Feeding a Child with an Egg Allergy

What kinds of foods (besides the obvious) contain eggs? It can be hard to tell, but that is where I hope this lens will help. In general, look at the following categories for common foods that contain egg:

*Baked Goods - breads and rolls, crackers, doughnuts, French Toast, muffins, pancakes, pretzels, waffles

*Beverages - Cappuccino-style drinks, Orange Julius, root beer, ovaltine, eggnog

*Desserts - Brownies, cakes, cake mixes, cookies, cream-filled pies, custard, ice cream, icing, pudding, sherbet, candies with cream fillings, marshmallow candy, fudge

*Pasta - Egg noodles, macaroni, spaghetti - watch out for pastas that are enriched with omega-3s. Sometimes, this ingredient comes from eggs.

*Salad-dressings and sauces - Bearnaise sauce, caesar dressing, cream sauces, hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise, newburgh sauce

*Soups - Noodle soups, clear soups and broth, Chinese soups (egg-drop)

Also be diligent about reading labels. Most food labels list the top 7 most common allergenic foods in bold at the end of the ingredient list (eggs are required to be listed). Some people with severe allergies may also need to consider if a product has been manufactured in a facility where eggs are kept to prevent cross-contamination.

Some ingredients are listed that may not immediately bring to mind "egg", so be sure to look for the following items in the ingredient list:

Albumin/albumen, globulin, livetin, lysozyme, meringue, surimi, lecithin, marzipan, ovoalbumin/ovoglobulin (ovo means egg), vitellin, simplesse (a fat substitute)

BREAKFAST ITEMS:

Earth's Best Organics has a mini waffle (with Sesame Street on the cover) that does not use eggs in the product - but the facility is one that uses eggs in other products. The company prides themselves on safety practices to prevent cross-contamination though!

Vans brand makes a vegan waffle (no eggs), that I was able to find in my local Super Bi-Lo. Beware of their Belgian waffle, however - it contains eggs.

I just learned of a company called "Ians Natural Foods" that sells an egg-free french toast stick. (For me, they are found in my local Harris Teeter)

FROZEN FOODS:

Tyson chicken nuggets do not contain egg products.

Ians Natural Foods (www.iansnaturalfoods.com) has chicken nuggets and patties, fish sticks, and mac and cheese meals.

I am so happy to find a soft pretzel that is egg-free. Kim & Scotts Gourmet Soft Pretzel - Traditional Bavarian style - is VERY tasty and is made with organic whole grain. One pretzel is pretty hefty in calories, but it does contain 9 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. Found these at the Super Bi-Lo.

Earth's Best Organics has been my saving grace! I have recently found a single-serving cheese pizza (with Elmo on the package).

COOKIES:

Oreos are a good bet in my house....and the new Oreo Sticks are lower calorie, so you can also feel better about the sugar content!

Newman's Own has cookies that do not contain eggs.

While the national brand of 'Nilla Wafers has egg as an ingredient, the Target Brand (Marketplace) does not. It does disclose that the cookies are made in a facility that uses eggs and cross-contamination is a possibility.

My local Bi-Lo has begun stocking Home Free cookies that are egg and dairy free, as well as peanut and tree nut free. Their website is http://homefreetreats.com.

ICE CREAM:
My oldest daughter got a "Blue Bunny" chocolate/vanilla pop from the ice cream truck this week and I was very surprised that it contained egg yolks! The Blue Bunny website has a complete nutrition guide that does list allergen information at www.bluebunny.com/nutritionguide.aspx (Note: The all-time favorite flavor "Bunny Tracks" does not contain eggs!)

Dippin'Dots (found in lots of sports stadiums and amusement parks) does not contain egg ingredients.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION:

Chili's has an allergen menu on their website which lists menu options that do not contain the most common allergens, including eggs. Here are items from the Pepper Pals menu that are egg free: Grilled Cheese, Grilled Chicken Platter, Grilled Chicken Sandwich (NO BUN), Little Mouth Cheeseburger (NO BUN), Mac and Cheese, and the Rib Basket.

Buffalo Wild Wings offers a "Naked Chicken Tender" on the kids menu.

