Going to restaurants with food allergies can be one of the scariest experiences for someone with food allergies because they are trusting someone they don’t know to cook their food. For many people without food allergies, going out to eat is a common experience whether it be with friends, family, or teammates and they have to learn to find a way to go to a restaurant. It is a good idea to call ahead and ask if the restaurant can make accommodations for your food allergy. If they can’t, you might have to look for a different restaurant or you can always bring your own food. If the restaurant can make accommodations, then once you get to the restaurant it would be a good idea to first tell the waiter/waitress your food allergies and then ask to talk to the chef or the manager if you feel the need. You can carefully explain the precautions they need to make so that they can safely cook the food and then when the food comes out, I try to look at the food and see if I see anything that would look like it had any of my allergens in it. If you have any questions about the food, ask the questions! Then, I typically take a small bite of the food in case it does have an allergen and I will pay attention to if I feel a reaction coming on. If you feel good, enjoy your food and it’s always a good idea to make note of which restaurants are “safe” and accommodate well. Some resources to find restaurants that can accommodate are Spokin, or Facebook groups dedicated to allergy-friendly restaurants. Restaurants can feel like a scary place to be when you have food allergies, but it’s important to remember that if you feel uncomfortable with the food, you don’t have to eat it but try to enjoy the people you are with!
-Samantha