Teen Advocates Share Their Food-Allergy Holiday Recipes to Promote Inclusion for 85 Million Kids and Adults Impacted by Food Allergies and Intolerances

McLean, Va. (Dec. 9, 2021) – The holidays are synonymous with fabulous food and flavorful ingredients, yet 85 million American adults and children who live with potentially life-threatening food allergies and intolerances often face fear and apprehension when sitting down to meals with friends and family. Determined to help others, members of the FARE Teen Advisory Group from across the U.S. created the Teal Holidays Recipe and Entertaining Guide featuring their personal favorite food-allergy friendly holiday recipes and tips.  

The Teal Holidays Recipe and Entertaining Guide includes the teens’ unique and delicious recipes – side dishes, entrees, desserts – for all festive winter occasions. From Alfajores (Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies) to Snowball Truffles, Curry Carrot Butternut Squash Soup, Scottish Shortbread Cookies, and Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes with Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting, all the recipes are food-allergy friendly. Each of the recipes takes into account all or some of the top nine food allergens: egg, milk, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish and sesame. 

The easy-to-make dishes were contributed by teens with food allergies from Ohio, New Jersey, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The group launched the website, “Cooking with Food Allergies,” and made it their mission to share allergen-friendly recipes so that the food allergic community can feel included by sitting down to eat the same foods as others while remaining safe. The teens also share that almost any dish can be adapted for those with food allergies by using the FARE Food Substitutions hub, where you can find substitution options for some of the common cooking and baking ingredients such as milk, eggs and butter. 

“These amazing young adults have set an outstanding example of what it means to support others and have outdone themselves by creating so many fun, easy and tasty recipes for the holidays,” said Lisa Gable, CEO of FARE, the world’s leading non-governmental organization engaged in food allergy advocacy and the largest private funder of food allergy research. “As an organization committed to improving the lives of those struggling with food allergies and intolerances, we’re excited to elevate the efforts of these caring teenage cooks.”