The holidays are a time where, thankfully, many Manitobans give to food banks. When donating this holiday season, it’s important to also think about those who have allergies.

“As an allergy researcher, I hear firsthand from families that there are limited options for them at the food bank,” says Dr. Jennifer Protudjer, Endowed Research Chair in Allergy, Asthma and the Environment at the University of Manitoba and Scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. “Just like the general population with allergies, these people need to be considered.”

Donating completely allergy-free foods can be difficult. That’s why Health Canada focuses on priority allergens. These are defined as milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish (crustaceans and molluscs), soy, wheat and triticale, mustard, sesame, and sulphites.

“Any donation is a good donation, but even one allergy-free item makes a difference and gives someone an important meal during the holidays” explains Harvest Manitoba CEO Vince Barletta.

If you will be donating to food banks this year, consider adding these common allergen-free items: sunflower seed butter, wheat-free pasta, or non-dairy, wheat-free mac & cheese. “When we’re hosting our holiday meals, we always ask if anyone has any allergies to make sure they have something safe to eat when they come over,” says Dr. Protudjer. “Donating to the food bank should be no different. We need to think about the members of our community who can’t eat everything.”

You can read more on this topic by checking out this article in The Conversation by Dr. Protudjer on managing food allergies during the holidays.