I have a lot of a lot of allergies; however, since my husband is a diabetic and needs to watch his weight I want to change to a vegetarian diet. However, the biggest problem I am encountering concern my allergies to HOT & SPICY foods. I am allergic to the following: garlic, horseradish, cayanne, hot (white) onions and any hot peppers or seasonings with garlic or hot pepper.

My question is, are there ANY seasonings out there I can use or substitute in recipes (like hummus or pesso) so I can still enjoy vegan cooking with some flavor??? So many recipes like soups, etc call for GARLIC! I LOVE spicy foods, but they HATE me & tear up my GI system BIG time.

Thanks for any suggestions or help you can give me – Kathy D.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice

Hi Kathy,

There’s no law which states that any recipe requires onions, garlic, peppers, etc. It’s just a cultural habit. I include those foods in our vegetarian recipes because most people like them, cook with them, and would feel lost without them. And they are tasty!

However, my husband and I can’t eat much of the nightshade or onion families. So I cook without them. My strategy is to just leave them out, and add a little more of other flavorings instead. E.G. for hummus I double the lemon juice, and add a pinch more cumin and coriander.
I use herbs and spices liberally for flavoring, plus lemon or lime juice, a bit of coconut milk, etc.

Seasonings I use regularly or occasionally:

Ginger in moderation – usually a slice of fresh ginger, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, fennel, asefetida (hing), cinnamon, cardamom, basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, bay leaf, fresh herbs whenever possible (I grow parsley, thyme, basil, mint), a little black pepper, rock salt, Braggs liquid aminos (unfermented), nutritional yeast, white miso, veggie bouillon cubes or vegetable stock.

For a little red color I sometimes cheat and add a bit of paprika. The seasoning mix Mrs. Dash I’ve found to be O.K. I use curry powder if it’s very mild. I sometimes add nuts & seeds or nut butters to casseroles, or sauces. Shredded or juiced beets or carrots will also add color and flavor.

There are many other possibilities but that’s what I mostly do for seasonings.

I also use organic vegetables, which in my opinion have a lot more flavor, color and nutrition than non-organic. Especially things like carrots and celery and greens.

For vegetables, instead of nightshades, I use winter & summer squashes, yams & sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, leafy greens, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, chinese cabbage, kale, carrots, beets, celery, fennel, fresh parsley, basil, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, lettuce, avocado, sprouts, cucumber, etc.

I often saute veggies in a little oil, adding spices & dried herbs at the end. That boosts flavor too. Sometimes I add a squeeze of lemon or lime before serving or a dash of Braggs liquid aminos. Steamed veg can be made more flavorful with a little fresh or dried herb, a pinch of salt & pepper, and a dash of oil & lemon.

I tend to favor dishes like stews served over grains, sauteed veggies cooked in a sauce, soups with breads or muffins or scones, stove top casseroles, mild curries, grain salads. Those all have a lot of different ingredients, colors, seasonings & flavors compared to a meal of plain grain, plain beans, plain steamed veggies for example.

Most Savvy Vegetarian recipes reflect this way of cooking. If you leave out the ingredients you can’t eat, there’s still plenty of seasonings to flavor your dish. I never feel deprived!

Hi I am trying a vegetarian diet again for the second time. The first time I was successful for a whole year. I don’t even remember how I relapsed and started eating meat again. So far I have gone three weeks without meat and I feel a lot better.

I scared myself for the rest of my life by watching a documentary called Food Inc. and I will never eat meat again.

I have been more tired than usual, I was wondering is that normal with vegetarian diet? I know I work a full schedule and go to school, but Im not use to this kind of tiredness. I’m practically dragging.

I take D3, fish oil, vitamin c supplements. I make sure to eat a lot of bananas and oranges, I eat a lot of vegetables – carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage etc. If you have any pointers on how I can avoid being so tired and get natural protein into my system please let me know – S. P.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

 
Hi S. P., It’s not normal to be so tired after adopting a  vegetarian diet. You said “more tired than usual”. Does that mean that you’re usually tired? That could be a clue.

