Holiday Treats for Kids with Food Allergies

How Food-allergic Children Can Enjoy Special Occasions

Mar 31, 2009

Kids with food allergies can enjoy special occasions like Easter, Christmas and birthday parties like other kids as long as their parents do a bit of planning prior.

Candy Easter eggs, hot cross buns, chocolates, Christmas candy, Halloween treats and birthday cakes may be fantastic for many kids. But for kids with food allergies, eating these special holiday treats can cause them severe allergic reactions.

While it’s hard depriving a young child of treats that other kids can enjoy, letting the child fall ill as a result of eating unsafe foods is not an option either. So what’s a parent to do? Here are some useful tips that parents can use so that food-allergic children can enjoy special events too.

Try out Allergy-free Recipes in Advance

Weeks before the celebration begins, try out several allergy-free recipes for the family. Ask friends or relatives with food-allergic kids for ideas. Better still, invest in some special diet cookbooks. There are bound to be heaps of allergy-free recipes for parents to make their own gluten-free hot cross buns or dairy-free chocolate treats.

Stock up Safe and Allergy-free Foods

Stock up safe and allergy-free foods in the pantry and refrigerator so that kids with food allergies or any visitor with similar conditions can have their own special treats any time. These days, a wide range of delicious gluten-free, dairy-free and allergen-free food products are available in most supermarkets and health food stores.

Read Food Labels

Before buying or stocking up any food, be sure to read the food labels carefully, even for food products that are regularly purchased. This is because food manufacturers sometimes change ingredients without notice.

Create Awareness of the Child’s Food Allergy

Sometimes, people unwittingly offer sweets and other treats to children with food allergies. To prevent that from happening, create awareness of the child’s food allergy by talking to friends, relatives, teachers and neighbors about the child’s condition and special diet. Describe to them symptoms and signs of an allergic reaction and how to cope with it. Keep an eye on the child if he’s playing with a group of new friends whose parents are not aware of his food allergy.

Be Prepared for a Special Event

If the child is attending an Easter, Christmas, Halloween or birthday party, there is a big possibility he will be offered unsafe foods. Again, letting the other adults know about his condition will help. Also, pack his own special safe treats in a lunchbox so that he won’t feel deprived when other kids are happily munching their treats. Parents can also let the child wear a tag with a visible allergy warning to remind others of his food allergy.

Educate the Child about his Food Allergy

Constantly educate the child about his food allergy and remind him what is safe and not safe to eat. Teach him to decline food politely from well-meaning strangers and not to share food with other kids without checking with Mum or Dad first.

Kids with food allergies can enjoy special holidays and occasions without treats that can trigger allergic reactions. Parents can make sure of that by trying out allergy-free recipes in advance, stocking up safe and allergy-free foods, reading food labels carefully, creating awareness of the child’s food allergy, preparing the food-allergic child for a special event and educating the child about his food allergy.

Marienhoff Coss, Linda. How to Manage your Child’s Life-threatening Food Allergies.California: Palmtree Press, 2004.

The copyright of the article Holiday Treats for Kids with Food Allergies in Kids Holiday Activities is owned by Wei Yin Wong. Permission to republish Holiday Treats for Kids with Food Allergies in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.