Ordering at a restaurant when you have food allergies can be trying, which is exactly why I made food allergy cards! Check it out and learn how you can make your own.
It’s no secret I have food allergies. Do I like them? No (especially when raw foodies try to kill me), but I’ve learned to live with them and have even found some benefits to having them.
However, no matter how allergy-free I make my own kitchen, going out to eat can still be a struggle. I don’t like drawing attention to myself when it’s time for me to order. Sometimes, I have to shout over a big table that I’m allergic to XY&Z. Many a conversation goes like so:
ME: SO, I HAVE A FEW FOOD ALLERGIES.
WAITER: OK.
ME: ARE YOU READY? IT’S A LIST.
WAITER: OK.
ME: OK. I’M ALLERGIC TO WHEAT, PEANUTS, SOY, CORN AND I’M LACTOSE INTOLERANT.
WAITER: WHAT?
ME: WHEAT, PEANUTS, SOY, CORN AND I’M LACTOSE INTOLERANT.
WAITER: WHEAT AND WHAT?
Then I go into old-lady mode and shout about how they need to turn the music down in this joint and how back in my day waiters listened when their patrons spoke and would they please get off my lawn! (ok, none of that’s true, but you catch my drift).
Sometimes the waiter doesn’t write down my allergies, which makes me nervous that they are going to forget one or just not tell the chef all together.
I’ve come to despise when it’s my turn to order because I know it’s going to turn into an ordeal, and I don’t want to be an ordeal. I just want to be a well fed guest. And so I created Food Allergy Cards.
I created these with the help of Zazzle (not affiliated with them, I just love them for stuff like this!) and got a hundred printed out.
I have yet to test these out (now it’s my mission to visit 100 restaurants to use these bad boys), but my hope is that now when it’s my turn to order, I can order what I’d like and just pass the waiter my card all sly and stuff. Like, “Hey, I’d love to get this delicious sounding chicken. Here’s my card, Sugar. Could you make sure your people get that and everything is copacetic? You’re a doll.”
Oh if only I talked like that.
In all seriousness, I hope that these will save me having to shout over a table of people, announcing all my allergies to the world. I’m thinking they will also ensure that the waiter has all my allergy info down correctly to pass along to the chef.
Living with food allergies? Consider making food allergy cards! #lifehack
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I’ll keep you all posted as to how my first allergy card usage goes! In the meantime, check out this awesome allergy-free giveaway!
Let’s Chat:
Those of you with food allergies, how do you safely eat out?
Anyone else use cards like these?
