Gift giving can feel overwhelming when food allergies are involved, particularly when someone has more than one food allergy. Allergens can be hidden in innocent gifts such as lotions and toys. But, research and forethought can allow for a fun, personalized gift to someone, no matter what their food allergy might be.
Allergen Friendly Christmas Gift Basket
Buying food for someone with a food allergy might seem like a taboo. But, it need not be! Once you determine what your recipient is allergic to and how sensitive they are to it, you can quickly find items in health food stores or online to meet your gift basket needs.
Some food allergic people are so sensitive to their offending allergen, they cannot have any food product that is processed in the same factory with the allergen. Check with the person you want to give the gift to, or someone who knows them very well, in order to see how careful you need to be.
There are online and possibly local businesses that specialize in providing safe food for whatever allergen you are avoiding. Purchase some choice products from one or two of these businesses or see if they can make up a special gift basket to your specifications.
Food Allergy Cookbooks
Food allergies almost certainly require cooking from scratch, particularly when someone is dealing with multiple food allergies. To add to the issue, recipes with strict dietary needs are rather hard to come by. A new cookbook to browse through will be appreciated by any food allergic individual. Food Allergy Survival Guide by Vesanto Melina is an excellent choice.
Allergy Magazine Subscriptions
As food allergies become more common today, so are magazines that specifically address them. Magazines like Living Without and Allergic Living are perfect choices to give a gift that reminds the recipient all year long that you care about their food allergy.
Epi Pen Covers
Many food allergy sufferers are required to carry a life saving shot of epinephrine to manage their condition. Sometimes this bulky shot can feel like a burden. Help your allergic family or friend add a little flair to transporting their shot with the unique and classy carriers available online today. Allergy Haven and Blue Bear Aware provide classy, reasonably priced pouches.
Hypoallergenic Lotions and Soaps
Believe it or not, food allergy limitations also extend to non-food products such as lotions, soaps, and other products for the body. Many of these products have nut oils in them, or even coconut (also considered a nut by the FDA), making them unsafe for someone with a nut allergy. Companies like The Body Shop and California Baby have wide a selection of products and provide the ingredients to each product on their website. This makes picking a body product that is allergen free much easier.
Non-Allergy Related Items
If you are buying a gift for someone with a food allergy, you are certainly not limited to allergy specific items. Crafts, books, electronics, or anything that shows you care will be appreciated by someone with a food allergy! Be careful, however, as allergens hide in odd places. For example, playdough would not be a wise choice for a child with a wheat allergy.
A word of caution: Before you purchase a gift for someone with a food allergy, particularly if the recipient is a child, check with them or a significant person in their life to make sure you are not giving something that could cause a potential reaction. Just because something appears to be allergy free does not mean it is.
Buying a Christmas gift for someone with a food allergy need not be difficult. All it takes is a little forethought and research. But with some diligence, you can give a gift that shows you care and want to make Christmas a safe and allergen free time of year.
Robyn Adams - Robyn Adams is a freelance writer. She graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a B.A. in Journalism. She also has a M.A. in ...
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