Tips for eating out with PKU (pre- planned)

I realise that I have already done a similar post on this topic before (see https://thepkulife.blogspot.com/2018/08/going-out-for-meals-inconvenience-and.html), but a few people have asked me if I would mind writing some more about my experiences on both pre- planned and spontaneous trips eating out. This post here is mainly going to focus on what you can do if you’re eating out and you are able to plan beforehand. I have gathered together a few suggestions of what you can do to help make this experience run a bit smoother and more enjoyable for you...

Consider a place that is suitable to your needs

I’m not saying that you should restrict yourself too much when choosing a restaurant (and I realise this is sometimes out of your hands if attending a special occasion), but you should try and consider a place that will make your time eating there more comfortable for you. For example, I would not usually choose a place such as Nando's because I know it mostly serves only chicken (not really ideal for someone with PKU!)

I have always found carvery’s to be convenient places to eat and suited to my PKU needs as you can help yourself to as much/ little food as you like, it makes weighing out food a much simpler process. I have also found that the staff have been happy to make vegetarian gravy for me, if there is not already some available, so make sure to ask for things like this!

Contact the restaurant

If you are anxious about your visit to a restaurant and want peace of mind you could always contact the restaurant prior to your visit just to explain the situation and even ask if they would be prepared to weigh out your meal for you. This is something which I have done in the past and the restaurant had no problem with. You never know unless you ask, so I would say it’s worth a shot.

Check the menu

Nowadays most places will have a website with an online copy of the menu on it, so if you are able I would suggest giving it a look over before your visit. If not, give them a call and ask if they can tell you. I usually do this just to see which vegetarian options are available and in the past I used to do this to work out how many exchanges I would need to save for the meal.

Take your own low- protein food

I have done this several times in the past and I am yet to have a bad experience. In the past, I have been to Pizza Hut, taken a Mevalia pizza base with me and asked the staff if they would mind making me up a special pizza. They brought it out with the other meals so really I hardly felt any different to everyone else. You could either give them a list of all the protein- free toppings you would like or you could even weight out your own and take those with you too (for example, if you want sweetcorn), whichever you feel most comfortable with.

But this doesn’t just work for pizza – you could do this with pretty much any meal. You could take low- protein pasta and ask if the chefs would be able to swap it with the ordinary pasta. You could take low- protein bread or cheese, anything at all I guess. For the most part, I imagine restaurants will have no problem with catering to your PKU needs, because after all why would they turn away customers? It’s always best to check, but it is definitely worth asking.

As I have said before, eating out was never really an enjoyable experience for me and I remember at times how uncomfortable and embarrassed I would feel in the situation. But I am hoping that if you’re able to pre- plan your restaurant trip, then these tips will be of use. I’m going to be writing a similar post soon but for spontaneous, off the cuff restaurant trips!