Food Allergies and the 32 FOOD FAMILIES to be aware of

The depth of an Allergy can be complex and a bit overwhelming. There is good news and bad news. 

There are over 32 Food Families. In recent research and case studies I have found there is some surprising information about food allergies,  we should all be aware of.  Having an allergy to one member of a one family of foods often means you will likely have an allergy to another member of that food family, but you might be surprised at which items make up these food families so here is the list. 

If you are allergic to ________then be careful of____________is how this works: 

The only way to know for sure is avoid all foods in the food family for at least 30 days- some doctors recommend up to 6 months and then with an epi pen or benedryl close by begin a reintroduction process- one food at a time. You should consume just that food and wait 2 hours after eating it before consuming anything else. 

Allspice: Allspice, myrtle, guava, clove pimiento

Apple: Apple, pear, quince

Aster: Lettuce, chicory, endive, escarole, artichoke  dandelion, sunflower seeds, tarrago, ragweed, insecticide pyrethrum


Avocado: Avocado, laurel, cinnamon, bay leaves, sassafras

Blueberry: Blueberry, huckleberry, cranberry

Buckwheat: Buckwheat, Rhubarb, garden sorrel

Cashew: Cashew, pistachio, mango

Chocolate: Chocolate, cocoa, cola

Citrus: Orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime, tangerine, kumquat, citron, citric acid

Coconut: Coconut, palm, date

Dairy: Beef, pork, lamb, rabbit, squirrel, venison, goat or any mammal product. (Most people who cannot tolerate cow's milk cannot handle any mammal product so avoid goat milk as well) 

Fish: Salmon, tuna, sardine, catfish, trout, crappie (be careful/stay away from glue as in Elmer's glue) 

Fowl: (Egg is not included unless it is from laying hens) Chicken, turkey, duck, goose, guinea, pigeon, quail, pheasant

Fungus: Mushroom, yeast, mold, antibiotics

Ginger: Ginger, cardamom, turmeric

Gooseberry: Currant, gooseberry

Goosefoot: Beet, beet sugar, spinach, swiss chard, lambsquarter, mexican fireweed, russian thistle

Melon: Watermelon, cucumber, cantaloupe, pumpkin, squash, and other melons

Mint: Mint, peppermint, spearmint, thyme, sage, horehound, marjoram, basil, savory, rosemary, balm, catnip

Mustard: Mustard, turnip, radish, horseradish, watercress, cabbage, kraut, chinese cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, collards, kale, kohlrabi, rutabaga 

Mollusk: Oyster, clam, abalone, mussel 

Okra: Okra, cottonseed, mallow

Onion: Onion, Lily, garlic, asparagus, chives, leeks, sarsaparilla


Parsley: Parsley, carrot, parsnip, celery, anise, dill, fennel, angelica, celery seed, cumin, coriander, caraway

Pea: Peanut, pea (black eyed, field, green), bean (navy, lima, pinto, green, soy), licorice, acacia, tragacanth

Plum: Plum, cherry, peach, apricot, nectarine, wild cherry, almond

Potato: Potato, tomato, eggplant, peppers, green pepper, red pepper, chili pepper, parika, cayenne, capisicum, tobacco, belladonna, stramonium, hyoscamine

Sesame: sesame seeds, peanut, rye, kiwifruit, poppy seed, tree nuts (hazelnut, black walnut, cashew, macadamia, pistachio

Shellfish (Crustacean): Crab, lobster, shrimp

Strawberry: Rose, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, dewberry, loganberry, youngberry, boysenberry

Walnut: English walnut, black walnut, pecan, hickory nut, butternut

Wheat: Wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley, rye, wild rice, cane, millet, sorghum, bamboo sprouts, grass

.....More to come...  

The good news is this... Let's just say that you had a walnut allergy- it might mean you have to avoid most nuts, but perhaps you could try almond. The bad news is... let's just say you had an Orange allergy, you will likely have to avoid all forms of citrus. 


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