The title of this post may have given you a good chuckle, as if dating someone with a food allergy were a full-time job to plan around, or that this would somehow affect their personality or capacity for dating. But the truth is, while the person you’re becoming more and more fond of is likely a wonderful person, it’s important to make sure they’re comfortable when eating out, and you may not be used to this.
That’s because no matter how much of a foodie you are (and if you enjoy our website, we assume you are!), it’s important to accommodate not only for taste but for essential, non-negotiable restrictions on our diet.
Of course, it’s not for us to tell our date how they should eat or manage their allergy, they will have likely been doing so for most of their lives thus far, and are more than familiar with the various necessities and requirements of keeping it in check.
But it’s also true that if you hope to enjoy dinner dates, there are some worthwhile accommodations to make. Consider this:
Cleaning Your Kitchen Deeply Before Cooking
Most home cooks think a quick wipe of the counter is enough. But with food allergies, cross-contamination is seriously no joke. Even tiny amounts of an allergen can cause problems, and they hide in the strangest places, which is why professional kitchens will often entirely wipe down their stations if they have a particular allergen request.
A thorough clean means checking the cooking utensils to that jar of honey in the cupboard, and of course, throwing out anything you have which might trigger a sensitivity, within reason. Sounds like overkill until you realize that peanut butter knife from breakfast, if not properly rendered sterile, could be harmful. This means if you hope to cook for them at home, you might have to show your cleaning process. It could spoil the surprise of course but it’s best to keep them safe as you get used to one another.
Letting Them Alternate Your Plans
Your date probably knows every safe spot in town to eat, and this might be a good time to enjoy exploring the best Atlanta restaurants and learning about their preferences. This is usually because they’ve done the research, talked to staff, and had good experiences at specific places before. Sometimes these places might not be your first choice, and that's fine, as good food comes in many forms, and watching someone enjoy a meal without worrying is worth more than that trendy new place you wanted to try. You might even discover some great spots you'd never have found otherwise. Just be happy to accommodate alternative suggestions or to offer more compromise than you usually would, as their life could quite literally be on the line, and that’s more important than anything else.
Opting For Higher-Quality Food Services Over Cheap & Easy Options
Fast food places and budget restaurants often cut corners with ingredients and prep methods. Moreover, the workers on minimum wage might not be perfect at making something the right way, even if they’ve been trained. That's fine most of the time, but not great for allergy concerns. Better restaurants tend to take food allergies more seriously, especially since they deal with them often. Sure, you might be limited from grabbing a quick street food snack or your trips might cost more than the corner diner, but they're also more likely to have proper allergen protocols in place. Your date's health is worth the extra expense, and hey, nicer dinners make for better date nights anyway, and if you have better dinners but less often, that’s not bad for a foodie.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily date someone, even if they have an ellergy to think about.