Peanut Allergy Diet

General guidelines for peanut allergy:

The key to an allergy-free diet is to avoid all foods or products containing the food to which you are allergic. A peanut allergy is an abnormal response of the body to the proteins found in peanuts. In order to avoid foods that contain peanuts, it is important to read food labels.

How to read a label for a peanut-free diet:

Be sure to avoid foods that contain any of the following ingredients:

• Artificial nuts

• Beer nuts

• Cold pressed, expressed, or expelled peanut oil

• Goobers

• Ground nuts

• Mixed nuts

• Monkey nuts

• Nu-Nuts® artificial nuts

• Peanuts

• Peanut butter

• Peanut flour

Foods that may indicate the presence of peanut protein include:

• African, Chinese, Mexican, Thai, and other ethnic dishes

• Baked goods

• Candy

• Cereals

• Chili, spaghetti sauce

• Chocolate (candy, candy bars)

• Crackers

• Egg rolls

• Enchilada sauce

• Flavoring (natural and artificial) 

• Hydrolyzed plant protein

• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

• Ice creams, frozen yogurts, tofutti

• Marzipan

• Nougat

Other possible sources of peanuts or peanut products:

• Studies show that most allergic individuals can safely eat foods containing peanut oil, unless it is cold pressed, expressed, expelled peanut oil. Avoid cold pressed, expressed, and expelled peanut oil.

• Peanuts are very allergenic and have the potential to cause fatal reactions if ingested by peanut allergic individuals.

• Ethnic foods, commercially prepared baked goods, and candy can be cross-contaminated with peanuts since peanuts are frequently used in these types of foods.

• Peanut butter and/or peanut flour have been used in homemade chili and spaghetti sauce as thickeners.

• Hydrolyzed plant and vegetable protein may be peanut in imported foods, but is typically soy in foods from the US.

• Nu-Nuts® artificial nuts are peanuts that have been deflavored and reflavored with a nut like pecan or walnut.