Nutrition Of An Allergic Child

How to compensate for the useful substances contained in foods that cause allergies, what cooking rules should be followed?

How to compensate for the useful substances contained in foods that cause allergies, what cooking rules should be followed?

Food allergy is a fairly common disease among other types of allergies. The main cause of food allergy is considered excessive protein nutrition, the use of dyes, preservatives in the production process of certain products, and in agriculture - the use of toxic chemicals and fertilizers. True food allergies are much more common in children. The list of products that are often the cause of allergies is quite wide - it includes egg whites, milk, wheat, fish, nuts, chocolate, citrus fruits, etc.

If you are forced to exclude certain products from the diet of your allergic child, do not be upset, you can replace the "forbidden" with other products that contain important nutrients for the growth and development of your baby.

Allergy to milk              

One of the most common foods that cause food allergies in children is milk.

During peak periods of growth, milk itself is the best source of many nutrients needed for bone mineralization and growth. These substances include: protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin B12, riboflavin and phosphorus. In order for your baby to receive these nutrients, it is necessary to carefully choose substitute products.

Meat, poultry, eggs, fish, nuts and beans can easily provide the necessary proteins. However, in order to get enough calcium, your child's diet must include sufficient non-dairy food sources of calcium. Many of these non-dairy food sources are not particularly appealing to children. For example, leafy greens. You can use different calcium-enriched products (cereals, fruit drinks, etc.) as a milk substitute.

Allergy to eggs

Eggs are a source of protein, iron, biotin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, selenium and vitamins A, D, E and B12. Products such as: milk, meat, poultry, fish, nuts and beans will help your child compensate for these nutrients.

Selenium and vitamin B12 can be obtained from meat. Folic acid is found in legumes, fruits and greens. If your child consumes enough foods other than eggs, he will not be without beneficial micronutrients.

Allergy to fish    

Fish is a good source of protein and also contains such nutrients as nicotinic acid, vitamins B6, B12, A and E, as well as phosphorus, selenium, magnesium, iron and zinc. If your child must avoid fish, you can find the same nutrients in other protein sources, such as meat, grains, and legumes.

Allergy to wheat

Wheat is a grain crop that can also be a source of allergies. While grains such as corn, rice, barley, buckwheat and oats, which do not share allergenic triggers, should be chosen with caution as wheat substitutes due to the possibility of cross-pollination. You can also use flour from alternative grains to provide the same nutrients found in wheat and use grains fortified with B vitamins, folate and iron.

Allergy to nuts

Nuts are a good source of protein in a child's diet. However, if your child must avoid nuts of any type, he is not at risk because, as mentioned earlier, there are many other sources of protein. It should be noted that, for example, peanuts (a common allergenic food) are also a source of niacin, magnesium, vitamins E and B6, manganese, pantothenic acid, chromium, folic acid, copper and biotin, your child can get these vitamins and nutrients by eating a variety of foods with other food groups.

Cooking rules

When preparing food for a child suffering from food allergies, you should pay close attention to the rules of food preparation.

Before cooking dishes from potatoes and porridge, it is necessary to pre-soak potatoes and / or cereals in cold water (for 10-12 hours) in order to get rid of excess starch in them. Meat must also undergo special processing to remove extractive substances from it. To do this, you should pour cold water over the meat and cook it for 30 minutes, after which the water in which the meat was cooked should be drained, and the meat should be poured with clean hot water and continue to cook until it is fully cooked.

You should also limit your child's intake of sugar and salt. All dishes that you prepare for the baby should be undersalted. Exclude confectionery and honey from his diet. Make sure that the child consumes juices, milk and fermented milk products without sugar. You also do not need to sweeten the porridge that you prepare for the baby. To improve the taste of some dishes, you can use some varieties of jam (apple, pear, gooseberry, as well as white plum and white currant jam), but do not forget to monitor the tolerance of these additives.

It should be noted that with age, many children "outgrow" their allergies and the negative reaction to certain products decreases, thus, over time, it is possible to expand his diet. But this should be done with caution, taking into account the child's reaction to each product.