Page 55 - The Ultimate Guidebook for Teens with Food Allergies

Then I met my current boyfriend who goes above and beyond when it comes to my allergies. Early in our relationship, we had a lot of “dining-in” nights where we would cook together and he would learn to read ingredients thoroughly, wash his hands, and pay attention to avoiding cross-contamination. As time went on, he started researching restaurants that incorporate protocols that decrease the risk of exposure to allergens for allergic customers such as “allergy menus” and staff training. He then took me to one of the restaurants he had researched on a surprise anniversary date. He had called ahead to ask for a reservation and request that a manager be available for us to speak to regarding our allergies. When we arrived, I admit, I was a bit hesitant. However, the staff was extremely friendly and assured me that they’ve had many customers with similar dietary restrictions and that we were in good hands. We ordered our food and had a beautiful, delicious meal with no problems. I was so thrilled with the experience! Since then, we go out at least once a month to a restaurant from this chain and I am feeling more and more comfortable every time I dine out.
Quick Tip - Calling a restaurant ahead of time or checking their website to see what they can do to accommodate your allergies are great ways to ensure that you’ll be able to get a safe meal - especially when it is your first time going to a restaurant.
When things go wrong
Not Confident about Over-Confidence, by Hannah
I was recently vacationing. I went to a restaurant where the waiter seemed to be taking my allergies seriously. I didn’t order anything that was risky for containing nuts. But I told the waiter about my allergies and asked him to tell the kitchen. He seemed a little too confident in his ability to know the exact ingredients of every item on the menu. When it came time for dessert, I decided to really test his knowledge. I had read over the dessert menu and knew that the key lime pie was made with a crust that had tree nuts in it—one of my allergens. I asked if any of the desserts were safe for me to eat. He said they were all fine and all delicious. In fact, the key lime was his favourite! I was shocked, upset, and obviously did not order any dessert. Sometimes, it’s not enough to trust the wait staff. You need to be careful, observant, and extra vigilant when it comes to desserts. This experience reminded me to always keep my guard up and watch out for my allergens!
After Dinner Surprise, by Erika
A few years ago, my parents had flown across the country to visit me after I moved to the west coast. I had been with my boyfriend for 6 months. It was time that they met him. My parents took us out for dinner and I was very careful when ordering my meal. The server paid very close attention to make sure everything would be as safe as possible for me. I was being as responsible as I could be. Well, dessert came around, and I could not have any of the cakes or pies. So I decided to order a fancy coffee. As it turned out, the coffee that I ordered had an almond-based liqueur in it. I had missed that when I