Holiday Gift Ideas for those with Food Allergies or Sensitivities

We all need gift ideas for the holiday. But it can be especially hard coming up with gift ideas for those with food allergies or sensitivities. Give gifts that let them know you care!

The holidays are a magical time. Friends, family, and food run rampant. When you’re someone with food allergies/sensitivities this can be a double edged sword. You want to partake in the fun but you want to keep yourself feeling good and most importantly safe. 

I’m a part of a lot of Facebook Groups that deal with food sensitivity and allergy support. Everyday it seems like someone is posting about how their family or friends don’t support their lifestyle or needs which makes the holidays a very tough time for them. Because of this I wanted to write this quick post about how easy it can be to create a cute gift that aligns with a specialized diet. To help me I enlisted some help from a few of my blogging buddies.

The pictures from this post feature my gift for a Gluten Free gift exchange hosted by Georgianna from Celtic Celiac. (She also has a great Gluten Free Gift Guide). 

When buying for someone that’s on a specialized diet it can be very tempting to go for a completely non-food related item, like a pillow, or some socks. Instead…

TIP: “Embrace their dietary restrictions and trying to find something new and fun for them to try.” – OCD Kitchen While walking through the proverbial candy land that is Home Goods I came across these gluten free Honey Spoons (shown below). I had never seen anything like them. I knew they had to be shared with my gifting partner. By the way, Home Goods is a great place to find specialty food items that are unique and a great price!

Once you’ve found a centerpiece for your gift try to figure out ways to flesh out the idea. These honey spoons are made for tea. It’s a logical next step to go for tea, and then I figured a set of mugs to enjoy the tea would be a great way to finish it out. By building our your gift from a central item it will help keep your gift cute and concise. This gift cost me less than $25 and supports the gluten free lifestyle in an adorable way. (Bonus points if you can get color combos that look nice together.)

If you do decide to go with edible food…

TIP: “Read the label!” – Amanda from My Gluten Free Miami This is a great point Amanda makes. Those with sensitivities and especially allergies need to be very aware of labels. Even something without nuts in the ingredients list could be “Processed in a facility that uses tree nuts” For someone with an allergy that’s a no go because of the risk of cross contamination! Do your due diligence and read the label. 

There are also ways to show your support without buying food items.

TIP: “Cookbooks specific for the recipient’s allergy are perfect. Getting those was a great way for me to figure out what I can eat in a fun way.” – Megan from A Dash of Megnut  I love this tip from Megan! There are lots of great books out there for many types of diets: vegan, paleo, AIP, gluten free, nut free, elimination diets, even top eight allergen free. Take a peek though the alcoves of Amazon’s book section and see what you can find. Even this small gesture can show someone how you take their diet restrictions seriously and want to be a part of their world. 

BONUS TIP: “Find and Share Blogs that align with their restrictions” – OCD Kitchen Shameless plug. Before my elimination diet I wasn’t aware of all the great bloggers out there that talk about diet restrictions and shared recipes that I could eat. Knowing you’re not alone is one of the best ways to get through a restricted diet. Do some research and find some blogs that you think would be great for them to follow. The Urban Poser is great for those who love to bake and are paleo or gluten free. Kelly from The Pretty Bee is another great starting point for allergy friendly recipes. (Even better find a recipe they could enjoy from one of these great bloggers listed and make it for them for Christmas dinner or print the recipe out on a cute card as a gift!)

Many people that have food allergies/sensitivities are looking for support and acceptance from their family and friends. Even if you’re a person without these restrictions and it’s hard for you to understand what it all entails, showing your respect for their lifestyle choices will go a long way in making the holidays a great experience for everyone. For those with allergies especially, these diet restrictions are not a “choice”. Try to make the holidays fun and enjoyable for them as well. The best way to do this is to not force them into “Just trying a little.” or telling them “It’s all in their head.” Comments like these can cut deeper than you might realize. Accept your loved ones for who they are and give them the greatest gift they could ever ask for, your love. 

What are your gifting tips? Have a special someone that could use this in your life, share it out! Don’t forget to follow my social channels and subscribe below.