How Can Eating In Restaurants Not Get You Sick?

[gfp]

  dionnek said:

So are the Triumph dining cards really worth it? I ate out at a thai restaurant yesterday and despite my specific instructions and getting the (supposedly) exact ingredients in the penang curry sauce, I was still sick right away (stomach pains/heartburn/D). I love to eat out and can't imagine not being social anymore

Yes but if they don't read English well it won't help and besides the point is regardless you always take a risk eating it, you can only seek to minimise it. (someone else pointed this out earlier saying yuou make your own luck)..

As for being worth it you can't knock FREE

try 37 different languages from folks who love to travel ...

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[Guest mvaught]

  gfp said:

Yes but if they don't read English well it won't help and besides the point is regardless you always take a risk eating it, you can only seek to minimise it. (someone else pointed this out earlier saying yuou make your own luck)..

As for being worth it you can't knock FREE

try 37 different languages from folks who love to travel ...

Open Original Shared Link

The Triumph dining cards are printed with english on one side and other language on the other (spanish for mexican food, chinese for chinese, etc). The nice thing about the Triumph cards that other cards lack is that they specifically cite ingredients that may contain gluten (but aren't something obvious like bread) - for example, for indian food - it says that we cannot have kofta, saag paneer, hing, etc. These are ingredients that the chef may not necessarily associate with wheat, barley, etc.

My problem is that I am shy about using my cards, especially when i am with a group with people i don't know - i hate the sort of attention i draw and often opt for just having a drink. Any advice on getting over this annoying shyness of mine?

[dionnek]

Thanks everyone - I am definitely going to start using some cards (will probably get the Triumph ones since they list more things out and in different languages). I do really enjoy eating thai food, and would hate to have to give it up! I too am embarassed though to draw the attention to myself. I have been invited to a "celebration" lunch at Maggianos for work but am debating about going or not b/c I don't want to have all the attention on me (especially in front of coworkers).

[steveindenver]

  mvaught said:

The Triumph dining cards are printed with english on one side and other language on the other (spanish for mexican food, chinese for chinese, etc). The nice thing about the Triumph cards that other cards lack is that they specifically cite ingredients that may contain gluten (but aren't something obvious like bread) - for example, for indian food - it says that we cannot have kofta, saag paneer, hing, etc. These are ingredients that the chef may not necessarily associate with wheat, barley, etc.

My problem is that I am shy about using my cards, especially when i am with a group with people i don't know - i hate the sort of attention i draw and often opt for just having a drink. Any advice on getting over this annoying shyness of mine?

Don't be shy - you need to step up and do what is right for you and not allow yourself to get sick, and to have fun eating out. Talk with your hubby, have him help encourage you or have him talk with the manager/chef/server with you, to help you get more comfortable. Life's too short to not eat out and eat yummy gluten-free food! Hang in there!

[Mango04]

  mvaught said:

My problem is that I am shy about using my cards, especially when i am with a group with people i don't know - i hate the sort of attention i draw and often opt for just having a drink. Any advice on getting over this annoying shyness of mine?

I have the exact same problem

[amybeth]

I tend to avoid chicken in restaurants - unless it's specifically on a gluten-free menu. If I'm really craving it, I'll ask them about the injections. If they look at my like I have 10 heads, I choose something else. (This is usually the case). I'd just rather not risk it, and I try to "stock up" on chicken meals at home, so I don't crave it when I'm out.

[gfp]

  Mango04 said:

I have the exact same problem

I would say the best thing is to pop over the the resto in advance and make it all clear and leave then the card to read, that way when you go back with colleages the awkward moments are already done

[Guest cassidy]

  amybeth said:

I tend to avoid chicken in restaurants - unless it's specifically on a gluten-free menu. If I'm really craving it, I'll ask them about the injections. If they look at my like I have 10 heads, I choose something else. (This is usually the case). I'd just rather not risk it, and I try to "stock up" on chicken meals at home, so I don't crave it when I'm out.

