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25 Things Only a Food Allergy Parent Would Understand

Medically reviewed by George Krucik, MD, MBA — Written by Misty Bailey — Updated on October 15, 2017

1. You’re the one up late making cupcakes the night before a birthday party — and it’s not even your kid’s birthday!

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2. You instinctively say, “No,” to the flight attendant before you’re even offered a snack.

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3. You can ask, “What’s in this cookie?” in five different languages.

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4. Vacations end up being more work because you have to pack your whole pantry.

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5. Words like potluck and picnic elevate your blood pressure.

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6. You know the feeling of doom that comes when your child gets an invite to a birthday party.

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7. You give your kid a high-five the first time they turn down a cookie because they don’t know the ingredients.

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8. When your child comes to you with a bellyache and you silently analyze everything they ate that day.

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9. You walk into people’s homes and begin checking labels — on everything.

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10. You don’t remember the last time you ate out.

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11. You worry not only about your child’s lunch, but also about everyone else’s lunch.

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12. You’ve spent Halloween throwing out all the candy your child collected but couldn’t eat.

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13. You understand why otherwise harmless words like “manufactured in” can cause someone to cringe with fear.

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14. You know what hydrolysates and lactoglobulin are.

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15. When someone shows up with “surprise” cupcakes you have to tell your child, “Yes, I know they look great, but you can’t have any because there’s an allergen inside.”

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16. You’ve cried in the middle of a grocery store aisle when you found a new food that you could add to your safe list.

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17. You understand why “just one bite” CAN hurt.

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18. Your heart stops anytime you get a phone call from your kid’s school.

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19. You don’t understand why food that has the “good stuff” taken out is SO much more expensive than the ones with those ingredients intact.

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20. You had to take out a loan to buy nondairy, soy-free, wheat-free, and nut-free food this month.

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21. You’ve analyzed the soy vs. almond vs. rice debate when it comes to milk, and now feel like you have a degree in nutritional studies.

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22. You’ve stopped talking to friends and family who refuse to understand allergies can actually kill your child.

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23. On the first day of school, when parents begin asking about food restrictions, your face gets red and your pulse quickens.

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24. You’ve offered to teach a class on how to read nutrition labels because you know it takes a rocket scientist to understand that stuff!

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Related: 23 Things You Should NEVER Say to a Food Allergy Parent >>

25. You have to explain why there are two toasters in your kitchen. And why one has a label on it that says, “BEWARE OF GLUTEN.”

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Last medically reviewed on January 16, 2015

Medically reviewed by George Krucik, MD, MBA — Written by Misty Bailey — Updated on October 15, 2017

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