Food Allergies and the Holiday Season

• Make sure to alert your host to your food allergy as soon as possible. An advance polite warning may make meal planning easier, especially if you have tips to help out. And, it's best to just be upfront, avoiding hurt feelings at the dinner table.
• Offer to bring an allergy-free dish or two, taking some of the load off the host and ensuring that there will be some safe foods available. It's standard guest etiquette, and the assurance of a safe dish will make both you and your host feel more comfortable. Plus, when it comes to the holidays and food, the more the merrier, right?
• Inquire carefully about ingredients before trying any foods, even those that seem familiar. Holiday recipes are often full of "special ingredients" they might not normally include.
• Food allergens can be hidden in lots of foods – baked treats and desserts, fancy dips, salads and salad dressings, quiches, casseroles. Don't let your willingness to try Aunt Margaret's favorite recipe overwhelm your good judgment – supportive family members will understand.

• Be aware. There's nothing wrong with inquiring about possible food allergies in advance, and it may ease an uncomfortable situation for a guest who is reluctant to be a bother.
• Be positive and creative. There are many substitutes for common food allergens, like wheat, dairy, and eggs. Look around, explore cookbooks, utilize resources. You might find that it is easier to create allergy-free dishes than you thought.
• Keep a recipe or list of ingredients for each dish close at hand; that way you won't have to rely on memory to tell you whether or not a certain recipe had eggs in it.
Don't take it personally if your guests can't eat all your concoctions. In addition to food allergies, many people experience food intolerances - not life threatening, but still unpleasant.