Eating Out with a Food Allergy: Think Ahead

If you missed part 1 of this series, you can find it here.

When you eat out with a food allergy, one of the most important parts of it is to think ahead. When I'm visiting an unfamiliar restaurant, a good chunk of the planning should be done before you ever step foot in the restaurant.

It's also best to hit the restaurant when they are able to accommodate you and make it a good experience for everyone involved.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when dealing with the waitstaff to have as good of a food allergy experience as possible:

1.) Eat at Off Peak Hours: I don't know about you but when my kids ask me for something when I'm in the middle of cooking dinner, they have really bad timing and are likely to get a less than desirable response. The same is true of restaurants. Don't hit them when they are at they're busiest and ask them to accommodate a life-threatening food allergy. Wait until they're not busy and can give you child's allergy the time it deserves. Also, less mistakes happen when people aren't busy. 'Nuff said.

2.) Be Polite This tip goes a loooooong way when it comes to food allergies. No one wants to help a rude person. Yet, as a parent, it's easy to want to bash someone over the head who doesn't immediately understand your child's food allergy. But if you're rude to those serving your child at a restaurant, they are much less likely to help you. Plus, you're actually helping them form an opinion of food allergies in general that can impact future encounters with food allergy sufferers. Use the "Kill 'em with kindness" approach to ask questions and educate when needed.

3.) Reward Good Service We were at a restaurant once where the chef went out his way to accommodate the two nut allergic people in my family. He made them a special dessert that was safe and even came out to reassure my nervous 5 year old who had never eaten dessert away from home and was a little worried. Did we thank him? Yes! But we also wrote the corporate offices where he worked to let them know how great he did. When someone excels at food allergies, point it out so everyone knows just how important it is.

4.) Be Loyal. I often say food allergy moms are some of the most loyal people I know. When we find a brand we trust, we stick with it. If you have one or even a handful of places you trust to eat out, you probably love those places. If you haven't branched out that much, I encourage you to try it. There are places out there that are safe. Check the menus online and once you find a place or two, stick with them.

We have one more installment in this series on eating out with food allergies. It's all about being aware of things around you...