Summer Allergies

When people think of summer allergies, we think of sinus problems such as hay fever or meeting those plants which we don’t remember causing hives last year. There are other allergies which might be more problematic in the summer: food allergies.

Summer is the time for traveling, exploring, and visiting, but when you or someone you love have food allergies, they can make this time, or any time, of year more adventurous. This is definitely not the time to be shy about asking questions. While parents can be very proactive for their children, adults with allergies can be less assertive. When in doubt, ASK.

Don’t get me wrong. I like my own cooking, but I do like something different occasionally or when I am away from home. For anyone without a food allergy, asking may seem logical, but it is not always as easy as it seems. Try grilling the counter or serving staff at a restaurant about various ingredients. At busy times, they may not appreciate the third degree. The best weapon is to be prepared. Many restaurants post their menus online AND they also post what foods have which potential allergens. Denny’s was the first restaurant which provided this list to me when I first discovered that I was allergic to gluten several years ago. With smart phones and computers, to which many of us have access, knowledge is a click away. There are apps available for free or a minimal cost which can either bring up restaurants with allergen information or can bring up those restaurants with allergy safe menus. For example, I have an app on my phone for restaurants serving gluten free foods, albeit sometimes that means salads only and there is no guarantee on the dressings.

Word of mouth is another way to find “safe” foods. It helps to share experiences instead of making all the mistakes yourself. Find people with the same concerns and TALK. Somewhere there are blogs and places in social media (which I confess I am not great at) to discuss these things.

Today I was actually impressed by Chipotle Mexican Grill. When I told them of my allergy, not only was I steered away from offending foods, but the servers changed their gloves and serving utensils. I am certain that there are other such restaurants which I have not named, but I haven’t tried them all yet.

Why was the changing of gloves and utensils so impressive? One of the hardest food allergy lessons to learn is to look beyond the obvious. Years ago, a co-worker had a severe reaction when the same knife was used to cut his sandwich that was previously used to cut a banana, the offending food. The same potential for “cross contamination” exists for other allergens including peanut allergies or gluten. French fries might be “gluten free” but the oil in which they are fried might have been used for flour coated chicken.

Remember, ASK and SHARE to make summer safe and fun.