Seeking Advice on Navigating Soy Allergies

Hi C.,
My son was found to be allergic to milk, soy, and peanut when he was 18 months old (although we knew something was going on by 6 months). The soy is very hard to avoid, but the lecithin did not present a problem-esp. if it's the last ingredient (probably meant the production was done by coating the pan so the product didn't stick). Also they say soybean oil is not allergenic (we still avoided it as much as possible). If you have not yet been, visit the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Networks website www.foodallergy.org Join and get a newsletter (they have lots of recipes), or buy an allergy friendly cookbook (they sell one that has lots of baked goods, and talks about the 8 most common food allergies and what's to be avoided). Just as an additional FYI, Robbie was able to eat Teddy Grahams, graham crackers, keebler snack sticks, and tons of other things. If you'd like me to talk more, let me know.
M.

C.,

First, double check if it's an allergy or an intolerance. If it's an intolerance, you may just need to avoid products that have a significant amount of soy. If it's an allergy, you need to avoid any amount of soy. An allergy and an intolerance are very different things. Also, how old is your daughter? If she's very young, she may outgrow it. My daughter outgrew milk and egg allergies but kept her peanut and shellfish allergies. Regarding soybean oil, I've heard that oils processed in the US are heat refined and therefore there is no protein left which makes them safe. But even so, I don't give my kids peanut oil because there are alternatives. Again, check with your doctor. A good resource is www.foodallergy.org.
L.

Hi We're dealing with a dairy intollerance and it's sometimes a drag. Some sites that have been very helpful are: http://www.foodallergy.org/ and http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=bcus.... It's nice to have the support of other moms on the babycenter board. Plus, you'll find that there are moms on the board that have multiple kids with multiple food allergies and you'll feel like what you're dealing with is nothing compared to what they are up against! Good luck!
K.

I have a son that is allergic to soy, peanuts, and eggs. I can tell you from experience that it is easier to avoid the soy then to give it to her. The reason being is that soy tends to build up in the system. Everytime that she is exposed to it the reaction will get worse. My son's started out as eczema and progressed to an asthma attack over 3 years. Also, soy is mostly contained in prepackaged foods: stove top, mac and cheese dinners and anything else that is prepackaged. Including frozen dinners. The canned and frozen veggies are fine but you have to look for at fruits to be sure. Fresh is best with a soy allergy. Also something else to keep in mind normally when people are allergic to soy the are usually allergic to peanuts or just legumes in general. These include all nuts, peas and soy. If you haven't already I would have her tested with the IgE bloodwork from an allergist. I have a really good allergist that comes to Ranson if you need a name. Also if you have any other questions or need help on meals you can email me at ____@____.com have been deeling with these allergiies for 4 years now so I will be more than willing to help you in any way.

You're going to have to avoid using vegetable oil as well, because it's made with soy beans. You should be able to stick with corn oil or canola oil, or better yet olive oil unless you're baking. My best advice is to read the ingredient labels on EVERYTHING. You're also welcome to visit a board I host on BabyCenter called Cooking For Your Family. We have several members that post whose children or spouses have severely restricted diets and they post asking for specific types of recipes and they share their own restricted diet recipes. You're welcome to lurk and post as much as you need to, and there are also some boards for children with allergies as well.

Cooking For Your Family (my board): http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=bcus...

Food Allergies BB: http://boards.babycenter.com/bcus9266

hi christine... it is challenging to find products without soy, but if you go to a healthfood store, fortunately they make many rice based products that you can use. you will be able to find cereals, crackers,breads,pasta even rice tortilla chips. i did a month detox that included eliminating soy so i understand your challenge of finding non soy products. good luck!

B.

It's tough. You're right about alot of products containing soy. You can see if your daughter can handle some products that contain minimal amounts of soy, but I'd ask your pediatrician first. Sometimes if it's the last ingredient on a long list of ingredients there is like only a small percentage in the product. Other than that you can try to feed your daughter fresh foods that aren't packaged. Many breads that are baked fresh do not contain soy. If you have a health food store or Whole foods you can ask about different products that they may carry that are soy free. Good luck and hopefully she will outgrow the intolerance.

Not sure how old your daughter is for food stage, but my daughter had a similar sensitivity. She has done very well with the good start formulas and then I saw an immediate difference when I switched to Earth's Best cereal and foods. Earth's best is organic and does not contain any soybean oil, soy lecithin or soy flour where as Gerber cereals do. Good luck. Most babies do outgrow the food sensitivities.

It is hard

My son is also allergic to soy
and milk, eggs, cheese, pork, chicken, peanuts, corn .....

and we think rice

not to mention animals hair also

His only safe foods are

turkey grapes raisins applesauce potatoes carrots

That is all he lives on

It is not easy

He has something called egid - check out www.apfed.org

They will also have links to good food allergy sites

But we do what is best for our child

Peace

Col

Hi
Maybe talk to a nutritionist. Boy that is a tough one. Good luck.

Hi C.,

Soy allergies are difficult. I'm almost 36 and found that I have a soy, nut and carrot allergy. Soy is in LOTS of processed foods. I'm becoming creative in the kitchen:) I make my own bread (with the help of a bread machine), pizza dough, use a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. I found a product called Quorn that makes "chicken like patties and nuggets" soyfree... There is an ice cream or mousse from Sara Lee which has no soy, smuckers chocolate sauce has no soy and either does Redi whipped cream, so there's a treat:) Some puddings have no soy, most cheeses, meats. Make sure you check shrimp, because sometimes they dip them in soy-based preservatives. Tuna is also in soy/water. Try to find the tuna in olive oil-it's still out there, just not as common.

My allergist said I could have soy oil and Lecithin, but I haven't yet... more fear-based. I'll try it sometime.

OH, Chili's restaurant actually has a variety of allergy-free foods:) Soy, nuts, etc... I understand the difficulty of not being able to go to out to eat and was excited to find this info out:)

I wish you and your daughter all the best with this food allergy. I sure hope she out grows it! :)

Best wishes,
M.

My son is allergic to dairy, soy, and peanut but also has wheat and yeast sensitivity. I spend a lot of time reading labels and doing research on each. I eliminated every food product that contained what was listed above. I slowly added food from one group at a time and recorded the results. The foods that he seemed to do all right with I kept in his diet and the ones he did not remained eliminated. It took a long time to do and to this day I still try to figure out what he may have ingested when he gets a random reaction. The difference between an allergy and intolerance are that with an allergy one cannot consume that food at all and with intolerance you can consume a specific amount within a 24-hour period. His doctor is amazed on how healthy he is with so many allergies. He takes a multivitamin that is all-natural and contains no additives and no hidden artificial sweeteners. He is on Rice Milk enriched with the same vitamins and minerals found in cow's milk. There really are a lot of choices when you do research and take the time and effort when it comes to multiple allergies. I am willing to answer any comments or questions that anyone has. Thank you.