Egg is the most common food allergy in Australian children. It shows up for about 9% of Australian babies.
Most kids grow out of an egg allergy over time (yay!), with a little over 1% of 6-year-olds still allergic to egg, and that number continues to decline for teens and adults.
But in the meantime, egg free shouldn't mean missing out. Although it's one of the trickier ingredients to substitute, with a little knowledge, and some tried-and-tested recipes, you can learn to make egg-free versions of all your family favourites.
So if you find yourself cooking for a child or adult with an egg allergy, this post is for you.
Egg-free cooking takes a bit of practice to really master.
It isn’t always possible to directly substitute the egg component of a recipe, often because egg plays many different roles, including:
So when replacing the egg in a recipe, your choice of substitute will depend on the role of the egg, and the texture and flavour you are looking for.
Egg-free recipes that just work
I've created a guide to egg free cooking, including my favourite egg-free recipes for children. Tried and tested by my team of food-loving dietitians, we've got everything from everyday lunchbox snacks and meals to birthday cakes that are good enough for the whole party to share.
Plus I’ve shared my simple and straightforward egg substitution guide so you can replicate your favourite recipes.
It's got all you need to feed your egg-free child with confidence – and without compromise.
Egg substitutes
There are lots of ingredients that can be used to replace egg, but the one that works best will depend on the recipe. Some of my favourites covered in the e‑book include:
Mealtimes members get heaps of support for allergy friendly cooking, including examples of where and how to use the ingredients listed here.
Plus, every member recipe includes substitution advice for the 9 common allergens, and access to a team of feeding experts ready to answer all your allergy and cooking questions.
Listen in to my conversations with allergy experts
I've had some great chats about food allergy prevention and management over on Mealtimes by Dr Kyla - the podcast:
Expert-led feeding guidance that grows with your child
One membership, three dedicated stages tailored to your child. Start where you need, switch when you want.
(4 - 15 months)
Starting solids
Introducing allergens
Finger food and puree recipes
(1 - 4 Years)
Fussy Eating
Toddler-tested snacks and meals
Confidence through the chaos
(5 - 12 years)
Weekly family menu
School lunchbox ideas
Navigating body conversations