Egg Allergy Diet for Children

General guidelines for egg allergy

The key to an allergy-free diet is to not feed your child foods or products containing the food that causes a reaction. The items that your child is allergic to are called allergens.

Eggs are a commonly used food that may cause food sensitivity reactions. If your child has an egg sensitivity, it may not be hard to remove visible eggs from their diet. But you may not be aware of the many food products that contain eggs. Not all foods (or other products such as cosmetics) that contain eggs are covered by the Federal Food Allergen Labeling law. The makers of these foods and products are not required to state if eggs are in the product. To eliminate foods that contain eggs, you must read food labels. The following list may not include all foods that contain eggs. But it can help guide you in making food choices.

Foods

Allowed

Not allowed

Breads & starches

Plain enriched white, whole-wheat, rye bread, or buns (without egg products and not brushed with egg for glazing)

Biscuits made from egg-free baking powder

Crackers and homemade breads made with allowed ingredients

Most cereals and grains, such as rice

Commercially made pancakes, waffles, donuts, and muffins

Zwieback, soda crackers, bread crumbs, and pretzels

Egg noodles or pasta

Baking mixes, fritter batter or batter-fried foods, French toast

Fried rice containing eggs

Any commercial bread or bread product made with egg products or brushed with egg for glazing

Vegetables

All fresh, frozen, dried, or canned

Any vegetables made in a casserole or with sauces or breading that contain eggs in any form (such as hollandaise sauce, vegetable soufflé, or batter-fried vegetables)

Fruit

Fresh, frozen, dried, or canned fruits and juices

Any fruit served with a sauce containing egg, such as custard sauce

Fruit whips

Meat, meat substitutes & eggs

Baked, broiled, boiled, or roasted beef, veal, pork, ham, chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, or organ meats

Meats breaded and fried with egg-free breading

Eggs in any form, from any animal including egg powders, or commercial egg substitutes

Soufflés

Commercially breaded meats, fish, or poultry

Meatballs, meat loaf, croquettes, some sausages

Milk & milk products

Whole, low-fat or skim milk, buttermilk

Cheese, cottage cheese, or yogurt

Malted milk powder, eggnog, malted drinks, boiled custard, protein drinks that have egg, egg products, or egg protein

Pudding, custard, or ice cream

Soups & combination foods

Soup or broth made with allowed ingredients

Any stock cleared with egg (consommé, broth, bouillon)

Turtle or mock turtle soup, egg drop soup, any soup with egg noodles or macaroni

Prepared entrees or combination foods that contain eggs in any form

Desserts & sweets

Gelatin, fruit crisp, popsicles, fruit ice

Homemade desserts made with allowed ingredients

Hard candy

Cakes, cookies, cream-filled pies, meringues, whips, custard, pudding, ice cream, sherbet

Chocolate candy made with cream or fondant fillings, marshmallow candy, divinity, fudge, icing or frostings, chocolate sauce

Dessert powders

Pie crust or jelly beans brushed with egg whites

Fat-free desserts made with an egg-based fat substitute

Fats & oils

Butter, margarine, vegetable oil, shortening, cream gravy, oil & vinegar dressing, eggless mayonnaise, bacon

Salad dressings and mayonnaise (unless egg-free)

Tartar sauce

Fat-free products made with an egg-based fat substitute

Beverages

Water, fruit juice, fruit drinks

Tea

Carbonated drinks

Root beer, wine, or coffee if clarified with egg

Condiments & miscellaneous

Sugar, honey, jam, jelly

Salt, spices

Cream sauces made with eggs

Hollandaise sauce, tartar sauce, marshmallow sauce

Baking powder containing egg white or egg albumin

Any product made with an egg-based fat substitute

How to read a label for an egg-free diet

Don't have foods that contain any of the following ingredients:

  • Albumin

  • Egg whites

  • Egg yolk

  • Dried egg

  • Egg powder

  • Egg solids

  • Egg substitutes

  • Eggnog

  • Fat substitutes made with egg

  • Globulin

  • Livetin

  • Lysozyme (used in Europe)

  • Mayonnaise

  • Meringue

  • Ovalbumin

  • Ovomucin

  • Ovomucoid

  • Ovovitellin

  • Surimi

Other possible sources of eggs or egg products

  • Lecithin

  • Macaroni

  • Marzipan

  • Marshmallows

  • Nougat

  • Pasta 

  • A shiny glaze or yellow baked good may mean egg

  • Fat substitutes made from either egg or milk protein

  • Egg whites and egg shells may be used as clarifying agents in soup stocks, consommés, bouillons, and coffees.

Be careful when having these products.