Are you a vegan? Or have a dairy allergy? Are you one of the unlucky victims of a tick-induced mammal-product allergy? I am right there with you. I too miss delicious and terrible-for-you foods.
Now don’t get me wrong.
I love fruits and vegetables with all of my heart and soul but sometimes you just want to throw all hell to the wind and dive face first into a tub of Denali Moosetrack ice cream. So here I am today, making a list of some of my favorite terrible foods for you to go out and enjoy for yourself. No matter whether you’re just sick of being healthy but don’t relish the anaphylaxis or you’re a vegan looking to cheat just a little, here’s a list of accidentally alpha-gal free/dairy-free/vegan (some are vegan but not all) goodies! Bon appetit!
**Always check ingredients lists! Ingredients can vary by brand and region!**
1. Chicken egg rolls 2. Angel food cake 3. Sour Patch Kids 4. Dark chocolate (the darker the better) 5. Nerds candy 6. Taco Bell bean burrito 7. Reese’s Puffs cereal. Well, most cereal really, but watch out for ones that contain yogurt bites or marshmallows. 8. Fruit by the Foot Fruit Rollups! 9. Sweetarts candies 10. Original and Barbecue flavored chips 11. McDonald’s chicken nuggets and apple pies! 12. Wendy’s spicy chicken nuggets and fries! 13. Fritos. Just…Yum. I could seriously eat a whole bag of these. They are one of my favorite foods, period. 14. Duncan Hines. Fancy some cake? I know I do! White or chocolate (because FAQ yellow cake. FAQ it to hekk), Duncan Hines has your back with cakes and frostings that are vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free! As always check the ingredients as some exclusions do apply, an example being the Cream Cheese frosting. 15. Oreos! Who could forget that master of all masterful delights?! That overseer of awesome! The king of cookiedom! A vivacious vegan victory for your tastebuds! Pair it with some almond milk and you have a sealed deal for snacktime!
So there you have my fifteen favorite snacks! Whether you have an allergy r are just trying to live more sustainably, these are some tasty treats you can still enjoy on the regular.
Do you have any favorite treats that aren’t mentioned? Let us know in the comments!
Okay so we all know that PETA is awful. Right? Can we all agree on that? It’s not exactly a secret after all. An example? Exhibit A.
Okay. Moving on.
I have a food allergy. A really freaking weird food allergy that makes my immune system respond if I eat anything coming from a mammal, including meats, dairy, and gelatin. It’s called an Alpha-gal allergy. I got it from a tick bite. Yes, it freaking sucks. No, I am not a healthier person because of it. I like cake and Oreos, okay? Obligatory exposition over.
I was looking up recipes for some tasty desserts online recently and came across a page for the top rated vegan desserts for this Valentine’s Day just past.
When I saw it was PETA site, I should have frikkin known not to get my hopes up.
I did not expect the first words I set my eyes to be,
“There ain’t nothing sweet about breaking a mother’s heart by stealing her calf and her milk, and there’s nothing to love about grinding up baby chicks or cramming gentle hens together in filthy, dank cages. If you’re trying to show your affection this Valentine’s Day (and beyond), you best leave eggs and dairy out of it!”
I know I’ve been trying to swear less in posts and just in general lately but grant me this one, yeah?
Holy F**cking Hell, PETA!
Dear PETA,
I know.
I know it’s hard. But could you try, just try, for one time not to be completely horrible? A solid effort is all I ask.
I mean, holy bleeding beefcakes! Are you fracking serious?
Now don’t get me wrong. I love animals. We had already cut out buying almost all of the beef from our household even before my food allergy, slowly making the transition to a more environmentally friendly, sustainable household. We had swapped all of our toiletries to vegan/cruelty free formulas, if not vegan brands altogether. Almost all of the clothes that I buy myself are second hand. We recycle and have even made strides towards growing some of our own food in recent years. We donate unwanted clothes instead of throwing them out.
We are an eco-friendly family.
But that sh*t is not helping anything or anyone.
Case in point? Even as a vegetarian, I was so horrified I immediately clicked right off.
And I know.
I know that their ultimate goal isn’t for me to see that there’s a really great dessert that I would definitely eat at a restaurant within 30 minutes of my house (number ten on their list). No, their goal is to get people talking about them. I suppose, in that regard, they have succeeded. I am, after all, talking about them.
Shouldn’t their goal, rather than something that seems a little self-serving more than anything, be to actually be helping animals though? Helping people make the change towards a more environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle?
Because sure, I’m talking about it here today. Yet the way that PETA puts on the death and slaughter of animals and our environment as a whole as nothing but a horror show, is counterproductive. Much of the industrial raising, processing, and killing of animals for consumption and product manufacturing impacts our global wellbeing on an increasingly large scale and PETA is in a position to make a big impact on that. What are they doing instead? Becoming a gross-out factor that people simply write off and scoff at.
