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Dealing with a food allergy? Here’s how to serve up a safe holiday meal

WRITTEN BY: COACH KATELYN B.

Any holiday that revolves around food (and let’s be honest, don’t they all?) is challenging for those dealing with food allergies. That’s a whole lot of us: some 85 million Americans are impacted by food allergies and intolerances, according to Food Allergy Research & Education.

Whether you’re a parent of a child with food allergies, have one yourself, or are hosting guests with food allergies, a little preparation and planning is all you need. Follow these tips to navigate all those brimming Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa buffet tables safely.

Share info and help out.

Don’t shy away from telling the host about your dietary needs and food allergies in advance. If they’re unfamiliar with how to handle food allergies, volunteer to help with shopping or food prep. Print out and share recipes for anything you make, including any changes made, so everyone knows what’s in the dish, and encourage others to do the same. Ask both the hosts and any guests bringing food to save the wrappers and labels for any ingredients and dishes, or ask them to take photos and send them to you. It takes a little effort on everyone’s part, but it’s the safest way to make sure you know exactly what you’re eating.

Or host yourself.

When you offer to host a gathering, you have much more control over the ingredients and dishes served. Often this is the safest way to go when you’re managing food allergies. You could opt to prepare only “safe” foods and let guests know what they can and can’t bring into your house, or take care of the food on your end and ask guests to bring other contributions like silverware, plates, and napkins. If you do serve foods containing allergens, create a separate area for them to prevent cross-contact.

Always read ingredients labels.

Food manufacturers are always changing their formulas, which means allergens can pop up into foods and beverages that had previously been on your “safe” list. Even if you’ve deemed a product allergen-free in the past, check the label thoroughly—every time.

Prevent cross-contamination.

This is food allergy 101—keep known allergens in a designated container, in a dedicated, separate place in the kitchen. Use multiple cutting boards, knives, and other utensils, and label which are allergen-free. Wash your hands frequently as you work.

Be aware of hidden holiday allergens.

Aside from the obvious culprits (cookies, muffins, pies, etc.), here are some other holiday-specific foods and the allergens they often contain:

Self-basting turkey: Soy, wheat, dairy
Green bean casserole: Dairy, wheat
Sauces and salad dressings: Fish, shellfish, eggs
Sweet potato casserole: Dairy, nuts

Have a day-of preparation checklist.

Bring your epi-pen and other allergy medications to the celebration, and make sure you eat something before you arrive (or before you hit the road). That way you’ll arrive feeling calm. There’s nothing worse than showing up starving and feeling unsure about what’s safe to eat.

Plan out pit stops.

If you’re traveling for the holidays, scope out restaurants with safe options along the way. That way you won’t find yourself well past hungry and concerned about what you can and can’t stop to eat. If you have questions about online menus, call the restaurants and speak with the manager before you leave.

Hosting someone with food allergies?

It’s usually simple enough to modify your favorite family recipes—so you serve up everything from gluten-free challah to dairy-free pumpkin pie and grits—using allergy-friendly ingredient swaps! Here are some common ones:

Cow’s milk: Try a one-to-one swap with almond, cashew, or coconut milk. Or, if tree nuts are a problem, rice, oat, hemp, or pea milk are great options, and also safe for those with gluten allergies. One note: While rice, oats, etc. are naturally gluten-free, they may be grown near wheat or processed in facilities that also handle wheat products—so cross-contamination with gluten can happen. Check the label or contact the manufacturer for details about purity and processing.
Eggs: In baked goods, replace one egg with a flax egg (1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds mixed with 3 Tbsp. water), or ¼ cup mashed banana or ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce mixed with ½ tsp. baking powder. Fresh and frozen store-bought egg substitutes are also widely available.
Wheat flour: Almond, coconut, cashew, and hazelnut flour all work for those who can tolerate tree nuts. Other flour options include rice, amaranth, sorghum, potato, tapioca, and arrowroot.
Butter: You can find non-dairy butters made from soy, vegetable oil, and certain tree nuts in most grocery stores. Other butter replacements include vegetable shortening, applesauce, and even pureed avocado.
Cheese: Scout your grocery store for dairy-free cheese substitutes, too. Many are made with soy or tree nuts, so read labels closely depending on your needs. Nutritional yeast, which comes in flakes or as a powder, has a savory, nutty, cheesy flavor and is an ideal swap for cheese in pasta and noodle dishes.

Take some time to log your meals, movement, and other dailies in the app to track your progress. It gives you time to reflect, and science shows it supports your success.

About Coach Katelyn B.

Originally from New Hampshire, and now living in Louisiana, I joined Found as a health coach to pursue my passion for helping others. My areas of expertise are in nutrition, habit building, and adapting recipes to be allergy-friendly (as I have many allergies myself!). I hold certifications in health coaching, transformational coaching, and functional nutrition. Outside of coaching, I enjoy traveling, exploring new places, spending time with my plants, and eating mac and cheese...guilt-free.