How To Live Holistically This Holiday Season With Your Food Allergies & Alcohol Preferences
Gathering with friends, family, and loved ones during the holiday season always seems like a great idea, until…
The entire spread of food is contaminated with ingredients you have allergies or sensitivities to or your loved ones won’t stop pestering you to “just have a drink.”
Let’s be honest, the holidays can be overwhelming and dreaded for a multitude of reasons. Sometimes this time of year can be difficult if you’ve experienced loss or simply if getting together with your family causes conflicts. Drop in the comments below what the biggest conflict seems to be when your family gets together. 👇 Don’t feel embarrassed, we’ve all got shit.
So, what can we do to make the holidays more holistic and enjoyable?
Food allergies & sensitivities
If you’re struggling with family members who don’t understand food allergies or sensitivities, here’s my advice… Keep in mind that when loved ones aren’t accommodating, it isn’t always because they don’t care, it also could be that they aren’t educated.
01. Get in touch beforehand
If you’re worried about not being able to indulge in the delicious holiday food, try to reach out to the hosts about who is bringing food so you can get clarity on what ingredients will be in each dish. For someone with allergies & sensitivities, it gets overwhelming to reach out and coordinate this on your own for each gathering, however, you have to be your own advocate for something as serious as this.
02. Come prepared
Typically during the holidays, there are certain dishes that are safe to eat with allergies and sensitivities. However, if you’re worried, refer back to step one. Though, if you are confident that the main dish is safe for you and you’re really looking forward to the mashed potato side dish but are dairy-free, make your own personal pan to bring along! This way you can control the ingredients and flavors to ensure you’re enjoying the meal.
03. Educate your loved ones
No, it’s not your job as the one with the allergy or sensitivity to educate everyone, but it’s important to understand that if you have loved ones who don’t struggle with food, it can be really difficult for them to know what’s safe & unsafe for you.
I recommend sharing things with loved ones that keep it light & fun! If you stumble across a reel on Instagram or a fun blog post on Pinterest, send it over to them so they can better understand your situation so they can better care for you.
Alcohol preferences
Are you sober or sober curious? I totally get it, I’m two years into my journey. But, the good news is, it always gets easier and you always find tricks to make it more enjoyable.
During the holidays alcohol seems to be more prevalent. This could be due to the stress of large groups of family getting together, partaking in activities you normally don’t, or peer pressure. Yep, even your loved ones can peer pressure you. It’s often someone who says, “oh, come on! Just have one drink,” because they don’t want to drink alone.
Here’s my solution… come prepared with ingredients to make a yummy, themed mocktail or ask the host to have some ingredients stocked up for you! You can honestly refer back to the action steps above for alcohol as well. Either check in with the hosts or come prepared with your own stuff. But here’s the biggest tip I have. Always have a drink in your hand. I find that when you have a drink in your hand, family members won’t pester you.
My go-to’s are a red solo cup with sparkling water and a wedge of citrus or a fancy glass with a spruced-up mocktail inside. I have tons of mocktail recipes here on the blog that would be perfect for your holiday season!
Check them out:
→ Staples for Low Sugar Mocktails at Home
→ 3 Satisfying Mocktail Recipes - Creamy, Tangy, & Sweet
→ How To Make Craft Mocktails Like A Pro At Home
→ Simple Mocktail Basics For Lazy Weeknights
→ 3 Next-Level Mocktail Recipes To Spice Up Fall Season
→ 4 Beyond Basic Mocktails - Including The VIRAL Sleepy Girl Mocktail
The holiday season doesn’t need to be dreaded and you CAN get through it with your holistic lifestyle choices. I go more in-depth on this conversation in this YouTube video so you can fully equip your toolbox for upcoming family events. Don’t forget that family conflicts are 100% normal, but food & alcohol don’t have to be the crux of those issues.
