Frequently Asked Questions
What does allergy-friendly mean?
What are the top 8 food allergens? Do you avoid them all? Do you avoid any others?
According to the Mayo Clinic (per the FDA) the top 8 food allergens are:
Why do you exclude animal products from your recipes?
This answer is two-fold: 1) we’ve noticed that vegetarian and vegan recipes and products seldom take into account food allergens and many times foods geared toward those with multiple allergies don’t take into account the non-meat-eating contingent; 2) as we endeavor to share healthy and delicious allergy-friendly recipes we’ve found abundant research supporting a plant-based diet as part of a healthy lifestyle. While it is not our goal to force plant-based eating down anyone’s throat (no pun intended), offering plant-based options can’t hurt and we imagine might help a great many people struggling with how to incorporate more plants into their diet. For further information, see this post (Why We Avoid Animal Products In Our Recipes, coming soon).
What’s the difference between gluten-free and wheat-free?
While all wheat contains gluten, not all gluten is found in wheat. Gluten is a protein that is found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye; that’s why it’s important to specify that not only do we avoid foods with wheat but also with gluten. An allergy or sensitivity to wheat doesn’t necessarily mean an allergy or sensitivity to gluten, however an allergy or sensitivity to gluten does mean an allergy or sensitivity to wheat. Make sense?
If you’re not eating animal products, how do you get your protein?
There’s a common misconception that human beings can be deficient in protein without being deficient in any other nutrient. If a person is eating on a regular basis they are getting enough protein. All of the protein derived from animal products is protein that has been digested from the plant products the animals consumed first before being eaten. In fact, all of the nutrients derived from animal products can be safely and easily consumed from plants and in larger and easier to digest quantities. For further information on protein, see this post (Where Do You Get Your Protein?) and for further information on other nutrients, see this post (8 Allergy-Friendly Plant-Based Nutritional Categories for a Whole Foods Diet).
Are you willing to convert a traditional recipe to avoid specific allergens?
How do I know for sure that a particular food or product is allergy-friendly?
Where do you get your information from (recipes, nutrition, health and wellness, etc)?