Your extreme tiredness could have a few sources. You could be reacting to new foods, or have food allergies. You could be detoxing. Your digestive system could be having trouble adapting to the change in diet. You could have blood sugar highs and lows. You could be deficient in iron or B12 but not likely after 3 weeks – maybe if you were already borderline deficient.

It could be you aren’t getting enough calories if you’ve lost weight, but protein deficiency isn’t as likely as most people think with vegetarian diet, because most plant foods have protein.

Nutritional science tells us that protein builds and repairs your body, carbs are for energy (slow digesting whole grains for sustained energy), healthy fats for lubricating, absorption and brain food.

I suggest a medical checkup for food allergies & vitamin deficiencies, to set your mind at rest. Maybe get your blood sugar levels tested too – just to make sure there aren’t any health issues behind your tiredness.
Meanwhile, here are 10 Ways to Boost Your Energy:

1.  Move around, preferably in fresh air, for a few minutes (jump up and down if that’s all you can manage, or run up and down some stairs).

2. Have a whole food snack to raise and sustain your energy.

3. Avoid foods with refined flour, sugar and fat (cookies, chips, crackers etc.), sodas, coffee, chocolate - those will give you a quick energy boost, followed by dragging your — a couple hours later.

4. Add Vit B12 to your supplement cocktail, in a pill or in enriched foods. 

5. Drink a lot more water. 8 cups a day minimum, not including tea and coffee, juice, milk, soda. That’ll help move those toxins out.

6. Get more rest. If you are detoxing, you need more sleep. Any big change in your body like a new diet means you need more rest. Try it! You’ll think a miracle happened!

7. Add a lot more more fresh veggies (raw and cooked) to your vegetarian diet. Much more than you think you need. Be sure to include lots of green leafy veg. All those vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients will energize you like you won’t believe!

8. Every day, eat whole foods: whole grains like brown rice, oats, barley or quinoa, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils for the vitamins, minerals (e.g. calcium, magnesium, iron), and protein. Don’t overdo it. A normal serving size is 1/2 cup of cooked grains or beans and a small handful of nuts.

9. If you don’t have much time in the morning, try making a breakfast shake, and take along a bag of unsalted trail mix or nuts or a protein bar and fresh fruit, granola & yogurt etc for morning or afternoon snacks.

10. Get more exercise - yoga and walking are especially good for helping detox, and improving digestion. But any kind of exercise will help – just keep moving.

A few things to read for more information:
Vegetarian Tired, Suspects Iron Deficiency
Tired and weak with vegetarian transition
Vegetarian Protein Sample Menus
Savvy Vegetarian Nutrition Report
10 Tips for Becoming Vegetarian

All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

Medical Disclaimer: Any changes that you make to your diet, and the results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. Savvy Vegetarian and its employees do not claim to be health care professionals, dietitians, or nutritionists. We do not treat, or recommend treatment, for any illness or health condition.

Question for Savvy Vegetarian: My 20 month old daughter has food allergies – she is allergic to dairy, eggs, and all nuts. I am concerned that there are several key nutrients she may be either low on or not getting, among them protein.

Her doctor recently suggested I add tofu to her diet…is this enough? We already eat soy yogurt and soynut butter and soymilk. I have removed all allergens from the house…what other foods can I use to replace those she’s allergic to?

I want to make sure she has a healthy diet, and as healthy a start as possible. Thank you – Rebecca S.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi Rebecca, thanks for writing! It’s the age old mother’s dilemna: how to give your kids a healthy diet that’s also kid friendly! Things get complicated when there are food allergies to take into account, but it’s still pretty easy to give them a healthy but kid friendly diet they’ll actually eat.

Fortunately, kids love tofu, and it’s high in protein. There are lots of great tofu recipes on Savvy Veg. Some kid friendly favorites are tofu burgers, pasta, tofu & veggies, tofu quiche, and fried tofu.

But rather than focus exclusively on soy foods to compensate for her food allergies, you could add beans and lentils, mashed to make them easier to digest and also to disguise them, to her diet. Or cooked in veggie soups and stews, until very soft. Crockpot lima bean stew and mung dhal veggie soup are two easily digested examples a 20 month old could eat. Kids a little older like black eyed peas and pinto beans a lot, because they’re soft, sweet tasting beans.

