My family is eating out this year and I face the challenge of figuring out what the *&%# am I going to eat? I'm not just gluten or simply dairy free but my Thanksgiving dinner needs to be free of eggs, soy, kidney beans, yeast, and oysters and of also wheat and dairy.
If you are dining out this Thanksgiving I would recommend checking out the menu on-line before you go that way in "real time" you won't be overwhelmed. When you make or confirm the reservation, let them know about your food allergies. At the restaurant, always let the server know what you are allergic to as he/she may have some inside information that could be helpful. Additionally, here's a quick guide on what to avoid, broken down per allergy:
Gluten/wheat: Dressings, stuffing, those famous green bean casseroles, salad dressings, dinner rolls, pastas, pies, cakes, meatballs, beer, bread, baked goods, if you see anything with bread crumbs don't eat it
Dairy: Mac n'cheese, pumpkin pie, whipped topping, creamed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, spinach dips, salad dressings, processed meats, butter (although some folks allergic to milk can handle the butter since butter it is lower in lactose)
Soy: No Tofurky for you my friend, soy sauce, some gravy has soy as well
Shellfish: Avoid the obvious: clams, lobster and shrimp, octopus and squid. But also imitation crab (crab salads), bouillabaisse, seafood flavoring and surimi
Peanut: Peanut sauces and dips, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter pie (an Amish classic)
My plan is to eat turkey sans the gravy, sweet potatoes (which may not be completely allergy free, luckily for me dairy doesn't produce anaphylaxis), plain veggies and imbide in a glass of Reisling (or two).
Admittedly, it can be a bit disappointing avoiding all the yummy holiday favorites, as well as dealing with ALL THE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS: "What can you eat now? Why aren't you eating this, oh yeah, that's right you can't. It must really suck to have food allergies during the holidays, look at all this yummy food you can't eat." Then again one great thing about having food allergies is that during Thanksgiving I really don't gain that much weight.
Filed under: Dairy-free, Egg allergy, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Holiday, Peanut-free, Shellfish, Soy-free, Thanksgiving, Wheat-free
Tags: @lifefront, dairy-free, eating out, Food allergy, gluten-free, holiday, shellfish allergy, soy-free, Thanksgiving
