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We all know that sometimes, life doesn't go exactly to plan. I have a recent example of that: I was traveling in Portland and my family was planning to go to a restaurant for lunch that claimed to be nut free. Upon reading the menu outside, our eyes immediately hit a pistachio dessert, and our stomaches sank. What followed was a 30 minutes bout of panic, with my family driving over the city, debating between possible lunch options. We ended up having left over sandwiches from the morning brunch.
The reality of having dietary restrictions is that this has most likely happened before and will happen again. However, how you choose to approach the situation is important; I want this to be an opportunity to spread awareness! So, here is what I recommend doing if a restaurant unexpectedly doesn't work out:
Firstly, don't panic! Try to stay calm and level headed - for yourself and those around you. Then, try to analyze: the worst case is maybe scrounging up chips at the grocery store or skippingt the meal together. While not ideal, none of these outcomes are overly dangerous. You will be okay, and that's what you need to remember.
Afterwards, I would recommend working backwards; you've identified the worst case scenario, now try to improve matters by finding other restaurants. If you don't eat gluten, you could check FindMeGlutenFree for good options in the area. For other allergies or sensitivities, I would pull out a maps app and research restaurant in the area. Do quick searches of their cuisine, maybe skim their menu or website. The most vital thing is: can they support what I need?
These are cases in which some might choose to accept possible cross contamination risk, but like always, that is a personal choice. Safety and comfort are always the most important.
This is what my family did in my most recent mishap, and we were perfectly fine! We went on to have a wonderful trip. So in conclusion, these adversities can be quickly avoided with a little research and mindfulness.
Until next time,
Genuine GF