Allergy friendly recipes on Libby's Real Food

Part of the reason that I haven't really been posting much this past week is that I have been so busy trying to sort out my own food.

I'll start at the beginning....

I haven't been feeling 100% recently. I was grumpy, tired, headachy and seemed to be getting very bloated and (ahem) gassy. It got to a point where healthy eating just didn't seem to be getting me anywhere, so I decided to go to the Doctor. She sent me to get a range of blood tests and in the meantime try a low FODMAP diet. FODMAPs are Fermentable Oli-, Di-, Monosaccharides and Polyols. Basically they are things that aren't always digested well and contribute to Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

So potential foods for trouble included a lot of dairy, certain fruits and vegetables such as apples and cabbage and foods with gluten! This certainly made things interesting for a few days!! Basically I tried my best at removing all potential problem foods and then tried them one at a time to see if I had a reaction. Apple's were the first thing I caved with. It's winter and when there are lots of other foods that you can't eat, I just really wanted one. Next to come was milk. I love almond milk so that wasn't an issue, but man did I miss my yoghurt!! It is usually a go-to snack or breakfast and it wasn't there any more. Both apples and dairy seemed to be fine.

Finally on Saturday night I have Gluten a go in the form of a delicious Pain au Chocolat. I thought that if I was going to react I may as well make it worth it. To be honest I'm not too sure if it was a problem or not. I suspect that Gluten does play a factor as the worst days that I had were when I had eaten a lot of supermarket bread or pasta so I have come up with a few strategies to try over the next couple of weeks. I am going to try a really cut back on gluten foods and instead try to vary my diet with things like other grains and rice. The next thing I want to see if whether less processed Gluten foods are better. I have some whole barley and wheat that I can make salads with, some wholemeal pasta and I think that I will try to only eat homemade wholegrain breads.

With all of this focus on food it really got me thinking about others who are permanently living with food restrictions. I have therefore made a bit of a resolution. I am going to go through both old and new blog posts to label recipes as gluten, dairy and nut free where appropriate. I am also going to start developing recipes that are more food allergy friendly.

In the mean-time, here are some existing Gluten-free and Dairy-free recipes on Libby's Real Food.

These Bounty Bar Bites are delicious as a snack or dessert. You also get a boost of healthy fats from the coconut.

If you are in need of a delicious lunch, look no further than my pumpkin and red lentil soup with gingered leeks.

These fruit and nut truffles are another great snack or dessert. They also look great in a pretty jar or bowl as an allergy-friendly gift.

And if you are not yet a Brussels Sprouts fan you must try these!!

Keep an eye out for more allergy friendly recipes coming up on the blog.

Also if anyone has any experience or advice to help my digestive issues I would love to hear it!!