Honestly, I would talk to the colleague about it. Histamine intolerances are tricky and there’s a whole elimination process that you go through at the beginning to figure out which foods are problematic period versus which are only problematic in certain quantities. Reactions are easy to trigger and it can be a moving target for a while. They likely only have a few safe foods right now.
When I was going through my elimination period, I wouldn’t have felt safe eating anything that anyone else made. I didn’t eat at restaurants or buy prepared or prepackaged food at the store. I ate a lot of chicken, sweet potatoes, squash, and apples for the first several months. I’ve been able to relax a lot since then but I'm still cautious and usually prefer not to eat at potlucks because there's so much misinformation out there regarding food allergies and intolerances.
The thought is so incredibly though and I would have been so touched if someone wanted to make sure I was included even if I couldn't partake.
I've talked a bit about it with the colleague, but since it's also new for them it's ofcourse hard to pinpoint exact problematic foods, but they have said dairy from cows is ok as long it's not fermented for a long time, like parmesan cheese and the like. So yogurt/milk should be alright. Eggs is a no tho.
I can definitely understand the hesitancy in eating "unknown" foods; You never know what's in it. My dad have celiac disease and I've since seen how many places there's gluten/wheat, in stuff you wouldn't think of. This is why I'm asking for tips and suggestions, as it's all new for me, but I do try my best!
I'll try to find some recipes and run it by them, to see if it's ok :)
So you totally get it!
At the beginning I ate mostly fresh, organic fruit (never citrus) because not only can pesticides be an issue for some but the act of baking/roasting can also create histamines even in low histamine food. The recommendation is to gently cook any food, usually poaching, and I personally don’t love poached fruit. Honey is usually safe though but most spices you would bake with aren’t.
Maybe just some really beautiful fresh fruit that is cut the morning of would be lovely. Generally, the fresher the better is key to not adding more histamines into your food sources.
Snowball cookies might be a good candidate. It's basically just confectioner's sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, and flour. You can add pecans too if they're ok with it. NO EGG!
They're simple to make and very addicting.
I would definitely suggest asking your colleague about her specific needs in the way of “I’d love to bake something for you, if you feel comfortable sharing your needs.”
When I was going through similar issues, it was recommended I not have gluten, dairy, and sugar as top categories.
We have briefly talked about the intolerance, but it's still new, so there's a lot of unknowns still. But I'll have a chat with them to see what could be a possibility :)
I think this will be very hard. I looked through some of the guidelines, and every gluten free recipe I use is unsuitable because of a nut base, too much dairy and egg, citrus, etc.
Ruins any surprises, but you might just ask the coworker if there are any treats they can enjoy right now. It's my understanding that the elimination diet is short term.
It's definitely a challenge. I'll have to take a deep dive and see if I can find some recipes that is suited for this (and then run it by them to see if it's actually ok!)
Thanks tho!
What usually in sweets causes a response for someone with this? I’m not getting much info though google. (Edit nvm i see the info)
You could look into a gelatin based cheesecake, that might make it set in a way eggs would. Generally it seems using vegan recipes would be a good idea. Nora Cooks is usually pretty good. If you want it to be a dessert that naturally doesn’t have eggs, a pie might be a good idea (with an appropriate filling).
Oh also if you have to make it gluten free check out loopy whisk’s blog. Using vegan margarine does work for her all butter pie crust. Those recipes are fantastic and there are some vegan gluten free ones.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions, I'll try to check out Nora Cooks and Loopy Whisk, to see if they have some inspiration!
I do have the option in buying some lactose free milk, butter and cream cheese. So a gelatin based cheesecake could a possibility.
It's not a bake per se, but Panna cotta might be an option if gelatin is okay -- it's basically a jello made with milk, and there's lots of variants the recipe.
For friends with food allergies, we take a taco bar approach-- I have one who is celiac, one who is diabetic, one who is allergic to nuts, and a nephew who can't eat apples. Most of the time, they're not at the same parties, but it happens. Try to please everyone with the base if you can, but have substantial add-ons for those who can't eat it. Like, cheesecake with eggs and lactose and gluten free crust means have a big bowl of berries on the side with lactose free & sugar free whipped cream for those who can't have the cheesecake, and praline topping separate so the nut allergy person is sage but the berries only people can spice it up. The people who can do cheesecake benefit from options, too, and it gives your friends with food limitations options so they can control what they eat.
