Vegan for Life - Jack Norris [39]
The point isn’t that you must eat processed foods to be healthy; it’s that there is a reasonable way to balance healthy food choices with convenience if you wish to do so. A diet based on veggie meats and protein bars is not the best way to meet nutrient needs. But if a moderate use of processed foods makes it easy to stick with a vegan diet, then enjoying them will help you reap the health benefits of plant-based eating and support your commitment to a diet that reduces animal suffering.
ALLERGIES AND FOOD INTOLERANCES
Food allergies are an immune response to a protein that the body perceives as “foreign.” The immune system reacts by producing antibodies, which can trigger skin rashes, nausea, or respiratory symptoms. Approximately 6 to 8 percent of children have food allergies and at least half outgrow them by adulthood. Food allergies affect only 2 to 4 percent of adults.
If you think you might be allergic to certain foods, it’s a good idea to get tested by a qualified health professional and possibly get a second opinion from a professional who does a different type of testing. The number of people who believe they have allergies is much higher than the number who actually test positive for them. As an adult, you may no longer be allergic to foods that caused problems for you as a child.
Although any protein can cause allergies, eight foods account for more than 90 percent of food allergies. These are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat. Of these, only tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat are of concern to vegans. And peanut and tree nut allergies are the ones that are most likely to persist beyond childhood. Allergies to soy are relatively uncommon in both children and adults, and they are also unlikely to cause severe symptoms like respiratory problems. Wheat allergy is not the same as celiac disease, which is an intolerance to all sources of the protein gluten. People with wheat allergy need to avoid wheat but can usually consume other sources of gluten like barley. However, if you have a wheat allergy, the growing availability of gluten-free products makes it easier to plan a healthy diet.
There is no treatment for food allergies; if you have them, the only solution is to avoid all foods that cause reactions. Vegans who have multiple allergies face some challenges, but once you understand what you can and can’t eat, and begin to explore alternatives, you may find that planning healthy and satisfying meals is easier than you think.
For people with the most common plant-food allergies—nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat—there are plenty of foods to enjoy on the menu, such as quinoa, oats, rice, potatoes, millet, corn tortillas, certain types of Asian noodles, sunflower seeds, tahini, beans, vegetables, and fruits. Most people with allergies to tree nuts can safely eat coconuts.
People with allergies should carefully read labels, of course, since soy, wheat, and nuts can turn up where you might not expect to find them. Food labels include a list of common allergens at the end of the ingredient list.
Although it’s easy to be vegan without shopping outside of conventional supermarkets, people with allergies may want to explore natural foods stores and Asian groceries as a way of expanding their choices. Be sure to look at the online stores listed in the resource section of this book—they have great specialty items for people with allergies.
The following is one example of a vegan menu for someone with allergies to soy, tree nuts, peanuts, and wheat.
BREAKFAST
• Oatmeal with toasted sunflower seeds, chopped dried figs, and calcium-fortified rice milk
• Fresh fruit
SNACK
• Coconut milk yogurt
LUNCH
• Tostadas: corn tortillas topped with refried pinto beans, avocado, salsa, chopped raw vegetables, and Daiya cheese (a vegan cheese that is also free of soy)
• Fresh fruit
SNACK
• Rice crackers with sunflower seed butter
DINNER
• Rice noodles tossed with steamed vegetables and a sauce of tahini and lemon juice
• Salad with