An Allergy Friendly Thanksgiving | Covenant Allergy and Asthma

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is almost here? If you’re planning to host the holiday dinner, you might need to think about preparing an allergen free menu. Covenant Allergy and Asthma has several tips for you to better navigate the day if you, your loved ones, or any other guests have food allergies.

When we talk about an allergen free menu, we mean a menu free of the top eight food allergens. Of course, you might have guests who only deal with one or two food allergies, so you’ll need to check with them before you make a menu plan or go shopping.

Here are some simple suggestions regarding substitutions for some of the most common culprits at the Thanksgiving table:

The Turkey
Check the label carefully. Sometimes, a turkey will have broth added to it, and that broth may contain wheat or gluten. Any time you’re in doubt about a food label, you can call the 1-800 number to verify with the company whether or not that product is free of allergens. A whole turkey is occasionally packed with a gravy packet which will almost always contain wheat.

As you prepare your turkey, keep in mind that any broth you use for basting should be wheat and gluten free, and you don’t want to baste the bird with butter in the case of dairy allergies.

Turkey Gravy
Don’t worry–food allergies don’t mean you need to forgo a tasty gravy on Turkey Day. The good news is that allergen free gravies are pretty simple to make. Today, there are even prepared gravy mixes that are gluten free. If you’d like to make your own gravy from scratch, try out this simple recipe from VeryWell.

Mashed Potatoes
Traditional mashed potatoes contain a great deal of dairy. There are a variety of approaches you can take to make allergen free mashed potatoes. You might swap the heavy cream and butter for non-dairy products depending upon your guests’ particular restrictions. Here’s one recipe that can be prepared completely free of all eight allergens.

Dressing or Stuffing
Considering that this side dish is by default bread-based and usually full of butter, you’ll need to think outside the box. You can opt for a recipe from scratch that uses allergy free bread–cornbread can be a great option. The possibilities are greater than you might think. In fact, here’s a fantastic resource for all sorts of Thanksgiving recipes–including turkey dressing.

We hope you’re feeling more confident in the kitchen with your allergy free cooking skills! If you have any questions, be sure to contact us or check out our Facebook page. You can also visit our website to learn more about our services and schedule your own allergy appointment.