Families who have kids with food allergies tell us this can be the most stressful time of year. This holiday season, ease the anxiety with these six tips to survive the holidays with food allergies. You’ll see that basically, it all comes down to clear communication. Take the lead, plan ahead a bit—and then take time to enjoy the holidays with your great kids.
1. Remind your kids about food allergies
Kids with food allergies are smart and diligent. Even so, explain to your children that they must continue to be careful about what they eat at school, a field trip location and friends’ homes.
Adult helpers and others may mean well in offering treats, so remind kids how to explain their allergies and that even one little bite can be harmful.
2. Remind your adults about food allergies
Send an email, note or call your child’s teacher and adult leaders of other activities, reminding them about your kids’ allergy considerations. Mention “hidden” allergens, such as bowls of nuts or candies or classmates’ gifts.
If you’re planning to host or you’re guests for holiday gatherings, communicate early and often about your allergy considerations. Give people plenty of notice and guide them about safe recipes, including information about cross-contamination in cooking and baking. Make yourself accessible and open to questions.
If you have little children with allergies, ask that no one feed your child without your knowledge. Consider dressing little ones in apparel that mentions his or her food allergies. See adorable Allergy Apparel clothing, outfits and other helpful items.
3. Stay a step ahead of food allergies
Send safe, fun snacks with your kids to school for holiday parties or field trips. Resources for snack ideas:
- Find nut-free snack ideas in SunButter’s recipe box
- See snack ideas from the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)
Before attending a party, church gathering or other event, eat something and feed your children with allergies a hearty snack, and pack something they like.
4. Stand tall
As Jenny Kales, the Nut-Free mom, says, “Once you’ve been through it once, you learn A LOT so you’re much better prepared next time. You must not apologize for the allergy or worry about seeming ‘over the top.’ Believe me, that’s better than winding up in the ER with your child.”
More advice for holidays with food allergies from Jenny including:
5. Share info, ingredients and your favorite creations
For gatherings, bring a hearty side dish to avoid unnecessary risks and have something safe and delicious for kids with allergies to enjoy. Consider offering to bring a dish that is most likely to contain allergens. It’s a great chance to show others that eating with allergies can be tasty. Offer to share other recipe ideas.
If you’re hosting, keep recipe and ingredients lists nearby as a resource for guests. Consider using a little card to note which dishes are nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free or whatever.
Be especially wary of buffets. Accompany your kids with allergies through the selections.
6. Travel safely
If prescribed, keep epinephrine or other emergency meds on-hand. Don’t accept food until you verify it’s safe for your kids with allergies. Carry safe food with you in case you get delayed. May we humbly suggest SunButter on-the-go snack packs?
New to food allergies? Some more great advice from Jenny Kales, the Nut-Free mom, who reminds us that people are emotionally tied to certain holiday foods. “Don’t be shocked if you meet resistance to a ‘nut-free’ or altered (holiday) menu at first. Your family and friends will get the hang of it as time goes on. And if they don’t, you may want to consider hosting the celebration.”
How do you handle the holidays with allergies? What are your favorite holiday recipes, adapted for your kids with allergies? What’s your holiday success story? We’d love to hear about it.
Releated posts:
Allergy Apparel for kids with allergies
Allergy Apparel offers hip apparel and other products to help safeguard children with food allergies. In addition to offering products, Allergy Apparel offers resources to parents, such as links that offer support and advice, an event calendar, other products that may enrich their lives, a blog and more. Allergy Apparel’s products also give parents of kids with food allergies the opportunity to ask questions and to better understand food allergies.
Guest Blogger: Back to School with SunButter
We’re grateful when parents of kids with allergies tell us how SunButter® helps them. Jenny is the mother of two girls, a freelance writer and the author of “The Nut-Free Mom” blog, where she writes about parenting with nut allergies. SunButter® makes school lunch fun again It’s back-to-school time and like every other mother of an elementary school child, I’m asking myself what to pack for lunch. And since I’m the mother of a child with severe peanut and tree nut allergies, I’ve had to be creative at lunchtime. This isn’t always easy with a busy schedule. While I’ve done my best to offer non-peanut butter lunch alternatives (all kinds of deli products for sandwiches, pasta salad, veggies and yogurt dip, etc.), sometimes I’ve found myself wishing I could turn to peanut butter. Of course, that’s not an option for us.
Guest Blogger: My Family’s Allergy Journey
We’ve heard hundreds of stories from parents of kids with allergies who are grateful for SunButter. We are thankful to them for sharing their stores. Patti is one of SunButter’s biggest fans, always developing creative peanut-free snacks and recipes. She grew up savoring peanut butter fudge at the holidays and peanut butter cookies after school. She loves to cook and bake, which has served her family well in their nut-free journey. And she is a daycare provider to other children. We’re impressed at Patti’s determination and creativity and we wanted to share her story in her own words. Thanks, Patti! I love SunButter. I love the smell of it, the taste of it, cooking with it, and the smile that it produces on my children’s faces. I love the feeling of normalcy that it gives, knowing that my family can taste something very similar to a treat that we used to love. It was quite a journey to find it, but well worth it.
I’ve come across countless stories about allergic reactions to food. I never realized the seriousness and wide-spread nature of food allergies. My heart goes out to you moms whose lives are dominated by family food allergies—and to the kids, who can’t experience some of life’s simple pleasures. Luckily, families with allergies have a great network. I’ve discovered some good blogs and some websites that have been helpful.
Puppy Chow, Chex Mix, Monkey Munch…made with SunButter®
Whatever name you attach to this popular snack, it’s pure deliciousness. And in this case it’s allergy-free (please note that Toll House chocolate chips carry a warning about peanuts being processed on the same equipment). A kid who doesn’t love puppy chow is likely a kid who’s never tasted it. But my heart goes out to those kids (and kids-at-heart) who have nut allergies and can’t enjoy a handful of the stuff now and then. So I was thrilled when the light bulb went on an I realized you could substitute SunButter®.
Tags: allergy-free, gluten-free, Monkey Munch, peanut-free, peanut-free recipe, Puppy Chow Chex Mix, recipies, SunButter, SunButter tips and tricks
