Yep, food sensitivities (whether texture, taste, gastrointestinal reaction, intolerance, allergy, etc) can definitely put a damper on things. But as with your friends, those of us in those boats know to plan ahead (which usually means bringing our own food to eat or avoiding social outings based on food).

I grew up with severe food intolerances (I wouldn’t go anaphylactic but I’d be sick for weeks after an exposure). It’s the pits to be a little kid at a party, watching everyone else eat all the cake, ice cream, and candy you can’t have. Thankfully ice creams that were safe for me were developed when I was in later elementary school, so after that I brought a Thermos of my own ice cream to parties. My mom also took up baking so she could make safe cakes for me, and she’d make me a little mini-cake I could bring to eat while the others shared the party cake. That really did help, even though I felt a little weird because my stuff was different from everyone else’s.

As much as adult social life often involves food, I think it’s even more food-driven for kids. And it’s easier on us adults anyway because we have more experience with developing equanimity around our struggles: Not being able to eat stuff now doesn’t affect me in nearly the same way that it did when I was little, and I don’t feel any embarrassment about bringing my own food now.