Which fruit and vegetables can I actually eat?

Good question. Very good question.

Well, the answer depends on another question:

What is your reaction to a little bit of citric acid?

No Citric Acid
The following fruits are safe to eat no matter your reactions, as they contain mallic acid instead of citric. Unfortunately this list is rather limited...

• Apples
• Pears
• Blueberries

On the veg side of things it is more promising. Vicky Clarke's page gives a list of things that will be off the menu. However, several things that are ok to go for are...

• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Peas, pulses and beans of all kinds (although be careful they are not in tomato juice - tomatoes do contain citric acid. Another note is that tinned varieties often add citric acid. Always read the label)
• Potatoes (which means chips, too, although with the frozen kind be aware of added citric acid. Label reading encouraged.)
• Carrots
• Cucumber and courgette (zucchini)
• Sweet peppers
• Leeks
• Onions and spring onions
• Garlic

Whether you class them as a fruit or vegetable, tomatoes are a no-go zone for those avoiding citric acid. Which also means no ketchup. 

Foods That Should Under No Circumstances Be Eaten 

The main culprits here are (pretty logically) your citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, but also tomatoes; stone fruits such as cherries; and berries like raspberries and red currants are off limits if you don't want to ingest large amounts of my least favourite acid. Heed the voice of painful experience; raisins, sultanas, figs, dates...just don't go there. Other, more surprising, offenders include Jerusalem artichokes (can't say I miss those) and lettuce (cry, cry), although I am unsure about kale. I would steer clear, or at least let us know your results if anyone does try it!

Dried blueberries - an alternative to raisins

For once the title says it all.



Dried. Blueberries.

They are basically like raisins, certainly smaller, maybe a bit sweeter. Definitely a great alternative.

An important note, as always, is ALWAYS CHECK THE PACKET. The ones in Morrisons nearly caught me out - they add citric acid (Why????), but the ones from Tesco, they're good to go! Other stores are likely to carry the safe ones, too, but I can only vouch for places I've been.

Breakfast and Cereal Bars

I love granola bars.

Have you ever noticed, though, how many of them have raisins in?

....and those that don't have chocolate chips in instead!

Seriously, have a look next time you're in the supermarket.

So, in my travels I have come across some safe (and delicious) options. I'm not saying that this is an exhaustive list, just what I have discovered so far:

These are pretty much like the cereal. You like frosties, you'll probably like these.

Again, like the cereal, like the bar. 

These are more crunchy than chewy.
There are several safe varieties of this brand of granola bars. With the obvious exception of the 'oats and berries' bar(because of the berries!)  most of these are safe. I liked the maple syrup ones (pictured) best.

As the name suggests, these bars are rather on the chewy side...

I'm not sure it counts as a breakfast, and it certainly isn't the most nutritious snack, but as far as citric acid goes you're in the clear!

Breakfast 101 - Cereal

There are millions of different cereals in the world.  Most of them overpriced.

This means I don't tend to buy cereal an awful lot.

Lets start with the basics.

Branflakes, porridge oats, rice krispies, weetabix are all fine. As is PLAIN Special K. Beware the one with yogurt! Obviously don't put citrus fruits or berries on any of the above, but plain with milk you're good to go.

Honey puffs are also an option. A sugary, sugary option!

Or (my current favourites) we have these little guys:

Cinnamon flavoured, square shaped. What more could a girl ask for? Just don't be tempted to look at the strawberry ones they invariably have on the shelf next to them...

To sum up, most cereals seem to be ok to grab. If you don't have the problem of cocoa you'll have an even wider selection.

Pie, Pasta and Associated Problems

Now, there is nothing wrong with pasta or pie. In fact, I happen to be quite a fan of both. In theory, at least.

As usual, the actuality is a little more complicated.

Dry pasta you get in a bag has never been a problem. It is dry, they don't need to add preserving acids to it. What you put ON it is a different matter. Think about it, pretty much all pasta sauces are made of either cheese or tomato. So far, apart from doing a white garlic sauce the only recipe I have found is this pizza sauce by Vicky Clarke, which also works well on pasta.

Ready-made pastas are generally a no-go because of the sauces. You may rarely find a tuna one where the mayo used is citric acid free, but I've found these to be too few and far between to bother checking any more.

Making you own pie is probably the easier option if that is what you fancy. As long as you make sure the butter you use is safe in the crust, the gravy granules do not have citric acid or E330 listed in ingredients and the veg is all on the sage list then you are good to go!

