Food allergies often mean that individuals and their families stay far, far away from restaurant food. Eating out becomes a forbidden activity. This can be particularly true for people with allergies to common ingredients, such as milk, eggs or gluten. Given the prevalence of these ingredients, and the number of dishes that use them, dining away from home can become a nightmare.

However, you can go to a restaurant more safely if you are willing to take some steps both before and during your eating out experience.

Here are a number of tips, with suggestions from the University of Virginia Health System, to help you to eat out with confidence:

1. Get the restaurant’s menu ahead of time! Read over the options and get ingredient lists for your preferred selections. Most restaurants will help out a person who is allergic: if your choice will not, choose another establishment.

2. Once you know that the menu has acceptable options on it, make reservations. When making reservations, let the eatery know that you are allergic (if you haven’t previously) so that they can take note of that on your reservation. Also inform them of the severity of your allergy. In some cases, they may advise you to eat elsewhere. If so, heed their advice! Assuming that they are as happy to have you as you are to dine there, you may want to let the restaurant know what you are planning to order.

3. When you arrive, be sure that your server is fully aware of your food allergy and its severity. You may not have taken the time to inform restaurant staff in advance: if so, now is the time to confirm how dishes are prepared. If your server can’t provide you with details or is unsure, ask to speak with the manager of the restaurant or the chef. These professionals should be able to give you all required information. If they can’t, you may want to select another restaurant.

4. Made a last minute choice to eat out? Never eat from a buffet or order family-style dishes. Cross-contamination for common ingredients is a given with these kinds of dishes.

5. Depending on your allergy, avoid fried foods! A wide variety of items can be fried in a restaurant, and often the same oil is used for similar style dishes.

6. If your allergies are severe, carry fast-acting antihistamine or an Epi-pen with you. No matter how conscientious the chef or restaurant manager, errors can occur. Always come prepared.

Source: US News & World Report