Food Allergies present a difficult challenge to maintaining weight loss when you dine out. I know this from personal experience. Last summer I had a severe reaction to peanuts and after allergy testing I found out that I was not only allergic to peanuts but also tree nuts, eggs, and seafood. I have since been given the OK to eat eggs and seafood but I am still allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. This turned what is normally a very enjoyable experience into a very stressful experience. I have been able to reduce this stress by following some basic principles.
1. Research the Restaurant Before You Enter. There is nothing better to reduce the stress of food allergies than research. Most restaurants have a website and some of the restaurants include a food allergy menu or list the ingredients of each entrée. Romano's Macaroni Grill and Panera Bread are two good examples. Romano's Macaroni Grill has a menu for almost any food allergy you might have. Panera Bread lists the ingredients of any item on the menu. I normally decide what I am going to have before I enter the restaurant. Even if the item is listed as free of your food allergy you need to check with the wait staff to make sure the ingredients have not changed. Most websites have a qualifier included that essentially states the ingredients of any entrée could change at any time and since most websites are out of date it is especially important to check the ingredients of any entrée with the employees at the restaurant.
2. Let Everyone Know about your Food Allergy. I tell everyone I come in contact at the restaurant that I have a food allergy. I always ask the waiter or waitress to ask the chef if they use peanut oil or if the meal includes any peanuts or tree nuts. I get tired of telling people but it is always better to tell more people in case one person drops the ball. In most cases the restaurant staff are really understanding. I have been impressed with how accommodating most restaurants are. The personnel at Panera Bread are great about pulling out the ingredients book to show you the latest ingredients list.
3. If In Doubt Abort. In some cases it is just better to leave the restaurant without eating. There are some restaurants where most of the servers do not speak English or they just don't want to be bothered about your food allergies. In those cases, I just leave the restaurant. It is not worth the stress of worrying if the server understood that you are allergic to certain foods.
4. Avoid Buffets. Besides not being the most healthy choice you are more likely to get cross contamination at a buffet. In a buffet line people are more likely to use the serving spoon for one dish and return it to another so you have a greater chance of consuming food you are allergic to. In addition, in order to allow you multiple servings restaurants have to compensate the extra cost somehow. They either give you high quality food that is priced higher than on the regular menu or they give you lower quality food and price it slightly higher than the regular menu. The point is it is not healthy to overeat so if you try to not to overeat at a buffet you end up paying more for less.
5. Keep Medication on Hand. If I am unsure of a restaurant I take Claritin a few hours before I go and I always bring an Epi Pen and Benadryl with me. Besides being prepared for the worst it makes the whole dining experience more enjoyable knowing you are prepared.
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