We live in a time where there are many special diets, whether it is because of allergies, medical, personal views, or religion. When booking a reservation, it is always a good idea to be up front and clear. Also it is a good idea to stay away from certain restaurants if there are issues. If you have a shellfish allergy, probably best to stay away from a seafood restaurant and make sure to check in at any Asian restaurants as the base for a lot of the cooking uses seafood extracts and pastes. I am sensitive to this as my Mother in Law has a shellfish allergy and my daughter can eat crab but only on occasion seems to have a bad reaction. We haven’t been able to figure it out but now we don’t take chances. She can eat all the shrimp, clams, mussels, and oysters and nothing happens. The body is very frustrating.
I have a dear friend who suffers from celiac disease which means she can’t eat gluten. She has had the problem all her life but wasn’t diagnosed until her late twenties. She suffered miserably. The minute she changed her diet, her life became so much better.
Food allergies are rough, special diets can pose challenges when going out to a restaurant or to stay with friends. We had a quest visit who was vegan and we respected their rites but we aren’t vegan. We did make sure to make every meal heavy on fruits and vegetables as well as vegan offerings like in the mornings, oatmeal and avocado toast with vegan cheese and for lunch and dinner lots of vegetable options. We already eat dinner that is heavy on vegetables ever though we are dining on chicken, beef, pork, lamb or fish. I try as a cook to be mindful of people’s food options.
Restaurants are so accommodating these days, but it is best to let them know ahead of time so they are prepared for you or someone in your party.