It’s not encouraging people to change their lifestyle habits in a positive and lifelong way. It’s getting them publicity of course but not in a way that is aiding their long-term goals, if actually helping animals and our planet actually is their long-term goal.
Putting on a show of horror and gore to encourage people to go vegetarian or vegan isn’t helping anyone. It’s not helping people go and stay that way. It’s not helping the homeless animals on the street or those being abused. It isn’t helping animals being used for blood sport like dog fighting or bull fighting. It isn’t helping wildlife conservation or enacting better policies that would make these goals possible.
What it’s doing is detracting and distracting from their own goals by turning people away from their message before they even bother to hear it simply because PETA’s name is attached to it.
Their methods have done the very thing that undermines their entire message.
They’ve become one of the single most disdained organizations in the country.
They’ve become…
A meme.
So, I ask again.
Dear, PETA. What the actual FAQ is wrong with you?
With Peace and Passion.
Ta!
This message brought to you by my deep and sudden need to go look up why cheesecake is called a cheesecake.
Edit: It’s classification as a cake is widely disputed but it’s called a cheesecake because, at least in our country, it’s made with cream cheese or ricotta cheese! In other countries, the ingredients are actually usually different. For example:
“The most prominent version of cheesecake in the Philippines is ube cheesecake. It is made with a base of crushed graham crackers and an upper layer of cream cheese and ube halaya (mashed purple yam with milk, sugar, and butter). It can be prepared baked or simply refrigerated. Like other ube desserts in the Philippines, it is characteristicaly purple in color.”
If you are like me, and by me of course I mean someone with the dubious pleasure of a body on the fritz, you may get to the point where you need to see a Dietitian. Now contrary to popular belief, a Dietitian and a Nutritionist are not the same thing. They are very similar but the former has far more regulation and protection under law.
Well, that’s nice and all, but what is a Dietitian?
They are a sort of doctor for your food habits. Especially when it comes to diet as it relates to disease and keeping you healthy during the course of that disease. A Dietitian is someone who meets with a person to help lay out a plan and give advice on how you can get the nutrition that you need to meet your specific needs. For example, I met with my Dietitian for the first time when I was diagnosed with gastroparesis, or partial stomach paralysis. She gave me advice on how I could get the nutrients and hydration that I needed at the time even though my body couldn’t tolerate solid food very well.
Sounds pretty good, right?
A Dietitian can be extremely beneficial for people with a whole host of medical conditions and needs. If you feel like one could benefit you, then here are the first two steps to getting on the books with one of your very own!
First step: Meet with your Primary Care Doctor, Gastroenterologist, or Allergist (did I miss any?) to determine whether a meeting with a Dietitian could be a good addition to your treatment plan. If so, then they will give you a referral.
Second step: Once you have a referral, talk to the Dietitian’s office/hospital/etc and make sure that they accept your insurance. Trust me. I’ve had this be an issue with other doctors before so it’s always better to be sure before your appointment than to get all the way there and end up having to pay out of pocket without notice.
Once your referral is sent through, the Dietitian’s office should call to set up your appointment! So you’re on their books! Now what?
What do you need to do or have to prepare for your appointment?
Okay! This is, again, something I can speak on from experience and wax poetic about the time-saving efficiency and helpfulness of. The most helpful resource you can have to take to your appointment is a medical portfolio. This is something that I am planning on doing a post on very soon but, in the meantime, one of my all-time favorite Youtubers, the late Jaquie Beckwith at her channel ChronicallyJaquie, did a video on how to get answers when chronically ill. In her video, she highlights how to put together your own medical portfolio as well as some other really wonderful advice! Her video can be found here!
Having my medical portfolio on hand during doctors visits, especially new doctors, has saved valuable time over and over again. Even when it comes to being able to have a list of my medications on hand or the contact information for other specialists. It is worth its weight in Starbucks gift cards when it comes to those who may be looking at filing for disability or applying for a mobility aid, etc.
As well as your medical records that would be in your portfolio, take a list of current medications and the obligatory insurance card/photo ID combo that any typical trip to a new doctor requires.
The next thing to keep in mind for your appointment is something that we all struggle with. It’s one of the difficult parts of being a chronic illness warrior.
Be open and be honest. In fact, be frank. I think we tend to try our best not to be an inconvenience or to seem like we’re inflating our conditions when, in truth, the smallest thing could be the piece of information that they need to help you to the fullest! Don’t assume that anything is irrelevant.
The last thing you are going to need for your upcoming appointment is going to be a pen and paper! That’s right, my dears, you’re going to need to take notes like you’re back in high school Trig, okay? It will help you! There’s so much swirling around your brain all at once during appointments like those and being able to write down advice or directions you’re told and even questions you want to ask ahead of time can be so incredibly helpful.
