Tips for Celebrating the Holidays Safely with Food Allergies
As the holidays quickly approach us, many families living with food allergies are struggling to find ways to enjoy and participate in celebrations while keeping their children safe. Whether at school or in the home of a friend or family member, holiday celebrations put children with food allergies at risk of a food allergic reaction. With ~ 5.6 million children in the United States living with food allergies, it is common for families to be impacted by this medical condition. The My Life with Food Allergy: Parent Survey Report found that 82% of parents reported they have changed family traditions due to their child’s food allergy and as many as 52% of those with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) have stopped talking to friends or family members due to lack of empathy or understanding of food allergies1. This risk and lack of understanding often creates stress and anxiety for these families during the holidays. We offer simple strategies to reduce these risks and minimize the impact on mental health for families living with food allergies.
Offer to Host
Offering to host the holiday in your home, provides a safer option because you have control of which foods are served. Based on your comfort level, you can choose to prepare all foods, provide recipe suggestions to friends/family or let guests know what they can bring. If you choose to allow foods that contain your child’s allergens, consider designating specific areas for certain foods to prevent cross contact. For school activities, volunteer to plan and coordinate activities focusing on allergen-free foods and traditions.
Celebrating Away From Home
If you are unable to host, offer to help plan the menu, participate in food preparation, and/or provide safe foods for your child. Plan on preparing your child’s plate prior to placing the dishes out where they are susceptible to cross-contact with allergens. Consider placing your child’s safe foods or dressings/condiments in containers with a certain color to ensure there is no confusion regarding which are safe from food allergens. You may also choose to bring or provide a list of packaged foods that are safe for your child.
Modify Traditions
Traditional holiday recipes may be adapted with safe ingredients. If you are unable to adapt recipes, you can develop your own special recipes or create fun traditions that do not include food. Traditions such as reading a holiday story, playing holiday-themed games, working on a craft project, and volunteering are often more fun than common traditions involving food.
Always Read the Label
As always, reading the label and knowing the ingredients of all foods/dishes is important. Don’t be afraid to ask the host to save labels so that you can review ingredients if needed. And remember that packaged foods made specifically for the holidays may have different ingredients than the same food made at other times of the year.
Keep It Clean
Wash hands often – especially before and after meals – and ask others to do the same. Clean counters and surfaces during preparation and serving. Prepare safe meals first and set them aside to keep them separate from unsafe foods.
Communication is Key
Communicating with friends and family members about your child’s food allergies is important. Discussing your concerns and the risk to your child in advance can often reduce any conflict or frustration on the day of the holiday celebration. Make sure there is a clear plan and understanding for how your child will be kept safe and have a back-up plan for providing safe foods for your child.
Be Prepared for a Reaction
Always take antihistamines and injectable epinephrine with you on your holiday outing. Before leaving home, review the plan provided by your doctor on when you should use these medications.
Consider Adding and Amino Acid Formula
An amino acid-based formula such as Ajinomoto Cambrooke’s EquaCare Jr. or Essential Care Jr. can be a safe nutritional option for your child with food allergies. There are many safe holiday flavoring strategies for amino acid formula to change up the taste. EquaCare Jr. provides an affordable option for those over 1 year of age and Essential Care Jr. is intended for children over 1 year of age and provides value-added ingredients that may support healthy digestion. Try a free sample today or learn more about each of these beneficial products by visiting us online today or calling 1-833-377-2773.
References:
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. (2019). My Life With Food Allergy: Parent Survey Report. Retrieved from aafa.org/foodallergylife
- https://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/pages/holiday-food-allergy-guide
