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Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
Onions Vs Salsa
I have a severe allergy to an enzyme in RAW onions but not cooked, green bell peppers but not red bell peppers, the white part of green onions but not the green part, etc etc etc.
Tomato juice and lemon or lime will serviche the enzyme and as long as I'm just dipping into the juice - no allergy problem.
All that said - I don't eat salsa in resteraunts because I don't want a server to think they can slide on the allergy. I always ask the serve to make a note to the chef - no raw onions, and then I place my allergy pill bottle on the table.
I've also given up on eating anywhere that serves fajitas or onion blossoms or anything else that comes out "sizzling".
And when in doubt - I order chicken fingers and sour cream.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
@ Peekpoke
The problem is when you mix the oil, eggs, salt, lemon juice, vinegar, or mustard together. For a lot of us, it just doesn't blend well, and we don't like it. It tastes like crap to us. It shouldn't be so hard to understand.
I think it's even harder to take someone seriously who can't accept the fact that not everyone likes the things they do, and that we don't have to give any other reason as to why, other than it tastes bad to us.
Not everything blends well for everybody Some people dip their fries in their frosty, while others don't. Both groups of people like fries and frosties. Does this mean you can't take those who don't like fries dipped in frosties seriously either? How about people who don't dip pickles in ice cream?
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
Problem with Mayo?
Is that a problem with oil, eggs, salt, lemon juice, vinegar, or mustard?
You see the problem why it's hard to take people seriously. I've never found anyone who disliked Mayo (or was "allergic") to have any problem with the ingredients (except one who exclaimed it MUST be the mustard, since he also hates mustard).
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
I can understand why people do lie about allergies. Many a time I have received raw onion in my food when I specified no onion. I DETEST any type of raw onion and it completely ruins my meal when I receive it in my food. Just pick it off, people say... NO! The raw onion flavor is on the food and with every bite, I can taste it. It truly makes me want to barf. I sometimes feel like telling them that I'm allergic but I don't... I am deathly allergic to any type of stone fruit but I just stay away from them completely and my problem is solved.
The same thing goes for coffee. My system CANNOT handle Caffeine. I cringe when I see a server pouring regular coffee into the decaf and then starts to go around the room and pour. I hate to think what would happen to me if I drank that coffee. Emergency Room, here I come.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
I'm allergic to raw tomatoes, potatoes, and peanuts. (evidently it has something to do with being allergic to grass.) Since almost all peanut and potato foods are cooked (or roasted) before eating, I generally have no problems with them (it just means I need to stay aware from all-natural peanut butter). But you'd think I was the biggest liar in the world when I tell wait-staff that I'm allergic to raw tomatoes only.
I regularly request a salad with no tomatoes then order an entree with red sauce. And almost invariably, the salad will come with tomatoes. If they're cherry or grape, I can just pick them off, no contamination, no problem. But sliced tomatoes mean that even if I pick out all the bits, the juices are still there, which means blisters in my mouth and itchy throat. The worst is when the salads are pre-made and the server just plucks the sliced tomato out before bringing it to the table. Then, I have no clue what's coming!
I know it sucks to try to explain that you just don't like something. I don't like Mayo - and I've learned to check my sandwich in the drive-through before leaving. But please don't lie about it being an allergy rather than a preference! On the other side, restaurant staff shouldn't assume that because you can eat a cooked version of something, you can also eat the raw version.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
I'd say the bottom line is: If eating something will result in a reaction that is qualitatively equivalent to an allergic reaction of any sort, it isn't unreasonable to avoid the foods, even if this involves claiming an allergy.
There are intolerances that are quite nasty, even if they do not involve the actual physiology of a reaction, but they tend to be dismissed as mere 'pickiness'. Ditto anything that makes you vomit; people don't seem to believe that something could make you that nauseated, until you have to leave the table (I will, however, never regret not being able to do so in time on one occasion when someone's mother called me actually a liar about this... she was furious about the mess).
