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Peas'nHominy
Apr 1st, 2005, 05:32 AM
How are some ways to keep nutrition in balance for me and my kids without using nuts or peanuts? In what other foods can we get that nutrition? :confused:

I can't have nuts nor peanuts (which is a legume) nor their butters, oils and such in my home; my 3-yr-old is deathly allergic to these things.

Thanks - I'm kinda worried about this!

Seaside
Apr 1st, 2005, 06:15 AM
Peas'nHominy, I'm sorry to hear that about your 3 year old. I know those reactions can be very serious, so you might want to test for reactions for the following, too, although they are not tree nuts nor legumes.

Sesame seeds are very good. They are discovering new health benefits to them right now- they seem to be the popular new subject in holistic health.
You can grind them in a coffee grinder, mix them with spring water, and make a seed milk in the blender with them. You might need a little sweetener of your choice to make it tastier for your children. You can also get tahini, which is sesame butter.

Pumpkin seeds are also good, as are sunflower seeds. You can make butters or milks from all of these seeds, or combinations of them, and you can also allow the milks to ferment into seed "cheeses" which are delicious. Get a book on sprouting seeds. If you sprout raw seeds before you use them, the nutritional content expands astronomically and the digestibility improves. Sprouted seeds may then be dehydrated and ground for cereal or salad toppings, or just crunchy snacks. All unsprouted seeds should be ground or cracked before use, since whole seeds have substances that protect them from digestion. Sprouting removes these substances. Flax seed is a good example. Whole flaxseed is an excellent laxative because it forms a very slippery gel when soaked and swallowed whole. To get the goodness out of flax seeds (omega 3's) they must be ground.

I know peanuts are legumes, but is your child allergic to things like soy and garbanzo beans? Soy can be high in fat, so if you are looking for lower fat sources of vegetable protein, lentils and garbanzo beans are good sources. You usually don't need to restrict fat for growing children, though.
If your child is not allergic to garbanzo beans, falafel patties and hummus are delicious garbanzo bean dishes. Sprouting beans before cooking makes them more digestible, too.

tails4wagging
Apr 1st, 2005, 07:09 AM
You can buy pumpkin butter, I have just baught some which you can add to sauces,stews and have it on toast.

My friend is vegan and hates nuts and tofu but still has a healthy diet.

Mystic
Apr 1st, 2005, 09:03 AM
Hi Peas - I too, am allergic to nuts (so it seems) and to substitute them, I eat lots of legumes, like lentils, split peas, chickpeas and butter beans, which is the staple of my dinner, along with grains (rice, bread etc...). I also use sesame seeds (in the form of tahini), which I mix with lemon juice, salt and garlic to make it taste better. I try to buy bread that already has seeds in it too, and I take flaxseed oil.
Here is a list of stuff to incorporate (unless your child is allergic)
- All legumes (besides peanuts), including chickpeas, lentils, split peas, kidney beans, butter beans, black beans etc...
- seeds and seed butters (sesame/tahini, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and their butters)
- All wholegrains and wholegrain products (rice, bread, oatmeal, pasta, corn, quinoa, millet, couscous)
- Highly nutritious vegetables/fruit (green leafy veg, avocado, bananas, red capsicum, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, mango, papaya, shiitake mushrooms, berries, citrus fruits etc...)
- Dried fruits (especially prunes, figs, dates and apricots)
- Cold pressed oils (flaxseed, olive, sunflower etc...)
That is how I get by without nuts ;)

Tigerlily
Apr 1st, 2005, 02:42 PM
I'm vegan and I hardly ever eat nuts. In fact, they make my belly hurt. I do eat peanut butter on occassion, though.

Everyone here has great ideas.

Can you eat almonds? Almonds are part of the peach family*, actually, so would they still count as a nut product for someone who was allergic? Almonds are very healthy, good source of protein and calcium. When I do eat nuts, I like to get some slivered almonds, roast them in a pan without oil, and then add it my rice. SO yummy.

*Fresh almonds that come in the spring, are green and have a fuzzy exterior like peaches. They are delcious with a little sprinkle of salt. I think you can find them at Middle Eastern stores. Try looking in April/May!

Peas'nHominy
Apr 1st, 2005, 07:17 PM
Oh, thank goodness! I am SO grateful for the help! Everyone's info is great! :D


Peas'nHominy, I'm sorry to hear that about your 3 year old. I know those reactions can be very serious
Yes, it's aweful. He's had to go to the ER several times already in his little life. It's so bad that if someone has a trace of say peanut butter on her finger and then touches my son, he begins to have a painful reaction and we're off to the ER! So, I can't even let my other children have any, because they might touch him before thoroughly washing their hands. :( It helps that I homeschool, though - I don't think he could handle the public school cafeteria environment, you know?




Get a book on sprouting seeds. If you sprout raw seeds before you use them, the nutritional content expands astronomically and the digestibility improves. Sprouted seeds may then be dehydrated and ground for cereal or salad toppings, or just crunchy snacks. All unsprouted seeds should be ground or cracked before use, since whole seeds have substances that protect them from digestion. Sprouting removes these substances. Flax seed is a good example. Whole flaxseed is an excellent laxative because it forms a very slippery gel when soaked and swallowed whole. To get the goodness out of flax seeds (omega 3's) they must be ground.
I will begin looking around today for a book; I definitely want to learn how to do this. And I think my kids will get a major kick out of doing it with me. :D Does anyone recommend a specific book?


I know peanuts are legumes, but is your child allergic to things like soy and garbanzo beans?
I know he's not allergic to soy. He hasn't tried garbanzo beans yet, but I don't think he's allergic to it. I made some hummus just two days ago (yum!) but he didn't eat any. In fact, he hasn't eat'n much for me at all for going on 3 days now - I have no idea why. He's always been the biggest eater out of all my kids. :confused:


Can you eat almonds? Almonds are part of the peach family*, actually, so would they still count as a nut product for someone who was allergic? Almonds are very healthy, good source of protein and calcium.
I had been avoiding almonds because I thought they were in the nut family. According to the doctor in the ER (sigh) it does make a difference if it's not actually in the nut family. It is great to find this out about almonds! :D ...now I hope he'll eat them... :rolleyes:

Seaside
Apr 1st, 2005, 11:59 PM
"Sprout Garden" by Mark M. Braunstein is my favorite sprouting guide. It has good directions for sprouting anything, and it has recipes for seed cheeses. "The Allergy Exclusion Diet" by Jill Carter and Allison Edwards has lists of all the families of foods. For example, the Pea family includes "peas, dried beans,fava beans, green beans, soy beans, lentils, licorice, peanuts, fenugreek,red clover, senna, and carob." You wouldn't think carob or licorice were related to peanuts! The Walnut family includes "walnuts, hickory nuts, butternuts, and pecans."

Posted by Tigerlily:

Almonds are part of the peach family

Yes! The book I have calls it the Plum family but its the same thing. Almonds are very good, and where I live, you can get ready-made almond milk. It is must tastier than soymilk, though not as high in protein.