What to Do About Food Sensitivities?
What can you do about food sensitivities? Sharon Palmer answers this question with her best tips on how to handle food sensitivities while eating a plant-based diet.
What to Do About Food Sensitivities?
Question: In a plant-based diet, what kind of modifications can I make if I avoid certain grains or nuts due to an intolerance?
Sharon’s Answer: First of all, I think it’s really important to ensure that you have true intolerances to foods before you restrict them in your diet. You can be tested for food allergies, but an elimination diet can help, too. To do an elimination, avoid all of the foods that you are investigating, and then gradually add one back at a time, seeing if you have intolerances. Keep an accurate food diary during this time, noting any side effects related to the food. A registered dietitian can help you plan an elimination diet to determine if you have food sensitivities, too. The goal is to get as many of these foods back into your diet as possible!
If you are indeed sensitive to any grains, nuts or seeds on a vegan diet, then it takes careful planning to meet your nutrient needs. You need to make sure that you include a protein-rich food, such as soy foods, beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds at each meal, and about 5-6 servings of grains (depending on your nutrient needs this can be more or less) per day. Gluten-free grains include quinoa, millet, oats, amaranth and brown rice. These are often tolerated by most individuals. If you are sensitive to a particular nut, then try those that you are not sensitive too, including peanuts (actually a legume) almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, or pistachios. If you are sensitive to a particular seed, try one that you are not sensitive to, such as sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, flax, chia and hemp. I recommend 1-2 servings of seeds/nuts per day to meet your nutrient needs.
Finally, it may be beneficial to take a good multivitamin mineral supplement when you have sensitivities to help fill in the nutrient gaps. And try to eat a wide variety of foods as much as possible to fill in those gaps, too. If you eat the exact same thing all the time, you don’t vary the nutrients you get in your diet.
Sharon
Image: nut butters, Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN
Check out the other nutrition questions I’m answering at The Plant-Powered Dietitian:
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