When you have food allergies and you’re having people cook for you, making sure you ask some additional questions is always important to help keep you safe.
Here are 3 questions to ask when ordering with celiac disease, food allergies, or food intolerances:
- Is there any information about cross-contact at the factory it was made in? Here is where you need to know your comfort level with shared lines and facilities. The chef or manager will let you know what the labels say about how the food is made.
- Where will it be cooked in the kitchen? Will there be any of the ingredients you avoid on a shared surface or oil? If they don’t have an allergy-safe fryer available, can they bake it for you? If there are any ingredients you avoid on the cooking surface, can they pan-fry the food instead?
- Are any sauces, broth, or marinades in the food and if so, what are those ingredients? For my garlic allergy, chefs often have to find a plain protein for me and then can season it appropriately. With sauces, ingredients like dairy and gluten can sneak in, so always double-check them!
Chefs are a great resource and are there to help you. They want to keep you safe and more important, comfortable when eating out, so don’t be afraid to ask for certain accommodations if it will help you feel more comfortable.
When ordering a safe meal on vacation, make sure to pack your patience. Chefs definitely do their best to make your food quickly but it does take time when you have to make meals that are not already on the menu. I have had some meals that are done in under 10 minutes, and some take 30 minutes or more. For our family, we generally ask that all our quick-service food is brought out at the same time. If you have a little one that can’t wait that long and they are not the one with the allergy, talk to the quick-serve location or your server to see if they can get their meal quickly! If you are staying at the resort you want to eat at, talk to the chefs ahead of time and they may be able to have something waiting at a certain time so you don’t have to wait long for your food!
KELLY VAN EERDEN - JENISON, MI
Lead Travel Planner & Certified Autism Travel Professional™
She currently lives in Jenison, Michigan with her husband, daughter, and son. They love to travel and one of their favorite destinations is Walt Disney World. Kelly grew up visiting Walt Disney World with her family and continued the tradition with her children. From the first time they saw Cinderella’s Castle at the age of 4 and 7, they were hooked and still are 13 years later! As the kids have grown up, they have continued to explore new destinations as well. They went to Universal Orlando as a family in 2019 and on their first Disney Cruise in 2020. They look forward to exploring more destinations as a family this coming year. Shey loves being able to get away as a family to relax and recharge from the day-to-day activities that keep them busy.
