When you go out to eat, you really have no idea as to what ingredients have been put in your food. Sure, you can pick out the obvious ingredients, such as certain meats and vegetables, but the spices and other seasonings can be harder to pin point. This goes especially true with MSG, and other chemicals, that are used in food to make them appear more abundant than they are and to make people feel full faster. MSG is usually found in ethnic foods, such as those cooked in Chinese restaurants. If you have an MSG allergy, depending on the severity, you have to be very careful about what you put into your mouth.
Ask To See Ingredient Lists
If you cook for yourself, you have a better idea of what exactly is in your food. If you are eating out, however, this can be a little trickier. The best thing you can do if you are eating out and you have an MSG allergy is to ask for an ingredients list of the food you're about to eat. However, this can also be tricky as many restaurants won't want to divulge the ingredients in their food that they may feel is a secret recipe. In situations such as these, your best bet is to simply ask if the food is prepared with MSG. If it is, ask that your dish be made without MSG. If this can't be done, then you might want to choose something else to eat or choose another restaurant entirely.
An MSG allergy can be so severe that you might require immediate medical help whenever you ingest it, so you want to be especially sure that you don't eat anything that contains it. If your favorite foods contain MSG, they can most likely be made without it. It never hurts to ask. Especially when it comes to your health, which is of the utmost importance, you want to make sure that you ask plenty of questions as to what is in your food and make sure you let anyone who might be preparing the food you're about to eat about your MSG allergy.
An allergist can help you identify your MSG allergy and can also help you to identify which foods contain MSG and which foods it might be best to avoid. If you have an MSG allergy, it might be a hassle but it's not worth damaging your health over. Avoid the foods you're supposed to avoid and don't forget to ask if the food you're about to eat contains MSG. It could mean the difference between life and death.
