Being diagnosed with a food allergy might sound like a jail sentence. But with careful planning, you don't have to confine yourself to your kitchen when it comes to meals. Restaurant dining is still a possibility.

It may not be as simple as avoiding food choices based on the menu description. You'll need to ask specific questions about ingredients and how the dish is prepared. Eating at restaurants does pose risks, but getting out of the kitchen every once in a while is also important to your health.

Restaurant staff tend to be overextended. Your server generally has a large section of hungry customers to wait on and might be too busy to remember what you're allergic to — paving the way for error.

The most common reasons behind allergic reactions at restaurants include:

• You don't tell your server about your allergies.
• Food that contains your allergen is cooked near your food or with the same pans and utensils used to cook multiple dishes.
• The restaurant makes a mistake.
• You and the wait staff forget about hidden ingredients, such as those found in dressings and sauces.

You can easily reduce the possibility that such errors will occur. Simple planning can make dining out a much safer experience.

The best way to pick a restaurant is to go by recommendation. Ask other people with food allergies where they like to dine out. Your allergist or dietitian might also have suggestions.

Another way to narrow your choices is to avoid those restaurants that are most likely to cause problems for you. In general, avoid:

• Buffets. Foods in the buffet line are kept very close to each other. Oftentimes the serving utensils for one dish are used for another. Your allergens can easily spread from one dish to another.
• Bakeries. Baked goods are often kept next to each other in large display cases. In such an enclosed environment, allergens from one food can spread to another. Also, tongs and utensils are often reused.
• Restaurants that don't cook from scratch. Some restaurants don't make your meal from scratch. They instead serve you an already-made meal that they heat up. It's sometimes impossible to special-order meals at these restaurants. If you're not sure if a restaurant cooks from scratch, call ahead and ask.
• Obvious dangers. Depending on your allergy, you can automatically cross some restaurants off your list. If you're allergic to shellfish, avoid seafood restaurants. The chances for cross-contamination are increased in these restaurants. If you're allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, avoid Asian restaurants, since nuts are commonly used in Asian recipes.

Use your best judgment when selecting a restaurant. Don't let temptation overrule your instincts.

Once you've decided on a restaurant, be selective when choosing your entree. The key to a safe, allergy-free meal is to speak up early about your food allergy. You'll also want to:

• Ask for advice. Let your server know right away about your food allergy by asking him or her for advice on what items on the menu are free of your allergen. If your server doesn't sound sure, ask to speak to a manager or chef.
• Ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to. Ask how the food is prepared. Ask about individual ingredients.
• Order simple dishes. If you order a plain baked potato or steamed broccoli, you'll know what you're getting. Foods made of several ingredients present more of a mystery. Leave the gamble out of your meal by knowing exactly what you're getting.
• Get your sauce on the side. Condiments provide excellent hiding places for allergens. You might not expect your gravy to contain peanuts or your Worcestershire sauce to contain fish. Avoid surprises by asking for your sauces and dressings on the side or not at all.

Chances are slim that your server understands the seriousness of your food allergy. Speak up and help your server understands the importance of your questions and requests.

Despite your explaining the significance of your food allergy to your server, all the pertinent information you provided might not get relayed to the chef. One way to ensure that the chef understands how to avoid accidentally working your allergen into your meal is to use a chef card.

A chef card is a personalized card that instructs the chef and other restaurant personnel on simple ways to make sure your food doesn't contain your allergen. It lists your allergen and related ingredients, as well as ways to avoid cross contamination from utensils, surfaces and other dishes in the kitchen.

Use the following sample chef card as a guide. Make copies, fill in the blanks and keep the chef cards in your wallet or purse. When you go to a restaurant, give a chef card to your server and ask him or her to share it with the chef. The sample chef card is a PDF file. To view and print the file, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download for free at Adobe's Web site.

Chef cards

You can personalize your chef cards by using bright colored paper, designing your own cards or laminating the chef cards.

Keep in mind that using chef cards doesn't take the place of asking questions or careful planning when you're ordering at a restaurant. Chef cards can't guarantee an allergen-free dining experience, but they can help make your meal safer.

Don't be afraid to get up and leave if you think the restaurant staff isn't taking your request seriously. Leave if you have doubts about the food preparation. Even if you're sure your food is safe, accidents can happen. Keep emergency epinephrine on hand and consider wearing a medical alert bracelet.

Food allergies don't have to be an eternal sentence of home-cooked meals. Plan ahead to make your dining out experience one you'll enjoy.