May is Food Allergy Awareness Month and May 14-20 is Food Allergy Awareness Week!
This is the time when the food allergy community comes together to advocate and teach others about food allergies and anaphylaxis.
I have been a food allergy parent for 11 years and a food allergy dietitian for two. Everyday I make it my mission to help food allergy families learn to navigate this world as well as teach others who may not be familiar with food allergies.
May is the biggest month for the food allergy community and there are so many things you can do to contribute to the cause. See below for a couple of ideas that you could try and implement in your area.
Create educational materials for your child’s school.
This would be a great idea for the younger elementary school grades. Talk to your child’s principal and see if each class can take 15 minutes and dedicate some time to teach the class about food allergies. You could even create a sample lesson plan.
If they won’t make it a school-wide initiative, you could go into your child’s class and teach it yourself! The rest of the school would receive a handout/brochure that you create for them to take home to their families. This would open up a dialogue for families not living with food allergies.
Thank those who understand and have helped you and your child.
Send these special people a thank you note for caring. Finding those people who really want to help you and your child, in regards to their food allergies, is sometimes hard. If you have found that certain friends/family members have been particularly helpful, let them know how much that means to you and your family.
Contact your local news channel.
Pitch an idea about a segment on food allergies during Food Allergy Awareness Week, which runs from May 14-20. If old enough, your child could even be a part of it! What a great way to teach them to self advocate.
Raise funds to expand awareness in your community.
I am participating in FARE’s 31-mile walk to raise money for the food allergy community. You can also host a car wash or tag sale and donate the funds to FARE or FAACT.
Use social media to educate your friends and family about food allergies.
Don’t overwhelm them, just post one fact about food allergies every day of Food Allergy Awareness Week. That will be seven facts that some people wouldn’t have known prior. If you don’t want to post facts, then you can simply change your profile and cover photos to spread awareness. Just download a picture from the internet for Food Allergy Awareness Week/Month.
These simple ideas could make a huge difference in spreading accurate information on food allergies. The more people who know about food allergies, the safer we make the world for our children.
If you aren’t already a part of my “Food Allergy Forum” on Facebook,, come over and share your experiences, tips, recipes and receive the same from others! It takes a village!
Stay safe and happy food allergy awareness month!