Tips for Living with Food Allergies

Hosting Allergic Guests

Let your guests know you’re interested in feeding them well, and seek their advice.
Ask what they can’t eat, and how cautious you should be about exposure.If their reactions are severe, avoid serving those foods altogether. Tweaking your menu beats a trip to the emergency room.
Avoid cross-contamination from earlier food preparation by using clean equipment and surfaces.
Use fresh, whole foods when possible.
When using packaged foods, read labels carefully for warnings required by the FDA for the 8 common allergens.
If theirs is an uncommon allergy, ask for help identifying unexpected ways the ingredient might be listed.
Check labels even if you’ve used that food in the past, since ingredients change.
If you’re stumped about what to make, ask what they enjoy eating.

Dining Out with Allergies

Let your hosts know in advance specifically what you need to avoid.
If it’s appropriate, offer to bring a dish for everyone.
Recognize that they may not have the experience cooking without those ingredients.
Ask how you can help make it easier to feed you.
Accidents can happen, so always bring your medications.

8 common allergens