How do you eat out without any worries

I have the exact same concerns. They may say they don't use nuts/nut oil, but have they researched their flour manufacturer to make sure they don't make peanut flour that can cross contaminate, etc? No, 99% of them would have no clue about that kind of stuff. I think in general, most restaurants just aren't safe for my daughter.

When she is old enough to care about whether she can go out to eat, then I will do some work and find 2 or 3 restaurants that will cook special meals for her. I have heard there are some allergy friendly chefs in the world that are more than happy to accommodate you if they know ahead of time you are coming. But she's only 2 now, and I'm not going to risk it, because she is too little to care.

I take her to McDonalds for chicken nuggets, and occasionally a grilled cheese sandwich at In and Out. That's it for now. I figure, my husband and I can just schedule in some date nights where we can go out to eat. And I'm learning how to cook more "restaurant-type" recipes so we don't feel totally deprived! :)

Worry is your constant companion but it eventually becomes like any other worry. Driving, leaving your child with a sitter, predators. At least with a food allergy in this day and age you can do some early recon on manufactured food and restaurants. Then you check in on various food forums and blogs to see what others' experiences are. You end up playing odds that what's been anecdotally safe enough for other families in the same situation will be safe enough often enough for your child.

In the meantime you always stay prepared for the accidental ingestion. Be prepared to walk out of any situation that may induce anaphylaxis, rely on homemade meals or safer places as a backup.

Has anyone gone to A&W fast food restaurant

Everyone says McD's is okay for Peanut Allergies... I have the opposite experience. My son now 3 has a peanut allergy and he has reacted to McD's french fries. We take him to Burger King and he is fine. I have a friend that has had the same experience. She actually recommended that I stay away from McD's.

I am working on compiling a list of restaurants that are safe for my PA child if anyone has any suggestions.

Yes I eat out without any worries. I ask if the food has nuts (is it is something that might, I don't worry if I am ordering a hamburger) and if they say no I eat it.

I have been all over the world and have eaten at more places than you can imagine. I am deadly allergic yet I have never had a reaction eating out.

The chances of the flour from the bread being cross contaminated with peanut flour (which is barely used and very rare) is so slim it isn't even funny. You have a better chance of going out on a clear day and being struck by lighting then reacted to a hamburger bun.

Do not let your PA control your life. Work with it and enjoy life. You can eat out. If you are worrying all the time you have a bigger problem then a PA.

Also yes peanut oil is sometimes safe for PA sufferers (we are allergic to the fat not the oil). But the oil can set us off if it isn't refined 100%. I avoid peanut oil at all costs still.

Yes I eat out without any worries. I ask if the food has nuts (is it is something that might, I don't worry if I am ordering a hamburger) and if they say no I eat it.

I have been all over the world and have eaten at more places than you can imagine. I am deadly allergic yet I have never had a reaction eating out.

The chances of the flour from the bread being cross contaminated with peanut flour (which is barely used and very rare) is so slim it isn't even funny. You have a better chance of going out on a clear day and being struck by lighting then reacted to a hamburger bun.

Do not let your PA control your life. Work with it and enjoy life. You can eat out. If you are worrying all the time you have a bigger problem then a PA.

Also yes peanut oil is sometimes safe for PA sufferers (we are allergic to the fat not the oil). But the oil can set us off if it isn't refined 100%. I avoid peanut oil at all costs still.

Yes I eat out without any worries. I ask if the food has nuts (is it is something that might, I don't worry if I am ordering a hamburger) and if they say no I eat it.

I have been all over the world and have eaten at more places than you can imagine. I am deadly allergic yet I have never had a reaction eating out.

The chances of the flour from the bread being cross contaminated with peanut flour (which is barely used and very rare) is so slim it isn't even funny. You have a better chance of going out on a clear day and being struck by lighting then reacted to a hamburger bun.

Do not let your PA control your life. Work with it and enjoy life. You can eat out. If you are worrying all the time you have a bigger problem then a PA.

Also yes peanut oil is sometimes safe for PA sufferers (we are allergic to the fat not the oil). But the oil can set us off if it isn't refined 100%. I avoid peanut oil at all costs still.

We eat out, but I always check the restaurants website before going. Most places have allergen info. We usually only eat at the few same places where my daughter has eaten before without any kind of reaction.

I have the same concerns about the buns, bread, everything...But, I admit we still taker her out to restaurants often at 2 1/2 yrs old..We try to go to tsimilar restaurants, and order the safest foods..I just dont want to put her in a bubble..She loves eating out..Though it makes me a little nervous, I feel eating out is a way of life, and something she will always have to fce with birthdays, dates, etc..
In general, I think the whole PA allergy thing and labeling is also hard to figure out..Its almost impossible to trace every ingredient esp when out..
After awhile I agree..What are the percentages of risk???? I wish I knew..Does she have the same chance as beign struck by lightening?

There is always going be a chance when you are not at home. You can ever run the same risk eating at a friend or family members house.
Most people that do not have food allergies, do not think twice about what they or their kids are eating.
On the other side, I have noticed one thing more than anything else, since I began reading these posts... A lot of the parents here are so self entitled. My two daughters and I have food allergies, so I know how you feel. But what I do not understand is why you think the world has to bend over backwards to accommodate you and/or child(ren) have an allergy!

I have ordered allergy identification cards from AchooAllergy.com and I have not gotten an allergic reaction at a restaurant since.

eating out is definitely a risk. you are kidding yourself if you think it isn't. our doctor (at children's memorial in chicago) recommended that we stay away from any place that has peanuts in the kitchen. and we have had reactions at places like the cheesecake factory where we told them about the allergy but they still used contaminated tongs or whatever to handle our food. there are some cuisines that we feel safer about because they do not have peanuts as an ingredient (italian, greek, korean, turkish, moroccan; steakhouses) but who's to say that someone isn't eating a snickers in the kitchen?

when we go to a place that we know has peanuts on the menu, we try to order what we think will be 'safe', like boiled pasta, but really you can never be sure. we do NOT go to Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, or Indian restaurants, on doctor's orders. and we have definitely experienced contamination problems with local bakeries ( a sugar cookie, which must have gotten some peanuts in it ). basically, we don't eat out very much, and when we travel, we try to be as safe as we can.

It all depends on the severity of any given PA person's allergy. I can have McD's safely, as I can have most other restaurant's food. I mean, that's not to say that I don't dine out with caution, but cross-contamination isn't a big problem for me. I only have a very mild reaction to most things like that. The allergen actually had to be present on, near, or in my food, not shared on the manufacturer's equipment where the bread for the bun on a hamburger I'm eating was.

My 2 year old has a PA. We have stopped going to most restaurants but do go to Chipotle and CiCi's Pizza because both have policies on their corporate websites stating that they are peanut-free. I have also taken him to Wendy's as their ingredient list is very easy to read. I think Whataburger may be okay too in terms of being able to easily identify what products contain peanuts, including breads. I have not assessed though what else on the Wendy's/Whataburger websites have peanuts from a cross-contamination standpoint. We also take him to the BBQ (Hard 8) place near us and to Fat Daddy's based on calls to management--we just don't feed him the bread since we can't see the labels. We are slowly trying to research additional restaurants. This is tough!