7 days of allergy-free meals

This article includes recipes from a mother with children who are allergic to some, but not all, of the top eight food allergens. Many of her recipes do use soy, so we recommend that all parents should be mindful about reading food labels to make sure the meal is safe for your child to eat. National food allergy guidelines recommend avoidance of products with potential cross-contamination of foods that may contain allergens. Since food labels frequently change, it is important for parents to read the label every time a product is purchased. See our tips for reading food labels here.

Mom shares her allergy-free menu

At breakfast, what do you serve a child allergic to milk and eggs? How do you make a sandwich for a child allergic to wheat? Carol faces challenges like this every day in her kitchen. Her son Isaac, and daughter Zoe, are both are allergic to eggs, milk, peanuts, seeds, shellfish and other common foods. We asked her to share a week’s worth of allergen-free meals and snacks she prepares for her family. Carol uses guidelines that registered dietitians first gave her eight years ago when Zoe, then a young child, had a life-threatening reaction to drinking cow’s milk.

Use her menu as an inspiration to find kid-friendly options for allergy-free meals.

Day 1: Sunday

Breakfast

• Bacon
• Hash browns
• Toast with Earth Balance (non-dairy) margarine and jelly
• Orange juice

Lunch

• Pizza — Made at home with whatever you like, just omit cheese or use vegan cheese. We like Canadian bacon and pineapple!)

Snack

• Dino bites — Sweet peppers stuffed with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, ham, bacon and herbs

Dinner

• Roast beef
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Gravy – no milk – just add cornstarch to pan juices

Dessert

• S’mores – Graham crackers; Divvies (chocolate bar sub for Hershey’s); Dandies marshmallows substitute for standard marshmallows, which can often contain eggs

Day 2: Monday

Breakfast

• Cheerios — With vanilla soy milk
• Banana
• Orange juice

Lunch

• Sandwich — Use a milk-, nut- and seed- free bread like Nature’s Own; Turkey lunch meat (one caution: Some lunch meat brands contain milk.); Vegenaise instead of mayonnaise; lettuce, tomato and onion
• Pretzels
• Apple slices
• Apple dip (“We use Better Than Cream Cheese mixed with honey and cinnamon”)
• Carrots with homemade ranch dressing using Vegenaise
• 100% fruit juice box

Snack

• Celery with soy nut butter

Dinner

• Grilled steak
• Baked potato with Earth Balance margarine instead of butter and Tofutti; use Sour Supreme instead of sour cream
• Salad with homemade ranch dressing
• Green beans

Dessert

• Ice cream sundaes — Soy ice cream (Soy Delicious); Ah!laska Chocolate Sauce; Soy whip or refrigerated coconut milk

Day 3: Tuesday

Breakfast

• Van’s frozen waffles – sub for Eggo
  • Earth Balance margarine substitute for butter
  • Substitute pure maple syrup for regular syrup
• V8 fruit juice

Lunch

• Leftover spaghetti (egg-free noodles) with meat sauce (no cheese)
• Garlic toast – made with Earth Balance margarine and granulated garlic on toasted allergen-free bread
• Salad with Italian dressing (cheese free)
• Individual packaged soy milk

Snack

• Nature's Path Crispy Rice Bar – instead of Rice Krispies treat

Dinner

• Grilled chicken – marinated with Italian dressing
• Substitute box rice side dish with rice cooked with organic chicken broth, salt and dried veggies and herbs
• Steamed broccoli
• Cooked carrots

Dessert

• Frozen fruit bar

Day 4: Wednesday

Breakfast

• Oatmeal — with dehydrated cherries, cinnamon and a touch of sugar instead of prepackaged, flavored oatmeal
• Soy milk

Lunch

• Leftover cubed chicken and rice from last night heated and served in a thermos; I freshly steam the broccoli to go in the thermos in the morning
• Homemade honey mustard sauce for dipping chicken
• Teddy Grahams
• Fruit juice

Dinner

• Fajitas
• Chicken – marinated and grilled
• Corn tortillas instead of flour (unless you can find milk free)
• Tofutti’s Sour Supreme – instead of sour cream
• Caramelized onions
• Pico de gallo
• Guacamole
• Refried beans
• Corn on the cob

Dessert

• Brownies made from an allergy safe mix – Cherrybrook Kitchen instead of Betty Crocker

Day 5: Thursday

Breakfast

• Toast with soy nut butter and jelly
• Banana
• Orange juice

Lunch

• Cucumber slices with homemade ranch
• Ritz crackers and pepperoni with marinara sauce for dipping (mini pizza to replace a Lunchables)
• Cookies – made with Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, Earth Balance margarine and egg replacer
• Juice

Dinner

• Pulled pork sandwich with barbeque sauce
• Cole slaw prepared with Vegenaise
• Pinto beans
• Green beans

Day 6: Friday

Breakfast

• Soy yogurt
• Fruit
• Juice

Lunch

• Club sandwich — Turkey, ham, lettuce, tomato, bacon and Vegenaise
• Pickle spear
• Carrots and ranch
• Soy milk

Snack

• Natural microwave popcorn

Dinner

• Roast beef
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Gravy – no milk – just add cornstarch to pan juices

Day 7: Saturday

Breakfast

• Pancakes – homemade – sub 1 cup soy milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar for 1cup of buttermilk. Add EnerG egg replacer for eggs.
• Top with Earth Balance margarine and jelly
• Strawberries and melon
• Soy milk

Lunch

• Hamburger — with lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup and Vegenaise
• Fries

Snack

• Grapes

Dinner

We almost always eat out on Saturday evening. We have a few favorite restaurants we frequent based on their allergy friendliness. We are loving In-n-Out for a new treat! They are allergy friendly and my kids can eat a regular burger on a bun!

Dessert

• Tofutti fudge bar

See more food allergy resources to see other food substitution ideas.

Download your guide to allergen-free lunches

Looking for tips to pack allergy-friendly school lunches? Download the Parents' Guide to Allergen-Free Lunches for kid-friendly recipes that are free of the top eight food allergens. Download now.

Learn more

The Food Allergy Center at Children's Health is the only academic-affiliated pediatric food allergy center in North Texas. Our team can diagnose and treat a broad range of allergic diseases in children. Learn more about our program and services.