We all know how hard it can be eating out with a food intolerance.
There is always an edge of uncertainty- will this make me sick? Why can I never find anything to eat? I've experienced it, and I'm sure you have too.
So, I have put together a list of the things that make it easier for me to eat out with a severe food intolerance.
It can be so daunting and frustrating eating at restaurants or cafes when your options are limited, but I have found these small things can help a lot.
Do your research before you leave the house Look up the menu of the restaurant you wish to go to and gauge whether or not you feel there will be a number of suitable options for you.
Don't rely on just one option because if there are unsuspected allergens in the dish, you might go hungry! If you're travelling a distance to a certain restaurant, call ahead to discuss the menu with the staff, so you can be sure you'll have a meal to enjoy once you get there! Call ahead and make a reservation, informing staff of your dietaries at the time This is polite and often necessary to do anyway, but it is best to inform the restaurant of your dietaries before you arrive.
This allows the chefs time to prepare, rather than shocking them with a list of three intolerances when you arrive.
Kitchens are much happier to work around dietaries when they know about them in advance.
Ask a lot of questions, especially when eating in a food court Particularly if you have severe intolerances, it's a good idea to clarify everything.
Allergens can lurk in the most unsuspecting places- milk solids in rice for example.
If you're not confident the staff are 100% sure on the products, ask to view the ingredients chart every eatery should have.
This will allow you to confidently order.
If they don't have a dietary sheet, I won't eat there! When going out with friends, it can be best if you choose the venue Most of the time, our friends ask us to pick a restaurant where we know we can eat the food, and they'll work around that.
If your friends are just as understanding, this saves a lot of time and hassle once you arrive.
Educate yourself on your particular intolerance or restriction By knowing the ins and outs of your intolerance you can clearly communicate with staff who might have less knowledge of it than you do.
This is particularly important for intolerances such as fructose, where the general public know much less than those affected.
It can be necessary to explain in detail what you can and cannot eat, so it is important for you to be able to communicate this to a range of people.
Know your body and your intolerance Some customers I encounter in my hospitality job are happy to eat certain ingredients within particular components of dishes, but not others.
For example, they can handle tomato and onion within a certain sauce, but need to remove the actual tomato and onion from the salad in a dish.
This all comes down to the severity of your intolerance.
If you have an allergy, it's super important to inform staff of how severe it is so they can cater for this.
Your level of allergy/intolerance will dictate what you can and can't eat, and knowing this may give you more flexibility eating out.
Tip well The poor waiter has just gone back to the kitchen for the third time to clarify something on the menu with the chef for you.
It never hurts to verbally and fiscally communicate your appreciation to whoever is looking after you.
Yes, restaurants should look after us Freaks just as much as the general public, but we also know it can be extra work for them to do so.
Saying thank you goes a long way.
Keep calm and stay positive It is very easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of work it sometimes takes to eat out with dietary restrictions.
Remember, try and stay positive.
It can help to keep a mental list of places that make it easy for you to eat, and make friends with the staff there.
You'll know you can return here over and over, and be looked after with a safe meal.
Above all, remember us Freaks can actually eat a lot of delicious, interesting and healthy meals.
We are also much more aware of what we're putting in our mouths, and the effects different foods have on our body and minds.
That is definitely something to be grateful about! - B
There is always an edge of uncertainty- will this make me sick? Why can I never find anything to eat? I've experienced it, and I'm sure you have too.
So, I have put together a list of the things that make it easier for me to eat out with a severe food intolerance.
It can be so daunting and frustrating eating at restaurants or cafes when your options are limited, but I have found these small things can help a lot.
Do your research before you leave the house Look up the menu of the restaurant you wish to go to and gauge whether or not you feel there will be a number of suitable options for you.
Don't rely on just one option because if there are unsuspected allergens in the dish, you might go hungry! If you're travelling a distance to a certain restaurant, call ahead to discuss the menu with the staff, so you can be sure you'll have a meal to enjoy once you get there! Call ahead and make a reservation, informing staff of your dietaries at the time This is polite and often necessary to do anyway, but it is best to inform the restaurant of your dietaries before you arrive.
This allows the chefs time to prepare, rather than shocking them with a list of three intolerances when you arrive.
Kitchens are much happier to work around dietaries when they know about them in advance.
Ask a lot of questions, especially when eating in a food court Particularly if you have severe intolerances, it's a good idea to clarify everything.
Allergens can lurk in the most unsuspecting places- milk solids in rice for example.
If you're not confident the staff are 100% sure on the products, ask to view the ingredients chart every eatery should have.
This will allow you to confidently order.
If they don't have a dietary sheet, I won't eat there! When going out with friends, it can be best if you choose the venue Most of the time, our friends ask us to pick a restaurant where we know we can eat the food, and they'll work around that.
If your friends are just as understanding, this saves a lot of time and hassle once you arrive.
Educate yourself on your particular intolerance or restriction By knowing the ins and outs of your intolerance you can clearly communicate with staff who might have less knowledge of it than you do.
This is particularly important for intolerances such as fructose, where the general public know much less than those affected.
It can be necessary to explain in detail what you can and cannot eat, so it is important for you to be able to communicate this to a range of people.
Know your body and your intolerance Some customers I encounter in my hospitality job are happy to eat certain ingredients within particular components of dishes, but not others.
For example, they can handle tomato and onion within a certain sauce, but need to remove the actual tomato and onion from the salad in a dish.
This all comes down to the severity of your intolerance.
If you have an allergy, it's super important to inform staff of how severe it is so they can cater for this.
Your level of allergy/intolerance will dictate what you can and can't eat, and knowing this may give you more flexibility eating out.
Tip well The poor waiter has just gone back to the kitchen for the third time to clarify something on the menu with the chef for you.
It never hurts to verbally and fiscally communicate your appreciation to whoever is looking after you.
Yes, restaurants should look after us Freaks just as much as the general public, but we also know it can be extra work for them to do so.
Saying thank you goes a long way.
Keep calm and stay positive It is very easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of work it sometimes takes to eat out with dietary restrictions.
Remember, try and stay positive.
It can help to keep a mental list of places that make it easy for you to eat, and make friends with the staff there.
You'll know you can return here over and over, and be looked after with a safe meal.
Above all, remember us Freaks can actually eat a lot of delicious, interesting and healthy meals.
We are also much more aware of what we're putting in our mouths, and the effects different foods have on our body and minds.
That is definitely something to be grateful about! - B
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