Ways To Accommodate The Tree Nut Allergy You Chose to Have 

Some people are legitimately allergic to tree nuts, while others are obviously trying to get out of eating something they don’t like or to get attention. If you are most definitely in the former category and not at all pretending to have an allergy because chestnuts are fucking nasty and nobody is looking at you right now, then you need to make changes in what you eat due to your dietary restrictions. Here’s how to manage the new food allergy you suddenly decided you had.

Start Reading Food Labels

Foods that are manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts can cause an allergic reaction in someone who legitimately has tree nut allergies. It’s important to always read food labels, even if you’re purchasing something like pretzels, which don’t contain tree nuts. Even if it’s after you devoured all of those pretzels. They didn’t taste like nuts. You’re probably fine, and it’s okay if you buy another bag.

It’s Okay To Still Eat The Nuts You’re Not Allergic To

Just because you’re allergic to tree nuts doesn’t mean you have to stop eating all tree nuts, specifically the tree nuts that you do like. You are clearly super allergic to Brazil nuts, but it’s totally fine if you eat macadamia nuts when you’re in Hawaii. If you get halfway through a cookie and find out it has pistachios, you can go ahead and finish it if the cookie is really good.

Avoid Foods With Hidden Nuts

Some of your favorite foods might be made with hidden tree nuts. Once you decide you have a tree nut allergy, you’ll have to give up those foods you love, like baklava. I mean, a few bites of baklava might be fine. If you eat around it, maybe. Besides, it’s not like your tree nut allergy is that bad. You shouldn’t let your allergies stop you from living. You’re good to go if you want to eat Nutella and nougat, but watch out for marzipan because it has hidden tree nuts in it and also tastes kind of chalky.

Familiarize Yourself With Tree Nut Allergy Symptoms

When you polish off a plate of brownies only to be told they had walnuts in them (you thought they were peanuts, which are fine because they’re not tree nuts and also you love peanut butter), you’re going to want to be familiar with tree nut allergy symptoms. How else are you going to know what you should feel like you’re feeling? Someone’s going to call bullshit if you don’t start wheezing and ask for an EpiPen.

Tell Your Waiter You Have Allergies

The best way to avoid accidentally eating foods with tree nuts is to assert that you’re allergic as much as possible. When eating out at a restaurant, make sure you interrupt your waiter when he’s reading the specials by interjecting “Does that have tree nuts? I’m allergic to most, if not all, tree nuts.” He will know that you are a special person and deserve special treatment even if you then order the pad thai and ask for the peanuts to be swapped with cashews because today, you’ve decided that peanuts count as tree nuts. Just make sure you’re not allergic to other people’s spit.

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