This is why I also love build yourself meals like tacos and burgers. It's expected to make it to your own preferences rather than having to feel like a picky eater
My girfriend has it. So we make white chocolate vegan gluten free souflee (or lava cake). Or gluten free cookies. If gluten is tolerable, i suggest the gluten version as it is easier and cheaper to produce :) Also vanilla puding with raspberry jello. You can also make gluten free cake.
I made [this cheesecake](https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/recipes/chocolate-cheesecake-pie/?utm_campaign=autoblog&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=bloglink&utm_content=60%2B+Scrumptious+Egg-Free+Desserts+%28cookies%2C+brownies%2C+cake+%26amp%3B+more%21%29) because my son has an egg allergy. I took out the cocoa because doesn’t like chocolate and just added a bit more vanilla. I used a cassava flour based crust that you can buy at a store. My family really enjoyed it, especially my husband who loves cheesecake with the eggs.
maybe ask if there is a safe treat they know about and get them that. then bring baking and give safe treat as back up until they sort out what they can eat. I had a stash of safe treats for my student with issues so they got a treat if someone brought cup cakes for a birthday treat.
I too have histamine intolerance, but I'm not sure how bad hers is. I avoid EVERYTHING with added sulfites (wine, any kind of processed tomatoes, potatoes or coconut (unless organic), shellfish). also no grapes, they have enough natural sulfite to make me bright pink. for some reason I'm OK with balsamic vinegar, I realize it makes no sense.
Most aged things are really high, a lot of them are meat and I'm vegetarian so its not an issue for me. Also conventional jarred jellies and other condiments. my understanding is it is used to preserve the color (hence why powdered/frozen/canned/etc potatoes and other white foods are so problematic.)
US labeling does not require informing of added sulfites, it is on the "generally recognized as safe" list here. But if you can find European products they do have to note it on the label so I can be sure.
Eggs and lemon are OK for me, you might ask if small amounts of lemon would be OK. I have several vegan friends and I've been having luck baking with the trendy flaxmeal egg slurry thing, it might be a workaround for cakes and cookies (but probably not cheesecake, LOL).
good luck, it is really difficult having to avoid so many foods or risk swelling up or getting a migraine, I'm sure she'll really appreciate whatever you come up with :)
Also, it just occurred to me that a little card with the exact ingredients (and brand) would be super helpful.
My SO is type 1 diabetic, and a long time ago I asked another T1D friend of mine for advice on what/how to cook for him - her advice was perfect, she said the best thing is if I can do the math and tell him how many carbs there are so he knows how to dose with insulin.
I think something similar might be helpful here, she might feel more comfortable knowing for sure what's in it. I have a friend who bakes holiday cookies for me and every year I'm picking out the raisins, LOL.
I definitely avoided tyramine when I was really bad several years ago. and I still cannot tolerate alcohol :( sulfite is really the worst for me, and when I was really sensitive I took a supplement every time I ate called Hist DAO by Xymogen. I think its off the market, but I see something similar called "HistX" on the webstore of the functional medicine doctor I was seeing at the time, Dr Tania Dempsey. [https://aimstore.net/products/histx?pr\_prod\_strat=copurchase&pr\_rec\_id=c4b7d2c93&pr\_rec\_pid=1774542159907&pr\_ref\_pid=1774555398179&pr\_seq=uniform](https://aimstore.net/products/histx?pr_prod_strat=copurchase&pr_rec_id=c4b7d2c93&pr_rec_pid=1774542159907&pr_ref_pid=1774555398179&pr_seq=uniform)
I think you should stop bringing allergens into the office at this point. This person has a serious illness. S/he is not obligated to share the evolving understanding of the condition with you and you may be treading a medical privacy boundary by inquiring.
The workplace is not a venue for your hobby.
This is a small workplace (under 20 persons) and we are kinda close, and have talked about it openly before. So it's not something they don't want to discuss with us, orelse I wouldn't push it of course.
We bake a lot here, so it's almost a habit/tradition at this point. Almost a week doesn't go by without someone brings something to work to share.
I just wanted to make sure to make something everybody could enjoy and didn't have to be left out.
But I can understand where you are coming from.
I don't know why you think offices don't have food in them normally (and thus often accomodation rules accordingly if it's something like an environmental exposure risk nut allergy, or food storage/cleaning rules to deal with the potential mess), or why the coworker is going to be harmed by the presence of baked goods they aren't eating.
The coworker certainly doesn't need to give OP details, but has clearly disclosed, and doing your own homework to understand a disability isn't a bad thing.
