This Burger Could Kill Me

Zacky, 14, has severe food allergies—which means he’s constantly avoiding a list of deadly ingredients.

November 2026

by Zacky Muñoz, as told to Anna Starecheski

Shutterstock.com

The day that changed everything for me started out normally. I was in first grade. I was eating lunch in the cafeteria: pasta, breadsticks, and salad. I took a bite of a breadstick. Something felt off right away. It’s hard to describe. It was like my body was telling me I was in danger.

I turned the breadstick over and saw sesame seeds. I knew I was allergic to most seeds. But I had never had a severe allergic reaction before. I did the only thing I could think to do: I asked to go to the nurse.

When I got there, I started throwing up. It was hard to breathe. I was terrified of what was happening to my body. The nurse gave me a shot of epinephrine. (That’s a medicine that helps stop an allergic reaction.) I started to feel better, but I still had to go to the hospital.

That was the first time I understood what it really meant to have food allergies.

One day in first grade, I was eating lunch in the cafeteria. I bit into a breadstick. Something felt off. It was like my body was telling me I was in danger.

I turned the breadstick over and saw sesame seeds. I knew I was allergic to most seeds. But I had never had a severe allergic reaction before. I did the only thing I could think of: I asked to go to the nurse.

Soon I was throwing up. It was hard to breathe. I was scared. The nurse gave me a shot of epinephrine. (That’s a medicine that helps stop an allergic reaction.) It helped. But I still had to go to the hospital.

That’s how I learned what it really means to have food allergies.

The day that changed everything for me started out as an ordinary day in first grade. I was eating lunch in the cafeteria: pasta, breadsticks, and salad. I took a bite of a breadstick, and something felt wrong immediately. It was as if my body was letting me know I was in danger.

I turned the breadstick over and saw sesame seeds. I knew I was allergic to most seeds, but I had never had a severe allergic reaction before. I did the only thing I could think to do: I asked to go to the nurse.

When I got there, I started vomiting and had difficulty breathing. I was terrified of what was happening to my body. The nurse gave me a shot of epinephrine, a medication that helps stop an allergic reaction. I started to feel better, but I still had to go to the hospital.

That was the first time I understood what it really meant to have food allergies.

1 in 13 children have food allergies

_{Source: Food Allergy Research & Education}

1 in 13 children have food allergies

_{Source: Food Allergy Research & Education}

1 in 13 children have food allergies

_{Source: Food Allergy Research & Education}

Staying Safe

From the outside, food allergies might not seem like a big deal. But they’re a matter of life and death for me. I’m allergic to a lot of foods: peanuts, tree nuts, most seeds, shellfish, beans, peas, avocados, olives, bananas, and kiwis. I have to think about my safety all the time—whether I’m eating at school, a restaurant, or a friend’s house. That’s a lot of responsibility to carry.

I’ve also been bullied for having allergies. People have told me I’m just weak and I need to get over it. One kid refused to sit near me because he didn’t want to catch my allergies—which is impossible!

Having allergies can feel isolating. I often can’t eat what my friends are eating. Something as simple as going to a birthday party is stressful. Will there be anything I can eat? Will they think I’m rude for skipping the cake? Will someone make fun of me for bringing my own snacks?

From the outside, food allergies might not seem like a big deal. But they’re a huge deal for me. I’m allergic to a lot of foods. They include peanuts, tree nuts, most seeds, beans, and olives. I have to be careful all the time, whether I’m eating at school, a restaurant, or a friend’s house. That’s a big job.

I’ve also been bullied for having allergies. People have said I’m just weak and I need to get over it. One kid wouldn’t sit near me because he didn’t want to catch my allergies—which is impossible!

Having allergies can feel isolating. I often can’t eat what my friends are eating. Just going to a birthday party is stressful. Will there be anything I can eat? Will they think I’m rude for skipping the cake? Will someone tease me for bringing my own snacks?

Food allergies might not seem like a major issue from the outside, but they’re a matter of life and death for me. I’m allergic to a lot of foods: peanuts, tree nuts, most seeds, shellfish, beans, peas, avocados, olives, bananas, and kiwis. I have to think about my safety all the time—whether I’m eating at school, a restaurant, or a friend’s house. That’s a lot of responsibility to carry.

Having allergies can feel isolating. I often can’t eat what my friends are eating. Something as simple as going to a birthday party is stressful. Will there be anything I can eat? Will my hosts think I’m impolite for skipping the cake? Will people make fun of me for bringing my own snacks?