With that note, I’m going to leave you here with a final piece of advice: If you feel like your well-being is doing poorer because of how your medical conditions affect your ability to get the nutrition or hydration that you need, make that appointment! It could make a world of difference in your quality and quantity of life.
I didn’t think I’d be able to find any! I’ve been jonesing for some good, fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies.
I ran into these today completely by surprise at Kroger of all places. They are from the brand Simple Truth and are not only ‘Allergy Friendly’ but preservative and gluten free! Also not GMO. How could it get better?
I would be very interested to know if there was a vanilla option. I’m all about some white chocolate.
What vegan goodies are your favorites? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to give Little Journeys Everywhere a follow so you can be notified of new posts!
A Lonestar Tick, aka Demon Hellspawn, Destroyer of Chocolate!
What is the connection between vegan food and bug spray, you may be wondering? One insidious little carbohydrate, that’s what.
Alpha-gal, or. galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose is a carbohydrate found in mammalian meats and products. That covers beef, pork, venison, giraffe, buffalo. It also includes things like milk and gelatin too though so say goodbye to those post-Halloween candy bars you’ve been sneaking from your kid’s stash. The alpha-gal allergy is caused by a bite from one particular tick: The Lonestar Tick. It’s name comes from the spot on it’s back rather than Texas state.
Sorry Texans.
In fact, the Lonestar Tick’s stomping ground encompasses pretty much the entire South-Eastern United States.
The tick has the alpha-gal carbohydrate in it’s saliva so when it bites it’s unsuspecting victim, it causes said buffet to have an immune response like a wrecking ball. Any time you come into contact with something that even contains something mammalian, you’re in for a world of hurt. Or a world of not breathing. Seriously. In severe cases, exposure can cause anaphylactic shock. That’s what happened to me.
The most difficult thing about diagnosing an alpha-gal allergy is that the allergic reaction is usually a delayed one. Unlike poor Timmy who swells up with hives anytime he even thinks about a peanut, reactions to alpha-gal can take anywhere from 2-6 hours to present. It makes it difficult for doctors to pin down what exactly it is that is causing the reaction to begin with.
The only way to avoid a reaction? By avoiding the triggers.
So unless you want to say goodbye to cheeseburgers and chocolate forever, you’d better start liking turkey and wrap your arms around that dark chocolate.
Alpha-gal allergies have a chance of going away over time but we’re talking some time. Like six or seven years down the line. But the best way to avoid triggering an alpha-gal allergy is to avoid getting it at all!
That’s right, we’re talking bug spray!
DEET that shit all over the place.
You should be wearing long sleeves and pants into any forested area or area where ticks are prevalent. On the cuffs of sleeves and pants, around the waistline, and the neck you need to be OFF-ing it up. Though I do recommend using the spray with the spritz rather than the aerosolized can. Give our environment a bit of a break and all that. It needs to be the ‘Deep Woods’ variety to really have the most benefit. Even with those conditions met, it is still recommended that you change clothes as soon as you go back indoors and check your body for little devil bugs asap.
Should you find one of the aforementioned hellspawn parasites attached to you, remove it gently from your skin with tweezers, making sure to remove the head. Once that’s done, you’ll want to put the tick in some tape, ziploc bag, or other such imprisonment. Doctors will have a much easier time testing the tick itself rather than you for the possibility of other diseases that may have been spread like Lyme.
Look for my post on Lyme disease to follow soon! Until then, stay sprayed and burn all the parasites with fire! 😀
It’s storytime, Journey-takers and Life Explorers!
Recently, I was diagnosed with an insidious new food allergy after a bite from a Lonestar Tick. Contrary to popular belief, this little pest is named for the white spot on it’s back rather than any actual connection to Texas. It’s stomping ground is the South-Eastern United States so never assume you’re out of its range! This tick is hard at work expanding it’s territories too so, anyone that spends any time outdoors, be on guard. Because of this Alpha-gal allergy, my immune system reacts to a carbohydrate found in the meats and products from any hooved animal. This includes dairy and gelatin.
Now let me tell you, this was not an easy adjustment to make. It isn’t a little allergy either. I ate a Christmas tree brownie for breakfast before my appointment and between the brownie and the test, ended up having an anaphylactic episode. I had to have two medications, a breathing treatment, and a shot of epinephrine to stop it. I am now a card carrying member of the Everyday-I’m-EpiPen’in club. I’m basically a vegan who still eats poultry. So…semi-vegetarian? I dunno.
Either way, there have been some things that I’ve had to learn pretty quickly and today I’m going to share my Stupid (Food) Allergy Survival Strategies or SASS! Because who doesn’t love throwing around a little sass now and then?
