• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • About me
  • Shop
  • Subscribe

Throughthefibrofog

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About me
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About me
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • Γ—

    Home Β» Recipes Β» Low histamine

    Published: Oct 6, 2020 Β· Modified: May 13, 2022 by Claire Β· This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases Β· 6 Comments

    Surviving the holidays with food intolerances

    Surviving the holidays with food intolerances can definitely be a challenge. As well all know, food is a huge part of Christmas / the holiday season. Whether it's a turkey and all the trimmings, chocolate treats hanging on the tree or the smell of roasting chestnuts by the fire, tempting treats are all around us.

    Trouble is, a lot of us have food intolerances or sensitivities and so many of those tempting treats are off-limits. That doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves though! I hope these ideas help you out.

    Just a note - if you have food allergies or food intolerances, or suspect that you do, then it is imperative that you consult a doctor or dietician. This post is for informational use only and does not constitute medical advice in any way.

    pile of gingerbread biscuits with pine cones in the background.
    Jump to:
    • When talk turns to food . . .
    • If you are hosting a holiday gathering
    • When you are the guest at a holiday gathering
    • And for Zoom meet-ups
    • Remember that food isn't the only part of the holidays
    • Drop hints that any food gifts need to comply with your food intolerances . . .
    • Look up holiday recipes for your dietary requirements
    • Holiday gift ideas
    • Related posts:

    When talk turns to food . . .

    Surviving the holidays with food intolerances can often mean surviving a lot of questions and conversations about your food intolerances. People just love to have an opinion don't they . . .

    At these times I tend to just smile, be as gracious as I can and turn the conversation to something else. A family gathering isn't always the best place to have difficult conversations, and I find it best to have that kind of conversation well before an event if possible.

    Have an ally (if you are able) - if you have a friend or relative that understands the importance of your dietary restrictions to help manage your health, then get them on board. Maybe have a chat beforehand and ask them to be supportive if talk turns to food (especially if others are giving you a hard time).

    If you are hosting a holiday gathering

    If you are the host of a holiday gathering, then it feels reasonable to me that your guests eat (and enjoy!) the food that you cook. So if that is dairy-free, gluten-free, low histamine or any other diet, then I would suggest giving them notice that your food will be as such. Hopefully your guests will love your dishes and be thankful for good food, good company and maybe even trying something new they haven't eaten before.

    If you get complaints beforehand, then suggest they bring their own dishes and they heat up at your home. It seems a little silly, but if it prevents holiday friction then so be it. Just means you get to cook a bit less!

    woman wearing a white jumper holding a candy cane.

    When you are the guest at a holiday gathering

    I learnt fairly early on that if I am the guest at a friend's home then I should offer to bring my own food, or at least a dish or two. A low histamine diet isn't well-known and is rather complicated, so it doesn't seem too fair for someone to try and figure it all out. I know it took me a while to get my head around it! Sometimes people surprise me though and suggest a meal beforehand and check it is OK with me, which is lovely.

    If you are taking a dish, just check whether they are happy for you to reheat it. I'm sure they will, but it's polite to give them a heads-up. And maybe ask what kind of food they are serving. It's nice to be able to go along with any theme.

    Or perhaps you only need to take a 'main' and can have the vegetables and any side dishes they are preparing. Have a chat about what they are having, and any additional ingredients (especially any additions such as vinegar, alcohol or spices that may not work for you).

    And for Zoom meet-ups

    Given the current climate a great deal of us will be celebrating via Zoom or other video-call. In a way this is easier, as we can prepare our own food according to our own needs and tastes.

    If talk turns to food you can always share what you have cooked and perhaps surprise others with the fact that food on a restrictive diet doesn't mean bland and boring! You never know, they may be inspired to try something themselves that you have cooked . . .

    Remember that food isn't the only part of the holidays

    Would it be lovely to have an amazing meal that was exactly the kind of holiday food you would like? Of course, but if you are visiting friends or relatives then lowering expectations may help (even if it is annoying!). Personally I don't think it is worth any friction or arguments to discuss food. Some people don't want to understand, and think food intolerances are a gimmick. It's not worth the battle to persuade them otherwise during the holiday season. Save that for another day . . .

    So instead focus on what the holidays can mean beyond food! Spending time with loved ones, being able to relax and just watch the kids open gifts, play with the dog and watch nostalgic holiday shows.

    Christmas cookies and tinsel

    Drop hints that any food gifts need to comply with your food intolerances . . .

    We all know that food makes a lovely holiday gift idea, but receiving something that you can't eat is so disappointing. We all want to be able to eat whatever we want but that may not be on your gift-givers mind. So maybe drop hints that any food needs to be suitable for your diet. I still feel sad over the enormous chocolate bar I got given and had to pass on last year!

