Kicking off the Allergy Avocat

For my entire life, I have had severe food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs, and moderate allergies to shellfish, soy, and legumes. Despite this lengthy list of food allergies, I have always loved to bake and cook.

When I tell people my long list of food allergies, most reply with “Are there any foods that you can eat?” Well, actually, I can eat a lot of foods, and teaching myself to cook has only expanded my options. When I cook, I experiment with different ingredients to determine what foods I can use as substitutes for eggs or nuts, and am able to make complex, delicious meals that everyone enjoys. I want to spread the word that having food allergies doesn’t have to be a life sentence to bland meals of tasteless chicken and rice.

I’ve learned a lot about navigating food allergies as I’ve grown up, like how to manage anxiety around having a reaction, how to communicate my allergies at restaurants or family gatherings, and how to feel confident talking to my friends about my dietary needs.

Having to avoid so many foods also encouraged me to learn about how to make sure I’m still getting balanced, nutritious meals. As a runner, I know how important it is to eat well, because that translates directly into how you feel and how you perform.

I created theAllergyAvocat blog because I wanted to share my passion for cooking with the food allergy community, and I felt like I had a lot to say about what it’s like growing up with food allergies. I also wanted to share and receive stories and tips from other food allergy teens, to create an online community of support and awareness that can be a resource for anyone- whether that be a food allergy teen seeking out a recipe or some advice, or anyone who is curious to learn about food allergies.

When I created the blog, I had three main goals in mind:

1. To share my favorite allergy friendly recipes and prove that allergy-free cooking/baking is easy and delicious.
2. To promote food allergy awareness by sharing my own experiences with food allergies.
3. To create an interactive space for other food allergy teens to share their own experiences and resources, and that can be used as a resource for advice and support.

On my blog, I post my favorite allergy-friendly recipes, and label them with the allergens they contain. I suggest allergen substitutions to help food-allergic individuals adjust the recipes to suit their needs. I also post about my experiences growing up with food allergies, suggestions I have about navigating the difficulties of allergies, and initiate discussions on what it’s like to be a teen living with food allergies.

I encourage anyone to visit my page at  to check out my posts, and sign up to comment or create a post of your own! I’d love to hear from you and start a dialogue.

You can also find me on Instagram @theallergyavocat