Food Families

Allergy to one members of a family of foods often means sensitivity to others members. This chart of commonly eaten foods will help you to plan an enjoyable, varied diet and avoid food allergies at the same time.

Family Plants Foods
Apple Apple, crab apple, pear, quince
Banana Banana and plantain
Beech Beechnut and chestnut
Berries Blackberry, boysenberry, dewberry, loganberry, raspberry, rose hips, strawberry
Birch Filbert, hazelnut, oil of birch (wintergreen).
Buckwheat Buckwheat, garden sorrel, rhubarb
Cashew Cashew, mango, pistachio
Chocolate Chocolate (cocoa), cola, gum karaya
Citrus Citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, orange, pomelo, tangelo, tangerine
Composite Artichoke, chamomile, chicory, dandelion, endive, escarole, lettuce, safflower, sunflower seeds, tarragon (Ragweed and the insecticide pyrethrum belong in this family)
Conifer Juniper berry (gin) and pine nuts
Fungus Certain cheeses, mushroom, truffle, yeast (antibiotics and the molds that cause inhalant allergy belong to this family)
Ginger Cardamom, ginger, turmeric
Gooseberry Currant and gooseberry
Goosefoot and Beet Beet, chard, lamb's-quarters, spinach, sugar beet
Grain (cereal or grass) Bamboo shoots, barley, corn, lemongrass, millet, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, sugar cane, wheat, wild rice
Heath Blueberry, cranberry, huckleberry
Laurel Avocado, bay leaf, cinnamon, sassafras
Legume Alfalfa, bean (kidney, lentil, lima, mung, navy, pinto, soy, string), carob, guar gum acacia, kudzu, licorice, pea (black-eyed, chick-pea, green), peanut
Lily Asparagus, chive, garlic, leek, onion, sarsaparilla, shallot
Mallow Cottonseed, hibiscus, okra
Melon or Gourd Cantaloupe, cucumber, gherkin, honeydew, muskmelon, pumpkin, squash, watermelon
Mint Basil, catnip, horehound, lemon balm (melissa), marjoram, mint, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, sage, savory, spearmint, thyme
Morning-Glory Jicama and sweet potato
Mulberry Breadfruit, fig, mulberry
Mustard Horseradish, mustard, radish, rutabaga, turnip, watercress and varieties of cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage kraut, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, kale, kohlrabi
Myrtle Allspice, clove, guava
Nightshade or Potato Eggplant, potato, tobacco, tomato. This family includes all foods called "pepper" (except black and white pepper), such as cayenne, chili pepper, green pepper, hot pepper sauce, paprika, pimiento red pepper
Palm Coconut, date, sago starch
Parsley Carrot, celeriac, celery, lovage, parsley, parsnip. Also these spices: angelica, anise, caraway, cerely seed, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel
Plum Almond, apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach, plum, prune, wild cherry
Walnut Black walnut, butternut, English walnut, hickory nut, pecan
Yam Chinese potato and yam
Family Birds
Dove Dove and pigeon (squab)
Duck Duck, goose and their eggs
Grouse Ruffed grouse (partridge)
Pheasant Chicken, cornish hen, peafowl, pheasant, quail and their eggs
Turkey Turkey and their eggs
Family Fish
Bass White perch and yellow bass
Codfish Cod (scrod), cusk, haddock, hake, pollack; whiting
Flounder Dab, flounder, halibut, plaice, sole, turbot
Mackerel Albacore, bonito, mackerel, shipjack, tuna
Perch Sauger, walleye, yellow perch
Salmon All salmon species and all trout species
Family Birds
Bovine Beef cattle (including veal), buffalo, goat, sheep (lamb and mutton) and their milk and milk products
Deer Caribou, deer (venison), elk, moose, reindeer
Family Shellfish
Clam Clam and quahog
Lobster Crayfish, langostino, lobster
Shrimp Prawn and shrimp

Foods without Relatives

Arrowroot Hog (pork) Rabbit
Brazil nut Honey Saffron
Caper Kiwi fruit Scallop
Catfish Macadamia nut Sesame seed
Chicle (chief ingredient of chewing gum) Maple sugar Squirrel
Coffee Nutmeg (mace) Swordfish
Crab Olive Tapioca
Elderberry Oyster Tea
Flaxseed Papaya Vanila
Grape Persimmon Whitefish
Pineapple
Poppy seed