Have you ever overheard someone ordering food at a restaurant with a request to “Hold the onions, please.” Have you wondered if they were simply being difficult or picky, just because they can’t stand the taste of onions? Have you wondered whether it was an allergy or a preference?

I don’t know about you, but I actually really like the taste of onion -a lot! But, whenever I eat onion, by choice or unintentionally, I feel terrible not long afterwards. My symptoms have grown worse as time passes.

At first, when I realized what was making me feel bad, I would grin and bare it because I didn’t want to make a fuss. Then I used that (not wanting to make a fuss) as an excuse to eat onions, because I like them so much. Later I would groan and complain so loudly, my family started begging me to avoid them.

When I first noticed the problem, it seemed that perhaps only raw onions bothered me. Cooked onions seemed to be less of a problem. Then both raw and cooked onions would cause me discomfort. Now even trace amounts of onion powder bother me greatly.

It seems that food allergies of many kinds are prevalent today. It is not as embarrassing for me to request that someone “Hold the onions, please.” At first, I would explain, that it wasn’t a preference and that they made me very sick, because I didn’t want to be viewed as difficult. Now I actually explain, if my husband doesn’t for me (LOL), because it is that serious.

I have learned to read food labels closely at the grocery store before purchasing new or unfamiliar items. For this reason, I need to keep my reading glasses in my purse, unless I have my daughters with me to read those tiny letters with their young eyes! I have also learned to check routine food staples regularly, because the ingredients change from time to time.

I used to avoid mentioning my onion sensitivity to hosts when we were invited as guests somewhere. I would just come home and take Benadryl, antacids, and perhaps some Motrin too. Thankfully, it has become standard practice to ask guests if they have any dietary restrictions. If, on the off chance, they forget to ask, I simply must tell them. It has become impossible for me to grin and bare it, and not eating what is being served would be more embarrassing than informing them ahead of time.

Our church holds monthly potlucks. I used to eat whatever appeared safe, but I would often feel unwell those Sunday evenings as well as the Monday following. Again, I didn’t want to make a fuss, so I began to eat only what I brought to share or what I absolutely knew to be safe. Fortunately for me, but not for her, there is another woman in our congregation that also avoids onions. She and I would happily share each others dishes, and that news of our restriction has gotten out. Now many kind people provide none onion options for us to enjoy at the potlucks.

How about you then? Do you like onions? Is it an allergy or simply a preference? Are you shy about sharing your dietary restriction? I would love to hear about other people like me who have an onion sensitivity, and about how you deal with this challenge.

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