Dining out can be very difficult for individuals with food allergies. A new study found that the more steps you take to protect yourself from exposure, the less likely you are to have an allergic reaction.
The researchers asked 39 people with allergies (or their parents) about 25 behaviors people might do before eating out. Nineteen of those surveyed had experienced a food allergy reaction while dining at a restaurant. After examining the results, the researchers observed a few common strategies that people used to successfully avoid an allergic reaction while eating at a restaurant.
The top 5 strategies included:
- Speaking to the waiter on arrival
- Ordering food with simple ingredients
- Double-checking food before eating
- Avoiding restaurants with higher likelihood of contamination
- Reviewing ingredients on a restaurant website