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- Gluten And Lactose-Free Breakfasts to Brighten Up Your Morning
- Allergy Management for a Carefree Return to School
- Snacks Free of Priority Allergens
- Halloween for everyone!
- An allergy-free Easter celebration
- Milk allergy and plant-based beverages
TopFestive safe celebrations
The magic of the holidays is all about sharing memorable moments with loved ones, often around a festive meal. Make sure your feast is safe for everyone at the table by reinventing, tweaking, and adapting classic recipes in order to serve dishes that don’t contain any priority allergens.
First and foremost, you should forego certain snacks such as peanuts and nuts. These are not only a common source of allergic reactions, but they also present choking hazards for your youngest guests. You can replace them by roasted lentils and chickpeas seasoned with allergen-free spices (be careful because these can also present a choking hazard for young kids). Second, skip the seafood platter if anyone is allergic to fish or shellfish. If someone on your guest list has an allergy to cow’s milk, you can serve “fauxmages” instead of cheese (but make sure to check the list of ingredients for any allergens). Or you can simply serve a platter of crudités with a sesame free bean dip or corn chips with homemade guacamole and salsa.
For inspiration, here’s an example of a menu with no priority allergens:
Happy hour:
Marinated olives (always read the list of ingredients and make sure the pits are removed if kids are invited)
Dinner :
Vegetable soup
Potatoes (diced or mashed, prepared with an allergen-free margarine and homemade chicken broth* or any broth that contains no allergens)
Fruit ketchup, pickled beets, homemade pickles
* Use your turkey or chicken bones to prepare a delicious homemade broth.
Desserts :
Allergen-free sable cookies and royal icing for decoration
If you or your kids have food allergies and you are invited to a holiday party, here are a few tips to make sure everyone stays safe:
speak with your hosts about the risk of cross contamination to ensure that the dishes they serve won’t trigger an allergic reaction
use clean cutlery and dishes to prepare recipes
wash surfaces and hands
use clean cloths and aprons, etc.
notify the guests of your allergies (and the host of course)
suggest ways to tweak the recipes served
offer to bring one or more dishes that will be safe for you to eat
ask your hosts to send you or keep the list of ingredients so you can check them once at the party
send the host a list of foods you (or your child) can safely eat
always keep your epinephrine auto-injector with you
Happy holidays!
>chickpeas seasoned with allergen-free spices (be careful because these can also present a choking hazard for young kids). Second, skip the seafood platter if anyone is allergic to fish or shellfish. If someone on your guest list has an allergy to cow’s milk, you can serve “fauxmages” instead of cheese (but make sure to check the list of ingredients for any allergens). Or you can simply serve a platter of crudités with a sesame free bean dip or corn chips with homemade guacamole and salsa.
For inspiration, here’s an example of a menu with no priority allergens:
Happy hour:
Marinated olives (always read the list of ingredients and make sure the pits are removed if kids are invited)
Dinner :
Vegetable soup
Potatoes (diced or mashed, prepared with an allergen-free margarine and homemade chicken broth* or any broth that contains no allergens)
Fruit ketchup, pickled beets, homemade pickles
* Use your turkey or chicken bones to prepare a delicious homemade broth.
Desserts :
Allergen-free sable cookies and royal icing for decoration
If you or your kids have food allergies and you are invited to a holiday party, here are a few tips to make sure everyone stays safe:
speak with your hosts about the risk of cross contamination to ensure that the dishes they serve won’t trigger an allergic reaction
use clean cutlery and dishes to prepare recipes
wash surfaces and hands
use clean cloths and aprons, etc.
notify the guests of your allergies (and the host of course)
suggest ways to tweak the recipes served
offer to bring one or more dishes that will be safe for you to eat
ask your hosts to send you or keep the list of ingredients so you can check them once at the party
send the host a list of foods you (or your child) can safely eat
always keep your epinephrine auto-injector with you
Happy holidays!
