How to live the sweet life with an allergy

Is this vegan? Does this have gluten in it? Is this peanut-free? 

Every day, millions of Canadians check menus, ingredient lists and packages to ensure the food they are about to eat fits within their dietary restrictions. 

Some restrictions may be voluntary, like choosing to become a vegetarian, avoiding eating meat for ethical reasons. Others, like celiac disease and allergies, may cause serious harm to a person if they are not careful with what they consume. 

According to Food Allergy Canada, one in two Canadian households are impacted by food allergy. 

In Ottawa, the Sibthorpe and Barton household is one of them. 

Around seven years ago, Megan Sibthorpe, a wood store employee, was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis, also called EoE. This condition causes white blood cells to collect in the esophagus due to inflammation triggered by certain foods, according to Food Allergy Canada. 

For Sibthorpe, anything containing dairy, even the smallest amount, can set off this allergic reaction, and it wasn’t easy giving it up. 

“Cheesecake is my favourite food of all time, so it was really hard to fully commit to it,” said Sibthorpe. “When I finally did, it was fairly easy after that because I was like, ‘okay, I have to do this now or I’m going to be miserable forever.’” 

Sibthorpe and her partner, Nathan Barton, are both vegetarians, with the exception of eating fish occasionally. 

“Vegetarian I found was an easy switch,” said Sibthorpe, who decided to stop eating meat nine years ago. “I don’t really want to eat animals (and) meat’s very expensive.” 

When buying groceries, Sibthorpe and Barton lean towards vegan items because the label guarantees no meat or dairy. 

They like to shop at Metro and Farm Boy for baked goods. They also highlight Maverick’s Donuts and Cinnaholic for specialty treats. 

But going out for dessert is not a common occurrence for the couple, who often experiment with different recipes and ingredients at home. (See their favourites down below!) 

In the world of dairy replacements, not all milk alternatives are created equal. 

“There are good and bad ones,” said Barton. “Finding one that you like, finding the right ones to use for baking is a bit of a thing too.” 

Sibthorpe and Barton enjoy oat milk for baking, complimenting its texture and taste. However, they do not like almond milk or soy milk. 

“Cashew milk is good, it’s just very expensive and no one really has it,” said Sibthorpe. “I don’t like coconut milk for coffees. It’s fine for curries, and I think coconut milk is great for cooking with.” 

In 2023, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency identified milk as one of the substances most frequently associated with food allergies. 

Peanuts and tree nuts, which include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, also made the priority allergens list. 

One of the many people affected by nut allergies is building science technician, Vittoria Pantano. She cannot have pecans or walnuts. 

“It’s definitely a hassle when you go out to eat or even when people bake for you,” said Pantano. “I had a neighbour and she would bake amazing goodies, but a lot of the time they had pecans in it. Eventually she did end up making me stuff without it, which is really nice.” 

Pantano enjoys baking because she has complete control over the ingredients. Her favourite treats to bake are cookies, in particular chocolate chip and snickerdoodle. (See her favourites down below!) 

“Baking on my own, I know exactly what’s in it,” said Pantano. “So I can make a carrot cake and eat it without being worried.” 

Along with carrot cake, she is extra cautious around salads and butter tarts, which are culprits for hidden walnuts and pecans. 

Pantano’s favourite dessert spot in Ottawa is Dolci Sapori, an Italian bakery and cafe in Little Italy. She recommends their almond croissant and hot chocolate. 

“They do have some things with walnuts and pecans,” said Pantano. “They usually have them labelled and they know what’s in all their food because it’s all made in-house.” 

Megan Sibthorpe and Nathan Barton’s picks 

Homemade Vegan Dumplings by Maggie Zhu (Omnivore’s Cookbook) 

The Best Ever Vegan Cinnamon Rolls by Merle O’Neal (Tasty) 

Vegan Baklava by Arman Liew (The Big Man’s World) 

Many brownie box mixes are dairy-free 

Vittoria Pantano’s picks 

Soft and Thick Snickerdoodles by Sally McKenney (Sally’s Baking) 

Any chocolate chip cookie recipe – try out different ones and find your favourite