The holiday season is here. This can be a difficult time for some of us, especially if you are new to this lifestyle. The holidays are all about getting together and sharing delicious food. It's a complete bummer when we have to say no to our favorite dishes. Although this year may look different for a lot of us due to the pandemic, I'm still looking forward to recreating many family recipes that I love with a low nickel twist. In hopes of make your holiday season a little more enjoyable and a little less stressful, I've decided to create a guide for the holidays. I would also like to thank you for being a part of this community. I find so much strength in helping others with this allergy. It's one of the many silver linings I have found with this allergy.
Food Guide
PROTEIN
Enjoy: any fresh, natural chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, duck, eggs, etc.. Fish is okay if it is fresh, ideally it's frozen at sea and rapidly defrosted.
Avoid: processed, aged, cured, smoked, dried or canned meat or fish and mollusks shellfish (clams, mussels, oysters & scallops). Avoid nuts, seeds & beans.
FRUITS & VEGETABLES
Enjoy: most fresh fruit & vegetables are fine to enjoy except for those listed below. Tip - wash well, peel and boil to decrease the amount of nickel.
Avoid: kale, collards, spinach, mature lettuces, green beans, tomatoes, avocados, raspberries, pineapple, coconut & anything canned. If you are sensitive to histamine avoid citrus fruits, eggplant, strawberry, banana, pear & papaya.
GRAINS
Enjoy: white rice, white pasta, gnocchi, quinoa, white bread & corn-based products.
Avoid: whole wheat, brown rice, or any highly processed products that contain soy.
CONDIMENTS
Enjoy: mayonnaise, homemade gravy and sauces that do not contain soy or tomato, salt, fresh herbs & spices (easy on the spices if you are in a reactive state).
Avoid: tomato-based sauces, anything with soy, chocolate and highly processed ingredients you can't pronounce.
FATS/DAIRY
Enjoy: fresh dairy products, butter, olive oil, avocado oil (most oils are low in nickel).
Avoid: processed dairy with gums/fillers/additives. Some people are sensitive to soybean oil. If you have a histamine intolerance avoid aged or fermented dairy such as sour cream, yogurt & kefir.
Tips For Going Out
Take extra vitamin C.
Stay hydrated.
Don't go out starving, eat a snack before.
Bring a low nickel dish if you are going to someone's house.
Eat a very low nickel diet leading up to an event.
Bring your own nickel-free utensils, use a barrier cream or hold utensils with bar napkins.
Avoid acidic dishes if they were cooked in stainless steel.
Avoid nuts, seeds, beans, soy, whole grains, tomatoes & CHOCOLATE.
Wear a mask and enjoy!
Alcohol Guide
From a nickel perspective most alcohol is fine to enjoy as long as it's not from a can; however, many of us have histamine issues.
Enjoy: hard alcohol that isn't aged - vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey etc.
Avoid: if you have histamine issues avoid wine, beer, aged hard alcohol, mixers that contain citrus, olives & tomato juice.
