Eating Out With a Peanut Allergy

Quick answer: what should you ask about peanuts?

Ask whether the dish contains peanuts or peanut sauce, whether the fryer is used for peanut foods, and whether desserts or garnishes add peanuts after the food is cooked. Then say whether tree nuts are a separate issue.

Peanuts are legumes. Almonds, cashews, and walnuts are tree nuts. Kitchens mix those words up. If you only avoid peanuts, say 'peanuts, including peanut sauce and peanut oil in the fryer.' If you avoid both, say both.

Highly refined peanut oil is a medical question for your allergist. Do not let a restaurant decide it is fine because the oil is refined. Tell them the instruction you were given.

Where peanuts hide

The dangerous plate is often the one that does not say peanut.

Cuisines where peanut is structural

In some Thai, Chinese, West African, and Mexican dishes, peanut is in the sauce the way butter is in French food. Removing it may mean the dish does not exist. Ask whether they can make something that was never built on peanut, rather than asking them to pick the peanuts out.

A vegetarian menu is not a peanut-free menu. Peanut butter is a common protein in vegan sauces.

Say peanut, not nut

Try: "I have a peanut allergy. Could you check whether this sauce, garnish, or fryer oil uses peanuts, and whether the kitchen can prepare the dish with clean equipment?" If you also have a tree-nut allergy, name that separately.

Use a peanut allergy card that mentions peanut oil and shared fryers. Pair it with a spoken question about the specific dish. The card gets the category onto the ticket. The question gets the sauce.

If the server says the fryer is shared and a shared fryer is not acceptable for you, choose a different dish or a different restaurant. There is no garnish fix for the oil.

The free allergy menu scanner can flag menu items worth asking about, but it cannot confirm a peanut-free recipe or fryer. Use the scan as a shortlist and ask the kitchen directly; the waiter script guide has more wording for vague answers and takeout.

Frequently asked questions

How do you eat out with a peanut allergy?

Tell the restaurant it is a peanut allergy, ask about sauces, garnishes, baked goods, and shared fryers, and say whether tree nuts are also a problem. Confirm the answer with the kitchen before you order.

Is peanut oil safe for a peanut allergy?

Ask your allergist. Some highly refined peanut oils are tolerated by some people, and cold-pressed or gourmet peanut oils are not the same product. Tell the restaurant the rule you were given instead of accepting a general reassurance.

Are peanuts and tree nuts the same allergy?

No. Peanuts are legumes. Tree nuts are a different group. You can be allergic to one, the other, or both. Say which.

Are french fries safe for a peanut allergy?

Only if the fries and the fryer oil do not involve peanuts. Ask what oil they use and whether peanut foods are fried in the same oil. The word fries does not answer that.

Does dim sum have peanuts?

Some dim sum dishes, sauces, or garnishes may contain peanuts, and recipes vary by restaurant. Ask about the filling, dipping sauce, garnish, and shared utensils rather than relying on the dish name.

What is the best menu scanner for a peanut allergy?

A menu scanner personalized to your peanut allergy can help flag dishes to ask about. It cannot verify a restaurant's recipe, fryer oil, or cross-contact, so confirm those details with staff before ordering.