Dining Out on Thanksgiving
Some families will be leaving the cooking and cleaning to others this Thanksgiving and dining at restaurants or other people’s homes instead. If your family is planning to do the same, know how to avoid “high risk” situations when dining out. We list some examples below:
Creative Chefs
Chefs will often experiment with dishes to add new or unique flavors. Never assume that a dish contains traditional ingredients.
FAAN member Tammi shares how she has been caught off-guard by surprise ingredients. “Many whipped sweet potato side dishes have walnuts in them. I forget this when I order the dish for myself each year,” she writes.
Buffets or Family-Style Dining
Avoid “help yourself” dining styles, as serving utensils are sometimes shared between dishes, or food is accidentally dropped into other food containers. If you are dining in a restaurant, work with the manager and order from the menu instead. If you are in someone’s home, make arrangements to serve yourself first.
Fried Foods
Avoid fried foods, as they are often prepared in the same cooking oil as other foods. For example, if a fryer was used to fry shrimp, and the same oil is later reused to fry chicken, the chicken will contain shrimp protein, and could cause an allergic reaction in someone who is allergic to shrimp.
Desserts
A study of allergic reactions to peanuts or tree nuts in restaurants found that 43% of the reactions were caused by desserts.
FAAN member Carol shares, “I ordered dessert and the waiter assured me that it didn’t contain nuts. I ate it, noticed something crunchy, and spit out a slice of almond.”
Carol had a reaction that required her EpiPen ® and a trip to the emergency room. “I have decided not to eat desserts out anymore. It’s simply not worth the risk,” she writes.
Finally, be sure to keep your medications on hand and ask questions about ingredients when dining out. Enjoy your special time with friends and family.
Surprise Twists on Thanksgiving Classics
Below are some examples of unexpected ingredients we’ve found in recipes for traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Be careful!
Cranberry sauce: pecans, wheat
Gravy: peanut butter, soy, Worcestershire sauce (fish)
Mashed potato: cheese, cream cheese
Pumpkin pie: peanut butter
Stuffing: almond, crab, oysters, shrimp
Sweet potato casserole: eggs, milk, pecans, walnuts
Adapted from Food Allergy News, Vol. 14, No. 1