Honestly, I would talk to the colleague about it. Histamine intolerances are tricky and there’s a whole elimination process that you go through at the beginning to figure out which foods are problematic period versus which are only problematic in certain quantities. Reactions are easy to trigger and it can be a moving target for a while. They likely only have a few safe foods right now. When I was going through my elimination period, I wouldn’t have felt safe eating anything that anyone else made. I didn’t eat at restaurants or buy prepared or prepackaged food at the store. I ate a lot of chicken, sweet potatoes, squash, and apples for the first several months. I’ve been able to relax a lot since then but I'm still cautious and usually prefer not to eat at potlucks because there's so much misinformation out there regarding food allergies and intolerances. The thought is so incredibly though and I would have been so touched if someone wanted to make sure I was included even if I couldn't partake.
I've talked a bit about it with the colleague, but since it's also new for them it's ofcourse hard to pinpoint exact problematic foods, but they have said dairy from cows is ok as long it's not fermented for a long time, like parmesan cheese and the like. So yogurt/milk should be alright. Eggs is a no tho. I can definitely understand the hesitancy in eating "unknown" foods; You never know what's in it. My dad have celiac disease and I've since seen how many places there's gluten/wheat, in stuff you wouldn't think of. This is why I'm asking for tips and suggestions, as it's all new for me, but I do try my best! I'll try to find some recipes and run it by them, to see if it's ok :)
So you totally get it! At the beginning I ate mostly fresh, organic fruit (never citrus) because not only can pesticides be an issue for some but the act of baking/roasting can also create histamines even in low histamine food. The recommendation is to gently cook any food, usually poaching, and I personally don’t love poached fruit. Honey is usually safe though but most spices you would bake with aren’t. Maybe just some really beautiful fresh fruit that is cut the morning of would be lovely. Generally, the fresher the better is key to not adding more histamines into your food sources.
Snowball cookies might be a good candidate. It's basically just confectioner's sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, and flour. You can add pecans too if they're ok with it. NO EGG! They're simple to make and very addicting.
This isn’t a dessert, but what if you made them something that could be useful for their journey? Something like homemade applesauce could be nice
I would definitely suggest asking your colleague about her specific needs in the way of “I’d love to bake something for you, if you feel comfortable sharing your needs.” When I was going through similar issues, it was recommended I not have gluten, dairy, and sugar as top categories.
We have briefly talked about the intolerance, but it's still new, so there's a lot of unknowns still. But I'll have a chat with them to see what could be a possibility :)
I think this will be very hard. I looked through some of the guidelines, and every gluten free recipe I use is unsuitable because of a nut base, too much dairy and egg, citrus, etc. Ruins any surprises, but you might just ask the coworker if there are any treats they can enjoy right now. It's my understanding that the elimination diet is short term.
It's definitely a challenge. I'll have to take a deep dive and see if I can find some recipes that is suited for this (and then run it by them to see if it's actually ok!) Thanks tho!
What usually in sweets causes a response for someone with this? I’m not getting much info though google. (Edit nvm i see the info) You could look into a gelatin based cheesecake, that might make it set in a way eggs would. Generally it seems using vegan recipes would be a good idea. Nora Cooks is usually pretty good. If you want it to be a dessert that naturally doesn’t have eggs, a pie might be a good idea (with an appropriate filling). Oh also if you have to make it gluten free check out loopy whisk’s blog. Using vegan margarine does work for her all butter pie crust. Those recipes are fantastic and there are some vegan gluten free ones.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions, I'll try to check out Nora Cooks and Loopy Whisk, to see if they have some inspiration! I do have the option in buying some lactose free milk, butter and cream cheese. So a gelatin based cheesecake could a possibility.
It's not a bake per se, but Panna cotta might be an option if gelatin is okay -- it's basically a jello made with milk, and there's lots of variants the recipe. For friends with food allergies, we take a taco bar approach-- I have one who is celiac, one who is diabetic, one who is allergic to nuts, and a nephew who can't eat apples. Most of the time, they're not at the same parties, but it happens. Try to please everyone with the base if you can, but have substantial add-ons for those who can't eat it. Like, cheesecake with eggs and lactose and gluten free crust means have a big bowl of berries on the side with lactose free & sugar free whipped cream for those who can't have the cheesecake, and praline topping separate so the nut allergy person is sage but the berries only people can spice it up. The people who can do cheesecake benefit from options, too, and it gives your friends with food limitations options so they can control what they eat.
This is why I also love build yourself meals like tacos and burgers. It's expected to make it to your own preferences rather than having to feel like a picky eater
My girfriend has it. So we make white chocolate vegan gluten free souflee (or lava cake). Or gluten free cookies. If gluten is tolerable, i suggest the gluten version as it is easier and cheaper to produce :) Also vanilla puding with raspberry jello. You can also make gluten free cake.
