Page 81 - The Ultimate Guidebook for Teens with Food Allergies

You know this frustration first hand if you have encountered people like this. It’s like trying to explain math to a brick wall. Luckily there are some things you can do to help others understand and make this world a little more allergy aware in the process.
When things go right
Tea for Two...with a Substitute, by Erika
It was the first day of our annual conference for National Millennium Scholarship recipients. The catering staff had tried to be understanding about my food allergies. However, they did not understand the severity of them. Nor did they have any ideas about how to accommodate them. Between the workshops and speakers, there were snack breaks where they served tea, coffee, and desserts.
At the first break, I decided I would ask if they had a substitute for milk (I was severely intolerant at the time). I am also severely allergic to soy. So I was hoping that they might have rice milk. I went to one of the servers, mentioned my allergy to soy and intolerance to milk, and asked if they had any other alternative besides milk. The server said they did. And, before I could ask him if it was rice milk, he had disappeared into the kitchen. When he returned, I asked him if it was rice milk. He said that it was soy milk. I had to explain to him, calmly, that soy milk would send me to the hospital in the same way soy protein or soybeans would. He said he was sorry and that he did not think soy milk would cause a reaction. I decided to take the opportunity to educate him about allergies in the hope that he would understand the next person who approached him about food allergies. Once I had explained to him what food allergies were, and how they could be life-threatening for many of us, he asked me if I would like him to get rice milk for the rest of the conference. I said ‘yes’, told him the brands I can have, and thanked him. He came up to me during the afternoon break with rice milk for my tea.
Even My Butcher Gets It, by Katelyn
I went through a particularly rough period of time trying to find a butcher that would accommodate my allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, peas, chickpeas and lentils. After trying multiple butchers in my area, who couldn’t accommodate me because of cross-contamination issues, I finally found one! My butcher knows about allergies and takes every precaution to make sure that everything is to the exact specifications that I need. My butcher actually cleans the machines in the morning and packages (vacuum seals) a months’ worth of meat for me. I am not the only person that he accommodates. He’s had several people with allergies that he has helped upon request. My butcher is a really outstanding person and he has helped me out so much.
Quick Tip - Keep in mind that you may actually be the first person with food allergies that someone has ever encountered. It’s a great opportunity to help them understand what allergies are all about.