Parenting Australia

Eating out with allergies

Eating out with allergies

While you can never totally remove the risk of accidental exposure to your child’s food allergic trigger, some simple precautions will dramatically reduce the risk.

• Always call and advise party host parents that your child has an allergy.
• Advise restaurant management when making a booking of your child’s allergy.
• On arrival at a restaurant ask to talk to the manager about any dishes that should be avoided, and ask them to let the chef know so they can take extra care in preparing your child’s meal to reduce the risk of cross contamination. Don’t just rely on the menu descriptions of what is in the food!
• Teach you child about foods to avoid and encourage a think before they eat mindset.
• Remember that pestos, dips, gravies and sauces may have nuts as an ingredient.
• Consider cooking methods; are there really several woks that can be used in the kitchen, or only one?
• Teenagers or adults who are eating out, cautiously “touch-test” a trace of food on your outer lip before putting it into your mouth, warnings such as a burning/chilli-like reaction, tingling or swelling should alert you to the possibility that food allergen is present.
• If in doubt don’t eat it.
• Finally, if you’re child has been prescribed emergency medication ensure all adults who care for your child including party hosts know how to use it and always have it with you!

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