The Holidays, Food Allergies, and Tips for Dealing with Both

I thought about using the title "Survival Guide to the Holidays with Food Allergies" but it seemed a little grim.  The holidays are fun and exciting, but they also present many challenges for those families with food allergies.  The only time I ever see peanut brittle is during Christmas, along with eggnog and a host of other foods laden with nuts, butter, and milk.  Couple that with Christmas parties, shopping, and to-do lists a mile long, and a family with food allergies is suddenly in a combat zone! 

To help make the season a little brighter and safer for those with food allergies, I am sharing a few of my tips, activities, and recipes.

Cookies and Christmas Baking:  Check out the Breads and Baking tab.  It has recipes for sweet breads, cookies, and scones.  All are egg and dairy free and can be made GF with a flour substitution.  Share your good with others.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels: 

We love this treat during the holidays.  Use chocolate bark coating if you do not have a dairy allergy, but if you need a dairy and GF option, try this:

12 oz. of allergen free chocolate (Enjoy Life chips)

1 TBSP of shortening (Earth Balance)

Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks

A handful of crushed candy canes

Combine and melt the ingredients in a double boiler (or slowly in the microwave). Once the chocolate is melted, dip GF pretzels in the chocolate and then place on wax paper until chocolate is hardened.  Optional: roll in crushed candy canes.

Hot Chocolate:  Baby, it's cold outside and having hot chocolate options is a must!  Try Archer Farms Dark Chocolate mix (see picture) or Hershey's Chocolate Syrup.  Add Soya Too Rice Whip, marshmallows, and a candy cane.

Vegetables:  Substitute olive oil for butter on the vegetables and don't be afraid to ask your family to make this simple substitution during family meals.  You can also pull some food aside before the vegetables get served to help prevent cross contamination.

Special Cups and Dishes:  I learned this trick last Christmas Eve when I set the table for our meal and poured my kids their milk.  All of the cups were the same and my son rushed into the room and took a sip of cow milk without thinking.   Anaphylaxis on Christmas is never fun, so we instituted using different colored cups for our son with allergies.  This alerts him and others that something is different and helps prevent accidental exposure to allergens.

Mashed Potatoes and other sides:  Potatoes go with most every meal, try one of these dishes:

Mashed Potatoes:  Use your favorite recipe and substitute rice milk, chicken or vegetable broth for the liquids and dairy free ‘butter’ for cow milk butter.

Potato Casserole Original Recipe:  

4 potatoes                   

1 sweet potato

1 parsnip

1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1 6 oz. container of sour cream

Parboil potatoes, cool.  Shred potatoes and parsnip.  Combine the rest of the ingredients with the potatoes and bake for 45 min at 350 deg.  Thank you Ellen for this yummy dish!

Allergy Friendly Recipe:

Use the same amount of potatoes and cook as directed above and shred.  Combine two flax eggs, ¼ cup of GF flour, ¼ cup of rice milk, and 1 cup of Daiya shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake as directed above.

Crafts Instead of Cookies:  The holidays do not always need to be about food!  Making simple crafts like cutting snowflakes, coloring, making Santa beards with cotton balls, constructing nativities, making candy cane reindeer, stringing popcorn and cranberries.  I am not too crafty, but I know that there is a limitless supply of Christmas crafts just waiting to be done. No dishes to clean-added plus in my book.

Anticipation: Advent calendars are made with milk chocolate, so try making your own Advent calendar.  Google ‘reusable, handmade, DIY’ advent calendars for ideas.  Fill each day with a handwritten note about a special activity or treat for that day.

 

Prepare and Plan.  There are two parts to this ‘prepare’.  One piece is to prepare for events, activities, parties. Try these tips:

·   Have allergy friendly snacks and treats ready for home and school events.

·   Bring your own food to parties for your allergic children.

· Feed your kids before you go to the party.  When I do this, I get to relax more and I avoid being the boss of the buffet table to help avoid cross contamination with food.

The second piece of this is to prepare your heart for Christmas.  Show love and patience, give of your time, talents and treasures, and don’t run the red lights when out shopping!  Be your best self.

Merry Christmas