Wednesday, December 31, 2003

Kiss your food allergies goodbye

As you read the headline of this article, perhaps you thought “thank goodness I don’t have food allergies.” Well, based on statistics, chances are pretty good that you may just not know you have food allergies. Food allergies or food intolerances affect nearly everyone at some point. Some estimates put the figure as high as 6 to 7 million Americans suffering from food allergies.

And while people can be allergic to any food, eight foods account for 90 percent of food-allergic reactions. Milk, eggs, peanuts, other tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, etc.), fish, shellfish, soy and wheat are the most common food allergies. There is no cure for food allergies, but avoiding the food triggers can prevent allergic reactions.

Making food reactions a thing of the past is a great incentive for changing your diet. But even if you don’t have food allergies, we all know we should be paying more attention to eating healthfully. But making different and better choices means being willing to try foods you may be unfamiliar with.

The natural foods section of your local supermarket and your co-op or health food store are good sources of natural, healthy, food options, many of which might be new to you. For example, Mochi (pronounced mo-chee), a delicious bake-and-serve rice puff, can be served as a snack, breakfast food, or hors d’oeuvre.

“Mochi is crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. It puffs when you bake it, so it’s fun for kids, too,” said Tony Plotkin of Grainaissance, a natural foods company. Enjoy it plain, or with dips and fillings of your choice. You can pan fry it and top with pizza ingredients, make dumplings by adding small squares to soup or even make Mochi waffles.

Another good choice for gluten-free diets is Amazake, a naturally sweet, rich, refreshing shake made from whole grain organic brown rice. Pure ingredients like vanilla, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, bananas and mangoes are added to create a variety of delicious flavors.

“Mochi and Amazake are great examples of foods that serve the needs of people with conditions like celiac disease (gluten intolerance), but which are also a healthful alternative for people interested in eating right,” said Plotkin. “We set out to make great-tasting food which just happens to be gluten free.”

Here’s a recipe for waffles using Mochi which would be a good addition to any breakfast plate.

Grainaissance Mochi can be found in the dairy or freezer case. It comes in eight distinctive flavors: Raisin-Cinnamon, Sesame-Garlic, Super Seed, Cashew-Date, Plain, Wheatgrass with Mugwort, Pizza and Chocolate Brownie with Walnuts. Look for Amazake in the refrigerated section. Choose from a wide variety of flavors, including Tiger Chai, Coco-Latte Decaf, Amazing Mango, and Oh So Original.

Finding new, healthy foods you love will payoff in many ways: you’ll feel great, have renewed energy and enjoy fresh flavors.

For more information on Mochi and Amazake, visit www.grainaissance.com or call (800) GRAIN-97.