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
i fake egg allergies to make sure certain things do not contain egg.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
I lied once. I ordered a salmon roll lunch from a sushi place and took home the bag without checking it out. When I got home, instead of salmon there was shrimp, which isn't what I ordered and isn't ever going to be something I'd order. When I called them to say they gave me the wrong thing, they said that I ordered the shrimp. When my witness said that I didn't order shrimp and that I definitely ordered salmon, the woman on the phone said "well why don't you just eat that instead? It's a more expensive roll." Um. No. They didn't want to do the exchange so I said I was allergic to shellfish and they agreed to a swap. I haven't been back since.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
My dad has always said he was allergic to bran. I eventually realized he just didn't like All Bran and other healthy cereals my mom bought, and just wanted to eat his sugary ones. I thought it was hilarious that a grown man would pull such a childish move.
That said, it's bad form to do that in a restaurant. Even though I understand the temptation: I've often told waiters I'm vegetarian, only to have my dish turn up garnished with bacon or somesuch, so I can see the temptation to plead deadly allergy.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
@feisty, coconut is the one food I truly despise. Not an allergy, by any means, but it's something I would expect would be noted as an ingredient or a garnish in a dish, and I wouldn't be happy if I found it in something where it wasn't expected. In cole slaw? That's just weird.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
So I have a few food allergies, most fairly mild and one pretty severe: coconut. I won't die unless I ingest more than a mouthful or so (I haven't tried, but as soon as I taste coconut, I know I should stop), but it's severe insomuch that my face blows up and I have trouble eating because my tongue also swells up.
I've had people accuse me of faking this allergy (once on a date- a first date, no less, and on my blog) so I finally looked it up and apparently it's fairly uncommon. Fine. But don't accuse me of lying.
Actually, a week ago, I went to a Spanish restaurant and they put coconut in the cole slaw, and all over my dessert. Which someone at the table said I should have asked but why would I assume coconut would be on my flan? Seriously? I just pushed it all aside and ate what didn't have it, but I was kind of annoyed. At least if I had a normal allergy, it'd be more common for it to be noted somewhere or for me to ask.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
@BangieB: You're not alone in that; my partner has the same sensitivity to crustaceans. Drives me nuts too, 'cause I come from Pensacola on the Gulf Coast and I was used to using shrimp or crawfish in meals all the time! He can take a nibble of the food, and it won't be a problem, but any more than a bite or two and he gets pretty sick.
I hate to say it, but when I first met him, I thought he was just lying. He wouldn't eat seafood, claiming an allergy, but when he accidentally ate a dip with crab in it (instead of Krab), he shrugged, like it was no big deal. It wasn't until later, after an unfortunately mislabeled shrimp eggroll, that I found out he really did have a sensitivity...
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
When I was a kid, I hated tomatoes, and would always specify "no tomato" when ordering anything likely to include them. Unfortunately, there were many times when the server either didn't write that down, or the person assembling my order didn't pay attention, and I would get stuck. I was shy, and would never send an order back.. so I would end up not eating any item that actually had tomato on it.. so I started saying "no tomato, please, I'm allergic" (had to have been 12 or so at the time, had been inspired by a friend who was allergic to everything, including pineapple) in the hopes of not having the evil tomato imposed upon me. I stopped fibbing about it when I was probably 14 or so, and less shy.
I think it's odd that an adult would do it, perhaps they really feel that the wait staff aren't listening, and they hope to avoid the hassle of having to send whatever it is they order back.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
@LearP: I can tell you it IS possible to be allergic to mayo. My throat closes up when I ingest it.
I asked my doctor when he diagnosed me, and he said some people are allergic to the reaction of the eggs, oil, and acid. *shrug*
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
I have to be honest, I don't think that people without allergies always have the right to ask for accommodations. I mean, dressing on the side or no cheese are fine, but if you're talking about the flavor profile of a dish at a decent restaurant, I think you are messing with things you don't know about.
There's no other type of sales transaction that this happens in. I've never seen someone at a record store saying "I'd love to buy that album but can you hold track 4? I really don't like it." or "This house looks beautiful. We'll take it, but we don't like the porch, so leave that off."
A better solution, as mentioned above, is to steer clear of food with ingredients you don't like. If you hate cilantro, don't order the salsa. A chef worked hard to come up with the recipe and make it taste good. If it's a reputable place with good food, you should defer to the chef's superior palate. If the food is no good, I'm sure there's a better place for you to spend your money.
Not to say that some people can't be picky eaters, but that's what cooking at home is for.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
As far as I'm concerned, you might as well fake an injury and park in a handicapped spot. After all, you might really not like walking to the store!