Kids, even as young as 20 months, usually like mild hummus.  ( if you make the recipe on Savvy Veg , omit the garlic). Lentil burgers or black bean burgers might also appeal to her – something she can eat with her hands. Check our bean recipes for these and other recipes to try.

I’m assuming your daughter can eat sunflower, sesame or pumpkin seeds, chia seeds or flax seeds, ground up and added to other foods or made into a paste? Remember too that all veggies and most fruits have some protein, which adds up over the course of the day.  A one cup serving of avocado, for example, has 3 grams of protein, and a medium potato with skin has 4 grams. And whole grains like quinoa, brown rice and oatmeal have significant amounts of protein in each serving.

From what I’ve read, and my own experience, giving her lots of those foods should also help the food allergy situation by making her diet more alkaline and adding a wide variety of vitamins and minerals not found in non-plant foods.

I know this is a challenging situation but here’s the upside: Dealing with your daughter’s food allergies will help the whole family move toward a healthier diet!

By the way, it might be helpful to check out our article on Vegan Baking Substitutions.

All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

More On Children and Food Allergies:

• 3 year old has dairy allergy
• Lactose intolerant baby has soy allergy
• Food Allergy Survival Guide Review
• Son’s allergic reaction to dairy in M & M’s

Medical Disclaimer: Any changes that you make to your diet, and the results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. Savvy Vegetarian and its employees do not claim to be health care professionals, dietitians, or nutritionists. We do not treat, or recommend treatment, for any illness or health condition.

How to find sources of protein on a vegetarian diet with multiple food allergies. Vegetarian protein can be found in seeds, whole grains, wheat gluten, etc.

Question for Savvy Vegetarian:

I just found out that I am allergic to milk, egg whites, sesame seeds, peanuts, hazel nuts and macadamia nuts. I also have a yeast and soy intolerance.

So, what can I eat? I have found I like almond milk. – L. N.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi L. N.,  Ouch! How inconvenient! I guess you’re a bit concerned about getting enough protein. Fortunately there are other sources of vegetarian protein – all plant foods contain protein, some more than others.  In fact, there’s so much possible variety in a vegetarian diet, and so many sources of protein, if you focus on exploring the foods that you can eat, not only will you not starve, you’ll thrive!

Are all nuts off the list? You said you could drink almond milk, can you eat almonds? What about cashews? Hemp milk or hemp seeds?

You should be able to eat chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, beans & lentils (hundreds of varieties), whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, wheat, millet, buckwheat, corn, oats, barley, spelt, amaranth.

Then there’s seitan (made from wheat gluten). Plus all vegetables and fruits. Eat unyeasted flat breads like tortillas, or quick breads (made with baking powder). Pasta should be on the list too, and maybe nutritional yeast

All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

Medical Disclaimer: Any changes that you make to your diet, and the results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. Savvy Vegetarian and its employees do not claim to be health care professionals, dietitians, or nutritionists. We do not treat, or recommend treatment, for any illness or health condition.

Question for Savvy Vegetarian:

I’m interested in becoming a vegetarian but I’m allergic to soy and nuts so I want to know if there are other sources of protein available – R. S.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi R. S,

Beans, lentils and whole grains would be your main sources of protein if you want to be egg and dairy free. Otherwise you could include those.
Seitan (or wheat gluten) is another possibility. You can make your own but it’s also readily available in stores right next to the tofu.
The vegetarian chili pictured above is an example of the many tasty dishes you can eat without ever touching nuts and soy.

Is it just tree nuts that you’re allergic to, or peanuts too? Can you eat seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and flax? If so, that expands your protein sources. For instance, you can eat hummus!

Medical Disclaimer: Any changes that you make to your diet, and the results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. I do not claim to be a health care professional, dietitian, or nutritionist. Savvy Vegetarian does not treat, or recommend treatment, for any illness or health condition – Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

See our plant food protein chart for more info on sources of veg protein. Note that some vegetables are also good secondary protein sources.

All the best,
Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian