One of the most interesting things I have learnt in my food allergy journey is that a‘food allergist is a doctor and not a nutritionist/food scientist/chef’! If we have questions related to specific foods (apart from common foods) and their potential to cause an allergic reaction our best bet is to:
- If you have access to FAAN (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network), call them at (800) 929-4040. They have information on an amazing variety of foods.
- Talk to a nutritionist/ dietician.
- Research on your own – books, online sources, libraries etc.
However, there are quite a few items on which one hits a road block. My son’s allergist is aware that I blog about food allergies and we often exchange notes on lesser known foods. Recently he asked me an interesting question to which neither of us had an immediate answer – ‘Is chestnut a nut?’; a question raised by one of his other patients. An sensible question from someone who is allergic to nuts and therein began my quest.
Allergy Foodie 