Know what you eat - Allergens on the menu card

We all eat to live and enjoy. There are umpteen venues available dishing out an exorbitant extravagant display of food to offer and satisfy our taste buds. All the service providers therefore work on one golden principle – consumerism. A good menu should work for the stakeholders in their entire role -the customer, the employees who prepare the food, the management of the food service establishment. If you fulfill the requirements, some of them are listed for your easy reference; you might have a good healthy business in your establishment.

From the Customer’s point of view:

• Is pleasing to read. In a restaurant this means an attractive cover, clean, light-coloured paper, well-organized layout, easily-read type.
• Appeals with temptingly, but not extravagantly, worded descriptions of the food.
• Offers them the food they like at what they consider a fair price.
• Gives them something different in variety, garnish, or service.
• Stresses out seasonal or local foods or even favourites.
• Offers enough choice to be satisfying, not to much as to be confusing or time consuming.
• Sparkles personality.

For example, First Watch Restaurant, University Park, Florida provides this menu information as a service to our customers. First watch assumes no responsibility for its use and any resulting liability or consequential damage is denied. A third-party firm prepared this information, which has not been verified by first watch restaurants. Patrons are encouraged to consider this information in light of their individual requirements and needs. Menu selections may vary between restaurants.

• Allergen information provided is for the entree as plated. Modifications or substitutions may alter results.
• For guests with food allergies, please inform your server prior to ordering. We will make every effort to accommodate your request.
• Consuming raw or under-cooked items such as meats or cooked-to-order eggs with less than well-done yolks may pose an increased risk of food-borne illness.
• All sandwiches must be served cold (not grilled) and without cheese to be made dairy-free.
• All egg whites and cholesterol/fat-free eggs are prepared using canola spray, which contains soy.
• All first watch pancakes and waffles contain eggs. Pancakes and waffles at first watch cannot be made egg-free. Please omit mayo, most sauces and dressings as they may contain egg.
• All first watch pancakes and waffles contain milk. Pancakes and waffles at first watch cannot be made milk-free.
• All first watch bread products (including pancakes and waffles) contain wheat. No bread products, pancakes or waffles can be made wheat-free.
• In order for menu items to be cooked soy-free, no grill oil or margarine may be used. Butter is soy-free.
• Following FDA guidelines, only tree nuts are identified on this allergen chart. No chestnuts are included in analysis. All entrées with chicken salad contain chestnuts. Traces of pine nuts may be found in some pesto sauces. Please modify orders accordingly.

Many people do not even know and many more will not agree with me on the point that it feels great to eat a healthy meal, because we have made bad food choices. Diet is only one aspect of a comprehensive lifestyle approach to good health, which should include early to bed- early to rise, regular exercise, tobacco and alcohol avoidance, devise to curtail stress, dining timing, intake quantity, preferably proportionate body weight index and many things you have engaged yourself. Addressing all these balanced diet, habits, patterns, climate, functional foods, health supplements (if required, prescribed), and food accustomed in totality with awareness of allergens, side effects and right combinations will make the nation healthy.

(Writer is Lecturer at Institute of Hotel Management, Ahmedabad)

(This story has been published under arragement from Better Kitchen magazine)