Talking Allergies

Hi, we are going to the Okanagan in May and would like to know the good and bad in regards to resturants and grocery stores. My son is allergic to peanuts/nuts and I am allergic to fish/shellfish. I am in Ontario so I am familiar with most products on the grocery store shelves. I am not familiar with Safeway, which to the grocery store that we will be shoppin at...are their name brand products well labelled? Are there any resturants in Kelowna and Vernon that we should avoid, or any that are allergy aware?

Any help is appreciated.

TIA

Ali

We were in Penticton (which is in that area) about 3 years ago and found Milestones restaurant to be quite allergy aware. Milestones are found in Ontario now (at least in Ottawa) and also in Vancouver. Besides that we pretty much cooked in our hotel room.

We did eat at one restaurant in Kelowna but I can't remember the name. I didn't get a really good allergy aware vibe from it, but it was just once time. And check my sig - we have to avoid a lot of foods, and also had to avoid wheat at the time!

My brother's friends in Kelowna gave us the impression at the time that it wasn't the most allergy aware town, but maybe things have changed. At least you will be in BC where a lot of people have a lot of different dietary challenges (or different dietary lifestyles, if I can put it that way). I found Vancouver to be amazing but for the Okanagan Valley our main experience was Penticton and a day in Kelowna so I'm not that much help. We did find a little bakery in Penticton that had safe bread (even wheat/dairy/egg-free) which was quite amazing...

Why not give the Safeway that will be nearest to you a call (see http://www.safeway.ca/ for the store locator) and ask them if they have specific products that you are looking for?

I think with peanuts/nut you should be able to find a lot of safe processed foods, as many major brands now have peanut/nut-free stuff. I can't speak for fish/shellfish but I'm guessing it's the restaurants that are of greater concern with that?

K.

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Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

Hi there,
Watch out for their "butter topped " bread. Its pre packaged and pre sliced. Its got peanut oil in it!
I wont buy anything from their bakery dept as I seem to get conflicting info from the staff re cross contamination!
Shairose

Shairose - are you avoiding peanuts and/or tree nuts? I wouldn't trust any bakery unless it was one that was making an effort to be completely free of peanuts or nuts... (which most are not).

K.

_________________
Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

Q'sMommy: Food labelling is very, very good on Vancouver Island and the "Mainland", we find. I don't have any experience in the Okanagan, but we live in Victoria, and I can say that it is a very allergic-friendly town. My daughter is ana to fish/shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and there are many restaurants where she can eat safely, even the more high end restaurants don't blink an eye when she tells them of her allergies and they are able to accomodate her and so she is able to enjoy fine dining, as well. I believe the University of Victoria is the only University in Canada whose residence dining room is a nut and peanut free zone. My daughter is a student there.

I would stay away from "buttered" pre-prepared foods, like the bread as mentioned above. We were warned once in a restaurant that the garlic bread was prepared using a spread that "may contain ......" and since then she avoids that type of product.

I hope your experience in the OK is allergy-friendly, as well. Tourism is a big business there, so I would suspect that many places would be quite accomodating.

S.

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Mum of 19 year old daughter - asthma and life threatening allergies to nuts, peanuts and seafood

Hi again,
Not sure if you are aware, but, you have to be a member of Safeway inorder to recive the "club price"..................Just thought I would let you know!
When I moved here from Toronto, I was not aware of this, and ended up paying the full price!
Shairose( Allergic to all nuts since moving to BC 1.5 YRS ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Thank you everyone....especially the 2 bread warnings...

Ali