Food intolerance sufferers face a challenging time during the holiday season. Many traditional Christmas foods such as Christmas cake, mince pies, stuffing, sausage meat, and bread sauce contain allergens. If we plan ahead and tweak recipes cleverly, no one should feel like they are missing out.

There is a greater problem with allergies and intolerances than most people realize. One out of ten children and 2% of adults suffer from allergies. Food intolerance rates are even greater, up to 45% even.

An individual with a food allergy reacts immediately to a food containing a common allergen, such as fish, eggs, milk, gluten, and nuts. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, wheezing, swelling and itching, and rapid treatment is required because it can be fatal. Food allergies are often confused with food intolerances, which are more common and usually less severe.

These symptoms can include bloating and nausea, and they develop slowly, sometimes many hours or days after eating the food, which can complicate the identification process. This is why finding out if you might have a food intolerance might help you identify any potential symptoms easier.

There has been a dramatic increase in the availability of ‘free from’ foods in recent years. Today, a variety of common staple foods and drinks are available, such as dairy-free milk (such as soya or rice milk) and cheese for lactose intolerance sufferers, as well as gluten-free bread, breakfast cereal, soup, and pasta for coeliacs, so you can adapt a dish if you cater to someone with an intolerance by looking at its ingredients.

There are times when a small tweak to a recipe means it will be enjoyed by everyone. Make a dairy-free shake by switching cow’s milk for soya or almond milk. You can also make delicious gluten-free festive biscuits by using gluten-free flour and gluten-free baking powder. Any supermarket will carry them, and no one will notice the difference. For more information on food allergies and intolerances check out our blogs as well..