    Look up holiday recipes for your dietary requirements

    With food intolerances being more and more recognised, there are now lots of fun recipes online for you to enjoy! Here are some good blogs and websites for different dietary requirements that are brimming with good food:

    Low histamine diet

    Through the Fibro Fog / Low Histamine Kitchen (well, I had to include my own recipes!)

    Histamine Friendly Kitchen

    Gluten-free diet

    BBC Good Food gluten-free recipes

    Jamie Oliver's gluten-free recipes

    A Balanced Belly

    My Gluten-Free Kitchen

    Vegetarian

    Cookie and Kate

    Green Kitchen Stories

    Simply Quinoa (mostly vegan & vegetarian)

    Anna Jones

    Vegan diet (so dairy-free)

    Hot for Food

    Oh She Glows

    Pick up Limes

    Holiday gift ideas

    There are so many great food products for those of us with food intolerances now, and we all know that food makes a great holiday gift idea!

    Some good ones:

    Nomo chocolate (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg free, nut free)

    Hu dark chocolate (vegan, gf, paleo)

    Nutiva organic vegan hazelnut spread (vegan, gluten-free)

    Candy Kittens gourmet gluten free blueberry sweets (gf)

    Dang coconut chips (vegan, gf)

    Milton's Craft baked crackers (gf)

    (Just a note that not all of these are low histamine, for my usual readers πŸ™‚ )

    Hope this post was helpful! Let me know in the comments if you have any other useful tips to share with others πŸ™‚

    I'm active on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter if you would like to follow along for more posts like this!

    Related posts:

    10 tips for preparing for the holidays with chronic illness

    Low histamine recipes collection

    Adding flavour to your low histamine recipes

    Living the low histamine life - FAQ

    Don't forget to pin the post!

    dried fruit with text overlay how to survive the holidays with food intolerances

    Tweet
    Share
    Pin
    Share
    « Living with invisible illness and the challenges it poses
    Sweet potato couscous salad »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie Clark says

      October 25, 2020 at 10:17 pm

      What?! You found vegan chocolate hazelnut spread! This is one of my favorites that I have given up for YEARS due to the kind I find in the stores being made with dairy. THANK YOU!

      Reply
    2. Sheryl Chan says

      October 22, 2020 at 9:50 am

      What a great post with useful insight both for the chronically ill and the host! It can be tough not to be able to enjoy eating whatever you want, and also the need to 'bother' others about it, but we didn't ask to be this way.

      Reply
    3. Alison Hayes says

      October 21, 2020 at 4:27 pm

      Claire - this is great advice! I will never forget the Thanksgiving where I thought I had interstitial cystitis. At the time I was given a draconian list of no-go foods and was so unfamiliar with it all that I couldn't even think about discussing options in advance. There were very few things that I felt I could safely eat and it sucked all the joy out of the day for me.
      It's so important to think about food intolerances, and it's so amazing how varied the needs of even just this one small piece of the disabled community are.

      Reply
      • throughthefibrofog says

        October 22, 2020 at 8:10 am

        So true, they are so varied depending upon the health issue in question. I've found that bringing my own food is often the easiest, and means that I can enjoy the day without worrying about what is and isn't in the dishes prepared by the host.

        Reply
    4. Leslie Krongold says

      October 19, 2020 at 4:39 pm

      Many of these are great ideas and I hope family hosts will take it on. I've become used to bringing some food to gatherings. Not only am I a vegetarian -- which most people seem to know how to accommodate these days -- but I have dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and few really understand what I need. My go-to food is hummus -- vegetarian, protein-rich, and easy to chew and swallow. πŸ˜‰

      Reply
      • throughthefibrofog says

        October 20, 2020 at 9:30 am

        Thanks Leslie! I find it easier to bring some food with me too. Makes me and the host less stressed I find πŸ™‚ And I love hummus, but can't do chickpeas because of histamine so make my own cauliflower version. I guess it shows how complex food intolerances and medical issues around food and eating are that we all need such different things.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I’m Claire. After a diagnosis of MCAS I began to follow a low histamine diet, which has helped me manage my symptoms. Here I hope to show that a restrictive diet can still be full of flavourful meals, and help you enjoy being creative in the kitchen.

    More about me β†’

    Popular recipes

    • Ginger beer (yeast free)
    • Spiced poached pears (without wine)
    • Rosemary chicken fillets (pan fried)
    • Apple and pear smoothie

    Recent Recipes

    • Turmeric turkey breast fillets
    • Cucumber mint mocktail
    • Low histamine teas (and coffee alternatives)
    • Whipped ricotta crostini

    As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Please see my disclaimer. I am not a doctor or healthcare professional. All posts are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice in any way.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Disclaimer
    • Cookie Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Work With Me

    Copyright Β© 2022 Through The Fibro Fog

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT