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Handy Tips
Special Diet Life Skills for eating out, shopping and travelling etc
Eating out on a special diet Invest the time to talk to eateries before you go (especially any you may want to use regularly), and sound them out. Make sure you speak to the owner or chef as your initial conversation will speak volumes about their knowledge and interest in meeting your needs. This is essential - even if they are not up to speed yet but keen to learn - you can help them to help you.
For peace of mind if you have an allergy or severe intolerance it is worth asking about ingredients, storage, preparation cross-contamination avoidance techniques to make sure they really can cater for you safely.
Just pitching up and demanding special dietary food is not only running the risk of putting your health at risk, but it is just not fair to put a busy establishment on the spot. (OK in an ideal world... but until then we have to do the ground work!) Handled in a friendly manner many will cater for you with a bit of guidance and patience....
Ask if they cook their sauces and meals themselves or if they buy in. If they cook from scratch they are more likely to be serious about what they do and be open to an informed discussion and substituting key ingredients. Ready made sauces often contain gluten wheat dairy or nut allergens so ask.
Canteens and pubs etc are more likely to buy in more ready made components which is not a problem as long as they are happy to check the ingredients list on the label for you (or allow you to look yourself). Yep it's a faff and takes away the spontaneity somewhat but better that than having an embarrassing public debate at the table or being ill afterwards.
It's worth going through the menu in advance and putting in your order a day or so before you go. You may also need to point out the problems with cross contamination such as that separate utensils, pots, cooking oils need to be used for severe intolerance or allergy. This may be the point when they suggest you go elsewhere if they are not used to taking these measures in their kitchen - but better safe than sorry if you are highly sensitive.
To avoid constant repetition it may be worth building up a fact sheet and standard email to send to eateries in advance telling them you will call them in a couple of days to chat about your dietary requirements. If you intend to be a regular customer tell them and Suggest they keep it on the wall as a reference for your future visits and to benefit other customers
If they would like to help but worried it will be hassle put them in contact with us so we can ease the way.
Give a huge thank you and encouragement (a good tip always goes down well too!) to any restaurants, hotels, B & Bs, canteens, pubs, takeaways, cafe's, sandwich bars, chippies etc who make an effort and listen.... and post them on to Rave and Praise
(But if they are rude or unhelpful or cheat and make you ill snitch on ‘em and post on Name and Shame! to warn others.
Takeaways
These can present a challenge as the nature of beast often means that the frontline staff are often casual workers or young people who cannot be expected to be food experts or worldly wise!
Sandwich Bars – For some reason these eateries seem to be the least accommodating of all making lunch on the go a real challenge. If only they would consider the business they are losing to the few good guys who are special diet friendly and the huge ‘brought it from home’ sector of the population - they may review the situation! Until they see the light and offer more separate pick and mix salad options, home made allergen free fillings and special breads you could make your point by plonking your own safe bread rice or pasta etc on the counter and asking to add the ingredients you can eat (at a discount of course)! Beware cross contamination though.
Going to a Fish and Chip shop or takeaways can be a minefield so be on your toes - Avoid anything bought in unless you can read the labels and remember everything is prepared in the same kitchen and fried in the oil so cross contamination is always a risk unless they will cook a special order for you…Some fish and chip shops have special nights for gluten and wheat free so ask.
Pizza takeaways still haven''t cottoned on to the fact that gluten free pizza bases are widely available! Plus all food groups are so mixed and fused together it's very difficult to guage what’s in a pizza. Salad bar is the safest bet though it may just not hit the spot with your nose picking up all the lovely smells.
Chinese - ask ask ask! Some are great and are happy to oblige - others just need nagging....
Indian/Curry - Hurrah !!! Poppadoms are normally made with gram flour but double check. As many dishes are cooked to order make it clear which ingredients you need to avoid - the better establishments will cook from scratch and be able to cater for you. If they use pre prepared sauces read the labels or move on to somewhere more authentic!
Thai - The best bet as they are normally really helpful and are well used to using rice flour and rice noodles and cooking from scratch.
Restaurants
Apply the same consideration as for takeaways above.
Pizza and Pasta Bars - again why they are so slow on the uptake who knows?! If they ask you to bring your own ingredients don't - if they are not geared up for cooking fresh then there are likely to be other hidden allergens in the sauces etc. They often don't even give a discount when you take your own either - Outrageous! Best to stick to establishments who are professional enough to cater for you properly.
Fine Dining – Always give fair notice to the chef –call ahead and discuss your needs. Unfortunately and although you have every right to expect it, expensive is not always the most allergy friendly. In fact having the audacity to ask for a deviation from an artisan’s creation has been known to provoke a less than friendly response! Health comes before ego so in these cases leave! It is not safe nor reasonable to assume that reputation brings automatic knowledge of all special dietary requirements so speak to the chef personally if you can. See how your request is received and talk through the options to avoid ruining that a special occasion or paying for an expensive meal you can't eat. A truly good chef will not be fazed and will probably enjoy rising to the challenge and will know what to do to adapt a dish for you.
