Eating Out

Eating out without being able to eat soy and dairy does pose many challenges.  I have however found a few places that I can eat!

One of the biggest challenges on a soy and dairy free diet is no soy.  I highly recommend when starting this diet that you avoid all soy, even soybean oil.  However according to the FDA, studies have shown that most people with soy allergies can eat soybean oil (or what you would call vegetable oil).  Click here to see this helpful chart create by The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network to explain soybean oil and soybean allergies.  I actually printed it out and laminated it.  When I started the diet I did not know this!  It was like the heavens parted when I found this out!   I avoided all soy, but  I recommend doing this for the first month, and then introducing, if your doctor allows, soybean oil since it is not considered to cause many allergies.

Chick-fil-A

They have a great allergen chart on the website. Also when you go to the restaurant, you can ask for them to print out a list of ingredients.  I eat the Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich.  It does however contain soybean oil and soy lecithin.  I did not eat soy lecithin when I first went on the diet, I was VERY strict for the first few months.  But I have found that he does not have a reaction to soybean oil and soy lecithin.

Wendy’s

The site Go Dairy Free explains their menu in great detail.  I order the spicy chicken sandwich plain, and  order them to NOT toast the bun.  DOUBLE check them before you leave the drive through!  They only get it right about half the time.  The bun does contain soybean oil, but soybean oil is exempt from having to contain the “contains soy” label.

Chipotle

There chart is amazing and easy to read.  And even better there are quite a bit of food options.  Once again their items to contain soybean oil, but like their chart shows, it is exempt from the soy allergen label.

If you have a dairy and/or soy free allergy– where do you eat out?