The Outback Steakhouse has an allergen menu tipsheet for peanuts, treenuts and lactose intolerance, but not on egg-free menu items. http://www.outback.com/foodandmenus/nutritionalinfo.aspx#allergies

FAST FOOD:

McDonald's chicken nuggets do not contain eggs in the batter, however the McChicken Patty does. The Big Mac Sauce does contain yolk--most of the sauces are mayo-based, so they are not safe. The HotCakes contain egg ingredients, but the Griddle Cakes do not. All McDonald cookies contain eggs---the ice cream cone does not.

At Arby's, beware of both the popcorn chicken and honey mustard dipping sauce, horsey sauce, and the onion bun on the Beef N Cheddar Sandwich. Safe on the kids menu is the plain biscuit, the roast beef sandwich and the curly fries.

Hardees has a .pdf of their allergen guide on their website www.hardees.com. The sourdough bread contains egg. Their breaded chicken filet used in their sandwiches and biscuits contain egg in the batter, but the chicken strips on the children's menu does not list any egg ingredients. Choose chocolate ice cream rather than the vanilla, which contains egg products.

Wendy's Chicken nuggets do not use egg in the battering process, and the barbecue nuggets sauces does not contain egg. The Kids meal hamburger/cheeseburger do not contain egg (be sure no mayo!) The homestyle chicken fillet sandwich does contain egg. Wendy's has an allergen list at www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/allergen_list.pdf

Taco bell has an allergen menu for it's "Fresco" products, and none contain egg. Per GreenMomma (an eHow Member who writes an article about Fast Foods and Egg allergies), "Taco Bell is probably one of the best fast food places you can go for an egg allergy."

Pizza Hut: Only the grilled chicken strips are listed as actually containing egg products. Several products, including all pizza sauces, are disclosed as being prepared in common equipment and may contain allergen.

Boston Market also has an allergen menu on their website. The meatloaf, vegetable stuffing, coleslaw, mac and cheese, squash casserole, chicken noodle soup, all the carver sandwiches all contain egg products. Also beware of the poultry gravy (beef gravy is okay). All deserts contain egg except the apple pie.

KFC publishes a full allergen menu at www.kfc.com/nutrition/pdf/kfc_allergens_april09.pdf. Safe foods are the popcorn chicken (but not the regular chicken nuggets) and the extra crispy chicken (but not original recipe). Of course the new KFC grilled chicken is egg-free. None of the sandwiches are listed as being egg-free, but the biscuits are safe. Sides that are no-no's are the mac and cheese, coleslaw, macaroni and potato salads. For desserts, the best bets are the apple pie and the apple turnover.

I have not used the "Egg Replacer" products because they are hard to find in my area. So here are some tips for cooking that use real, easy to find foods in place of eggs.

Approximately 1/2 mashed banana or 1/3 cup of applesauce equals 1 egg when used in a recipe for cake mixes, etc.

For cookies, spice cakes, and chocolate cakes, try 2 mL baking powder and 125 mL sour cream in place of one egg.

About.com has a site for egg-free recipes: http://foodallergies.about.com/od/eggallergies/a/eggfreerecipes.htm

Another Egg-Free Baking Recipe site:
http://www.eggfreebaking.com/structure/sample-recipes-from-eggfree-baking.html

EHow is a great site to browse for recipes/tips. Start at this page:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4746924_egg-allergy-free-menus-advice.html

The author of the above Ehow Article also shares this blogspot for egg-free recipes:
http://www.eggallergyandrecipes.blogspot.com/

If you want to manage your grocery bill AND learn more about foods that contain allergens, this is a great site: www.mygrocerydeals.com

You can become a member for free. Enter your zip code and your personal favorite shopping locations and you receive information about sales and available coupons in your area.

Now for the allergies: You can expand on this list, and select from a list of common allergens on products you want flagged!

For example, today (as I write) King's Hawaiian Honey Wheat Rolls are on sale at my local Aldi's. Because I have selected the site to alert me when there is egg ingredients, a red exclamation point appears to let me know that egg is used in the product. How handy is that?!