Dining out should be a relaxing experience. It’s a chance to catch up with friends or family, enjoy a beautiful dinner, and experience a night outside your own kitchen. Unfortunately, dining out with sensitivities often feels like a minefield.
While food sensitivities aren’t as severe as an allergy – i.e., not life-threatening risk (thankfully) – they can still cause substantial discomfort. It’s the last thing you want from a meal you paid for.
How do you navigate the challenges of dining out with sensitivities? Join us as we step over the pitfalls and problems you might encounter on your next restaurant outing.
Knowing the Law
Gone are the dark days without food regulations. Today, all diners are protected by stringent food safety laws which dictate how restaurants should cater to people with allergies. These include rules surrounding food preparation as well as how allergens and sensitivities should be displayed on the menu.
According to the EU, restaurants have a responsibility to inform diners about the 14 main allergens. There’s some crossover with common sensitivities; however, there’s no specific law covering food sensitivities.
That being said, while restaurants are better than ever at managing orders, not everyone is up to standard. You still need to be clear in your order, understand the risks, and pick the right restaurant.
Picking the Right Restaurant
Dining out with sensitivities requires a little leg work. That begins with choosing the restaurant. If you’ve got friends or family with a sensitivity, that’s a fantastic place to start. Ask for recommendations or talk to a local allergist.
The internet is your greatest resource. Search for restaurants and look for reviews mentioning allergies or sensitivities. Usually, you can search the review section – especially on Google.
Read the restaurant’s menu to see if foods are correctly labelled. Some restaurants even include the ingredients beneath the dish’s name. Chain restaurants, in particular, are highly experienced in handling sensitivities, with internal company policies on managing these situations.
Doing the Prep Work
There are a few tasks to complete if you’re planning on dining out with sensitivities. Yes, it’s a hassle. But it’s well worth the effort. Start by calling the restaurant ahead of time and letting them know your dietary requirements. That gives them time to plan and prepare.
You can even have a chef card prepared. It’s a wallet-sized card that details your food sensitivities. Several prominent allergy companies offer such products, including those in foreign languages (helpful if you’re dining out abroad).
Pro tip: Consider visiting the restaurant at a non-peak time. The waiting and kitchen staff will have more time to complete your meal, reducing the risk of mistakes. The kitchen is also typically cleaner and more attentive.
In addition, when you dine during these less busy hours, you might be able to have a more detailed conversation with the chef or manager about your dietary needs, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable dining experience.
Speaking to the Restaurant Staff
Restaurant staff want to help. Most establishments train their staff to ask about allergies and sensitivities. But if they don’t, it’s essential for you to raise the issue.
You’ll want to convey the information as clearly as possible. Tell your waiter or waitress the specifics at the beginning of the meal to get recommendations. It’s the perfect opportunity to hand over a chef card.
Don’t just order a dish without double-checking that it doesn’t have the offending ingredient. There’s no need to be embarrassed; the wait staff should understand your situation. Just remember to thank them for their help at the end of a meal. Reward excellent service and food allergy awareness.
Understanding Your Food Sensitivity
Perhaps the most crucial challenge is understanding (and identifying) your food sensitivity. After all, the restaurant staff can’t help you if you don’t even know you’ve got a food sensitivity.
Follow these best practices:
- Specific Triggers: Know which foods or ingredients trigger your sensitivity. This includes common allergens as well as less obvious ingredients that might be in sauces, dressings, or seasonings.
- Symptoms: Be aware of the symptoms your body exhibits when you consume these triggers. This can help you quickly identify if something you’ve eaten is causing a reaction.
- Cross-Contamination Risks: Understand the risk of cross-contamination in kitchens and how it can affect your sensitivity. For example, gluten-free foods prepared with shared utensils or surfaces might still cause a reaction.
- Safe Food Alternatives: Identify safe alternatives and substitutions for your triggers. This can help you modify menu items to suit your dietary needs.
Get Tested With Sensitivity Check Ireland
There’s nothing worse than discovering your food sensitivity shortly after your meal. The solution? Take the Individual Ultimate Test. Produced by Sensitivity Check Ireland, it’s the gold standard for home-to-lab sensitivity testing.
It analyses 975 different sensitivities, providing a comprehensive breakdown of your results. Use this information to guide an elimination diet, narrowing down the underlying culprit. Next time you’re dining out with sensitivities, you’ll be armed with the best information.
Get tested today and take care of your health.