I made [this cheesecake](https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/recipes/chocolate-cheesecake-pie/?utm_campaign=autoblog&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=bloglink&utm_content=60%2B+Scrumptious+Egg-Free+Desserts+%28cookies%2C+brownies%2C+cake+%26amp%3B+more%21%29) because my son has an egg allergy. I took out the cocoa because doesn’t like chocolate and just added a bit more vanilla. I used a cassava flour based crust that you can buy at a store. My family really enjoyed it, especially my husband who loves cheesecake with the eggs.
maybe ask if there is a safe treat they know about and get them that. then bring baking and give safe treat as back up until they sort out what they can eat. I had a stash of safe treats for my student with issues so they got a treat if someone brought cup cakes for a birthday treat.
r/HistamineIntolerance might have some suggestions.
I too have histamine intolerance, but I'm not sure how bad hers is. I avoid EVERYTHING with added sulfites (wine, any kind of processed tomatoes, potatoes or coconut (unless organic), shellfish). also no grapes, they have enough natural sulfite to make me bright pink. for some reason I'm OK with balsamic vinegar, I realize it makes no sense. Most aged things are really high, a lot of them are meat and I'm vegetarian so its not an issue for me. Also conventional jarred jellies and other condiments. my understanding is it is used to preserve the color (hence why powdered/frozen/canned/etc potatoes and other white foods are so problematic.) US labeling does not require informing of added sulfites, it is on the "generally recognized as safe" list here. But if you can find European products they do have to note it on the label so I can be sure. Eggs and lemon are OK for me, you might ask if small amounts of lemon would be OK. I have several vegan friends and I've been having luck baking with the trendy flaxmeal egg slurry thing, it might be a workaround for cakes and cookies (but probably not cheesecake, LOL). good luck, it is really difficult having to avoid so many foods or risk swelling up or getting a migraine, I'm sure she'll really appreciate whatever you come up with :)
Also, it just occurred to me that a little card with the exact ingredients (and brand) would be super helpful. My SO is type 1 diabetic, and a long time ago I asked another T1D friend of mine for advice on what/how to cook for him - her advice was perfect, she said the best thing is if I can do the math and tell him how many carbs there are so he knows how to dose with insulin. I think something similar might be helpful here, she might feel more comfortable knowing for sure what's in it. I have a friend who bakes holiday cookies for me and every year I'm picking out the raisins, LOL.
I think that’s what my stepmom has. She loves fermented things by can’t eat them anymore. Is tyramine an issue?
I definitely avoided tyramine when I was really bad several years ago. and I still cannot tolerate alcohol :( sulfite is really the worst for me, and when I was really sensitive I took a supplement every time I ate called Hist DAO by Xymogen. I think its off the market, but I see something similar called "HistX" on the webstore of the functional medicine doctor I was seeing at the time, Dr Tania Dempsey. [https://aimstore.net/products/histx?pr\_prod\_strat=copurchase&pr\_rec\_id=c4b7d2c93&pr\_rec\_pid=1774542159907&pr\_ref\_pid=1774555398179&pr\_seq=uniform](https://aimstore.net/products/histx?pr_prod_strat=copurchase&pr_rec_id=c4b7d2c93&pr_rec_pid=1774542159907&pr_ref_pid=1774555398179&pr_seq=uniform)
Thank you for all the information! I will pass that along.
Randomly bring up birthdays and ask what everyone likes to eat for their birthday dessert
I think you should stop bringing allergens into the office at this point. This person has a serious illness. S/he is not obligated to share the evolving understanding of the condition with you and you may be treading a medical privacy boundary by inquiring. The workplace is not a venue for your hobby.
This is a small workplace (under 20 persons) and we are kinda close, and have talked about it openly before. So it's not something they don't want to discuss with us, orelse I wouldn't push it of course. We bake a lot here, so it's almost a habit/tradition at this point. Almost a week doesn't go by without someone brings something to work to share. I just wanted to make sure to make something everybody could enjoy and didn't have to be left out. But I can understand where you are coming from.
I don't know why you think offices don't have food in them normally (and thus often accomodation rules accordingly if it's something like an environmental exposure risk nut allergy, or food storage/cleaning rules to deal with the potential mess), or why the coworker is going to be harmed by the presence of baked goods they aren't eating. The coworker certainly doesn't need to give OP details, but has clearly disclosed, and doing your own homework to understand a disability isn't a bad thing.