Eating out with friends and family should be a fun and enjoyable time. But, it can be a stressful and sometimes scary time for parents of children with food allergies. Some restaurants accommodate food allergies very well, while others are unable or unwilling to prepare allergy-friendly meals. The accommodating restaurants usually provide extensive staff training and have procedures in place to avoid any cross-contamination. It is entirely possible to eat out with a child with food allergies, whether you choose to bring your own food for your child with allergies or choose restaurants that are safe for your child to enjoy. Check out the guide below for five tips for eating out with food allergies.

1. Research beforehand. Research the restaurant ahead of time before traveling there. Most restaurants have online menus you can look at to see if the food they serve is allergy-friendly. Many chain restaurants have pre-made foods that cannot be modified to accommodate allergies. However, non-chain restaurants are more likely to be able to modify foods for allergies. You can also call ahead to ask what kinds of modifications they can make for certain dishes.

2. Tell the staff about your child’s food allergies. The key is to communicate clearly to your server, manager, or chef about your child’s food allergies. It can be helpful to carry an allergy chef card that lists the foods to avoid; this is an excellent way to communicate the food allergies your child has. Then, make sure they are able to provide answers to your questions about modifications to foods and what cross-contamination preventative measures they take.

3. Double-check your order. Once you receive your order, always make sure you have received the correct meal. You can do this by asking the server if they are confident this plate is your allergy-free meal, and you can also look carefully to see if any of the allergens are in the food (i.e., any nuts or dairy products that are easy to spot). Restaurants that have measures in place to prevent cross-contamination can make a mistake, so it is important to always double-check.

4. Keep it simple. If the restaurant’s menu items are too complicated to modify, you can always keep it simple by ordering whole foods. These foods can look like ordering only vegetables and meats that are free from sauces and other forms of processing. Vegetables and meats are also easy to keep separate from other allergen-containing foods the restaurant may have. Avoiding sauces, dips, and marinated items is best when you are unsure what is in them.

5. Be prepared to deal with exposure. Restaurants with the best preventative measures in place can still make a mistake. If your child has a severe allergy that can cause a life-threatening reaction, always have an epinephrine auto-injector with you or Benadryl for non-life-threatening reactions. This doesn’t happen often, but it is best to be prepared if it does occur.