Again Thai restaurants come high in the league tables for intolerant foodies.
Mexican can be a good choice too but call ahead to discuss the menu.
Japanese restaurants seem to cater well for special diets but again give them some notice,
Ask French & Medterranean restaurants about sauce ingredients if you think any of them may be unsuitable.
Dinner Parties
These can be tricky. Major embarrassment potential if not handled positively!
It is important that you communicate with the cook/host/caterer well in advance - even offer to help if you feel your host is worried or nervous.
Be resolute and explain that this is not a food fad but addressing a potentially serious healthy concern and give some suggestions. If you cover this beforehand you can avoid the subject completely later (and those uncomfortable discussions which can spoil the atmosphere and the appetite!)
Check out the menu - it may only need slight fine tuning and you are the best qualified to suggest how to adapt it to your needs.
Don't be shy about telling your host or let any food sensitivity make you avoid fun occasions. Many people will not fully understand the ins and outs of your special diet but often become quite interested or turn out to know others. Many then start to question whether they could have a food sensitivity too as so many people have the IBS and bloating symptoms - so each time you mention it you could be doing someone a favour! With so many people undiagnosed it can only be a good thing to get everyone mindful of how certain foods could be damaging their health or at least eroding their quality of life - the more people become aware the sooner food producers and suppliers will make changes.
How do I shop for Special Dietary Food?
It is so easy to eat something containing your ‘nasties’ by mistake – a cocktail of additives and filler ingredients are thoughtlessly dolloped into the majority of processed food as it is cheap and easy. To avoid this trap it is important to read the labels carefully - a bore initially, but once you identify the products that are safe you can stick to them (however still check from time to time as sometimes when the manufacturers bring out 'improved' versions the ingredients and receipes can change....)
Try to buy fresh food from local or specialist/ethical sources and get to know the producers for peace of mind and convenience
The Golden Rule can only be check the labels and buy as much fresh and hand prepared food as you can. Even seemingly natural staples such as bread, frozen veggies etc can have a host of additives in them – one of which may just be your bete noir…
Adjustments may be needed to your drinking habits too – soft and alcoholic drinks need to be treated with the same suspicion as food.
Labelling and ingredents to avoid:
In November 2005, food labelling rules were implemented (2003/89EC) requiring pre-packed food sold in the UK and the EU to be clearly labelled to show allergens it contains. However beware some still slip through the loop, (European gourmet ingredients for some reason seem to be consistent offenders so if in doubt leave them on the shelf!).
Here is an excerpt:
Unpacked foods are a bit more of a lottery but The Food Standards Agency introduced new guidelines to the Food Industry regarding Food Allergies (see the News And Info section of the Resouces area of this site for more info)
The more allergy friendly producers have an 'Allergy Advice' section on the packaging, so look out the the gluten free varieties.
When Good is Bad...
Vitamins and medicines aren't always good for you - check the labelsyou’re your villain ingredients, Remind your GP if he is writing a prescription to ensure your medication is free from your particular intolerance. Check with the pharmacist for a full break down if there is any uncertainty.
Other weird (and not so wonderful) ways of ingesting allergens:
Avoid licking stamps and envelope adhesive (at last a positive - who enjoys that taste?!)
Lipstick and lip salve (better check your favourite lippy colours are safe for you before you reapply!)
Other Makeup & cosmetics
Toothpaste and mouthwash
Sun creams
Some detergents
Cross contamination from cooking utensils, serving spoons, pots and appliances (eg grills griddles etc) and re-used cooking oils
How can I make 'travelling with food issues' Hassle Free?
Whichever mode of transport you take, the tips above can apply. Take as much ambient ‘safe’ foods as you can for the journey even if you have made provision ahead – always have a plan B! Some extra considerations need to be given to aircraft food and also to ‘eating in another language’!
Flying
In flight food is rarely a joy but with a special dietary requirement it can take on a whole new dimension!
Firstly check your airline offers meals suitable for your dietary requiements.
If so they normally need at least 24 - 96 hours advance notifaction so bear this in mind if it is a last minute booking.
Ensure your requirements are recorded at the time of booking and that it is shown on the details of your eticket under your PNR (booking reference) if you have one
It is always a good move to reconfirm within 96 hours of departure. Even with these precautions what you end up with is often not right or just plain awful! When in doubt make it as bland and boring as possible seems to be the rule of thumb with airline caterers!
So whatever you do - make sure you take some of your own snacks just in case!
Useful 'Props'
It could ease the hassle factor considerably to devise a ‘free from’ translation card to carry with you with details of what foods you can safely eat in the language of the country or countries you are visiting.
Also cobble together some stock 'get me out of misunderstandings' phrases in the local language to reel out when needed. (Impress your travel companions by practicing them to word perfection before you go!)
Again take some safe foods with you if you can just in case.
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