HI All, what a relief to find a group of people with the same problem as me! I have had a garlic and (especially raw) onion intolerance for years now - makes me vomit, gives me diarrhoea, makes me stink for days etc but no one seems to ever have heard of it! The US is a particularly difficult place to eat out as garlic or garlic powder is added to a huge percentage of all dishes OR they cover them in raw onion or chives or shallots! I suffer from IBS so also have a problem with gluten and dairy but not as severe as the garlic issue. Some observations and tips in case they help anyone else:
- Following a FODMAP diet can really help
- I have found that using ginger root in recipes can be a great substitute for garlic - curries, stir fries, risottos etc - just chop it up small the same way you would do with raw garlic.
- If you can tolerate cooked onion then red onions seem to be the ones I react to the least. I usually only add about half what the recipe says though.
- A lot of food in Italy itself - particularly Northern Italy - is completely garlic-free. It is just the UK and US versions of these dishes that contain garlic. So don't be afraid to visit! The same thing goes for parts of Mexico - in Cabo St Lucas they used only corn flour and no garlic in the food at all - I was in food heaven!
- Eating out is hard but many places can deal with it if you order in advance. If this is not possible then stick with Steak/grilled chicken/fish and Fries and Salad /Vegetables (but with only oil and vinegar dressing because many others have garlic powder in them). What I also do is just not bother with the menu and ask the waiter to tell the chef the problem and suggest he/she tells me what they can prepare that I can eat. Other than my intolerances I am not fussy and I've ended up with some amazing meals that way!
- At home I have embraced the challenge and always cook fresh as prepared meals and sauces usually have garlic in them. I have developed lots of speedy recipes without garlic so I really don't miss them. I use ginger (see above); lemon and lime juice; chilli; turmeric; fresh herbs such as cilantro, basil, parsley etc to add flavour and I get lots of positive praise when we have dinner parties - I don't think anyone misses the garlic. Well they keep coming over to eat here anyway!
- Making your own stock also helps when you then want to make gravy, risotto, soup later on. Enjoy a delicious roast chicken at home, strip off the meat to eat the next day then put the bones in a big pan, just covered with water. Add a few bay leaves and some whole black peppercorns (and any other dried herbs if you fancy it) and boil for about 90 minutes. Pull out the big stuff and drain of the rest through a colander then pour into small Tupper ware pots to freeze and use whenever you need it. This is really easy and will ensure you are not getting losing out on flavour when you cook.
- I have also read on an IBS website that if you add garlic and onion to oil and fry it then remove the garlic or onion pieces (this is what they mean by garlic or onion infused oil) then that won't have the same effect on you as the actual garlic or onion if you suffer from IBS. However, I now cannot stand the taste of either of them so I haven't tried this!
Hope some of this helps some of you.
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HI All, what a relief to find a group of people with the same problem as me! I have had a garlic and (especially raw) onion intolerance for years now - makes me vomit, gives me diarrhoea, makes me stink for days etc but no one seems to ever have heard of it! The US is a particularly difficult place to eat out as garlic or garlic powder is added to a huge percentage of all dishes OR they cover them in raw onion or chives or shallots! I suffer from IBS so also have a problem with gluten and dairy but not as severe as the garlic issue. Some observations and tips in case they help anyone else:
January 6, 2017 - 10:52am- Following a FODMAP diet can really help
- I have found that using ginger root in recipes can be a great substitute for garlic - curries, stir fries, risottos etc - just chop it up small the same way you would do with raw garlic.
- If you can tolerate cooked onion then red onions seem to be the ones I react to the least. I usually only add about half what the recipe says though.
- A lot of food in Italy itself - particularly Northern Italy - is completely garlic-free. It is just the UK and US versions of these dishes that contain garlic. So don't be afraid to visit! The same thing goes for parts of Mexico - in Cabo St Lucas they used only corn flour and no garlic in the food at all - I was in food heaven!
- Eating out is hard but many places can deal with it if you order in advance. If this is not possible then stick with Steak/grilled chicken/fish and Fries and Salad /Vegetables (but with only oil and vinegar dressing because many others have garlic powder in them). What I also do is just not bother with the menu and ask the waiter to tell the chef the problem and suggest he/she tells me what they can prepare that I can eat. Other than my intolerances I am not fussy and I've ended up with some amazing meals that way!
- At home I have embraced the challenge and always cook fresh as prepared meals and sauces usually have garlic in them. I have developed lots of speedy recipes without garlic so I really don't miss them. I use ginger (see above); lemon and lime juice; chilli; turmeric; fresh herbs such as cilantro, basil, parsley etc to add flavour and I get lots of positive praise when we have dinner parties - I don't think anyone misses the garlic. Well they keep coming over to eat here anyway!
- Making your own stock also helps when you then want to make gravy, risotto, soup later on. Enjoy a delicious roast chicken at home, strip off the meat to eat the next day then put the bones in a big pan, just covered with water. Add a few bay leaves and some whole black peppercorns (and any other dried herbs if you fancy it) and boil for about 90 minutes. Pull out the big stuff and drain of the rest through a colander then pour into small Tupper ware pots to freeze and use whenever you need it. This is really easy and will ensure you are not getting losing out on flavour when you cook.
- I have also read on an IBS website that if you add garlic and onion to oil and fry it then remove the garlic or onion pieces (this is what they mean by garlic or onion infused oil) then that won't have the same effect on you as the actual garlic or onion if you suffer from IBS. However, I now cannot stand the taste of either of them so I haven't tried this!
Hope some of this helps some of you.
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