With an alarming increase in the number of people diagnosed with food allergies—the majority being children under the age of eighteen—supermarket shelves are looking much different than they did in the recent past. In an effort to meet consumer needs, stores now offer a wide variety of allergen-free products—snack foods like chips and crackers, sweet treats like cookies and cakes, fresh and frozen prepared foods, and the list goes on. While this certainly seems like a positive step in catering to an obvious demand, it also comes with a possible downside.

The problem is that the majority of commercially made products, although allergen free, are often nutrient free, as well. They tend to be highly processed and loaded with undesirable, health-compromising ingredients like refined sugar, trans fats, preservatives, and artificial colorings and flavorings. Anyone dealing with a food allergy knows that avoiding the problematic ingredient is critical; but maintaining overall good health through a nutritious diet is just as important. So how can you serve food that is not only safe to eat, but nutritionally sound as well? The answer lies in the pages of this book.

The Ultimate Allergy-Free Cookbook provides over 150 tasty vegetarian/vegan recipes that are free of the top eight allergenic foods according to the current assessment of the United States Food and Drug Administration. That means each recipe is made without eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. They are also free of gluten and refined white sugar. (Very few allergy-free cookbooks can make this claim. Often, the recipes are free of one or two of the top allergenic ingredients, but not all of them.) As an added bonus, the dishes in this book are wholesome and nutritious—rich in whole grains and fiber, and low in fat and calories. They also call for ingredients that are readily available and affordable, and best of all, they are simple to prepare. Easy-to-follow step-by-step directions guarantee that even the most inexperienced cooks will enjoy successful results.

Perhaps most important, everything tastes good! After all, even the most nutritious foods aren’t beneficial if no one eats them. That’s why you’ll find that the dishes in this book—the soups and salads, the smoothies and snacks, as well as the entrées, side dishes, and desserts—are tasty and satisfying. Your family will enjoy eating them, and you will feel good about serving them.

Along with the recipes, The Ultimate Allergy-Free Cookbook also offers a wealth of information and support for anyone living with food allergies. It shares important guidelines for setting up an allergen-free kitchen, instructions on how to read food labels, and tips for avoiding cross-contamination of allergenic ingredients. A comprehensive table of ingredient substitutions provides options for a number of common food allergens. With it, you will be able to easily adjust most recipes to suit your particular needs. This book also discusses healthful food options, including the importance of choosing organic products and avoiding genetically modified foods, which can be especially harmful to those with food allergies. Also included is an extensive resource section that provides an invaluable listing of websites, organizations, recommended products, and reliable manufacturers that support an allergen-free lifestyle.

This truly is the ultimate allergy-free cookbook. It doesn’t matter which of the top allergenic foods you must avoid, or if the allergy is mild or severe. You can serve all of the delectable dishes in this book without fear of a reaction. Best of all, the recipes are not just for those with allergies—everyone can enjoy them.