The holidays are a special time for celebrating with friends and family. As with many other social events, food is always around. What about the people who have food allergies? Find ways to stay safe this holiday season...
Meals and Food-Related Events:
- Invite others to your home, notifying guests in advance
of foods that are off-limits in your home.
- If you are attending a party at someone else’s home,
bring safe foods for your child.
- For buffets, plan on an early visit, and then leave when
it’s time for people to wander with plates of food.
- Make homemade cookies safe for your child and do a
cookie exchange with other food allergy families or friends that you trust.
- Wear infants in slings to prevent well-meaning “sharing.”
- Have your children with contact allergies wear gloves or socks on their hands
if they are too little, to keep them from having allergic reactions.
- For younger children, use a high chair or booster seat with a tray if child’s
allergens are being served.
- Closely monitor your allergic child to prevent accidental exposures.
School-Related Activities
- Speak to the teacher early and write up a “safe” list of foods for the holiday
season. Request that the teacher send this home asking that parents not to
send any other foods to school as gifts or for parties.
- Or provide safe food and drinks just for your child.
- Volunteer to help at the annual winter party.
- Request that “Secret Santa” or “Polyanna” gifts are non-food related. Ask the
teacher to double check your child’s before he or she opens it.
- Ornaments and wreaths can be made out of artificial foliage, available in
holiday or craft stores, rather than live plants or evergreens.
- Bread dough ornaments can be made from clay.
- Gingerbread houses can be made using:
- Foam sheets and other arts and crafts materials such as wooden shapes,
and glitter markers; colored glue can be used as the “icing.”
- Self-hardening clay of different colors.
- Safe recipes at the end of this booklet.
- Bird houses can be made from wood and decorated to look like a gingerbread
house or Santa’s workshop.
- Pine cone bird feeders can be made using ingredients safe for your child. Soy
nut butter, sunflower butter, shortening, or honey can be substituted for peanut
butter. Help select a seed alternative that is free of nut or wheat contamination,
or use oatmeal instead if that is a safe alternative.
- Picture frames can be made with painted puzzle pieces instead of pasta.
- Jewelry can be made with beads instead of noodles.
www.kidswithfoodallergies.org
Add a comment
