Page 126 - The Ultimate Guidebook for Teens with Food Allergies

I reflected on what happened and knew that I had been too confident about the kitchen staff’s ability to take my allergies seriously. I had trusted them more than I should have because everyone makes mistakes. I learned never to cut corners when it comes to my food allergies. I learned that I can never be too safe and that being too confident can be a risk.
Quick Tip - Be wary when restaurant staff or chefs are overconfident when it comes to their abilities to handle your food allergies. Ask them a few questions just to make sure that their knowledge truly backs up their confidence.
What would you say? (Q&A)
Dylan, Erika, and Giulia
Was there a particular age at which you became confident enough to speak for yourself at restaurants?
Dylan - I think I was in grade 8 when I felt confident speaking for myself at restaurants. I knew that I would have more responsibility for my allergy when I entered high school and gained confidence before that to help prepare myself.
Erika - At age ten I became confident speaking for myself at restaurants. My parents had built up my confidence by having me ask the servers on my own. They were, of course, there to back me up if I forgot to mention an allergen or did not reinforce how serious my allergies were.
Giulia – Definitely as a teenager. Before high school, I would only go out with my parents. Entering high school, however, I had to learn how to speak up about my allergies on my own because I was going out with my friends more often.
Why do you think it is tough to be confident with food allergies?
Dylan - I find that, sometimes, food can be unpredictable. This can seem difficult and intimidating at first. But then I prepare myself, look into ingredients, and only eat something when I know for sure that the food is safe. If the food isn’t safe, or if a voice inside me doesn’t trust the food, I just avoid it and look elsewhere.
Erika - I believe it can sometimes be tough to be confident with food allergies because not everyone understands how serious and life-threatening food allergies can be. Often times their lack of awareness and knowledge can make me feel insecure about my own situation and others may make me feel like I am overreacting. This can make me lose confidence.