Understand the Difference Between an Allergy, an Intolerance and a Preference
Before you speak with your chef, know what you are dealing with. A true food allergy triggers an immune response — sometimes anaphylaxis — and even trace cross-contamination can be dangerous. Common allergens in Brazil include shrimp (camarão), peanuts (amendoim), cow's milk, wheat and tree nuts. These require strict kitchen protocols: dedicated utensils, separate cutting boards and careful sourcing.
Food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, cause discomfort but rarely life-threatening reactions. Preferences — vegan, no red meat, low-sodium — are lifestyle or ethical choices. Your chef needs to know which category each restriction falls into so they can calibrate the level of caution appropriately.
When you book, be explicit: say 'I have a clinically confirmed peanut allergy — cross-contamination is a risk' rather than simply 'I don't eat peanuts.' That one sentence changes how a professional chef plans their entire mise en place.
✓List every restriction by type
Separate true allergies from intolerances and preferences on your briefing list.
✓Note severity level
Indicate whether trace amounts are dangerous or just undesirable.
✓Include medications or EpiPens
Let the chef know if you carry emergency medication — a good chef wants to know.
✓Name specific ingredients, not just categories
Say 'all tree nuts including cashew and Brazil nut' rather than just 'nuts'.
✓Flag hidden sources
If you react to soy lecithin in chocolate or whey in breaded coatings, spell it out.
Timing: When to Share Your Restrictions
On myChef, the booking flow prompts you to enter dietary restrictions before the chef accepts the job. Use that field fully — do not save the detail for a later message. A chef who knows your restrictions at the proposal stage can build the menu with them at its center, rather than retrofitting workarounds into a menu already designed.
If you are booking for a group, collect everyone's restrictions before you book. One missing data point — a guest's shellfish allergy discovered after the chef has already sourced fresh moqueca ingredients from the Feira da Liberdade — creates last-minute stress for everyone. A quick group message or a shared notes document solves this in minutes.
Confirm again the day before the event. A brief message — 'Just a reminder: my husband is celiac and my daughter avoids all dairy' — takes thirty seconds and gives the chef a mental checklist to run through during prep.
Pro Tip
Book at least 48 hours in advance when dietary restrictions are complex. This gives your chef time to source specialty ingredients such as gluten-free tamari, lactose-free cream or allergen-safe chocolate.
What to Include in Your Restriction Briefing
A complete dietary briefing covers six things: the specific restricted ingredient, the reason (allergy / intolerance / preference), the severity, whether derivatives are also off-limits, alternative ingredients you enjoy and any dishes you particularly want to eat. The more context you provide, the more creative and satisfying the menu your chef can build.
For example, a client who writes 'I am vegan' gives the chef a dietary framework but not much more. A client who writes 'I am vegan, no honey either, I love hearts of palm (palmito), jackfruit and Brazilian tropical fruits, and I would love something with açaí if it fits' gives the chef a launchpad for a genuinely exciting plant-based menu rooted in local ingredients.
If you eat a medically supervised diet — post-bariatric, renal, cardiac — share the guidelines document if you have one. Professional chefs in Brazil increasingly work alongside nutritionists and know how to adapt recipes to clinical frameworks.
✓Specific ingredient name
e.g. 'lactose' not just 'dairy' — clarify if butter and hard cheeses are also off.
✓All derivatives
e.g. if avoiding gluten, include barley malt, wheat starch and most soy sauces.
✓Safe alternatives you enjoy
Give the chef creative material: oat milk, cassava flour, coconut cream, etc.
✓Dishes or cuisines you love
Even restricted diets have lots of room — pointing the chef toward your favorites helps.
✓Guest-by-guest breakdown
For groups, name who has each restriction to avoid confusion during service.
Cross-Contamination: What to Ask Your Chef
Cross-contamination is the main risk for severe allergies and celiac disease. When cooking in your home kitchen, a professional chef will use their own equipment where possible, but your kitchen's pots, pans and surfaces may present a risk. Before booking, ask whether the chef carries their own dedicated allergen-free utensils and cutting boards.
For celiac clients, even a wooden spoon that has touched regular pasta can trigger a reaction. The standard professional protocol is to prepare gluten-free dishes first, before any gluten-containing ingredients enter the kitchen, and to use surfaces cleaned with dedicated detergent. Ask your chef to walk you through their cross-contamination protocol — a confident, specific answer is a green flag.
If you are hosting guests with allergies alongside guests without restrictions, ask the chef whether they can prepare the allergen-free dishes in a clean batch before incorporating the restricted ingredient for other courses. Most experienced chefs handle this routinely.
Pro Tip
If your allergy is severe, consider informing the chef at the pre-booking stage rather than only in the booking form, so you can have a direct conversation about their protocols before committing.
Communicating Preferences Without Over-Restricting the Menu
Preferences are different from restrictions, and conflating the two can frustrate creative chefs. If you dislike coriander (coentro) but it is not an allergy, say 'I prefer dishes without coriander — please use parsley or chives as a substitute.' That gives the chef room to navigate rather than a hard stop.
Some clients present a long list of 'do not use' ingredients that, taken together, eliminate most of a cuisine's building blocks. If you want a Northeastern Brazilian menu but 'no coentro, no pimenta, no dendê oil,' you are removing the three defining elements of the tradition. Instead, explain the underlying concern — perhaps a sensitive stomach or a strong dislike of pungent flavors — and let the chef propose substitutions.
The most productive framing is: 'Here is what I cannot eat (hard stops). Here is what I dislike but can tolerate in small amounts (soft stops). Here is what I love.' This three-tier framework gives your chef the information to design something genuinely tailored.
On the Day: How to Reinforce the Brief
When the chef arrives, take two minutes to walk through the key restrictions verbally. This is not distrust — it is good practice, and every professional chef appreciates it. Point out any labeled 'safe' items you keep at home (a dedicated gluten-free shelf, soy-free oils) and identify any items in your pantry they should avoid.
If a guest with restrictions arrives and the chef has not met them, introduce them briefly: 'This is my sister Juliana — she is the one with the shellfish allergy.' A brief human connection helps the chef keep that person's plate top of mind during a multi-course service.
Do not be shy about asking questions during the meal, especially if a new dish appears that you did not expect. A good chef will proactively tell you what is in each course, particularly for guests with allergies. If they do not, simply ask — it is always the right thing to do.
Red Flags and Green Flags When Hiring a Chef
A professional personal chef will respond to a restriction briefing with specific questions, not vague reassurances. 'Does the celiac apply to wheat starch as well, or just gluten-containing grains?' is a green flag. 'Don't worry, I'll take care of it' with no follow-up questions is a yellow flag — worth a follow-up conversation.
On myChef, chefs build profiles that include the dietary frameworks they regularly work with. Filtering for chefs who specify 'vegan menus,' 'celiac-safe cooking' or 'allergen-free preparation' narrows you to specialists who handle your needs every week, not as a one-off challenge.
After the meal, if a restriction was mishandled — even if no one got sick — flag it in your review. Honest feedback protects future clients and helps the platform surface chefs whose practice genuinely matches their profile.
