“I Have A Few Allergies”: Woman Is Called “Picky” For Trying To Avoid A Trip To The Hospital

There are plenty of things to look forward to during the holiday season. Perhaps you can’t wait to drive around your neighborhood admiring all of the Christmas lights. Maybe you’ve spent months looking forward to watching Home Alone with your partner. Or perhaps you want nothing more than to enjoy a feast of your favorite holiday dishes.

Food can certainly be one of the most exciting aspects of the holiday season. But indulging can be a bit more complicated for those of us with food allergies. After one woman received judgment from her in-laws for sticking to only safe foods on Christmas, she reached out to Reddit for advice. Below, you’ll find the full story of how she managed to insult her mother-in-law, as well as some of the replies readers left her.

Food allergies can make it much more challenging to enjoy holiday meals

Family cooking together in a kitchen with a husband, woman, and others preparing food for a picky eater with allergies.

Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

When this woman stuck to only allergy-friendly foods on Christmas, her mother-in-law felt insulted

Text excerpt from a husband and family discussing a woman’s picky eater habits and allergies causing family tension.

Text describing a husband and family dealing with a woman who is a picky eater due to allergies and lactose intolerance.

Woman and husband managing picky eater allergies with careful cooking and diet adjustments to avoid crosscontamination.

Raw steaks cooking in a pan with herbs and garlic, illustrating a picky eater dealing with allergies situation.

Image credits:  JSB Co. / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Text excerpt about bringing food to in-laws' house to accommodate picky eater with allergies during family visit.

Husband and family at dinner table, woman struggling as picky eater with allergies to certain foods.

Woman explaining allergies and picky eater issues to husband and family at the dining table.

Family dinner scene with husband carving turkey while woman watches, highlighting picky eater and allergies concerns.

Image credits: Michael Tucker / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Text about husband and family criticizing woman for being a picky eater with allergies after holiday visit.

Image credits: Far-Impression-6597

Woman covering her face with hand, looking stressed, representing husband and family call about picky eater allergies.

Image credits: lookstudio / freepik (not the actual photo)

The majority of Americans look forward to all of the dishes they’ll enjoy during the holiday season

The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year! And part of the reason for that is the fact that we get to indulge in all of our favorite dishes and sweet treats that we might not have the time or energy to prepare year round. A survey of 2,000 American adults found that 72% look forward to all of the foods they’ll enjoy during the holidays. 

Meanwhile, three quarters of Americans admit that they find themselves eating more during this special season than during the rest of the year. And 76% say that their eating habits change more often during this time than they do from January to November. 

There’s no question that Christmas cookies and holiday casseroles can bring people plenty of joy. But apparently, they can also come along with some discomfort. Over half of the people surveyed said that they frequently feel like they overeat during the holidays, which often results in discomfort and digestive issues.

And unfortunately, food allergies and intolerances don’t go on vacation during the holidays. It’s extremely important to take them seriously at all times, but especially during this time of year, as nobody wants to celebrate Christmas from a hospital bed.

According to Food Allergy Research & Education, 33 million Americans have food allergies, including one in 10 adults and one in 13 children. Sadly, over half of adults with allergies have experienced a severe reaction, often leading to a trip to the hospital. 

The most common food allergens in the United States are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, crustaceans, and sesame. And as anyone with food allergies will tell you, they can severely impact a person’s quality of life. 

It’s important to take food allergies seriously all year round

Woman at kitchen counter looking frustrated holding phone, dealing with picky eater and allergy concerns.

Image credits: benzoix / freepik (not the actual photo)

Severe allergies mean that a person can’t simply walk into any restaurant and order whatever they’d like off the menu. In fact, more than 15% of parents of kids with allergies avoid going out to eat entirely, just to be safe. Those with allergies can’t just buy whatever birthday cake they want from the grocery store or enjoy a slice of the cake their colleague brought into the office. 

They often have to prepare food ahead of time, as there’s never any guarantee that there will be allergy-friendly options at any event they’re attending. And this can be even more frustrating and exhausting when family members don’t understand or respect your dietary restrictions.

Anyone with a special diet is used to receiving ignorant comments and lots of questions during any family gathering. Whether you’re vegan or avoid certain foods due to allergies, relatives won’t always understand. So Aleasa Word, Vice President of Inclusion Initiatives at Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team, says it’s important to set boundaries around your plate.

First, Word suggests identifying anyone in your family who’s skeptical of your allergies. Be cautious of anything they try to feed you, and try to avoid conversation about food to prevent any debates from erupting. It’s also wise to arm yourself with knowledge. Be prepared to explain why exactly you can’t eat certain foods and what would happen to you if you were fed contaminated dishes.

You may need to set strict boundaries around where or what you’ll eat. But at the end of the day, your mental health comes first. If you have to skip the family Christmas (or simply eat before) to protect your peace, by all means, do so.  

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. How would you have reacted if you were in the author’s shoes? Feel free to weigh in. Then, you can find another Bored Panda article discussing similar family drama right here.

Later, the author responded to several readers and provided more background information

Screenshot of an online discussion about a husband misunderstanding his wife’s allergies and thinking she’s a picky eater.

Reddit conversation discussing a husband and family dealing with a picky eater's allergies and dietary restrictions.

Reddit comment discussing husband and family conflict over a picky eater with allergies and food boundaries.

Screenshot of a comment discussing a husband and family conflict involving a picky eater with allergies.

Comment discussing husband and family conflicts over woman being a picky eater with allergies and lack of support.

Text post discussing a husband with a medical condition and picky eater allergies causing family meal challenges.

Readers assured the woman that she had done nothing wrong, and many called out her husband for eating her safe food before she could

Screenshot of an online comment discussing a husband's family calling a woman picky eater despite her allergies and food restrictions.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing a husband, family, and a woman navigating picky eating and allergies.

Comment explaining a husband and family call a woman picky eater despite her serious food allergies and dietary needs.

Comment explaining husband ignoring wife's allergy and calling her picky eater while siding with family.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a husband and family conflict over a woman being picky eater with allergies.

Comment discussing husband and family issues related to picky eater and allergies in a social media post.

Text post discussing misunderstandings between husband family and woman who is a picky eater due to allergies.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment advising a woman about handling picky eater allergies in husband’s family dinner situations.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a husband’s reaction to a picky eater with allergies in a family setting.

Comment discussing concerns about a husband’s reaction to a picky eater with allergies and food safety issues.

Comment explaining husband using wife’s allergy-specific food without telling her, highlighting picky eater and family issues.

Comment discussing husband and family dynamics related to a picky eater with allergies and meal pressure issues.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing a husband and family dealing with a woman’s picky eating and allergies.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a husband’s family and a woman’s picky eating due to allergies.

Comment discussing sensitive allergies making a woman a picky eater with husband’s family at dinner.

Screenshot of a forum comment discussing a husband, family, and a woman who is a picky eater with allergies.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment advising divorce, discussing husband-family conflict over woman’s picky eater allergies.

Screenshot of a forum comment discussing a husband and family dealing with a woman’s picky eating and allergies.

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