Dining Out

[celiacSuzie]

I don't know if this has been discussed specifically, so let's see.....

 

Every time - and I mean _every_ single time - I go out to eat, no matter where or when - I get sick the next day.  It's almost flu-like... with the fatigue, D & V & aches/pains (all over) the next day (or two).

 

I can go to Chipotle (an old fave) & ask for them to change gloves, get a new bowl (untouched) & one person fill it (rice, meat, tomato salsa, lettuce & cilantro ... no cheese, no legumes) and I'm ill the next day.  I understand going to places like Outback (which seems to be a popular one on this thread) can have CC - no matter how many times I ask questions, show my card, give explicit blah-blah-blahs...

 

ANY restaurant, ANY time (of day/year) I can guarantee being ill.

 

Sadly, I have friends/family/coworkers who love eating out & I'm not one to talk about D&V at the dinner table - so they don't fully understand & I'm not gonna whine about "I'm gonna be excreting from every orifice tmrw!"  EWW!  LOL   And many times these outings are expected (work/fam). 

 

Ideas? Recommendations? 

Yes, I usually eat prior to going out - even just ordering a salad makes me ill (yes I check the dressing, meat/seasonings, etc.)  I'm not new to this.  Just frustrated.  And I've never been to a restaurant that permits me to bring in anything.  I've had a couple embarrasing moments where the Mgr once asked me to leave & another told me never to bring anything in again. 

You'd think w/all the new info/research folks would be a little more understanding/compassionate. 

 

#frustrated #sick&tired  :-(

[celiacSuzie]

Also, in case it's important... my restrictions are: grains (except rice), legumes, dairy, soy.

 

So, I basically eat a lotta veg, some meat, eggs, but mostly fish/seafood, rice,  nuts occasionally & less often fruit.

[AlwaysLearning]

I once ordered a salad at one of those places that makes it right in front of you, watched them wash all of the utensils that would be used, get out a "clean" cutting board and wash it ... and I still got glutened from my greens despite not having dressing.

I figure eating out is a thing of the past for me, for the most part. 

I still have one sushi place that seems to be okay if I'm careful in what I order. When I am in a restaurant and not eating, I do try to order something like orange juice so that my blood sugar doesn't tank while I'm there.

To make matters worse, in addition to reacting to gluten, now I react to wine too, which means there isn't much to drink if I go out in the evening.

But I have plans to have friends over instead. Just need to find the time to clean. Which means I should probably log off of the forum for now.

Best of luck to you in finding solutions! You are definitely not alone.

[notme]

well, i wrote a big, giant blah blah response, hit some button, and erased the entire thing LOLZ - i need more tea!

 

i don't eat out much, it's too much worry and hassle.  when i do, it's going to be someplace they have a 'chef' not just a 'line cook' like they have in chain restaurants.  and NO fast food.  (although i am going to take a chance on red robin one of these days.  i have heard nothing but good things and that is very unusual!)  

 

they used to (and not all places) wash salad greens with something called 'fit' - supposedly to avoid e-coli or salmonella.  (plain water does the same thing) and i used to get sick from it.  could not figure it out until my husband said that he got sick from it, too.  now, this was quite a while ago and i don't know whether restaurants still use it.  i don't remember seeing commercials for it anymore, but you used to be able to buy it in the grocery store.  

 

are you keeping a food journal?  <always helps me figure stuff out)  or maybe you do something else ritualistic on nights you go out to eat.  put on (maybe not gluten-free) lipstick, hairspray,etc?  

 

what restaurant asked you to leave??!!  i would like to know and i would like nobody to ever eat there again!!

 

now, let's see if i can actually post this without spazzing out and erasing it 

[Gemini]

When someone has as many food intolerances as you do, eating out is not going to happen.  I am sorry you suffer as you do but soy is one of the biggies and soy is used in so many restaurant foods and I'm not talking the cheap places either.  Gluten and dairy free as easy to do, as far as cc is concerned also, but adding soy, grains and legumes to the mix makes it nearly impossible.  Maybe at some point these intolerances will improve!

[bartfull]

That salad wash is probably a citrus wash made from corn. I won't eat any salad in a restaurant because I am highly intolerant to corn.

 

When we have multiple intolerances it is hard. There may be no gluten CC, but there might be corn or whatever other thing bothers us CC. I got lucky at Outback a couple of weeks ago, but I know that any time I eat at a restaurant, chances are good that SOMETHING will get me. As a matter of fact, that is why the excursion to Outback was my first restaurant in a couple of years.

 

I'll be going to a restaurant tonight to hear a friend of mine play music. I will eat before I go and I'll have some water in the car so if I get thirsty I can slip outside. (I can't even drink anything because even the water comes out of the "gun" that dispenses soda, and soda is full of corn syrup.) It's OK though. I'll enjpy the music.

[Adalaide]

I don't eat out particularly often, and it isn't because of celiac and gluten. The much more difficult problem to deal with is soy, which you said you can't have. And on top of that I know others have said that diary is as much, if not more of a pain than soy to deal with when eating out.