# 1. Know if your favorite menu items are safe.
I really really enjoy Wendy’s spicy chicken nuggets. Oh yeah. So delicious. But unfortunately many breadings that come cradling our favorite nuggs have dairy products thrown into the literal mix. Ya know, just for posterity’s sake. So when it was time for me to choose a lunch spot for Familia Maxwell to graze, the one true craving of my tiny, Americanized heart had to be some spicy, crunchy nuggets from Wendy’s.
But be still, dear reader! For this story has a happy ending! Wendy’s spicy nuggets and your favorite (not-so) French, fried side are Alpha-gal friendly! So, look up the menu and ingredients when that crunchable craving hits. Most allergen statements on restaurant websites are just going to say the obligatory, “Hey cross-contamination is a thing. We warned, can’t sue.” However, some helpful eateries like Panera Bread helpfully list vegan options and ingredients in their dishes on their website. Many do show allergens but only the most common eight so if, like me, you need to hunt down if that Thanksgiving turkey has gelatin used in the flavoring smear, you’ll need to hunt down an ingredients list or pack a brown bag.
#2. Know where you’re going to eat before you leave.
Hark! Number two is made a lot easier if you know where you want to eat before you go out! So, ladies, it’s time to just put your foot down, put on a pair of your favorite Not-So Passive Aggressive, killing-it red heels and tell your friends or partner or raging three year old where it’s easiest for you to eat. None of this “Oh, I’ll find something” crap and then we end up sitting there with a gross black coffee watching while everyone else eats and feels awkward as toilet bowl scented slime. Know where you can eat and explain your very limited options to people. It’s not an embarrassment. In some cases, it can be literally life or death or hours of gastrointestinal pain that feels like death.
#3. Find alternatives for your favorite delicious triggers.
Okay. Truth Train here, friends. I am not someone who is big on tofu. Nope. Not a bit. Almond butter? Yes. Almond chocolate milk? It’s chocolate, isn’t it? Then it’s a resounding yes. Tofu? Uh, no. However, throw all of those suckers into a silky, mouth watering chocolate mousse pie? Hells. To. Le Yeah.
Folks, sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sometimes bad food happens to good people. That’s called food poisoning. But mostly importantly, tasty alternatives to foods you love do exist. It may take some bravery and experimentation to find them but they’re out there. Now go get you some chocolate pie!
#4. Be knowledgeable about your allergy.
You would think this would be an obvious one but, alas, poor Yorick. We knew he was deathly allergic to the belladonna family of plants. Now he’s not. Why? Because he didn’t know a tomato was part of the belladonna family and guess what’s in tikka masala, kids? That’s right, silly Yorick. Tomatoes.
Especially if you’re allergy is of an uncommon variety, you need to know what the heck is in the things you may be ingesting, but most of all, you need to know about your allergy. Common questions like “Will it go away or can it be treated”, “Does the food trigger have any other names or byproducts?”, as well as fan-favorite, “Will this turn me into a competitor for Mr. Wonka’s Blueberry Girl if I eat it?”
Don’t be Blueberry Girl. Know your allergy so you don’t turn blue at all!
#5. Carry your allergy treatment.
This is an easy one to get lax about. Day after day you get so good about avoiding triggers and being every so careful that you stop carrying that life-saving EpiPen. After all, you haven’t needed it in ages! You’ve never needed it!
Until you do.
And all because Kevin in Accounting thought he’d play a stupid prank on the office tight-ass. A little lactose-intolerance is the only food allergy his half-baked brain knows of so surely it won’t be that bad to slip a little dairy into your specially marked creamer, right? Then there you are gasping like a fish out of water on the floor of the breakroom with no treatment to help get you to the hospital.
When it comes to a lack of oxygen, seconds can count. Carry your damn EpiPen and kick Kevin in the shins on your way out to the ER.
#6. Make sure you keep allergist and doctor appointments.
This is another one that is really easy to get lazy about. It’s so easy to just put off an appointment or to cancel and just never reschedule. Our everyday lives are so hectic, our days so busy, and hey! America’s Got Talent is on at that same time so…
Yet keeping those oftentimes unnecessary but sometimes critical appointments can make a huge difference in a person’s quality of life or in how your treatments may need to change to best manage your condition. You may be outgrowing your allergy and not need to worry quite so much or it may be that your allergy is worsening and a better treatment plan is available to you. You never know unless you go! So get out of your p-jams, set that show to record, and get your butt to your allergist!
Those are my survival strategies for staying ahead of my Alpha-gal allergy. The learning curve has been a painful one so let me know! Do you have any other tips or tricks you utilize to manage your allergy? Let us know in the comments!
Little Journeys Everywhere 