To all my allergy friends this holiday season:
It’s been 10 years since my diagnosis, and in those 10 years, i have learned a lot, and I have cried a lot about food. We are surrounded by it all day, every day, and of course, it consumes our minds when we can’t eat like everyone else. Trust me when I say I get it.
Learn this from me. NO ONE (that doesn’t deal with dietary restrictions) in your family or friends knows what you are REALLY dealing with or how hard it is to show up. They don’t get the pain and emotion involved with being unable to eat what’s on the dinner table. And guess what; they won't, and you shouldn’t expect them to.
Here's the beautiful thing about not having expectations of your loved ones: When someone goes out of their way to make or buy you something gluten-free, it means SO much more.
The holidays take on a completely different feeling if food allergies restrict you. Trust me, I get it.
If you or any friends or family members are allergic to gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs, or soy, you may not realize that they can’t eat the food you make if you prep them with some of the most popular seasonings on the market.
For example:
Lipton onion soup mix contains soy sauce with wheat in it.
Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning- contains dairy and corn.
Bouillons- most are not gluten-free.
This is why I created and blended my own seasonings in my home. I didn’t want my daughter and I to be left out of our favorite holiday dishes. The impact and thoughtfulness your loved ones with food allergies will feel from you by swapping out the common seasonings for my food allergy-friendly ones will mean more than they can express. The simple joy of eating the same thing as everyone at the table will make the holidays that much better and more memorable for them.
I promise it’s worth the effort, and the flavor is just as good or better, in my biased opinion.
I hope my seasonings bring joy to you or someone you love this holiday season.