 

If you check the Chipotle you'll find that almost everything that doesn't have soy in it has dairy in it. I wouldn't consider that a safe place to eat (not that there are any options anyway) for someone with soy/dairy issues. The rice and meat both have soy, I would double check this list and maybe just cross them off your list of places to go.  Open Original Shared Link

 

Places like Outback are fine, if you are okay with asking 100 questions and ending up finding out there is little to eat. The menu lists only gluten free, and there are no other allergens on the menu listed or that I have ever been able to find on their website. Chances are that a significant number of their gluten free dishes (besides plain meat or veggies) will contain either soy or dairy. Almost every dressing I have encountered in a restaurant has one or the other, sometimes both.

 

I don't think the problem is gluten, since many have similar reactions to what they are intolerant to it can be hard to know what exactly was the offending food. IMO though, as long as you keep eating dairy and soy while you are out you can't really blame the restaurants for CC. I have never had a problem bringing my own food, I simply state that I have multiple food allergies and it would be impossible for me to eat anything there. I always order a drink or something so that I'm not a freeloader and it makes them more agreeable. It may help to ask to be seated at a booth or in a corner, as sitting at a table in the middle of the restaurant means that they are allowing this for everyone to see. Out of sight is out of mind, and might be easier for everyone. You may just need to do a fair amount of research into places in your area that offer safe choices for you, which means a fair amount more than just gluten free. Lots of small family owned businesses around my area are great, you may find the same thing if you start calling around or checking websites.

[notme]

Chances are that a significant number of their gluten free dishes (besides plain meat or veggies) will contain either soy or dairy. Almost every dressing I have encountered in a restaurant has one or the other, sometimes both.

 

true dat.  i make my own salad dressings - got tired of spending a half hour reading labels in the condiment aisle   soy!  yay!   (not)

[Adalaide]

I'm far too lazy to make my own dressings. I buy Brianna's brand, which is soy and msg free. Some, not all are gluten free but ingredients are obvious and you can check their website. If I know I am going somewhere that the only safe thing is a salad (assuming some complete jackass doesn't put croutons on it no matter how many times I say not to) I will bring a little cup of dressing with me. Some of their dressings are also dairy free, so this could be a good option. The dressings usually run something like $3-$3.50 a bottle around here but are delicious and well worth it if you don't want to bother making your own. Some of my favorites are the blush wine and champagne caper vinaigrettes or the honey dijon, all three are soy, gluten and dairy free. (Actually the only two that aren't listed as lactose free as well as gluten free are the ranch and blue cheese, well DUH! And I know that lactose free isn't the same as dairy free, but you can read the ingredients to check if you are avoiding dairy for reasons other than lactose.)

[love2travel]

Timed making vinaigrette the other day - 2 minutes flat. Quick and painless and far, far tastier! :-) Throw your ingredients in a jar and shake.

[notme]

I'm far too lazy to make my own dressings. I buy Brianna's brand, which is soy and msg free. Some, not all are gluten free but ingredients are obvious and you can check their website. If I know I am going somewhere that the only safe thing is a salad (assuming some complete jackass doesn't put croutons on it no matter how many times I say not to) I will bring a little cup of dressing with me. Some of their dressings are also dairy free, so this could be a good option. The dressings usually run something like $3-$3.50 a bottle around here but are delicious and well worth it if you don't want to bother making your own. Some of my favorites are the blush wine and champagne caper vinaigrettes or the honey dijon, all three are soy, gluten and dairy free. (Actually the only two that aren't listed as lactose free as well as gluten free are the ranch and blue cheese, well DUH! And I know that lactose free isn't the same as dairy free, but you can read the ingredients to check if you are avoiding dairy for reasons other than lactose.)

(ok, i love brianna's.  i can not duplicate the poppy seed one, so there is always one in the pantry or fridge)  otherwise, i make a mean creamy honey dijon and my sweet vidalia vinegarette is freeking yumz.  

 

but, really, i can live with just oil & red wine vinegar with salt & pepper and be just as happy  shake it up, love2!

[w8in4dave]

I have been out of town for a while . almost a month. I have not had any problems eating out. Unless it was my fault. I talk to the waiter / waitresses and they are always very very nice. Explain stuff to them , and then they tell me stuff, they talk to the cook and I have only had a problem if I assume something is Gluten free. I tell them, if I ask for a salad , to tell them I am Celiac and can not have any bread products or anything with gluten. I have always gotten very nice responses from any waitress and or waiter.

Before I went out of town I went to Bob Evans and had a horrible reaction!! I still cannot figure out what caused it! It was one of my worst reactions ever! It doesn't take me long to react! My body wants to purge that gluten almost immediately ...

[IrishHeart]

I have to avoid soy, MSG, all the "amines" and preservatives. It should be a problem, but it's not really.

 

I eat out at least once or twice a month (last week I had to travel and I ate out 5 times) and have no problems. I talk to the waiter or the manager and/or the chef. 

 

I have very covertly brought in a little container of soy-free salad dressing in my bag (Marzettii's Simply Dressed salad dressing) and just put it on my salad. No one cares if you put your own dressing on a salad...or I ask for some balsamic vinegar and olive oil and mix my own dressing.

 

This does not have to be an ordeal and we should not be confined to our homes for the rest of our lives.

 

Sorry you can't seem to find a place that is gracious about all this, but it also sounds as if you have other food intolerances if you get sick EVERY time you go out, not matter how hard you try to avoid gluten.

 

Check out "Find Me Gluten free" online and find some place that other celiacs have vetted and have given their approval. I highly recommend that resource and I review for them often.

 

I hope things improve for you. Best wishes.