We like to site-see, and it has definitely been hampered since our daughter was diagnosed with food allergies. It's incredibly difficult to leave your house and eat with a food allergy child. I don't leave the house without at least enough food for 4 hours, even if I'm running somewhere nearby. It's just too hard to track down food she might be able to eat in public.
We've taken the position that we don't eat anything in public if we haven't brought it. This means that a trip into the city for sightseeing results in a backpack full of food. Since I'm already packing enough food for her, I also pack enough for my husband and me. Thankfully, even the places where it's loudly stated that no food and drinks are allowed, we bring in our own food and drinks. Of course, they're packed down in the bag which might help us bring them in. We are often going through security check points so they're even scanning the food and don't say anything.
Restaurants pose more of a concern for us. Sometimes people don't give you the smile that you're hoping for when you tell them that you'd like an extra plate for her food. However, they've never told us we couldn't bring in our own food.
She handles the restaurants pretty well. I try to always bring food that matches the cuisine of the restaurant which helps. This way when everyone else is eating pasta, she's eating pasta. When everyone else is eating Mexican, she's eating Mexican. Of course, this means work for me, but I'm okay with it. Thankfully, my husband and I weren't big eater-outers to begin with so it's not as though the allergies have "cramped our style," but they have put a hitch in our giddy-up!
When you see a Mama walking the streets with a backpack ladened down with lunch packs, it could be me! I probably have enough food to share if you find you're hungry!
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