Nutritional guidance in food allergy

Patients with food allergies have to eliminate specific foods from their diet, which imposes a heavy burden on their eating habits, such as narrowing their range of food choices. Therefore, it is necessary for a dietitian to support the dietary habits of such patients through nutritional guidance, so that their quality of life stemming from their dietary habits can be improved as much as possible. Nutritional guidance includes the following major points: First, patients with food allergies must eliminate the minimum kind and amount of food from their diet. In other words, it is important for patients to accurately understand what they can and cannot eat. It is necessary for them to learn the characteristics of the food allergen, which foods must be eliminated, and how to read food labels. For example, in the case of hen's egg allergy, the patient should know about the characteristics of hen's egg allergens, the types of processed foods that need to be eliminated and those that can be eaten, and how these allergens are labeled as a raw material in processed foods. Second, patients must learn how to ensure their own safety. They must know how to avoid the accidental ingestion of food allergens under different situations, such as when selecting, cooking, and eating food. Third, the nutritional status of the patient should be assessed. Patients should also be aware of the nutrients that will tend to be deficient after causative foods have been eliminated from their diet and understand that a balanced diet is important for maintaining good nutrition. There are other points that patients should be aware of depending on their life stage. Patients can reduce their anxiety about their diet and that of their children by receiving related advice during pregnancy and lactation, on the progression of baby food, on correspondence at nursery centers and school lunches, and on precautions to take when eating out and when expanding their diet after oral food challenges. Patients face difficulties and anxiety in various aspects of their diet. It is very important for dietitians to work with doctors to support patients and their families through nutritional guidance so that they can lead a safe and comfortable life.