Food allergies appear when your immune system overreacts to a harmless food protein – an allergen. In the U.S., the common food allergens are milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish. Food allergies are not the same as food intolerances, and food allergy symptoms may overlap with symptoms of other medical conditions, so it is important to have your food allergy confirmed with an appropriate evaluation.
ALLERGEN FRIENDLY ITEMS OFFERED DAILY
Allergen-friendly items are prepared without the 8 major allergens. Typical allergen-friendly menu items at our Dining Centers include:
- Stir fry with rice and a choice of chicken or vegetables
- Tacos with a choice of chicken or steak, corn tortillas, grilled vegetables, Mexican rice, refried beans, and toppings
- Allergen-friendly spaghetti, allergen-friendly garlic bread, and capri vegetables
- Baked chicken breast, carved turkey, mashed potatoes, and baked sweet potatoes
- Allergen-friendly desserts
- And many more
WHAT FOOD TO AVOID IF YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING ALLERGIES:
milk
- Butter or Margarine
- Milk (in all forms including condensed, dry, evaporated, goat’s milk and milk from other animals.)
- Cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Cream and custard
- Pudding
- Yogurt
- Some baked goods
- Chocolate
egg
- Egg (dried, powdered, solids, white, yolk)
- Egg substitutes
- Fried rice
- Mayonnaise
- Meringue
- Meatloaf or meatballs
- Baked goods
- Marshmallows
- Some pastas
peanut
- Peanut butter
- Peanut flour
- Peanut oil or arachis oil
- Nut pieces or mixed nuts
- Candy that includes peanuts
soy
- Cold-pressed, expelled or extruded soy oil
- Edamame
- Tempeh
- Tofu
- Soybean
- Soy protein
- Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
- Soy sauce
- Baked goods
- Cereals, cookies and crackers
- Most high-protein energy bars and snacks
- Canned broths, soups, and sauces
wheat
- Wheat (bran, durum, germ, gluten, grass, malt, starch)
- Flour (all-purpose, bread, cake, enriched, instant, pastry, whole wheat)
- Pasta
- Breakfast cereals
- Couscous
- Baked goods
- Breaded foods
- Most crackers and potato chips
nut
- Almond
- Artificial nuts
- Cashew
- Chestnut
- Coconut
- Hazelnut
- Pistachio
- Hickory nut
- Ginkgo nut
- Pecan
- Macadamia nut
- Pine nut
- Walnut
- Natural nut extract (almond, walnut)
- Nut butters (cashew butter)
- Nut milk (almond milk, cashew milk)
fish
- Anchovies
- Bass
- Catfish
- Cod
- Flounder
- Herring
- Mahi Mahi
- Pike
- Salmon
- Swordfish
- Tilapia
- Trout
- Tuna
- Fish oil
- Fish sticks
Double check these items for unexpected sources of fish:
- Barbecue sauce
- Caesar salad and Caesar dressing
- Worcestershire sauce
shellfish
- Crab
- Crawfish
- Lobster
- Shrimp
- Mussels
- Oysters
- Sea urchin
- Scallops
- Snails
- Squid
- Seafood flavoring (crab or clam extract)
External Resources:
FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education)
ACAAI (American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology)
Mayo Clinic Food Allergies Overview
FOOD ALLERGY DISCLAIMER
Eastern Illinois University (Panther) Dining Services will make every effort to identify ingredients that may cause allergic reactions for those individuals with food allergies. Every effort is made to instruct our food production staff on the severity of food allergies. Because of the number of meals served and the number of items used each day, along with food product changes by our food vendor, we may not identify and label every allergen in the food that is being served. There is also the possibility that manufacturers of the commercial foods we use could change the formulation at any time, without notice. Customers concerned with food allergies need to be aware of this risk.
Panther Dining Service cannot assume any liability for adverse reactions to food consumed, or items one may come in contact with while eating at any University Dining facility or catered event. Please contact our Nutrition Graduate Assistant at pdiningnutrition@eiu.edu if you need help with:
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Food allergies
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Food intolerances
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Special diets
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Other dietary concerns
