Dealing With Eating Out

[Monkeygirl1337]

I am the only celiac in my family, so meals are a challenge. My parents do not believe that cross contamination is an issue.  We eat out 4-5 days a week and I usually opt for frozen dinners. The only fairly safe places for me are chick-fil-a, jack in the box (mine has a dedicated fryer), and in-n-out. Everywhere else I can't eat anything with an reaction. My parents think I'm a hypochondriac, and that I should eat with them more. I can't have gluten-free chicken strips and corn dogs everyday for the rest of my life. I don't even know how to order. I don't go out anywhere, because I am scared of a reaction. I just don't know what to do.  Should I just forget about eating out and eat at home. What I can even make for 1 person easily at home? How do you even order food? I am clueless. I just I am tired of the same 3 frozen  dinners I can buy.

[kareng]

Are you a kid?  You look young in your picture so I am answering as if you are a minor child.  The fact that parents think it is good to feed any child fast food for 4-5 meals a week is wrong.  Can your doctor talk to them?  Can you show them info from a reliable source like:

 

"Eating any gluten, no matter how small an amount, can damage your intestine. This is true for anyone with the disease, including people who do not have noticeable symptoms. "

 

"The gluten-free diet requires a completely new approach to eating. You have to be extremely careful about what you buy for lunch at school or work, eat at cocktail parties, or grab from the refrigerator for a midnight snack. Eating out and traveling can be challenging as you learn to scrutinize menus for foods with gluten, question the waiter or chef about possible hidden sources of gluten, and search for safe options at airports or on the road."

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

FYI - corn dogs are not usually gluten-free.  they usually use wheat flour in the cornbread part.

[nvsmom]

You probably should cut back on eating out, that's how many celiacs get "glutened". It's just not as safe as when you make it yourself at home.

 

You should probably start with learning to cook the basics. Rice (1/2c rice, 1c water, bring to boil on stove then cover pot, reduce heat to simmer (barely boiling) for 40-45 minutes), rice noodles, and boiled, baked, or microwaved potatoes for starches. Most veggies can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed (boiled in a small amount of water) or baked (if it's a bigger veggie). Meat can be BBQ'ed, fried, or roasted in an oven or toaster oven; easy meats are chicken breasts, fish fillets, and other cuts like pork chops, steaks and small roasts..... You're going to have to start cooking a bit.

 

Google recipes on how to cook certain items. Cooking for one can be very easy. Some rice, a baked chicken breast and some raw veggies are pretty easy to make. If you start cooking, you'll probably stay safer, and healthier... and if was me, I would probably start losing weight as I tend o eat too much when I go out.  LOL

 

Good luck!

[Monkeygirl1337]

I have gluten-free corn dogs, and I read the labels on everything.  I am 17. My mom hates to cook, so we either eat out or do oven premade meals (those are almost never gluten free so I eat frozen dinners). Yes, I have shown them stuff on mayo clinc, and other very reliable sources, but they believe that since I got it  approximately 1 year ago that it can't be that severe yet. Also I cheated early on a lot (I would eat a cupcake or a chicken sandwich) but what that did was slowly make me super sensitive and accelerate damage. Since 4 months ago I could get anyway with a breaded regular chicken patty, they don't understand why I can't eat a salad that had croutons on it.

[kareng]

I have gluten-free corn dogs, and I read the labels on everything.  I am 17. My mom hates to cook, so we either eat out or do oven premade meals (those are almost never gluten free so I eat frozen dinners). Yes, I have shown them stuff on mayo clinc, and other very reliable sources, but they believe that since I got it  approximately 1 year ago that it can't be that severe yet. Also I cheated early on a lot (I would eat a cupcake or a chicken sandwich) but what that did was slowly make me super sensitive and accelerate damage. Since 4 months ago I could get anyway with a breaded regular chicken patty, they don't understand why I can't eat a salad that had croutons on it.

