Cooking for Multiple Food Allergies

We have been through this with my DH going gluten free. My son doesn't need to be gluten free and I don't make him eat everything gluten free but I also don't want to cook 2 different forms. Some things that helped...

Have the child help with cooking
Have her learn how to read food labels for all the code words for MSG (here is a good link http://www.saynotomsg.com/basics_list.php ). Make her the MSG police!
It will get better over time as she gets used to it.
Keep as many of her old foods as you can.
Because MSG and its derivatives enhance flavor so much, our taste buds have become accustomed to it and foods without can taste strange until our brain resets.

Well she will get used to the new food because she will NEED to. She's not going to starve herself I'm sure!
Can you involve her in the process? Does she like to cook? I think she's old enough to search recipes online and find things that sound good to her.
My favorite cooking site is allrecipes.com. She can go on there and search "vegan" or whatever term makes sense based on your family's needs.
Good luck!

I had my dd's primary care physician refer us to a nutritional counselor/dietician who specifically works with kids/teens with medical issues and food intolerances/allergies. She talked to both of us, but mostly she addressed dd personally. She talked about the diet changes that would be necessary, and she talked to dd about what she likes and doesn't like. Together (I mostly took notes) they came up with some ideas, foods to try, etc. She made sure dd understood what she is intolerant to (it can be hard for a kid to grasp what MSG is). We went shopping together and now dd is more able to keep track of her calories, fiber, etc. The nutritional counselor recommended some specific nutritional drinks like Ensure Plus.

When you're born with an allergy or intolerance, you don't know any other way of eating.

But when you're old enough to have your favorites, and have friends, and you know you love McDonald's chicken nuggets and all of a sudden life changes and you can't eat certain things and you know you're different from your friends, it can be a real loss.

So I suggest getting her a counselor who understands food and life changes and how to explain her food needs to her friends (not that she has to explain everything but what to do if one of her friends pressures her to eat something that is forbidden) and the importance of taking care of her health. The nutritionist will have menu ideas and can help you figure out how to feed your family without losing your mind.

I too did a ton of research (our issues are: dd needs easily digestible foods, high protein, high sodium, no certain fruit sugars -- it's complicated!!!) but having a professional explain it really helped. We had an hour long evaluation with the nutritional counselor, and dd will have a follow up appointment every 3 or 4 months. That way we'll make sure dd is getting enough calories, nutrients, etc.

Good for you for doing all the research! Make sure if you do see a nutritionist that you are clear about what the problems are, and that you take good notes and write down all your questions beforehand.

Let's see I can't eat MSG - my daughter has Celiac disease so no gluten, my granddaughter is austistic so no dairy, low gluten and no MSG, my daughter in law is allergic to seafood and my grandson is allergic to eggs. When my mom passed a few months ago I had to find a restaurant that could satisfy all those food allergies and still serve a nice meal for everyone.

As far as MSG goes there are several options in processed foods that do not have MSG. For the most part I don't eat processed foods. I found out that Olive Garden, Red Lobester, Mc Donalds, Burger King, Wendy's and Arby's are MSG free. I don't eat at restaurants that have MSG in their foods I am too concerned about cross contamination.
The main thing you have to do is call any restaurant you plan to go to and ask of they have MSG in their food -- if they do find another place to go or eat a dessert-- cakes and pies and other sweets usually don't have MSG. Or I will just have a glass of milk. If I am meeting a group and the group selected the restaurant, I will have coffee and maybe a glass of milk and if I'm starving I will go through the drive through at Mc Donalds or go home and eat.
For the gluten sensitive people out there, I found out that IHOP puts pancake batter in their omlets to make them fluffy. My daughter with the Celiacs works at an IHOP. Another usually safe option is sunny side up or over easy eggs with ham or bacon. If they are scrambled they could be powdered eggs and who knows what is in those.

You are not alone.
My daughter will have a reaction to some things she has eaten all her life, like mangoes two months ago.
She will eat couscous, a small pasta and wild rice.
Plain grilled meats are best
plain veggies, I get frozen mixed veggies
salads
potatoes and lots of different pastas with butter and parmesan, freshly grated, bought in a brick
natural peanut butter, without rapeseed
give her something she can look forward to, cookies maybe
Have her help you cook dinners, make it fun

Do not coddle her if she deliberately eats a forbidden food then has a migraine. PUt her to bed and be "sterile", so she finds it isn't fun to be sick anymore.
Let her be in charge of her foods at times

Maybe your doctor could set you up with a dietitian that could offer some great ideas for your family.

Have you tried going bake to the basis?
- Baked Chicken, peas, brown rice or baked potato
- Hamburgers and baked fries
- Ham in pineapple juice with cornbread stuffing

Well... I'm something of a food junkie... So I come up with recipe lists for people all the time (mostly for parents in the special needs community that have a list of about 15 okay foods... Part of this is pure interest -I love good food-, and part from spending many many years broke. Come to find, there are about 40 ways to cook 2 things... Like our 6 weeks of bacon and eggs! Not just breakfasts! In fact, only about 1/3 were breakfasts. But I digress)

Part of what I do for friends is have their kids help. Even wee ones, but especially older kids can really get into cooking & planning. One thing that HELPS A LOT of the time is eating your own experiments. For why is because when you're in the process from the beginning you can spot the point that it gets yucky, and people are less hungry after being up to their elbows in food for an hour, instead of sitting and waiting.

Another is the 'tasting menu'. It's expensive that week, but it's the 'buy everything'. Whether its almond milk, or pasta... Having 3 or more types in one place one is always less awful than the rest. When (like with dairy) you have soy almond rice coconut it's even more expensive but more likely to find a winner.

Homemade stuff becomes 'quest' time. Homemade bread is far from all good. Ditto pasta, soups, etc. it's that getting them involved in the quest that lends to eating experiments CRITICALLY instead of just the 'No'. Get PAST the no, and into the WHY. And into the 'How can we FIX this. Either by covering up the awful right now... AND for next time.

Most of this (past recipe ideas) is taking charge. As in the person with the intolerance not waiting to be fed mana from heaven, but in actively working on the problem.

If you want some more recipe ideas (lol... If the thought doesn't just make you shudder or slam your head on the desk) PM me