Nutrition

Eczema Friendly Thanksgiving Dinner

November 21, 2009
By Melanie Nader

A favorite and festive holiday for most people is Thanksgiving. It is a time to come together with family and friends and give thanks for our health and prosperity. Let’s not forget to mention too how wonderful the food is and how fun it is to cook all day with our family and watch some competitive football games. There are traditional Thanksgiving foods that are cooked every year that we wait in anticipation for like green bean casserole and a perfectly baked turkey. Some foods, however, can cause allergies and eczema flare ups. Here are some menu items to make a perfect Thanksgiving dinner that won’t cause an eczema flare up.

Dairy products such as milk are a common known trigger. A traditional side eaten every year is green bean casserole. Two ingredients used to make this dish are cream of mushroom soup and milk. Instead of adding milk, you can substitute rice milk. If you don’t like the taste of rice milk, you could cook the green beans in vegetable broth and then add friend onions on top for some crunch after they are cooked how you like them.

Milk is also used to make mashed potatoes. A lot of recipes advise adding butter or margarine for added flavor and creamy potatoes. Substitute rice milk and use real butter and this should make the potatoes for allergy/eczema friendly. If the substitutions don’t quite have the flavor you like, you can make mashed cauliflower which is very healthy, tasty, and has the same consistency as mashed potatoes.

Wheat and breads also cause eczema flare ups. Instead of making rolls, you can make or buy fresh rye bread. There are many different types of breads that aren’t made with yeast or wheat. Try something like quinoa or spelt bread to make you stuffing with. You may need to play around with stuffing recipes using these breads in advance because it can take trial and error to get the best stuffing recipe. Recipes with substitutions need some tweaking but always take very good as a traditional recipe.

Pies of all varieties are a great dessert and offer a sweet taste after such a savory meal. When choosing which pies to bake for your after dinner treat, avoid acidic fruits and nuts. Instead of making pecan pie, make pumpkin pie instead. If you are making fruit pies, don’t use any fruits that are acidic. Also, artificial sweeteners are known to cause flare ups, so use real sugar. A little bit of sugar during the holidays can be a healthy splurge in this case.

Processed foods and chemical additives should also be avoided when planning your dinner menu. Use organic ingredients and spend a few extra dollars purchasing an organic turkey as well. The meat and produce will taste better, are healthier for you, and won’t cause eczema flare ups. Most prepackaged foods will cause skin irritation, so use all fresh ingredients in your recipes and invite friends and family to help you cook everything from scratch.

Allergies and eczema causes are different for everyone. If some of these foods don’t cause a flare up for you, then by all means stick to the original recipe. Keeping a food journal will help you keep track of what causes you problems or not. Plan your menu in advance, look at the recipes, and substitute ingredients as needed. Your Thanksgiving dinner will be perfect and very tasty.

Melanie Nader is the founder of the Homestead Company which makes premium quality natural skin care products including eczema oil and diaper ointment made with the finest 100% natural ingredients. For more information, visit http://www.homesteadcompany.com.

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