Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TOOELE — As Thanksgiving and other holiday celebrations bring people around the table, Intermountain Healthcare dietitians say it's crucial to take food allergies into consideration when planning the big meal.
"The response to an allergic reaction can be anywhere from mild, more annoying symptoms, like itchiness and hives, to some can be life-threatening," explained Carly Alba, clinical dietician at Intermountain Healthcare.
Alba said the eight most common food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.
She said her best advice for big holiday dinners is to label all the food, ask each guest if they have any allergies, and have a lot of options.
"You want it to be a fun and inclusive environment for everyone, so having a lot of options will help with that," Alba said.
Tooele mom Julieann Prescott loves to cook with her 15-year-old daughter Eliza.
Prescott says it's a chance to bond and learn new allergy-friendly meals together.
"When you have to risk your life every time you are eating, three times a day at a minimum, you want to make sure that you're safe the whole time," Julieann Prescott said.
Eliza Prescott is severely allergic to a number of different ingredients and has been since she was 6 months old.
"Food allergies is an invisible disease — by looking at her, you would never know that she has food allergies, that she has something that could kill, so people don't think about it," Julieann Prescott expressed.
For the holidays, the Prescott family tries to make it inclusive and safe for Eliza.
"I let her drive the menu a lot because other people can have all these sides, they can have pie, or they could have cheesy mashed potatoes, and she cannot," Julieann Prescott said.
Eliza says she appreciates that because sometimes, when it comes to food, she feels left out.
"It's really hard because this can hurt me, but I also want to try new things and be a part of things, so is it worth the risk," Eliza said.
The teen said she and her mom make allergy-friendly meals and post them on Instagram.
