3 Key Strategies to Holidays and Food Allergies

Food Allergy Friday Newsletter
Dr. Alice Hoyt

Boo!

I hope you’re having a wonderful day! Whether you’re a fall festival person, super into Halloween, or rather sit back and watch others enjoy the day, there’s one thing for certain about Halloween for pediatricians - it’s a big day for our patients!

It’s big not only because our patients get to dress up and make believe they are superhero or a princess or a dinosaur, but it’s also the beginning of two months of holidays. For food allergy patients, that means paying extra attention and making extra efforts to safely enjoy the holidays while still 100% participating.

Managing Food Allergies During the Holiday Season

You may have patients and parents concerned about the holiday season and possible accidental ingestions of their allergens. It’s a real fear! As their pediatrician, remind them of three core strategies (as discussed in the “Food Allergy in Restaurants Workgroup Report,” which is a great resource regarding dining out at restaurants or really just anywhere not home):

1. Communicate the food allergies to the party’s host, wait staff, chef - anyone preparing food.

2. Know what is safe and what is unsafe, and communicate that.

3. Be prepared for the unexpected by having extra food available and by having an emergency plan and medication available in case of an accidental ingestion.

As the pediatrician, you can empower your food allergy patients to have an amazing holiday season simply by sharing these three tips and the article for the parents to read themselves!

Takeaway for busy pediatricians:

Insert a minute into your next visit: ask about the family’s upcoming holiday plans and whether they’ve talked about food allergy communication and preparation in a large gathering scenario. Ask what questions they have about what’s safe and unsafe. This brief intervention can not only save a life but can improve an entire family’s quality of life and entire holiday season.

Further Reading & Quick Resources:

Carter CA, Pistiner M, Wang J, Sharma HP. Food Allergy in Restaurants Work Group Report. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020;8(1):70–74. 

“How to Help Your Food Allergy Patients Dine Out Safely” – Food Allergy Friday Newsletter (May 23 2025). 

“Dining Out Safely with Food Allergies” quick course. 

'Food Allergy Friday' is curated and written by Dr. Alice Hoyt. Dr. Hoyt is board-certified in allergy & immunology, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Her clinical expertise is in food allergies, and she serves patients with her team at the Hoyt Institute of Food Allergy.