Everyday life
The meals you do not want to give up
Losing red meat is manageable. Losing the Sunday roast, the sausage sizzle and your grandmother's pie is the part that actually hurts. These are the swaps people have worked out.
The occasions
The roast
Roast chicken and porchetta-style rolled turkey both hold up to the same treatment. The real work is the gravy: most stocks and gravy powders contain beef fat or beef extract.
The sausage sizzle
Chicken and fish sausages exist, but the casing is the catch. Ask the butcher whether the casing is collagen or natural, and what it is made from.
Birthdays and lolly bags
Gelatine is in most lollies, marshmallows, and many mousses and cheesecakes. Agar and pectin-set alternatives are the usual substitutes.
The mince standbys
Bolognese, tacos, shepherd's pie, meatballs. Chicken and turkey mince behave differently, and most people find they need more fat and more seasoning.
Pastry and pies
Many commercial pastries use lard or beef tallow. Butter pastry is fine for most people, though not for everyone.
Hot chips
Worth asking what the oil is and whether it is shared with crumbed meat products. Answers vary enormously between venues.
Substitutions that people rate
| Instead of | People use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beef stock | Chicken or vegetable stock, mushroom or miso for depth | Check the label. "Chicken" stock frequently contains beef fat. |
| Gelatine | Agar agar, pectin, carrageenan | They set differently. Agar sets firmer and at room temperature. |
| Lard or tallow in pastry | Butter, or a plant-based shortening | Butter is dairy, which some people with alpha-gal also react to. |
| Bacon | Smoked chicken, turkey rashers, smoked paprika for the flavour note | Turkey rashers are not always mammal-free. Check. |
| Beef mince | Chicken, turkey, or lentils and mushrooms | Add extra oil and umami. Poultry mince dries out faster. |
Dairy is individual. Some people with alpha-gal syndrome react to milk products and many do not. Do not assume you need to cut dairy unless your specialist has advised it, and do not assume you can keep it if you are reacting to something you cannot identify.
Add your own
This section is built entirely from what people send in. If you have worked out a swap that holds up, particularly for something that mattered to your family, please share it.
We are especially short of: kids’ party food, camping and caravan meals, meals that survive a shared kitchen, and anything that works for a big family gathering where you are not the only consideration.
Draft content, not yet clinically reviewed. Clinical reviewer: TODO: name and credentials Review date: TODO Medical statements to be checked against current ASCIA guidance before launch.