Dining out with my sister, Kathy, and niece, Desiree, is always an adventure. Kathy is allergic to crustacean shellfish including crab, lobster and shrimp, and Desiree has to carry an EpiPen in case she accidentally consumes even a morsel of peanuts or tree nuts (almonds, walnuts and pecans), which can cause her throat to swell up and the airways in her lungs to constrict.
Needless to say, dining out with this pair means dedicating plenty of time to communicating with members of waitstaff, who typically must go back to the kitchen staff to obtain the chef’s reassurances that their food will be allergy-free. By the time we get around to placing our order, I have already finished my first glass of Cabernet and emptied the bread basket.
Kathy and Desiree are not alone. Currently, up to 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies; namely, to milk, eggs, wheat, soybeans, fish, crustacean shellfish and tree nuts. Severe allergic reactions to those and other foods land more than 200,000 folks in the hospital emergency room annually, according to Food Allergy Research & Education, or FARE.
Fortunately, FARE and others have created these tips and resources to help folks with food allergies dine out with less anxiety:
1. Visit the restaurant’s website first.
Review the menu online to assess if it’s a good choice before you head out. Buffets are riskier since foods and utensils are close together and may accidentally become cross-contaminated. If a spoon from a dish that contains nuts gets used to scoop a nut-free food item, for example, people with nut allergies may react without realizing why.
[See: 10 Seemingly Innocent Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore.]
2. Favor chains — especially if you are traveling.
Visiting a chain while on vacation may mean sacrificing some cultural immersion, but it may also mean a better guarantee of staying safe. The menu items and food preparation in these restaurants are typically standardized and many have become very allergy-aware.
3. Download an app (or three).
Need help choosing a restaurant that meets your needs? There’s an app for that. Allergy Eats, for instance, popped up in 2010 after its creator, Paul Antico, tired of trying to locate restaurants where he could safely take his three children with food allergies out to dinner. The free online and mobile app rates allergy-friendly restaurants nationwide via crowdsourcing. People with food allergies can use it to rate a restaurant according to how well it accommodated them during their outing. Over the years, its database has grown to include over 850,000 restaurants, including large and small chain eateries such as Maggiano’s Little Italy, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Burtons Grill. DineSafe, AllergyPal and Biteappy are also free apps that can help people with food allergies take the anxiety out of dining out.
[See: Apps for Kids With Chronic Conditions.]
4. Call the restaurant in advance.
In between peak dining hours when there is a lull in the crowd (usually between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.), call the restaurant and ask to speak with the manager. Explain your food allergy situation and ask if your special food requests can be accommodated. Since the restaurant industry has a notoriously high rate of employee turnover, don’t forget to ask how often he or she trains the staff about food allergies. Of course, maintain a pleasant tone rather than an accusatory one: Conveying that you’re eager to eat there can encourage restaurants to keep their protections for people with food allergies up to snuff.
5. Communicate (kindly) with the staff.
Once you arrive at the restaurant, ask to see the manager and member of waitstaff before you are seated to clearly communicate your food allergies. You might also download and fill out FARE’s free food allergy alert card, which is designed to explain the foods you must avoid and can be given to the chef.
[See: Thanksgiving on a Gluten-Free, Vegetarian or Vegan Diet.]
6. Be prepared.
Always bring your EpiPen, medications and medical identification card or bracelet with you. Accidents do happen.
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How to Eat Out With Severe Food Allergies originally appeared on usnews.com
