Getting the Right Nutrients Allergy Free

Having to eliminate certain foods from my diet causes me to worry that I'm getting the right nutrients. Admittedly, I'm still not as disciplined as I need to be about avoiding my trigger foods, but even still... I know I don't eat enough of the right foods. I recently found an article from kidswithfoodallergies.org that outlines some of the common food allergies, the nutrients those foods provide, and some alternative foods that contain those nutrients.

TUESDAY'S TIP: Malnutrition & Food Allergies

Finding the Right Balance

How do you ensure you're getting the right nutrients when you have to avoid certain, possibly nutrient-rich, foods? When you have a food allergy... or multiple allergies like me, it can be difficult to find alternatives or replacements for foods we can no longer eat. I know I can't be the only person who has looked up and down the grocery store aisles in search of an acceptable snack, lunch item, or ingredient to alter a recipe. If you're like me, you probably get frustrated too and end up saying something like, "Forget it! I'll just get a candy bar... that's got nutrients, right?" No? OK, well... maybe it's just me.

If you have to avoid certain foods for health reasons, and you don't eat enough of the right foods, you could be lacking vital nutrients. So what do you do? We need to have carbohydrates, protein, fats (yes, fats), vitamins and minerals in our diets to get everything our body needs to function properly. Let's take a look at these individually.