Restaurants: How to Stay Safe

Hi there everyone! Today I'm going to talk about my experiences with restaurants and what to do if YOU go to a restaurant and have food allergies.

So I've only been to a restaurant and actually eaten their food twice. They were really meaningful to me. The first one was at a restaurant in Disney world. I was maybe 6 or 7 years old and I was very excited when I figured out that the chef talked with my mom and promised to make me a safe meal without any dairy, tree nut, or sesame seeds in it (I may not have been allergic to sesame seeds yet, but I don't remember. I also could have been allergic to eggs still back then, but it was a while ago, so I don't exactly remember.) The chef made me an amazing pasta dinner and a delicious ice cream dessert as well.

The second place I went was for my 10th birthday. My family went to the American Girl store, where I got my American Girl doll, Kit.We ate lunch there, and the cooks made me a spaghetti lunch. There's a picture of me at the cafe below.

My suggestions for you are if you're going to a restaurant and you have food allergies, don't expect the waiters and chefs to figure out you have food allergies! The best way to present yourself is to kindly ask to have a quick chat with the waiter or person serving you about your food allergies. Depending on what restaurant you're going to, it might be a good idea to bring a safe meal for yourself from home just in case the restaurant can't figure out how to serve you safely.

If you are going to try some of their food, be sure to tell the waiter or server about every food you're allergic to and also cross contamination risks. Presenting yourself kindly and working with the waiter or server nicely will be a good way to keep yourself safe and calm. If all else fails and you can't eat their food, you at least have a meal from home with you and you can still have a good time with the people you came with. Remember, experiences aren't all about the food. I've been to restaurants that can't serve me multiple times, and I still had fun with my family. One more thing before I wrap this post up: ALWAYS REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR EPI-PEN WITH YOU TO THE RESTAURANT! This is my biggest tip! It's so important to bring your Epi-pen with you!! Alright, see you later!

Here I am, at the American Girl cafe, eating lunch with my doll.