Tips for eating out dairy free?

[dairyfreebabyandme]

Anyone got any good tips for eating out when trying to eat dairy free? A friend just asked me for help) because she knows I've just started a blog about being dairy free. I had a few ideas, for her, but she's thinking of going on holiday (Uk based) and is feeling a bit nervous about it.

[thisisyesterday]

does she eat meat?

if so i shouldn't think it would be a massive problem.
it's mainly a case of questioning people and ensuring they're giving correct info! things like soups, baked potatoes etc are good for lunches.

[dairyfreebabyandme]

Well apparently they're off beef lamb and tuna, for the mo - something to do with some more possible allergies.

[eragon]

so their kids are dairy free , and meat, and tuna free?
lets hope they can eat the wider range of vegan foods, as many of them are highly allergenic!!

[dairyfreebabyandme]

Well apparently they're off beef lamb and tuna, for the mo - something to do with some more possible allergies.

[thisisyesterday]

ok, we are vegetarian and 2 of my children can't eat dairy/egg so we're kind of forced vegans,
.
it is really hard to be honest, eating out.
jacket potatoes with baked beans are fine (make sure to specify no butter or marg)
some soups are ok, bbut always ask for ingredients.
key is finding places that are helpful. for instance a local park round here will happily make up a sandwich for the kids with no butter in.. other places aren't as helpful!
pasta with tomato sauce is usually ok too
if they eat things like chicken i'd imagine that would help- roast chicken and veg would be fine for example

[Acekicker]

I ate dairy free for about 15 years due (before my allergy went when I got pregnant). To be honest I found it was ok - if you go for 'Mediterranean' type stuff then that is a good starting point - tomatoes, olive oil, pasta type things are all generally fine once you've done the checking for ingredients and butter etc. Similarly most 'standard' food is ok once you've got past the no butter on veg, no sauces as well.

Chinese is also pretty good as it generally contains very few dairy products. Nandos is also generally excellent for any kind of special diets - it was definitely the best place for taking nut-allergic DS and his coeliac friend out to!

[dairyfreebabyandme]

Interesting you mention Nandos. We used to go there, with Baby, but we thought she had a reaction to some milk in something I ate. We couldn't be sure. I thought maybe there had been some cross-contamination in the kitchen or something.

[freefrommum]

Beefeater and Harvester have allergy lists for their menus online and Table Table restaurants have good allergy info too apparently (haven't eaten there myself, a friend told me). I'd also been told by a few people that Nando's was very good but maybe not? If you can find a vegan cafe/restaurant that would probably be good.

[heliotrope]

Pizza Express is very good I found - check out their website in advance for full table of allergy suitability. Also ASK, another pizza chain.
Don't bother with Strada, they don't make as much effort.
Wagamama also has good allergy information in a big file, and that type of food is typically dairy free anyway, and they can make things without meat / egg if you ask.
I have heard Ping Pong can be good too, for dairy free, but think they might not have such good info on eggs. Again they have info on website.
Pub food can be useful - my DS typically has ham and chips in the pub, or sausage and chips. Roast dinners can also be excellent for dairy/egg free.
Fish and chips good for UK holidays maybe? DS allergic to fish but I always think this would be a good option if he wasn't.
Curry also should give lots of dairy and egg free options.

[alison222]

Just a word of warning - sliced bread often contains milk in the UK. Your friend will need to check carefully - but French stick etc usually OK.

[Superworm]

DS is dairy & soy free, we eat at Nandos and fish and chips no problem. That's about it really though.

[Oodear]

Giraffe were good .
Mcdonalds are surprisingly good too
I tend to stick to chains or smaller in dependants who know what's in their foods. I eat vegan, ds eats safe meat

[dairyfreequeen]

in general bigger chains are better, but smaller places can be good too - have a look at the menu before you go in, then whenever i order anything i explain i have allergies and ask staff to double check that its safe (rather than put them on the spot and ask if they know offhand). By law all restaurants have to be able to tell you the ingredients in their meals know. Remember to check stuffs not cooked in butter, milk batters, in bread and chip coatings. Its stressful but so far ive not had a problem, (except in asdas cafe, weirdly enough) my fave is carluccios but ive heard good things about pizza express and nandos.

[Oodear]

I found asda didn't have a clue either. My worst place so far was our hospital canteen