Allergies are very serious, and when people ask for accomodations, everyone needs to assume they're in earnest. Liars blow that sky high.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
I don't know about the main question asked, but I can agree with Dad. I hate mayo. It's vile, and ruins food.
I have had some well known tyrades over mayo while eating out. My friends and family fear my reaction at times, as it gets rather out of hand.
I go out of my way to make sure mayo is not on anything I order. Not only that, but I make sure that it isn't in any sauce that places like to ruin my food with. There is nothing worse than being told "no", then finding out otherwise. Even worse, is when I ask for Italian Dressing on my salad, only to find out the place uses a creamy mayo based Italian. Stuff like that should be made clear.
I also have a major problem with people or places that refuse to make a substitution. Kind of like the mother in the post above me. Shouldn't one be able to choose their condiments? Why does a place of business, or a mother, feel they have a right to make that choice, and even if we want it, shouldn't we be the ones putting it on? How do they know how much I like on my sandwich? I enjoy Ketsup on my burgers, but I always order them without, so I can choose the ammount I want. The condiment nazi's of the world can kiss my butt.
Cheers!!
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
I have a friend who isn't technically 'allergic' to garlic, but she does end up having horrid stomach pains and the big 'D' after eating it in any quantity. When ordering at a restaurant, she will say: I LOVE garlic, but garlic hates ME. If the waitperson asks anything further, she simply tells them about the stomach pains, and tells them they really don't want to hear the rest of it. I think if a food really affects you adversely, this is a type of allergy. That being said, any restaurant should be willing to accommodate their guests. My father hated bell peppers. The slightest bit in a dish totally ruined it for him, he could taste ONLY the bell peppers. Still, many times restaurants
ignored him when he told them that. Of course, he sent the plate back, and refused to pay for it. He also never went back, and told all of his friends that it was a horrible restaurant they should avoid.
Many restaurants are realising that certain allergies, e.g. to gluten, are becoming far more prevalent. I also know of a friend who told her server that she was allergic to all nuts, including peanuts, and was still served a dish containing nuts. She nearly died, and the restaurant is now out of business. It was all so easily avoidable. If a server isn't trained to recognise the severity of food allergies, it is totally the fault of the restaurant. The chef at that particular restaurant tried to blame it all on the server, saying he didn't tell him about the nut allergy. Still, they lost the case, as was just.
I can see both sides of the story.
I still remember my best friend in grade school. She hated mayo, and wouldn't eat anything with it on. My mother refused to cater to ANY child for anything at all, and so told Cheryl that she would either eat the sandwich or go hungry. Still, that was better than she did for me. If I wouldn't eat something, then I had to sit at table until I DID. It didn't matter HOW ill that might make me. BAD!! NEVER do that to a child.
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
Erin, I am totally with your dad. Mayo is absolutely the most vile food product on the planet. Although being allergic to "mayo" itself is a tough sell, he should probably pick a component, like eggs, and say he's allergic to that. Makes it sound more legit.
NOT that I've ever done that...
To those who have very serious (i.e. anaphylactic) food allergies, do you ever try actually describing what happens to you when you eat the food? I might be a little extra cautious if someone said, "If there is a peanut near my plate my throat will close up," than if someone said, "I get a little tummy ache when I eat chicken."
Should Picky Eaters Fake Allergies?
Try having a serious allergy while staying in a hospital! You'd better be with it 100% because you'll be served that which could kill you or make you really sick. Guaranteed.
@jboylan ~ I have to ask if the salad greens have preservatives - and many that come "washed" and bagged do. If they lie and serve it to me anyway, I'll know in about 15 minutes.
More on topic, I've used the allergy excuse for me or my children to avoid eating something disgusting or undercooked, but never in a restaurant.
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Onions Vs Salsa
I have a severe allergy to an enzyme in RAW onions but not cooked, green bell peppers but not red bell peppers, the white part of green onions but not the green part, etc etc etc.
Tomato juice and lemon or lime will serviche the enzyme and as long as I'm just dipping into the juice - no allergy problem.
All that said - I don't eat salsa in resteraunts because I don't want a server to think they can slide on the allergy. I always ask the serve to make a note to the chef - no raw onions, and then I place my allergy pill bottle on the table.
I've also given up on eating anywhere that serves fajitas or onion blossoms or anything else that comes out "sizzling".
And when in doubt - I order chicken fingers and sour cream.