Allergy-Free Party Food for the PlayoffsHow to Tackle Sports Season Snacking without Risking Your Health or Your Sanity(January 2009) You did it. You had a food-allergy-safe holiday season by resisting delicious-looking dinners and treats at party after party. And after you escaped New Year’s Eve festivities unscathed, you thought you were home free. But then you opened that invitation for the playoff party your neighbor is throwing next week…and realized your old college roommate is having a party for the big game between your alma mater and its biggest rival…and you’ve received three invites for Super Bowl parties. Sigh. What’s a food-allergy-suffering football lover to do? RECIPES
Jalapeno Garlicky Chicken Wings (With Roquefort Dressing)
Herb-Covered Goat Cheese
Minced Meatballs With Savory Ginger Dipping Sauce
If you’ve been sending your regrets to every invitation because of your food allergy, stop! says Terry Traub, author of the new book 'Food to Some, Poison to Others: The Food Allergy Detection Program'. With the right recipes, you can be present at every kickoff and touchdown of the season…worry- and allergy-free! “When you suffer from a food allergy, it can be a daunting task to enjoy yourself while trying to analyze every bite that goes in your mouth,” says Traub. “The trick is to find recipes that are safe and enjoyable for everyone at the party. Having an arsenal of go-to recipes for allergy-free party food is key to hosting and attending all of the sports season celebrations.”
Traub speaks from personal experience. A dental hygienist and the mother of two sons with Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance) and one with lactose intolerance, she wrote her book and created her website - www.eattobeallergyfree.com - to help families and individuals who struggle with food allergies.
The first step, of course, is getting educated. Traub’s book helps people to figure out what’s causing their distressing symptoms—food allergies can take the form of runny nose, coughing, asthma, itchy throat, diarrhea, abdominal pain, excessive sweating, mucus in the chest, eczema, constipation, and/or vomiting—and provides a wealth of recipes, pantry lists, and menus to combat the condition.
But back to the impending Super Bowl party…what can you do to enjoy the football festivities without risking your health? As a food allergy sufferer, you may be tempted to volunteer to host all of the events in order to make sure the food is safe for you and relieve the anxiety you might feel. And, indeed, she offers a wealth of recipes for delicious allergy-free party foods for you to choose from.
“You can create an entire menu of allergy-free goodies for any party occasion,” says Traub. “All it takes is a little planning and knowing where to get the right ingredients.”
But maybe you don’t feel like having a rowdy crowd at your house…and Traub says you shouldn’t feel obligated. Offer to bring a few dishes to someone else’s party instead.
“Everyone has been a host or hostess at some point,” she points out, “and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who’s ever been upset that a guest has volunteered to help with the food-prep workload.” If you’re worried that the other (non-allergic) guests will find your snacks off-putting in some way, relax. With the right recipes, much like the ones Traub has devised herself, the other guests will never know the food you brought is any different.
“Just because food is allergy-free doesn’t mean it has to be unappealing,” she says. “You can enjoy the game with the rest of the guests and not have to worry about depriving yourself or being sick later. And your friends will savor the snacks you bring, too.”
“People who read my book and website tell me that it’s nice to know that food allergy sufferers don’t have to skip out on parties or draw attention to themselves or miserably munch on carrots while everyone else is chowing down,” adds Traub. “You can enjoy sports season and all its milestones just like everyone else.”
About the Author:
Terry Traub has been in the health field for 37 years. She is a practicing Registered Dental Hygienist with a degree in Public Health. She has two sons, both with Celiac Disease, and her husband has shown symptoms of Celiac in the last two years. Her younger son also has lactose intolerance.
Terry’s first book, The Food Allergy Detection Program, was written in response to the trauma the family went through trying to detect what her boys were allergic to. Their predicament made her aware that other children and adults may have problems similar to her sons. Terry developed an elimination diet to isolate the allergens causing these problems. However, unlike other elimination diets, her method was in recipe form, not just a list of foods to avoid. Also, unlike the elimination diets of the time, she stayed away from any saturated fats during the diet as these can be difficult to digest.
Terry’s new book, Food to Some, Poison to Others, is an expanded version of the first book. While primarily it is still an elimination diet, more has been added to the book. The book recognizes the problems with GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and changes the way the food is prepared to help with these diseases. The new book also has a chapter entitled “On the Road,” which gives tips and advice on eating out.
About the Book:
Food to Some, Poison to Others: The Food Allergy Detection Program (Frederick Fell Publishers, July 2008, ISBN: 978-0-8839117-1-6, $14.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and from all major online booksellers.
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