It has not always been a walk in the park. Having an allergy that prevents you from eating anything that involves dairy might sound crazy to you. But it is my reality and I am constantly finding ways to supplement normal things that have butter, cheese or some sort of dairy product within it with something else.

Where I usually start when it comes down to figuring out if something has dairy in it, I find a friend or ask the person who gave me the food exactly what it is made of. This is sometimes awkward due to the person not always knowing that someone can have an allergy to dairy. Regardless, I always try to find out exactly what is in my food before sitting down and chowing down.

Now usually when it does not work out and the food ends up having some sort of dairy in it, I make do with the situation and stay optimistic. I then try and find another food source or vending machine that I could grab a small snack from to last me until my next meal. It is not always the easiest thing to deal with but staying optimistic and finding another source of food usually gets me through the next few hours.

Although optimism and trying to search for another alternative does not always work out, sometimes I find nothing to eat and must last multiple hours without eating anything. While this option is not always the healthiest, you have to make do if you have a life-threatening allergy.

In most cases though, if I’m going to be honest, people are understanding and they are aware of how serious being allergic to dairy is.

So, if you are searching for a healthier diet or have the exact same dietary restriction as I do then I encourage you to let people know. Obviously, don’t be obnoxious about it and make a huge scene but be cautious. Take these ideas and use your resources to find the best option for your dietary restriction.