I saw your other post.... You aren't actually diagnosed with anything, right? That might be why they aren't taking it seriously?

[Monkeygirl1337]

Both my primary care and pain management doctor are 99% is celiac. There is a small chance it is severe gluten intolerance but with relatives on both sides of my family having biopsy confirmed celiac, my GI symptoms went away without gluten and my migraines became less frequent. Since I dumbly went gluten free before testing I have not done testing yet. But since the tests are unreliable both my doctors said I am celiac or possibly gluten intolerant but probably celiac.

[IrishHeart]

Both my primary care and pain management doctor are 99% is celiac. There is a small chance it is severe gluten intolerance but with relatives on both sides of my family having biopsy confirmed celiac, my GI symptoms went away without gluten and my migraines became less frequent. Since I dumbly went gluten free before testing I have not done testing yet. But since the tests are unreliable both my doctors said I am celiac or possibly gluten intolerant but probably celiac.

 

 

Your doctors should test you for celiac before assuming that is what you have.

 

NCGS symptoms go away without gluten too.

 

The tests are not that unreliable. The biopsy is done to validate it and there is always the genetic test to rule it out.

 

Eating out 5 times a week is not a good idea at all, especially in the beginning. Too many chances for cross contamination.

[Georgia-guy]

Monkeygirl, I agree with everyone saying you need to be tested. As a minor, if you can't get your parents to say yes now (assuming you are dependent on them to the extent of insurance and a ride to and from getting an endoscopy), then as soon as you can talk with your doctor, do a gluten challenge (8-12 weeks eating the equivalent of 2 slices of bread a day) and get tested! You said there are family members with a celiac Dx, maybe talk to them and ask them to help you explain your dietary needs to your parents. Your parents may take it better coming from an adult (no offense to you) that they know well and has a Dx.

That being said, I have had issues with the first thing I have found in my medical records that I can link to celiac at a 90% likelihood since 6th grade. I am 25 now, and working on getting my insurance to approve the blood work and endoscopy. Growing up, my parents acted like I was faking everything. I had a severe instance of what I now believe was peripheral neuropathy that I had to get myself to the ER and have them run tests. (The ER was thinking TIA, but found no signs of anything on tests to confirm, so it's listed as idiopathic temporary right side paralysis.) I have chronic pain, visible muscle spasms, chronic fatigue, deabilitating migraines, and abdominal pain that are the most common and noticeable. I know how you feel about parents not believing you. I have yet to mention celiac to them since I'm waiting to show them positive lab work they can't dispute. It is especially hard when your family doesn't believe you. Stay strong to what you know you need though!

As for eating out, I worked in restaurant management for 6+ years. A couple tips, if it goes on a grill, request they place foil under it. If it's fried, see if they can grill it (on foil) or bake it (again on foil) unless they have a dedicated fryer and you really feel comfortable trusting them saying that. REQUEST THE COOKS PUT ON CLEAN GLOVES AND ONLY TOUCH YOUR FOOD WITH THEM (#1 way to get cross-contamination). If it's Italian, simply ask if they have gluten-free pasta (most Italian places do, and understand the sensitivity rather well in my experience as a manager). ALWAYS ASK FOR AN ALLERGEN MENU!!!!! This will normally alert the manager there is an allergy at your table, and often bring them to you. I would always directly supervise the preparation of allergen food (as a manager, the last thing you want is to have issues with serving an allergen to someone. Ambulances are not good for business.) When telling them you can't have gluten, say "I'm allergic to certain gluten, which is found in bread, pasta, and many other food items." Don't try to explain celiac, it is normally pointless. (I know it's not an allergy, but the term allergy is a stong term in the restaurant business.)

[BlessedMommy]

If at all possible, it would be a good idea to get a DX. Could your doctor help supervise a gluten challenge and order the bloodwork for you? Especially with you being young, it will be much easier to get accomodations from parents and school, etc.