Kitchen tips
Follow our cooking tips below to help make your kitchen allergy-friendly. The tips below cover ways to manage the risk of cross-contamination, label reading, and more!
- Read food labels each and every time you buy something. Manufacturers can change their production process and alter their products at any time without warning.
- Do the triple check when purchasing food products. Read the list of ingredients:
- Once at the store before buying it.
- Once when you get home and put it away.
- Once again before you serve or eat the product.
- If you’re preparing a snack/meal for someone with a food allergy, cook meals that are free of the person’s allergens first, using separate cookware and serving utensils.
- Wash hands often, especially between preparing meals that contain an allergen, and those that do not.
- Keep the food without the allergen(s) covered in a separate space where it will not come into contact with other foods, while preparing foods that contain allergens.
- Use two different cutting boards (colour coded if possible): one dedicated to allergy-friendly meal preparation.
- Do not use the same utensils when cooking or serving food to the person who has the food allergy.
- Carefully wash all utensils (forks, spoons, servers), pots and pans and cutting boards with dish detergent and water.
- Have two dish washing cloths: one for cleaning pots and pans that contain the allergen, one for cleaning pots and pans that are used for allergy-friendly meals.
- Do not pick an allergen out of a food (e.g. removing nuts from a salad). This will not make it safe. The person with the food allergy will need a new meal prepared for them.
- Share these food allergy do’s and dont’s with others.
Print our do’s and don’ts
Food allergies have positively changed my life because…
“I love cooking. Even when I was a child, I’ve always been in the kitchen. Having a food allergy only encouraged me to appreciate preparing meals even more!”
Adult with allergies
“We [our family] are all eating healthier food. We also now bake on weekends so that we always have muffins, cookies and safe food.”
Parent
Allergy-friendly recipes
Below you will find allergy-friendly recipes from one of our past campaigns, a registered dietitian, and from a few of our adult with allergies bloggers. We hope you find these recipes as enjoyable to make as they are to eat! Yum yum!
Back-to-school recipes by Amy Chow
Check out these milk-free, egg-free and wheat-free recipes for breakfast and lunch by Amy Chow, a registered dietitian based in Langley, BC.
Breakfast recipes:
Lunch recipes:
Allergy-friendly kitchen with Alex & Thea
Masterchef Canada 2017 finalist and allergy awareness advocate Thea VanHerwaarden teamed up with Canadian race car star Alex Tagliani in the Allergy-friendly kitchen to cook up an allergy-friendly feast. Thea, along with Registered Dietitian Linda Kirste, created a few allergy-friendly recipes that are delicious and nutritious. Download the recipes today!
A popular snack, originally from Greece, this delicious late-night eat is considered by many Haligonians to be the unofficial food of choice.
Now legendary and a super popular festival and street food, the green onion cake is said to have been introduced to Edmontonians by restauranteur Sui To who immigrated to Canada from Northern China. They’re irresistible as a snack or as a meal accompaniment.
Divinely chocolatey and oh so moist. Likely to have a special spot in your recipe collection.
A refreshing addition to breakfast or any meal, easy and quick to make. The fresh fruit and seed toppings are simply gorgeous.
Inspired by west coast culinary fusion, this sushi calls for chicken instead of fish. Let your creativity loose for inspiring additional filling ideas.
Watch Alex and Thea make this recipe
*If you have a mustard allergy, check with your allergist before eating other seeds or plants in the Brassicaceae family, like wasabi.
These chicken tacos will have any guest asking for more. A pop of spice from the chicken is cooled down perfectly with a creamy chickpea and avocado crema. Serve with a side of traditional black beans and you have yourself a Mexican fiesta.
Allergy-friendly recipes from Linda Kirste, RD
Linda Kirste is a Registered Dietitian and has provided multiple recipes that inspire creativity in the kitchen while substituting priority allergens. Check out:
- Linda’s substitution chart where she provides suggestions regarding substitutions for priority allergens, including a few recipes you may find helpful.
- Linda’s tips on how to set up a healthy diet for kids with food allergies, including three suggested recipes for breakfast, snacks, lunch or dinner.
Adults with allergies
Our adults with allergies bloggers have shared their favourite recipes. Note that some of these recipes may contain priority food allergens. Please use Linda’s substitution chart and check all ingredient lists to ensure the recipes are safe for you.