Eggs are cheap and cheerful which is why they have become a UK household staple meal. Scrambled eggs, egg and chips, omelettes and quiche are all easy to make even for the poor cooks among us. But what happens when you are allergic to them or you don’t feel well after eating them? As someone who can’t eat eggs myself, I have come up with a few top tips for if you are egg free too.
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Be egg aware: Eggs can be found in many foods you might not have thought of so be mindful when you are shopping that they can appear in the following:
Breaded and battered foods
Caesar salad dressing
Cream pies, fillings, and puffs
Crepes and waffles
Custards, puddings, and ice cream
Coffee drinks like cappuccino (eggs are sometimes used to help create the foam)
Lollipops and other candies
Marshmallows and marzipan
Mayonnaise
Meatloaf and meatballs
Meringue and frostings
Pastas
Sauces, including Hollandaise and tartar sauce
Soufflés
Soups
Meat replacements (some contain egg whites)
Always check the label if you are not sure as you may find that your favourite dish contains the very thing you are trying to avoid.
Vegan replacements: Rather than label checking sometimes it’s just easier to go for a vegan version of what you are looking for such as mayonnaise or custard for instance because you know from that tag alone that it won’t contain eggs. It is especially helpful if you have trouble with dairy too as it will reduce your time in the supermarket considerably.
Easy swaps when eating out: Once eggs are out of the equation, there are some great swaps you can make so you don’t feel like you are missing out. Order boiled rice instead of egg fried when you get a Chinese meal, order a Full English breakfast without an egg and ask for extra of something else and if you fancy gammon, egg and chips, swap the egg for pineapple. Most restaurants serve fruit salads for dessert and sorbets so you shouldn’t have to deny yourself of something sweet at the end of your meal. Again if you don’t want to see the ingredient list of every meal listing, opt for the vegan offering as you can be safe in the knowledge that no eggs have been near it.
Egg replacer: Thankfully, there are plenty of replacement products for eggs out there- most of which are in powder form, however the clever people at Crackd have developed the first liquid egg replacer, which can be used to create anything from brownies to cookies, yorkshire puddings to pancakes, so if you really can’t do without these egg laden favourites, you don’t have to!
Egg free brands: Any vegan brand will be egg free, so if you look along the free from aisle you will find replacements for most of your favourite snack foods and sauces. Deliciously Ella, Orgran, Nakd and Livia’s Kitchen all pride themselves on being egg free, however check out the supermarket own lines as these are often a lot cheaper and taste just as nice! While the products themselves may be egg free, if you do have a severe allergy, be sure to check whether the items are made in an environment that also handles eggs before buying.
YouTuber hacks: Did you know that you can add fizzy pop to a Betty Croker cake mix to make it egg free? Or whisk up the juice from chickpeas to make aquafaba, an egg free version of meringue? YouTube is a great source of information if you enjoy baking and cooking so if you're worried you might have to give up your favourite eggy starter, main or dessert, check out what the YouTubers have to offer, they come up with new hacks every day to keep you in the eating habits you’ve become accustomed to.
Eat as many unprocessed foods as possible: The easiest way to avoid eggs popping up in your food is to eat more whole foods. Processed foods can sometimes have eggs in the ingredient list under another name which can be confusing. To keep yourself safe from tummy troubles eat as many fresh and simple foods as you can.
RELATED: Six tips for dairy-free shopping
Dairy is in a lot of things: Be mindful that milk can crop up in a lot of things that you wouldn’t expect so always check the label if you’re not sure. I was surprised to find that milk, cream and cheese finds its way into crisps, bread, sauces and soups to name a few- ingredients I was not expecting to be listed in these products. You can always check online ahead of your shop if you are not sure and don’t want to spend your time in the supermarket label checking... to read more click HERE
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