By Yinka Shokunbi
Eating out during the festive season or while away from home could have its own challenges, especially when it has to do with making choices of what kind of food that would be suitable to the body system without experiencing difficulties.
Likewise could it be challenging when making food choices for guests who have been invited to lunch or dinner in our homes. Food allergies can be a challenge as well as excitement or fun-killer, if not properly handled ahead of time.
Food-allergic individuals do often experience loads of challenges with so many desserts and homemade treats, casseroles and dips laid out on the table – largely without ingredient labels.
If adults could handle allergies from experience, children often cannot, and most times they can feel left out of the traditional festivities, many of which centre around food. And allergies can present a challenge for hosts, as they frequently must tend to a wide range of preferences and needs behind the scenes.
Food experts have, therefore, thought of ways out to make either eating out or hosting friends easier with some simple rules that could be easily adapted by anyone, since it is not always easy to assume that everyone would be clean on just any type of food served at occasions.
Here are some holiday gathering tips for both hosts and guests:
For hosts:
Experts advise that there should be correct labelling of food on menu table (especially in a buffet). Keep food labels for everything used to prepare a festive home-made holiday meal, so an allergic guest may double-check the ingredient list.
May choose to buy live chicken or turkey rather than frozen or processed to avoid those processed with soya or some other preservatives that people can react to. When you prepare your chicken or turkey in your kitchen, the likelihood is to use fresh, not processed, seasonings and as such eliminate preservatives often used by manufacturers.
Avoid cross-contamination. Care for utensils and surfaces when preparing foods is a must. Rinsing a knife that chopped walnuts is insufficient – thoroughly scrub all utensils and surfaces with soap and water and wipe clean. Even trace amounts of a food can cause a reaction for highly allergic people.
How about trying colour-coded cooking utensils this year? A bright red silicone spatula or a nifty lime-green serving spoon is sure to alert food-allergic guests.
For guests:
When visiting, put thought into contributions. When in doubt, beautiful fresh flowers are always a welcome hostess gift instead of a pie from a bakery when you are just not sure about the allergy safety.
Ship ahead. If you are allergic and need to visit friends or family, make some simple allergy-free foods that travel well and ship them to your host’s home a week or more in advance, so you are sure they will arrive in time for your visit.
Bring an allergy-free host gift. If you know your host has food allergies, you can always bring a gift of unpeeled fruit or a pre-packaged seasonal safe food, with ingredient lists approved by your host.
Bring a safe dish. If you’re food allergic and even if the party you’re invited to is not a potluck, why not offer to bring a safe dish or two, so there’s definitely something you can eat. Your host will be thankful not to have to prepare separate food items, and sharing dishes that are allergen-free will delight everyone there.
Check in beforehand. If you are allergic, always let your host or restaurants where you’re celebrating know in advance – don’t assume they will remember.
Be sure to remember to always carry your rescue medication just in case of emergency.
© Mireille Schwartz, founder and executive director of the Bay.
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