Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Entertainment and Activities
  3. Holidays
  4. Thanksgiving
  5. Keeping Food Allergies In Mind During Thanksgiving

Keeping Food Allergies in Mind During Thanksgiving

Whether you're dining at a restaurant, a family member's house, or enjoying dinner at home, use these tips to stay mindful of life-threatening food allergies during your holiday meal.
familyeducation logo
FamilyEducation Staff
Updated: December 1, 2022
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

Thanksgiving, a holiday focused on feasting, can be worrisome for those who must avoid peanuts, gluten, shellfish, or any other food they can't tolerate. Whether you're dining at a restaurant or enjoying dinner at home, the people preparing the food and consuming it need to stay mindful of allergic reactions and how to prevent a possible interaction. When you have life-threatening food allergies, every meal causes concern.

More: Can You Eat Thanksgiving Turkey While Pregnant (What Thanksgiving Foods to Avoid When Pregnant)

"Food allergy affects an estimated 6 to 8 percent of children under age 3 and up to 3 percent of adults. While there's no cure, some children outgrow their food allergy as they get older," according to the Mayo Clinic.

Be Prepared to Educate

If a child in the family has a food allergy, be ready to thoroughly explain the situation to catering companies, restaurant servers, or friends who are hosting a holiday meal. It can be helpful to create a small, shareable card that lists foods that must be avoided, including common names that people might not be aware of. For example, if your child has Celiac Disease, they must avoid any grain containing gluten. The most common are wheat, barley, and rye, but derivatives of these ingredients can have several names, including malt flavoring and modified food starch.

Thanksgiving at Home

Photo Source: Flickr / Nathan Yergler

Dining at Home on Thanksgiving

When you have a family member with a food allergy, it's probably easiest to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at home and invite family and friends to join you. Since you're mindful of food preparation daily, cooking a holiday meal is really no different. Just be sure to label the allergen-friendly dishes.

If you make several pies for Thanksgiving, consider skipping pecan pie if someone has a nut allergy. Instead, offer pumpkin and apple. If someone brings a nut-based pie as a hostess gift, politely store it in another room, away from the dining area to avoid cross contamination.

If the host seems confused or overly concerned, offer to bring an allergen-safe meal that can be warmed in the oven and served along with the main meal. It's always better to plan ahead than to assume the meal will be safe to eat.

Thanksgiving Dinner in Restaurant

Photo Source: Flickr / Franklin Heijnen

Eating at a Restaurant

Spending Thanksgiving at a restaurant means less preparation and clean up, but it also creates concern for those with food allergies. Before you leave, check the establishment's website. Many restaurants have nutritional and allergen data sheets available so you can pre-plan what to order. Then, explain the food allergy to the server so they can be extra aware of your food's preparation. Sometimes menu items change, especially when a restaurant is hosting a specialty meal for a holiday.

Enjoying Thanksgiving with a food allergy may take some planning and education, but it's completely worth the extra effort to enjoy a safe, healthy meal with those you love.

familyeducation logo
About the author
FamilyEducation Staff

This writer is a part of the FamilyEducation editorial team. Our team is comprised of parents, experts, and content professionals dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and relevant information in the parenting space.

View more articles from this author

What's hot

  • mom giving kids valentines day gifts Entertainment and Activities6 Last-Minute Valentine'…
  • 14 Fun Activities for Winter Break Entertainment and Activities14 Fun Activities for Winter…
  • Valentine's Games_Featured Entertainment and Activities14 Valentine's Day Games…
  • 15 Fun Water Games Entertainment and Activities20 Fun Water Games to Play…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.