Fight Food Allergies

Whether you're entertaining at your place or visiting family or friends, navigating major holidays with food allergies can be difficult. Well-meant gifts of food, plates of unsafe foods at child height, or dishes of unknown provenance at the dinner table can all cause reactions. But clear communication, well-placed offers of help, and alternatives to trigger foods are all useful in helping you stay safe. Here are some useful strategies whether you're at home or away. You can assume that no one who cares about you wants to cause you or anyone in your family harm, but people are often unaware of the foods that could cause reactions. Be prepared, also, to give guests who may be staying for extended visits and helping with grocery shopping a primer on reading labels for your family's allergies.
If you're hosting a holiday dinner, friends and family will often ask to bring something to share with the group. Be ready with simple and safe suggestions. When you're invited to a holiday party, inform the host immediately of your food allergies and offer to do what you can to help out. Holidays, especially the big winter holidays, tend to be stressful: airports are more crowded, social calendars are full, and buying presents and apparel can be top-of-mind. So if you are traveling, do make sure to remember to practice good travel safety.