10 Reasons to be Thankful for Food Allergies this Season

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I have made my list of the 10 reasons that our family can be thankful for having food allergies.  I stress can because we are not perfect and we do not always appreciate the small gifts in life as much as we should.  Living with food allergies is not widely considered a gift, but I have learned that gifts come in unexpected packages.
 

1.  Family:  In the years of dealing with food allergies, my family has been my biggest supporter, my biggest critic, and my biggest point of frustration.  The gift of support is how my family can share in meals, sleepovers, and day trips.  Their support also provides unconditional love, humor, and hugs when needed.  The gift of the critic helps to keep in check my role as 'control freak' and provides a barometer for my level of freakiness.  Dealing with food allergies requires a certain amount of taking control, doubting others, asking questions, and double checking everything-every time.  This sort of behavior generally drives family members crazy.  Being frustrated at my family has not served as a huge gift, but it has taught me some patience in acknowledging my dad's love of anything with peanuts. 

2.  Friends:  A friend who makes an effort to accommodate your needs and has some level of empathy and understanding is a GREAT FRIEND!  Keep them around.  When we moved across the country, we moved away from a group of friends who really knew us and our needs.  My friends would call ahead about dinner menus, wouldn't serve peanut butter, made their own kids' birthday cake out of sliced watermelon rather than using Betty Crocker, would let me know about food allergy cooking ideas, gave me cupcake holders, and would offer their kitchen and home for us to be able to travel.  Thank you! 

3.  Friends with Food Allergies:  It's so nice to know that other families deal with food allergies and that you are not alone.  Meeting a family who also copes with food allergies broadens your knowledge base and your comfort zone. 

4.  Fruit, Vegetables and Legumes:  My kids are not afraid of broccoli, beg for salad, peel and eat a grapefruit, and sing 'Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit" and eat them, too!

5.  Lick the Beaters:  When you do not bake with eggs, you can lick the beaters, the bowl, your hands, your face, etc.

6.  No Begging:  My kids are not beggars at the grocery store for candy bars, they do not assume that every night out on the town ends with a visit to the local ice cream parlor, and time with friends is more centered around play and not food.

7.  Begging for Junk Food:  OK, I just said they were not beggars, but they sure get excited about junk food.  They usually can have less than 10% of the candy in their trick or treat bags, so they get excited about Dum-Dums, Smarties, or Skittles that land in their bag.  The grandparents happily eat the leftover peanut butter candy.

8.  Alternative Food Companies: I am so thankful to be able to buy foods for my family in a grocery store!  There are people and companies who make food geared towards people with food allergies.  They label and list their ingredients clearly.  They make 'cheese' without casein and it even melts!  They make food that tastes good.  Here are some of my favorites:  Enjoy Life makes real chocolate chips.  This is great because carob chips are gross!  Tinkyada rice pasta doesn't fall apart and comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes.  Daiya Cheese and Galaxy Foods makes cheese without nuts, soy and milk/casein.

9. Schools and Teachers:  I am grateful that our experiences at school have been positive.  School administrations and teachers have been willing to learn, change, and accommodate their classrooms to help make school a safe learning environment.

10.  Create, Adapt, Change:  Some of the biggest disruptions in our 'food chain' have opened the door to some of our biggest and best changes in our 'food chain'.  Food ingredients change, bakeries stop making your favorite bread, and stores stop carrying foods you depend upon, but you need to keep searching, adapting, and creating with an open mind.  The gifts will eventually be known to you.

The real gift is present in the knowledge gained, in the creativity that has grown out of the need to adapt, and in the relationships which have demonstrated the true meaning of friendship and love.

P.S.  I am also thankful for the 2 official followers of this blog, my friend Erin and my husband!