We tend to forget that a lot of food contain egg. They show up in all kinds of goodies. Puddings, cakes, pancakes and waffles all contain eggs. And eggs are the stuff noodles, custards and mayonnaise are made of. Eggs show up in ice cream and marshmallows. Occasionally, eggs are even used to make root bear foam.

Like those allergic to milk, people allergic to eggs may be sensitive to only a part of the food: in this case, either the white or the yolk. (white are usually the problem). The method of cooking also makes a difference. Some people can tolerate hard cooked eggs, but not soft boiled.

Others can cook their eggs until they’re tough as golf balls and still be allergic. Very rarely, a person is so sensitive to eggs that he or she can’t tolerate chicken either. Another egg related product – vaccines grown on egg cultures – should also be approached cautiously if you’re allergic to eggs. (ask your physician about a vaccine’s base if you are allergic to eggs).

So what can you eat, if not eggs? Plenty. Practically all meat and vegetables. Potatoes. Rice. Fruit. (The table gives a complete egg free diet). Watch out for code words for eggs on food labels: vitellin, ovotellin, livetin, ovomucin and albumin.

Food Category	Foods You Can Eat, unless Allergic	Foods to Avoid
Meat, poultry and fish	Beef, veal, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, Cornish hens, fish*, seafood, nuts, nut butters	Any meat mixtures containing eggs (croquettes, hamburgers, meatballs, meat loaves, timbales)
Dairy products	Milk, all cheese	Any cheese mixtures containing eggs; ice cream and sherbet
Eggs		Eggs (yolk or white) in any form; powdered eggs
Grain products	All cereals
	Most breads and rolls; french bread, unless glazed with egg white (read labels)	Any bread containing eggs or glazed with egg white; pancakes, muffins (unless egg free), waffles; pretzels
		Breaded foods or foods coated with batter
		Noodles, pasta
Soups	All soups not containing egg as a thickener or cleared with egg	Bouillon, consomme, egg drop soup, noodle soup
Vegetables	Fresh or frozen vegetables are recommended, although canned are allowed*	Vegetable soufflés
Fruit	Fresh, frozen or dried fruit is preferred, but canned is allowed*
Fats and oils	All
Desserts	All that do not contain eggs (read labels)	Cakes, cookies, ices, icings, doughnuts, pudding powder, custards macaroons, meringues, cream pies; sauces, puddings or gelatin desserts made with egg
Beverages	Most (fruit juice, most carbonated beverages)	Eggnog: wine or coffee clarified with egg whites; Ovaltine
Condiments and seasonings	Herbs, spices	Mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, tartar sauce, boiled dressing
Miscellaneous	Wheat free, corn free baking powder (see recipe in box, Cooking without Wheat, in this chapter)	Commercial baking powder

Source: Adapted from Basics of Food Allergy, by James C. Breneman (Springfield, III.: Charles C Thomas, 1978).
* See also sections on sulfur additives and sugar.

A word about egg substitutes: so many of these products contain other highly allergic substances and additives – notably yellow food dye – that we can’t recommended them. You may end up trading one allergy for another.