As the New Year steadily approaches there is a good chance that you are planning a celebration, and maybe that celebration includes dinner. You have guests on their way, you want to make a great impression for the new year, but you also want to make sure that the meal is safe for everyone. Today we’re going to cover three different food allergies that you might not have even known about, and they’re definitely something you need to keep in mind as you shop our Pembroke pines organic produce or any other nutrition stores. Some of these you may have heard of, and some may catch you completely off-guard, so let’s get started!
Wheat – The Most Common Unexpected Allergy
You might have heard of wheat allergies which can be a result of celiac disease or simply an immune response to the proteins, but the surprising thing is that this condition is not limited to gluten. Most commonly, this condition will be present in children and it is estimated that 65% of those children will outgrow it by age 12. Still, there is a chance that you’re going to have someone at your table who suffers from a wheat allergy, and with that being the case, you will need to make sure that your table is prepared for everyone. The most important thing you can do is ask your guests whether or not they suffer from a wheat allergy, especially if they are children.
An offshoot of wheat allergy as previously mentioned is celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to respond to gluten in an abnormal way. Adults and children both experience this condition differently and some might not even be aware that they are suffering from it.
A few examples of foods that contain wheat include:
- Bulgur
- Club Wheat
- Couscous.
- Breadcrumbs
- Durum
- Einkorn
While this type of allergy might make your meal options appear limited you can mitigate it by shopping the gluten-free section of our nutrition store. You might be surprised at all of the food substitutes you can obtain and still have a great holiday dinner.
Soy Allergy – A Product of Soybeans
This is a common food allergy but still one that you might be entirely unfamiliar with. Soy allergies are not usually something that manifests themselves during adulthood; usually, they start in infancy as a result of a soy-based formula. Many children grow out of it, but there are some who will suffer from the symptoms of soybean allergy all of their lives. This will make your dinner preparation a bit more difficult, but it is definitely something that can be worked around. In fact, there are plenty of soy-free recipes online that can help you, and for reference, the following are a few foods that contain soy:
- Breaded foods
- Imitation dairy food
- Breadcrumbs, cereals, and crackers
- Hydrolyzed plant protein
- Bean sprouts
Egg Allergy – Common in Children
This is probably going to be the biggest obstacle in your dinner plans but yes, there is such a thing as egg allergy and the symptoms can range from mild to severe. As with the conditions that we mentioned previously, these are issues that normally manifest themselves during childhood and usually clear up by adulthood. Once again, this is not always the case, so it’s something that you need to watch out for when you are making your holiday dinner plans. Some of the most common foods that use egg include:
Surimi- Meringue
- Albumin
- Egg
- dried
- powdered
- solid
- white
- yolk
- Eggnog
- Ovalbumin
- Mayonnaise
- Lysozyme
SurimiWatching Out for your Holiday Guests
Even when you get your goods at an organic health shop you need to make sure that you’re watching out for your guests in every way possible. That said, we have a few tips to help you AND your friends survive the holidays:
Put out a request for a list of allergies for anyone that you want to invite to your holiday dinner. Knowing ahead of time will help you to prepare a better meal!
Write a list of ingredients for each dish you prepare and keep them on an index card next to the plate or bowl.
The perfect holiday dinner is within your reach, just make sure you’re observing the potential allergies of those you invite. When in doubt, ask to be sure, and have a great new year!
