Working Around Allergies & Food Sensitivities
Whether trying to avoid the tummy trouble caused by lactose intolerance or standing guard against a serious peanut allergy, many families need to know exactly what's in the food they put on the table. This topic comes up frequently in conversations with parents who are curious about how often specific ingredients show up in our recipes. We respect the effort they invest in their kids' health and well-being and are eager to help them find a path around food sensitivities.
Although we intend to test and develop alternative recipes eventually, it may be a while. And to be honest, many parents are already experts at adaptations. If they can find out what role an ingredient plays in a recipe, they can usually come up with a simple swap. For instance, the egg in our Twisted Herb Bread recipe is only used as a wash to give the bread a golden, lustrous crust. Brushing the surface with cream can achieve similar results. You can trade coconut aminos for soy sauce in the dressing for our Asian Chopped Salad and still get great flavor. On the other hand, the entire first unit of the course is on eggs and the roles they play in all kinds of recipes. With a couple of possible exceptions, there’s no getting around eggs in the cooking assignments for that unit.
Some ingredients pose more of a problem than others. Gluten is the #1 offender among the families we've talked to. In many instances, a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour can stand in. And when it comes to things like noodles for chicken soup or bread for making croutons, alternatives are readily available on grocery store shelves. Alas, we haven't cracked the code on gluten-free yeast breads, and we don't know anyone who truly has. If the student can physically handle the wheat flour without issue, we recommend sharing the final results with another family. Otherwise, it's best to go through the lessons to gain the knowledge but avoid preparing the recipes.
Households that are dealing with multiple allergens face a unique challenge. A single substitute usually results in subtle differences. Compound changes can add up to some serious weirdness. On the plus side, experimenting to find the perfect solution makes a great research project! (We'd love to see Inquisicook families get together in some sort of online forum to trade intel and ideas for working around food sensitivities. It could even help inform our own recipe development and testing.)
To fast-track the process of assessing recipes, we've compiled allergy charts for both the Essential Course Recipes and the optional "For Further Eating" dishes. These guides highlight the most common culprits. Please note that we assume families are buying versions of prepared products (mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, etc.) that meet their dietary needs.
Click on the images to open full-size printable documents.
We hope these guides give you a clear idea of whether Inquisicook is a good fit for your family. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the recipes, or if you have suggestions for making allergy-friendly versions. We love hearing your feedback!