Food allergies are the cause of 200,000 emergency department
visits every year, meaning it’s time to be aware of what you’re serving up at
your next party. And since food allergies among
children have increased 50 percent from 1997 to 2011, odds are good that at least one person coming to your party will
have a food allergy. How can you prevent an allergy-spurred disaster from
happening at your party? The Urgency Room is here with some easy
allergy-friendly snack ideas you could offer to your partygoers.
10 Easy Allergy-friendly Snacks
Only eight types of food account for 90 percent of allergic reactions. Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat
(gluten) send hundreds of thousands of people to seek medical care every year,
but you can prevent that from happening at your party with these easy snacks to
be served to allergic friends and family.
1. Baked Plantain Chips
Ditch the tortilla chips and bring on the plantains. If you’re
unfamiliar with a plantain, you’re in for a treat. A plantain is much like a
banana except it is a little more savory. Baking plantain slices on a cookie
sheet with a little olive oil and sea salt makes a popular snack at any party.
Or you can spice up your plantain chips by tossing them with a variety of
different seasonings—make them sweet with cinnamon sugar, make them spicy with
a little cayenne or leave them delicious as is.
2. Fruit Spring Rolls
Fruit spring rolls are an inventive way to serve up fresh fruit
with incredible dipping sauces. Much like the veggie- and fish-packed spring
roll you might be familiar with, these rolls are made up of spring roll
wrappers (or gluten-free rice paper wrappers) tightly wrapped around thin
slices (julienne-style slices) of popular fruits like mango, strawberries and
apples. Make a creamy dipping sauce out of dairy-free cream cheese and you have
a portable, delicious and inventive party snack for everyone.
3. Roasted Chickpeas
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, quickly turn into an addictive snack
no matter where you bring them. Roasting chickpeas couldn’t be easier: Simply
drain, rinse and dry your chickpeas before baking them in the oven with a
little olive oil and sea salt. Much like the plantain chips mentioned earlier,
chickpeas can take on both sweet and savory flavors depending on what you dust
them with.
4. Whoopie Pies
Whoopie pies might sound like an allergy-sufferer’s nightmare.
However, this recipe has mastered the delicious
whoopie pie while leaving out sugar, dairy, eggs, gluten, soy and nuts. These
moist and chocolatey pies should be able to satisfy cravings for cake while
being a safe bet for most who have allergies. They’re a fun alternative to a
large cake or cupcakes.
5. Fresh Fruit Kabobs
Fruit is always a sweet and juicy standby at parties—especially
during the summer when most fruits are in season! What’s more is that fruit
doesn’t have the eight most common allergens in them, so everyone can enjoy
them without questioning their ingredients. One way to serve up fruit in a
convenient way is on a skewer. Making simple fruit kabobs makes fruit super
portable and dippable into whatever sauces you whip up.
6. Chocolate-covered Bananas
Chocolate-covered bananas are a sweet treat anyone will enjoy.
Serve them as chocolate-covered slices or as dipped banana halves on sticks. To
ensure this is a dairy-free option, avoid a milk chocolate coating. Dark
chocolate chips or dairy-free chocolate is also a safe bet to melt and cover
the banana with. They’re a fun dairy-free frozen option
that’s low in sugar.
7. Chips and Guacamole
How can you deny the snackability of chips and guacamole? Corn
tortilla chips aren’t made with gluten and they’re a universal staple for
parties everywhere. When combined with freshly smashed homemade
guacamole—avocados, lime juice and onion make a simple and delicious
guacamole—you’ll find that all of your guests will flock around the snack table
until it’s gone.
8. Dairy-free Gluten-free Puppy Chow
Puppy chow, also known as muddy buddies, can easily turned into a
delicious gluten-, peanut- and dairy-free snack. Gluten-free Chex cereal can be
stuffed with a peanut butter alternative, e.g., almond butter, tahini, etc.,
and coated in a dairy-free or dark chocolate. Puppy chow is a longstanding
favorite for children and adults as it’s crunchy, filling, super snackable and
addictive. You can also make a lot of it at a low cost.
9. Chex Mix
When it comes to versatility, few snacks can beat Chex mix. Sweet,
savory, salty—make as many varieties as you want to make sure everyone at the
party can have a snack they can enjoy. This party snack can also be as simple
or complex as you want. Simply mix together allergy-friendly ingredients or go
as far as to cook up your Chex mix with melted butter and the seasoning of your
choice. Need another idea for gluten-free Chex? Try a Chex mix bar. Set out a
large bowl of plain Chex with all of the different add-ins alongside it in
separate bowls. This way, those with specific allergies can avoid the
ingredients that could trigger their symptoms while those without food
allergies can also enjoy what they want with their mix.
10. Veggies and Hummus
Much like fruit, vegetables are always a safe bet. They’re
healthy, easy to prepare and easy to serve up to hungry guests with or without
food allergies. Pair your vegetables with a variety of hummus dips and you’re
well on your way to a party well-done.
To keep snacks safe for all at a party—especially one where lots
of people are going to be—consider putting labels near your food. If you have a
mix of gluten-, nut- or dairy-packed snacks alongside snacks without those
ingredients, indicate which allergens are in which snacks. Not only will this
help partygoers feel comfortable, but it will also prevent you from being asked
if there’s peanut butter in the puppy chow over and over again.
When Allergic Reactions Strike, Come to the Urgency Room
Even though your party might have allergy-friendly snacks and
fantastic signage, an allergic reaction could still strike when you least
expect it. If someone is experiencing symptoms of an allergic reaction, make
sure to take action quickly. If they have an Epi (epinephrine) pen, make sure
to use it as soon as possible—this could save their life.
Once an Epi pen has been used in urgent treatment, get to the
nearest Urgency Room. Conveniently located in Eagan, Vadnais Heights and
Woodbury, each Urgency Room is easily accessible by major highways. Coming to an Urgency Room
around the Twin Cities means you’ll get better,
faster care any day of the year. Each UR location is open 365 days of the year,
including holidays, from 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. Summer is winding down, but don’t
let that stop you from hosting a great party stocked with food for all.
