Tips for Dining Out with Food Allergies

The following is a guest post from Paul Antico. 

Dining out is one of America’s favorite pastimes, and should be a pleasant, fun, social experience, but for the millions of people with food allergies and intolerances, eating out at restaurants can be frustrating, stressful and potentially dangerous. As the father of three food-allergic children, I understand how nerve-wracking it can be to trust other people to prepare food that my children can safely enjoy. However, since my oldest son was first diagnosed with multiple food allergies 15 years ago – and with two of my younger children subsequently diagnosed – our family has developed strategies that allow us to much more comfortably dine out as a family.

8 Restaurant Chains that are Peanut Allergy Friendly & Are Our Go-To Places to Eat

Disclosure: The following content is meant for educational and informational purposes only. The following statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products mentioned and/or information listed are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. Readers are advised to do their own research and make decisions in partnership with their health care provider.

Going out to eat can sometimes be a challenge when you or someone in your dinner party has a food allergy. Over the years, we have come to love specific family friendly restaurants that are also great at handling food allergies. When ever you go to a place to eat and have a child (or anyone) with a food allergy, be sure to tell your server right away about their allergy. We make it a habit to do this when ordering drinks, in the very beginning of our dining experience. 

5 Immediate Actions to Take Once You Learn Your Child Has a Severe Peanut Allergy

Disclosure: The following content is meant for educational and informational purposes only. The following statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products mentioned and/or information listed are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. Readers are advised to do their own research and make decisions in partnership with their health care provider.

As you may know, my daughter has a severe peanut allergy. She was diagnosed with this allergy when she was just 11 1/2 months old. Being a young and first time mom at the time, I really had no clue she had this allergy until the moment she ate a peanut butter cookie, and even then I wasn't too sure. I was so unfamiliar with food allergies, I doubted myself that much and had to hear it from the ER doctor that she needed to go to an allergist and get tested for a peanut allergy. That day, when my daughter's throat started swelling, she was choking on her vomit and passing out all at once-- my daughter went into anaphylactic shock, and it was the most horrific and terrifying moment in my life.