Page 254 - How to Be a Conscious Eater - Making Food Choices That Are Good for You

So, my message to you is this: Don’t be like I was and dis-
miss allergy-tailored menus as merely catering to fad dieters.
It’s the choice between one diner’s inconvenience and another
person’s life. And, of course, the people dealing with allergies
don’t like it either. They’d rather eat birthday cake and PB&Js
and not carry an EpiPen around in their pocket. You’re a con-
scious eater, so cut them some slack and help keep them safe.

ALLERGY FYIs
Whether you’re food allergic, the parent of someone who’s
allergic, or the person picking a restaurant on behalf of a
group, check ahead of time to see who in your party might
have any food allergies. That way you can avoid a bad expe-
rience once you arrive. (For example, if you learn that one
person has a peanut allergy, you might not pick the Thai
restaurant.) For a nationwide list of restaurants that are
particularly friendly to food-allergic diners, consult the
AllergyEats guide online: allergyeats.com.
If you or a family member has a serious food allergy, you
probably already know that sometimes restaurateurs fail to
disclose all the correct information. Follow your intuition
if things seem sketchy, and keep medication on you at all
times. For gluten and peanut allergies, you might also con-
sider investing in a portable sensor like Nima, which can
detect small amounts of gluten and peanut.

If you don’t have a food allergy but have another type of
allergy, be aware of “oral allergy syndrome.” This is when
a non-food allergy leads to an allergic reaction to certain
foods. For example, people allergic to birch tree pollen
may react to similar proteins found in fruits like peaches,
apples, and cherries.

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