Food allergies can be more than just a nuisance. Omitting entire food groups or certain foods can leave those individuals with vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Those who suffer with allergies to things like dairy, nuts, certain fruits and other edibles are challenged with finding suitable substitutions for those things in their diet. To counteract the potential negative effects from a deficiency, here are some substitution options for common foods that sometimes cause allergies.

Dairy Milk

Dairy milk is difficult for some people to digest. In certain individuals, dairy milk causes bloating, gas and other discomfort. The calcium in dairy milk will be missed in those who keep it out of their diet.

If you are allergic to dairy milk, which comes from cows, you should ask your doctor if goat or sheep's milk might be okay to try. Cow's milk has specific proteins just as all mammal's milk, and you might have little or no reaction to another kind of animal milk.

If you find that you also cannot tolerate goat or sheep's milk, you might try almond milk or cashew milk. Both of these are available in supermarkets where milk is sold. All of these substitutions can provide your body with calcium, which you miss out on when you eliminate cow's milk from your diet.

Peanuts

Peanut allergies can cause symptoms ranging from the innocuous to life threatening. Those with peanut allergies miss out on one of the best sources of protein in the diet. One cup of peanuts has 38 grams of protein.

A nice substitution for peanuts is sunflower seeds. Inexpensive and nutritious, sunflower seeds have 29 grams of protein per cupful. If you are allergic to peanuts and looking for a tasty alternative that can be used as a snack or in recipes, sunflower seeds might be for you. Look for sunflower seeds that have already been shelled, for convenience sake.

Strawberries

Allergies to strawberries are so common that many people refuse to try them even if they haven't been officially diagnosed. If you are allergic to strawberries or you make sure you never eat them, you are missing out on a powerful antioxidant.

To help fill in the gap caused by eliminating strawberries, try consuming other berries, such as blueberries. Studies have shown that blueberries in particular are chock full of antioxidants that help with an array of issues in the body. You can find berries year round in your grocer's freezer section.

The best substitutions for food allergy sufferers are those that contain the same or similar nutrients as the foods that must be avoided. The alternatives offered here are intended as an inspiring start to a lifelong of a whole nutrient diet. Learn more about your options by visiting resources like http://www.oakbrookallergists.com.