Summer is finally here!! And that means backyard barbeques, pool time hangouts, and probably lots of food. I know I have struggled with feeling left out during the summer when food is always a big part of friend and family gatherings! Some things that I try to do for something like a family barbeque is offer to bring a side dish and a dessert (my go-to is always pasta salad for a side dish) so that way you can eat the side and dessert (and you can eat something before and after in case that won’t fill you up) but that way you are still eating some of what everyone else is eating. Another thing I often do when I’m just hanging out with my friends and I know there will be snacks is bringing something to share for the same reason of just being able to eat what everyone else is eating. When you do these things, it is often a good idea to either get your food first or to pre-package some earlier on so as to avoid cross-contamination. An important thing to remember, however, is that it is perfectly fine to bring your own food and I know it can be hard because you don’t want to feel judged by your friends or have your family start asking a lot of questions but it is important to feel safe around the food you are eating. Another thing to remember is that you should not expect the host to have food for you, many times they will forget you have food allergies or they won’t even think about it so you have to be prepared, and even if they have food for you when you get there you should bring food just in case you don’t feel comfortable eating that food. Going to group gatherings can be hard when you know there will be lots of food but you don’t want that to get in the way of having a fun summer! Have an amazing summer and I hope these help you to feel more in control of your food!
-Samantha