If you don't get chicken, what do you get? I'm no longer a vegetarian, but I haven't had a hamburger in 20 years and will only eat steak in very nice restaurants. Forget anything with bones or skin, I just can't do it. I have gotten sick from every salad that I have eaten out. I still can't figure out what it is about the salads that always get me. So, if not chicken, or salads or beef, then what?

[amybeth]

I tend to do salads, if I'm in a jam, sorry.

Eat out a lot at Mexican and Thai to increase my chances of finding something.

(Be careful that chips aren't fried with the flour tortillas -- this question always throws them. )

Rely a lot on red meat when out, b/c it tends to be "easier" than other dishes.

Sometimes grilled veggies, baked potato, fruit salad if they have or if they are willing to accommodate.

[kabowman]

I too stick to red meat when eating out because it is the easiest to cook in its own skillet without them having to use veggie oil which has corn and soy. There are a few of places in my town that ONLY use olive oil so I let them fix me what they want...depending on the chef's mood.

[EG+FC]

I was wonder if the pickeled ginger that is served with sushi is gluten-free? Does anybody know?

[laurichick]

  elonwy said:

I really think they are. I couldn't eat at my favorite Thai place because noone thier spoke english, but when I got the cards, everything was fine again. They now make me special dishes, leaving out soy sauce, etc and I haven't gotten sick there once. As soon as theres a language barrier, I think they are critical. I have also have numerous servers thank me profusely just for having them. They aren't that expensive either, I got the pack of six, which was around twelve dollars with shipping. I don't go anywhere without them now.

-Elonwy

I just orded them on everyones reccomendation! Im so excited to try em out!

[Guest mvaught]

  cassidy said:

If you don't get chicken, what do you get? I'm no longer a vegetarian, but I haven't had a hamburger in 20 years and will only eat steak in very nice restaurants. Forget anything with bones or skin, I just can't do it. I have gotten sick from every salad that I have eaten out. I still can't figure out what it is about the salads that always get me. So, if not chicken, or salads or beef, then what?

Eat fish (and other seafood) -I haven't had a problem with fish...just be sure you order it sort of plain, some rubs and blackening seasonings have gluten, but I rarely have a problem with fish.

[Carriefaith]

I can't eat out anymore, my reactions are getting worse. My doctor and I think that my worst reactions are due to my wheat allergy. My doctor advised that I don't eat food that I haven't seen being prepared.

[bluesky8130]

When we were in Tennessee, we had no choice but to eat out. We found some great places to eat and some very helpful people. On our first night there...after not eating since 6 am...we headed over to Outback. We made sure we went early so they would be so busy. We handed the Celiac Travel dining card to the waiter while I was explaing hubby's needs. Our waiter was great - he had just had someone with Celiac a little earlier that day - so he went to check what she had. He did tell us that hubby could NOT have the seasoning or fries (of course...that darn blooming onion).

We stayed at the Knoxville Marriot for a few days & the Restaurant Manager was great. While we checked into our hotel, we asked to speak with him. He told us when we came in...ask to speak to the chef and he will set us all up and tell us exactly what hubby could and could not have. The manager would also be telling the chef in advance about hubby's needs.

We also gave TGIFridays a try, and I knew that others had not had much success there. Again our cards & the manager made things very easy for us. Hard Rock Cafe & Nascar Cafe was great too.

After a week of travelling we came home with a lot of 1-800 numbers for customer inquires...and a lot less travel cards. We left one with every restaurant we visited so they would have the information on had for the next person with Celiac came in.

Some of the best advice we recieved was....

go during off peak hours --- the chef/cook will have more time to talk & less chances of mistakes

tell the wait staff/manager/chef exactly what you can & can't have

they all loved the travel cards - I always have some on hand

ask them to use a clean pan or to put some foil down on the grill.

(guess it helps that hubby started telling them it was as serious as a peanut allergy - cross contamination wise. He also told a few places that he would die if he had gluten...then told them he would actually only become violently ill)

Hope this helps - bluesky