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When you have a child who suffers from food allergies going out to dinner may seem impossible. Fortunately because many chain restaurants have standardized menus, which often include ingredient information, they can provide you and your family with some safe allergy friendly food options.

So Many Options, So Little Time

Some great examples of food allergy friendly chain restaurants include:

• Boston Market
• Carrabba's
• Chili's
• Chipotle
• Longhorn Steakhouse
• Outback Steakhouse
• P. F. Chang's
• Romano's Macaroni Grill
• Ruby Tuesday

All of these restaurants include helpful information about the top 8 allergens (milk, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat) both in their restaurants and online. But it is also important to do your research before trying out any new restaurants to ensure reliability.

Do Your Research

A great resource for ensuring you find chain restaurants with allergy friendly food options is the Internet. Most major chain restaurants have websites where you can view their menus before you visit. This gives you a chance to identify safe options for your little ones with food allergies before you go!

Keep in mind that websites may not be updated frequently and ingredients may change, so it’s always a good idea to speak to a manager at the location where you're interested in dining before you go. This will help you ensure that the restaurant really is food allergy friendly and cross-contamination won’t be a problem.

Always Double Check

As moms we always want to make sure our kids are safe, so I recommend always checking to make sure the restaurant is still food allergy friendly even if it’s a restaurant you dine at frequently. And always be sure to tell your server about any food allergies to ensure that you have happy and healthy dining experience.

What are your favorite allergy-friendly restaurants to dine at?

- Sarah

In a recent study done in the UK, researchers surveyed restaurants about food allergies and found that most were misinformed.

To give some background, according to the study, deaths caused by food-induced anaphylactic reactions are increasing with most deaths being caused by food purchased outside of the home.

Allergen avoidance is always the most desirable form of prevention. and this is often easily accomplished in the comfort of your home. However, a late soccer practice, or meeting, or simply just wanting to enjoy the cuisine of a favorite local restaurant can make avoidance difficult.  This is because when choosing to eat out the responsibility of allergen avoidance is shared by the diner and the restaurant staff.

The researchers surveyed various restaurants and found that:

·        1 out of 3 kitchens, common food allergens like wheat, nuts, dairy, fish were not separated from other foods.

·        About 20% thought it was safe for an allergic customer to consume only a little of the allergen – and to pick the offending food out of the dish.

Probably the most concerning finding to come out of the research is that 81% of the restaurants reported they could provide a safe meal for allergic customers!

Keep in mind this study was conducted in the UK so similar findings in the US may not be as drastic. But in the world of food allergies, you can never be too careful! So when you eat out always remember it is your responsibility to be proactive and speak up about your allergies.

Also, If you’re looking for more information on dining out with food allergies, you can view our other posts on the topic here: Dining out with Food Allergies. These posts will help you and your family prepare for an allergy friendly dining experience.

- Christine

Study Reference:  Bailey et al. Restaurant staff's knowledge of anaphylaxis and dietary care of people with allergies. Clinical & Experimental Allergy.2010.41(5):713-717