I spent the last two weekends shuttling myself back and forth between LA and Vegas. Go figure, now that my hiatus is over — I'm finally taking a break. Procrastinator through and through! 

Anyway, here are some of the tasty treats we discovered in Vegas. Overall, I'd say Vegas is one of the easiest places I've been to in terms of foraging for vegan fare (and not just "vegan" fare, but healthy fare! You can find French fries anywhere, after all). 

By the way, Scott and I have a sick obsession with steamed dumplings, so I apologize that you're seeing three variations of the same thing. Since they're always oil-free (and typically plant-based — sometimes they have pork or seafood, always ask!), they're a safe bet for us when dining out.

We had these at Wazuzu at the Encore hotel (twin to the Wynn). They were called "Palm Pockets," but it's basically a steamed dumpling with corn, hearts of palm and other vegetables. I could pop 100 of these in my mouth. 

This is the White Lotus. Available at Wazuzu and also Red 8 at the Wynn.

Jade Dumplings. Available at Wazuzu and Red 8. We ate 12 of these. 12 — as an appetizer. The waiter was laughing. 

By the way, every restaurant in the Wynn and Encore hotels (including the steak house!) has a special vegan menu. You can see a small sampling online: Wynn vegan menu.

Frozen crudites at Bare (a pool at the Mirage). It normally comes with ranch, but they allowed me to substitute salsa at no extra charge. Frozen vegetables are pretty amazing... 

... But not as amazing as frozen fruit. LIFE CHANGED! 

I ordered a big bamboo basket worth of steamed vegetables at Red 8.

Scott ordered a "cheeseless" pizza at the Bare pool. When the chef found out we were vegan, he made a special pizza just for Scott. It had jalapenos, basil, arugula, spinach and their special marinara. "White" carbs upset my stomach so I had to pass, but it smelled amazing.

His and hers vegan gelato at The Venetian. I ordered mango (the pink one). I forget what Scott ordered (oops!) — there were 12 different flavors to pick from. We treated ourselves after seeing KA (which was amazing). We also loved O.

A number of people on Twitter kept recommending Pura Vida, an all-vegan restaurant in Las Vegas. Always happy to support a vegan restaurant, we stopped by on Sunday. 

First, the menu said these pancakes were whole-grain and oil-free, so I knew I had to get them. I also ordered a short stack. THIS IS A SHORT STACK. 6 pancakes! They came out served in a tower, but I couldn't attack the tower without disassembling first. Those are my arms. I was making a "where do I start?" gesture. 

Scott ordered a breakfast-brunch platter. Healthy? — No, but he said it was really good! 

And there you have it! 

I love LOVE Vegas. I'm not a gambler. I'm not even a night club person, and I love Vegas. If you're looking for a great place to take a trip (while making it still easy to be plant-based), Vegas is a GREAT destination.

Maybe I can have one of the HH weekends in VEGAS!