Not Alone

When I was little, having food allergies made me feel different. But then I learned that millions of people in the United States have them. Some are mild—for example, a person’s mouth might get itchy if they eat bananas. Others are severe—just being near peanuts could make a person with a serious peanut allergy very sick.

Part of having food allergies is relying on others. I rely on cafeteria workers to give me a safe meal. I rely on waiters and cooks at restaurants to know what’s in the food they offer. I rely on the school nurse to have epinephrine and know how to use it.

That’s why it’s important that everyone know about food allergies. The problem is that reliable information about food allergies is hard to find. My family taught me that if you see a problem, you should try to fix it. But what could I do?

My food allergies used to make me feel different. But then I learned that millions of people in the United States have them. Some are mild (a person’s mouth might itch if they eat bananas). Others are severe (just being near peanuts could make a person with a serious peanut allergy very sick).

Having food allergies means relying on others. I rely on cafeteria workers to give me a safe meal. I rely on waiters and cooks at restaurants to know what’s in the food they offer. I rely on the school nurse to have epinephrine and know how to use it.

It’s important that everyone know about food allergies. But reliable information about them is hard to find. My family taught me that if you see a problem, you should try to fix it. But what could I do?

Having food allergies made me feel different when I was younger, but then I learned that millions of people in the United States have them. Some are mild—for example, a person’s mouth might get itchy if they eat bananas. Others are severe—just being near peanuts could make a person with a serious peanut allergy extremely sick.

Part of having food allergies is relying on other people. I rely on cafeteria workers to serve me a safe meal. I rely on waiters and cooks at restaurants to know every ingredient in the food they offer. I rely on the school nurse to have epinephrine and know how to use it.

That’s why it’s important that everyone know about food allergies. The problem is that reliable information about food allergies is difficult to find. My family taught me that if you notice a problem, you should make an effort to solve it. But what could I do?

Changemaker

Courtesy of family

Using Their Voices
Zacky’s family has helped get three new laws passed.

I learned at a young age to advocate for myself. But I wanted to do the same for other people too. I’ve always been outgoing, so I decided to use my voice. I started social media pages to share my experiences. I met with local leaders and spoke at their meetings. I learned about government and laws.

My family and I have helped to get three laws passed in California. The goal is to make school safer for kids with allergies. For example, one law says that schools have to keep epinephrine available and unlocked. We also started an organization called the Zacky Project. We help other people get similar laws passed in their own states.

Someday I hope to help find a cure for food allergies. But until then, I want to keep trying to make life safer for people like me. Sometimes I hear from people whose lives have been changed by the laws I’ve helped pass. Knowing that I’ve made life easier for even just one person feels amazing.

I learned at a young age to advocate for myself. But I wanted to do that for other people too. I decided to use my voice. I started social media pages to share my experiences. I met with local leaders and spoke at their meetings. I learned about government and laws.

My family and I have helped to get three laws passed in California. The goal is to make school safer for kids with allergies. For example, one law says schools have to keep epinephrine available and unlocked.

We also started an organization called the Zacky Project. We help other people get similar laws passed in their own states.

Someday I hope to help find a cure for food allergies. But for now, I’ll keep trying to make life safer for people like me.

Sometimes I hear from people whose lives have been changed by the laws I’ve helped pass. Knowing I’ve helped even one person feels great.

I learned at a young age to advocate for myself, and I wanted to do the same for other people too. I’ve always been outgoing, so I decided to use my voice to make a difference. I started social media pages to share my experiences. I met with local leaders and spoke at their meetings. I learned about government and laws.

My family and I have helped to get three laws passed in California with the aim of making schools safer for students with allergies. For example, one law says that schools have to keep epinephrine available and unlocked.

We also started an organization called the Zacky Project, which helps other people get similar laws passed in their own states.

Someday I hope to help find a cure for food allergies—but until then, I plan to continue working to make the world a safer place for people like me.

Sometimes I hear from people whose lives have been changed by the laws I’ve helped pass. Knowing that I’ve made life easier and safer for even just one person feels incredible. •

ACTIVITY:
Problem and Solution

The story describes a problem that Zacky faced and how he worked to solve it.

What to do: Fill in the blanks below. First, identify the solution. Then, write in details from the story that help you understand the problem and solution.