Is there anyone here who will NEVER eat out?

[katesyl]

I'm having some issues, that I didn't really even know I was having until the blood work showed them. Retracing my steps, I eat very strictly gluten free at home. I eat too much dairy (which is not only a problem for many celiacs, it is also not an anti-inflammatory). The husband and I have eaten out a lot over the last three years of my diagnosis. I guess I have not been overly cautious as I should have been, which I'm guessing could be my problems (although I am seeing the GI doctor tomorrow). So, I'm wondering if anyone here no longer eats out ever? Were you eating out and realized you were still doing yourself damage? 

[kareng]

I do est out occasionally - but not indiscriminately.  I am careful to choose places that under stand gluten free.  And places that the food is naturally gluten-free, helps, too.  Celiacs can't just eat something that should be gluten-free and hope it is.  We have to use some common sense and ask questions.

 

[cyclinglady]

I got glutened last summer.  Heck, I do not even know what glutened me, but I suspect two products that my gluten-free hubby never consumed (he is my canary).  My symptoms were so different from when I was diagnosed (just had anemia then).  My GI thought I had SIBO or something else, but I asked for a celiac panel.  Yep, I had been Glutened!  Took me three months to recover and another three to regain lost weight.  Yeah, I picked up another health issue on the way (hives, rashes, swelling, itching, ab pain, vomiting, and fainting.)  

I did not eat out for one year!  Only this summer, I did.  Was it worth the risk?  You bet!  Three weeks in Europe.  Fortunately,  7 days was on a cruise and Celebrity did a great job.  Italy was so celiac-savvy and I did my research and found places recommended by other celiacs in Spain, France and Poland.  If not, we bought cold food at the market and had a picnic.  

I am home.  Will I eat out?  Probably not.  I have a busy Fall ahead of me (High School....football, marching band, volunteer positions, house projects, and work).  I can not afford to be sick.  

Ah, I will eat out this Thanksgiving break.  My favorite restaurant is 100% gluten free in Tucson, AZ.   Maybe I will discover another gluten-free restaurant closer to home! 

[cyclinglady]

Just wanted to add, that when my friends or family want to eat at a restaurant that I am not sure about, I bring some snacks and then order a drink.  It is all about the company, not the food.  

[katesyl]

22 minutes ago, cyclinglady said:

I got glutened last summer.  Heck, I do not even know what glutened me, but I suspect two products that my gluten-free hubby never consumed (he is my canary).  My symptoms were so different from when I was diagnosed (just had anemia then).  My GI thought I had SIBO or something else, but I asked for a celiac panel.  Yep, I had been Glutened!  Took me three months to recover and another three to regain lost weight.  Yeah, I picked up another health issue on the way (hives, rashes, swelling, itching, ab pain, vomiting, and fainting.)  

I did not eat out for one year!  Only this summer, I did.  Was it worth the risk?  You bet!  Three weeks in Europe.  Fortunately,  7 days was on a cruise and Celebrity did a great job.  Italy was so celiac-savvy and I did my research and found places recommended by other celiacs in Spain, France and Poland.  If not, we bought cold food at the market and had a picnic.  

I am home.  Will I eat out?  Probably not.  I have a busy Fall ahead of me (High School....football, marching band, volunteer positions, house projects, and work).  I can not afford to be sick.  

Ah, I will eat out this Thanksgiving break.  My favorite restaurant is 100% gluten free in Tucson, AZ.   Maybe I will discover another gluten-free restaurant closer to home! 

I do think this is interesting that your symptoms were different than before you were diagnosed. I am sure that is true of me as well.

[katesyl]

15 minutes ago, cyclinglady said:

Just wanted to add, that when my friends or family want to eat at a restaurant that I am not sure about, I bring some snacks and then order a drink.  It is all about the company, not the food.  

This is a good point as well. Might come down to this.

[squirmingitch]

I won't say I will never eat out but I can't see me eating out for the foreseeable future. Even then, I will most likely only eat at a dedicated gluten free place. I am extremely sensitive to the tiniest amount of gluten and it's just not worth the risk to me. Eating out is playing Russian Roulette as far as I'm concerned and I'm not ready to play that game yet.

[cyclinglady]

Here is another point.  My hubby went gluten-free per the poor advice of his GP and my allergist.  It worked.  A tough first year, but he got well.  Thirteen years later, I got diagnosed with celiac disease.  I was shocked!  ?.   Does he have celiac disease?  We will never know because we can not afford to have him do a challenge.  He refuses and I can not blame him.  He knows he will be very sick!  

The point?  I am so lucky that we both can not have gluten.  I never worry about him making me sick or vice versa. We made the house completely gluten free for  1) our health and 2) the fact that our kid started helping in the kitchen. Kids make mistakes and I personally need a safe haven.  She wants gluten?  I buy prepackaged stuff and she takes it to school.  All parties and events at my house are gluten free.  Lots of work, but we stay healthy.  She does not have celiac disease.  When she is preparing for a celiac test,  I send her on the porch to eat cookies or bread or whatever floats her boat.  We travel in a gluten-free RV.  I have five sizes of ice chests.  We just have to be prepared for any event.  

How can we live this way?   We love feeling good.

[caretothepeople]

This is a personal choice and everyone will have different levels of comfort depending on personal preferences and their circumstances -- what's available, where they live, the details of their condition.

Gluten Dude is a blogger who has written a lot about the topic of dining out with Celiac: Open Original Shared Link

Calling ahead to see if they are gluten-free, learning about their practices, and make sure their able to accommodate requests is a good strategy. There's other tricks like using the gluten-free filter on Yelp when searching for restaurants. I know some people like Find Me Gluten Free which has a website and app.

It's an adjustment for sure, but it can be worth it to feel better and still get to do things you enjoy.

[cyclinglady]

Great points!  We use the "Find Me Gluten Free" app a lot (post too).   We look for reviews created by celiacs.  I probably sounded like Debbie Downer when I posted above, but it is possible to go out and dine at restuarants, it just takes a little research and time to the restaurant staff.  

 

[notme]

find me gluten free has a gps feature - i use it when we are rolling down the highway if we are looking for a place to stop and eat while traveling.  

LOLZ i have every type/size cooler as well!!  hey, cyclinglady, don't ya love this time of year -  back to school  LUNCHBOX CLEARANCE SALES LOLOLZ  ima need a new pantry just for all my lunch coolers!!!!

[cyclinglady]

@notme! You bet I'm going to all the Back to School Sales.  Some of my little soft coolers are getting grubby and Oxyclean is not able to do the job!   I do like the ones that are a little pricier when I'm sneaking in food into a restaurant.  Somehow, a hard-sided Igloo looks out of place!  

[notme]

also:  glutendude - i don't get it.  shouldn't it be glutenfreedude?  lolz

i eat out few and far between.  most of the times i've been glutened it's been eating out.  this weekend i'm getting my bacon cheeseburger on at red robin  i always get my 'good' waitress - lucky, i guess, paula takes good care of me   and i will eat at bonefish but they have a limited 'safe' menu.  look for places that have the 'GiG'  training they know their stuff.  mellow mushroom, melting pot, california pizza kitchen, pf changs are all supposed to be trained that way.  they know to avoid cc and change their gloves, etc.