Klopfenstein dishes how to serve up holiday staples while avoiding food allergens

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

Food allergies. For those that live with them, it can be a daily challenge, especially during the winter months when holiday dinner parties and big family dinners seem to be never-ending. And while some foods are simply off-limits for food allergy sufferers, professionals insist family dinners and holiday parties don?t have to be totally restrictive.

?Communication is key,? says Henry County Health Center clinical dietician, Elise Klopfenstein. ?As a host of any dinner or get-together where food is involved, know upfront that there is no way you can meet everybody?s needs. You can?t make an entire meal that will apply to everyone, especially if you have one or more people attending who have some kind of food allergy.?

According to allergist.com, while any food can cause an adverse bodily reaction, eight types of food account for about 90 percent of all allergic reactions including eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy. And with a virtually endless number of possible food allergy triggers, Klopfenstein suggests a few simple rules to keep everyone safe and less stressed.

?For someone who does live with a food allergy, I always suggest that they volunteer to bring at least one dish to share that they like and that they can eat,? said Klopfenstein. ?If you can bring more than one thing, that?s a plus as well.?

On the flip side, Klopfenstein understands how the pressure to provide for a food allergy sufferer can put a lot of stress on a host or hostess, especially those that aren?t used to accommodating a food allergy. To help, Klopfenstein suggests offering a variety of foods for people to choose from, and try to keep recipes handy.

?As a cook, be open about the ingredients you use in your dishes. Having the recipes available so that you can show people what?s in your dishes takes a lot of the pressure off you as a cook,? says Klopfenstein, who also asserts that using more whole, unprocessed ingredients in a recipe make it easier to tell what?s in a dish and what isn?t.

And while Klopfenstein says these tips are a great way to approach hosting and attending a dinner party, she also warns that these measures aren?t always enough to protect an allergy sufferer.

?Many food allergies cause significant health risks. Sometimes, just touching a certain food or accidently breathing in a certain ingredient can cause a person to go into anaphylactic shock, so it?s their responsibility to come prepared,? she says, insisting that allergy sufferers should always travel with an epinephrine auto-injector and be able to get to a hospital should a severe allergic reaction occur.

?It?s very common for people who live with food allergies to get used to controlling their allergy when they are cooking for themselves at home, or if they eat out, they get used to going to places they know are safe for them,? Klopfenstein continues. ?When other people are cooking for you, it?s harder to totally control what and how they cook, even if they know you have an allergy.?

For more tips, tools and recipes to help live happy and healthy with a food allergy, Klopfenstein recommends visiting www.acaai.org or speak with a local dietician for personalized assistance.