Buying pie from the supermarket you have to check the label EVERY time. Chicken and mushroom is usually your likeliest bet to be edible. Steak pies might be ok if you are lucky. As I said, you have to check the label.

Making a Sandwich 101

Making a sandwich is such a simple thing, right?

Yeah, right.

That is to say, it is easy once you have the right ingredients. Initially finding them, however...

Let's start from the top. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you:

The Bread



You would think bread would be a pretty safe thing to eat. In general you would be right, and both white and brown loaves are edible.

Exceptions are: anything with lemon or tomato (obvious, but it is good to state the obvious sometimes, especially where allergies are concerned!), sourdough or rye (citric acid is produced or used in the making process somewhere) and some of the very, very cheapest supermarket loaves, which contain citric acid in the ingredients list.

The Spread

As I think I have said elsewhere, many margarine varieties contain citric acid. If you have the choice, stick with butter, as these are usually safe.

If in doubt, just leave it out! I generally eat my sandwiches without the spread anyway.



The Filling

This is a HUGE topic, so I'm going to gloss.

If you are putting your fillings together yourself from scratch then just use your common and you'll be away. If, however, you want to buy sandwich fillers from the supermarket or elsewhere you're in for a tougher time. Don't assume that anything is edible until you have thoroughly checked the label. A lot of things add lemon juice (which you cant taste, and most people wouldn't even notice. I know I never used to.). There are SOME ones you can eat, but as I said; check, check, check!

Oh, and beware ye the mayonnaise - citric acid is often a preservative. If you are a mayonnaise fan I know Heinz mayo is safe enough.

Drinks - Juice and Dilutable

The apple is your friend here.

In fact, apart from apples, I'm not certain there is anything else IN this category that is safe to drink.

And by no means are all apple juices/squashes safe either

I'm just saying that apart from apple (and pear - please tell me if you find safe pear or blueberry juice!) it isn't really even worth looking at the ingredients list because the fruit itself has citric acid in it, before you get to the added stuff.

Blueberry juice may appear ok on the scan, BUT 100% of the cartons I've checked have added citric acid to help shelf life. Sucks, I know.

So, for pure fruit juices you are stuck with apple, and always check the carton. If the actual phrase 'citric acid' or 'E330' aren't present then you're good to take a swig (although not before you've paid for it....)

Dilutables-wise, apple again. Are you sensing a theme here?

As usual, always check the label, but I can vouch for both this 'High Juice' from Tesco, and the equivalent drink sold at the co-op



(Although they are both packed full of sugar, and you might be best off just drinking your water plain. Still, it is nice to have options)

N.B. Homemade fruit juices (of apple, pear, blueberry) will be drinkable UNLESS the maker has added orange/lemon (as they often do). If you press fruit yourself the fruit juice will be perfectly fine (and delicious!)

Protein Sources 101: Meat, Eggs and Tofu

Eggs

Not a lot to say about eggs. Totally safe. Convenient for the allergy restricted vegetarian.

If you are a fan of butter in your scrambled egg, remember to check the packet.

Tofu

Again, tofu itself is ok. Watch out for what it is packaged in. I know that the 'cauldron' brand is ok (you can get it in Tesco, Morrisons, and probably other supermarkets).

Soy sauce is good on this. I recommend this recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie as absolutely delicious!

And, last but not least...

Meat

As you may have gathered from other places, most fresh meat is edible to someone even with the list of intolerances in my header!

As a rule, tinned meat is also ok. I can vouch for tinned tuna, spam, and that potted ham stuff.

One thing you do have to be careful of, though, is if you were ever a fan of those tinned/jarred hot-dogs that are basically plastic. Some brands are fine, while others contain (you guessed it!) citric acid.

I'm not sure what else there is to say on that one. If it is fresh you know you're safe.

If you are buying fish, though, be careful they have not already added garlic butter to it (some brands of margarine and butter contain citric acid) and that they have not added lemon!

Extra note: be careful of your gravy! The red and yellow bisto are safe, but you really need to check the packets as many are not.

And if you're serving up a joint, the cranberry sauce is out I'm afraid, as is anything lemon (obviously). I'm unsure about bread sauce, as I never liked the stuff. Apple sauce is ok if you made it yourself  but many supermarket brands add citric acid to help it keep longer. As I said, check the label.