Food Allergies - Enough!

[FlightlessDuck]

processed sodium.

Wait... what?

 

[BSmithington]

Whats processed sodium? Sodium is an element. Maybe its MSG or Sodium Nitrate, but we are all allergic to pure sodium. Well allergic is not really the proper term it will just kill you as your insides burn up.


And raw vegetables, how cooked do they need to be before they are not raw?

No idea. I assume standard table salt.

 

[ashley0139]

Obviously this has nothing to do with food allergies and is all about her attention seeking behavior. Don't blame everyone with food allergies though. It sounds like you know your friend is a drama queen, she's just found a new way to incite it.

Also glutton =/= gluten.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

About the "raw vegetable thing": I can no longer eat raw white/yellow onion. I get horrible stomach pains for several hours. It just started last year. Cooked onions are fine. But... I probably just have an ulcer.

 

[powellrj]

My DDIL has had celiac disease since she was 18 months old and my mom is allergic to corn and my DS has crohns, so we know lots about food allergies and none of them have ever had a chef come out and talk to us about the menu and we are people who eat out often. I think the day is coming where chefs will no long be as flexible about the menus because of people like your friend.

 

[BSmithington]

I also wonder if at some point some of the finer restaurants just stop accommodating those with allergies. The risk seems way to high of accidently killing someone.

I guess it would also mean people have to take personal responsibility and not demand special food.

 

[powellrj]

About the "raw vegetable thing": I can no longer eat raw white/yellow onion. I get horrible stomach pains for several hours. It just started last year. Cooked onions are fine. But... I probably just have an ulcer.

I also have the raw onion thing. It also just started in the past few years. Ree Drumond (Pioneer Woman) is also bothered by them and she soaks them before using them and swears it helps. I have never tried it, but plan to someday. Normally I just pick them out unless they are diced and then I just stop eating what they were in.

 

[BSmithington]

Obviously this has nothing to do with food allergies and is all about her attention seeking behavior. Don't blame everyone with food allergies though. It sounds like you know your friend is a drama queen, she's just found a new way to incite it.

Also glutton =/= gluten.

Probably true. But this is a woman who has influence and I can see her making it a cause to demand allergy friendly menus at all restaurants. Pretty soon we will all be eating plain baked chicken.

 

[Kies99]

Pretty soon we will all be eating plain baked chicken.

Oooo..yeah...about that.... I'm allergic to chicken so I want that taken off all menus. (joking!)

In all seriousness, my 17yo nephew has pretty severe food allergies (nuts, eggs, milk, etc...). When he goes out to eat he does ask questions about what's in certain things and asks that the servers be careful handling his meal (cross-contamination and such). He very rarely has to ask for something to be specially prepared and when he does, he NEVER has complained about what he has received.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Normally I just pick them out unless they are diced and then I just stop eating what they were in.

Diced doesn't seem to bother me. It might be sheer quantity that's the problem.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Probably true. But this is a woman who has influence and I can see her making it a cause to demand allergy friendly menus at all restaurants. Pretty soon we will all be eating plain baked chicken.

Right now , I am so tired of plain chicken

 

[bookgirl]

I developed a ton of allergies in my forties (didn't realize until last year). It sucks and your friend may be still trying to navigate the waters and it's really hard to eat out and not be a pain. She does sound a bit high maintenance, but sometimes I worry that my friends feel the same about me.

Some days I too want to write a review of someplace because they seem so unable to accommodate even minor alterations. Sometimes I eat a plate of lettuce, because the chef isn't even willing to make me a plain chicken breast. Sometimes I just play Russian roulette and suffer the rash I will get.

I'm sorry she ruined your meal, but I'm really glad that my friends have been supportive, and appreciate when I make compromises and are willing to compromise themselves.

I suggest you don't eat dinner with them again. You'll be happier and if she could tell how bothered your were she will probably be happier too.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If you ask her she is allergic to processed sodium. She is also allergic to raw veggies, all things of the ocean and if peanuts are in the same 100 mile radius she will spontaneously explode.

There's your answer. Take her to a Five Guys near the ocean. Kaboom!
eta - I meant Bawooosh!

 

[Ismo]

I have several food allergies and on top of that I'm a vegetarian. It can make it difficult for me to find things I can eat when I'm out. But it's my responsibility to find myself something to eat. Before I go out to eat I always check the menu ahead of time so I have an idea if I can even eat anything there beforehand. A lot of times I'll just get a salad with oil and vinegar if I have to. It's not the restaurant's fault I can't eat half of the stuff on the menu. And I definitely would never complain about my food taking a long time if they were making me something to accommodate my allergies. Allergies are one thing and can be very serious for some people, but it's the person with allergies (or parent's) responsibility to make sure they eat what they can actually eat.

 

[JoeA]

OP - sounds like you could use a good laugh today. (Please know this is all in fun!)

That is hilarious! In a very "real life" kinda way! I just vacationed with my MiL who is "gluten intolerant". She'd lift her nose at any food with gluten but I didn't see her turn down a single adult beverage all vacation, with no regard to gluten!! Maybe there is also a correlation between gluten intolerance and who picks up the tab!

 

[LilyWDW]

I do not have food allergies, but I do have to follow a specific diet due to a medical condition. If I don't follow the diet, then I will end up in agony for multiple days, unable to leave the house, and it could actually make my condition worse long term. People like the OPs friend not only makes things harder for people will real allergies, but also for people like myself. Why? Because places don't take you seriously unless you say you are "allergic" to a food. They get so many requests, from so many people, who simply don't "like" a food or "think" they should be gluten free (for an example).

Now I try to order just based off of what is already "safe" on the menu or just ask that they leave off, say, tomatoes on a sandwich. But sometimes I don't know what is in a sauce so I will ask. The only time I have had a chef come out was at Disney because that's their policy. I had asked about tomatoes being in something at Jiko since I had no clue WHAT an item was (lol) and the server wasn't sure, so the chef had to come out. Boy, was I embarrassed! Though at Disney I also put that I am "allergic" to soy and "other" when I make my ADRs because that's the only way to mention an issue ahead of time. There is no spot online to put "I can't have these because they will make me ill but it's not an allergy" and I tried just calling and having it noted but OMG they were of NO help.

 

[ashley0139]

That is hilarious! In a very "real life" kinda way! I just vacationed with my MiL who is "gluten intolerant". She'd lift her nose at any food with gluten but I didn't see her turn down a single adult beverage all vacation, with no regard to gluten!! Maybe there is also a correlation between gluten intolerance and who picks up the tab!

Distilled alcohols and wine do not have gluten, so unless she was drinking beer, she was probably fine.

 

[AustinTink]

I don't know about your friend, but for those of us with ACTUAL life-threatening food allergies... I would ask that people give us a break. Sheesh. Sorry I'm not normal and I have to make sure my food doesn't some in contact with any shellfish so I don't die.

 

[Meriweather]

If it is life threatening.....a friend has this with nuts, I can see talking to the chef and making use what I can't have.
For me and DGD (diabetic and milk allergy, but not life threatening), I've learned what I can have and what she can have and order those things.

 

[BSmithington]

I don't know about your friend, but for those of us with ACTUAL life-threatening food allergies... I would ask that people give us a break. Sheesh. Sorry I'm not normal and I have to make sure my food doesn't some in contact with any shellfish so I don't die.

I get all that. I just wonder about the people that are allergic enough to shellfish that they will die; walking into a place that serves shellfish. It just seems really irresponsible.