| In this article I will give you substitutes to use in | | | | Being someone who loves the spicy side of life, I |
| place of nightshade family foods. These | | | | have found many ways to still enjoy my food |
| substitutes will renew your joy for food and | | | | and keep it spicy when I want it to be. |
| lessen your grief in not eating foods from the | | | | Spicy without nightshades; here is what to use: |
| nightshade family. These suggestions are suitable | | | | -peppercorn (also known as pepper) |
| for meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans alike. | | | | -garlic |
| Last year I found out that I have an sensitivity | | | | -onions |
| allergy to nightshade family foods. | | | | -cumin |
| My symptoms included: a sensation of a lump in | | | | -ginger |
| my throat, acid reflux, a flushed face, skin | | | | -mustard |
| disruptions and severe and persistent indigestion. | | | | -radish |
| Prescribed medicines for acid reflux were not | | | | -and though not spicy, cilantro |
| changing the symptoms. And after having check | | | | When I have pizza or a calzone, I make them |
| ups and investigation into the symptoms from my | | | | without tomato sauce and use onions, garlic and |
| regular doctor and an Ear, Nose and Throat | | | | pepper for spice. You can also make a white |
| doctor, the conclusion was that it could be stress, | | | | sauce for the pizza or a pesto. If you are a |
| a food allergy/sensitivity and it may be something | | | | vegan like me, you can make a vegan white |
| that is passing, recurring or chronic. All those | | | | sauce or use vegan cheese. |
| choices were an unknown to the doctor and me. | | | | For pasta I found a wonderful vegan alfredo |
| The doctor suggested isolating foods and | | | | sauce recipe from the book "Vegan Yum Yum". |
| watching for reactions. | | | | You can go the white sauce route, or saute your |
| Because my symptoms were so troublesome I | | | | veggies and season the pasta with salt, pepper, |
| did end up isolating foods in my diet (it was easy | | | | garlic, onions and top it with cheese (vegan or |
| to do after I had been sick and had not eaten | | | | real). |
| much for days) and slowly introducing new ones. I | | | | When I make a burrito or taco, I use cumin and |
| spent a couple months discovering and confirming | | | | cilantro in addition to the other spices I have |
| over and over that the nightshade family was the | | | | already suggested, in order to create that |
| major trigger to my symptoms. | | | | yummy Mexican flavor without the peppers and |
| The nightshade family includes: potatoes (except | | | | tomatoes. |
| sweet potatoes), tomatoes, eggplant, all peppers | | | | Do you miss potatoes like I do? |
| (except peppercorn, which is not in the pepper | | | | Luckily we still have options. Sweet potatoes and |
| family), paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, | | | | yams are not related to potatoes, and are safe |
| tomatillo, gooseberry, solanum and chayote. | | | | to eat. I love to eat mashed sweet potatoes and |
| Also in the nightshade family are: tobacco, jimsen | | | | use them for any recipe calling for potatoes. Also |
| weed, belladonna, mandrake and petunia. | | | | if you want fries, like I sometimes do, just slice |
| I have always had an intolerance physically for | | | | up some sweet potatoes and yams, oil them and |
| tobacco, but other than that I had enjoyed | | | | bake them at 450 for 25-30 minutes, turning |
| tomatoes, potatoes and spicy foods using green, | | | | them over once while baking. Salt them when |
| red and peppers. Gradually I developed indigestion | | | | they come out of the oven. I love these sweet |
| to green peppers and had known that for years. I | | | | fries better than the potato version. And they |
| just had not caught on to the whole family that | | | | pass for side-dish or dessert. |
| well. Why this changed in me, I do not know. All I | | | | I also suggest using mustard, radish and ginger to |
| know is that the discomfort it causes me is | | | | spice up soups, rice dishes and stir-fry. |
| greater than the need for convenience and | | | | One last way to start enjoying food again |
| acceptance in eating potatoes and tomatoes like | | | | (without the nightshades) is to make dips that do |
| everyone else in the world. | | | | not contain nightshades and use corn or veggie |
| There is definitely a grieving period to go through | | | | chips or veggies to dip with. There are many dips |
| when you have an allergy to common foods. | | | | to make that do not require any nightshades. |
| Think of pizza, pasta, mashed potatoes, chips, | | | | There are bean dips, cheesy dips and tofu dips to |
| salsa, Mexican food... there is a lot someone | | | | start with if you are not able to think of any. Go |
| allergic to nightshades will be missing. | | | | try some and be happy you are being healthy. |