Constantly Paying For Food I Can't Eat

[Mango04]

I seem to be incapable of explaining myself well and I don't want to offend anyone so...post has been deleted.

[CarlaB]

I've asked before. I've told them that I have food intolerances, can't eat their food, can they adjust the price. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

[Lisa]

Well, you're there an we're not!

I truly understand your frustration. Traveling is always frustrating. I do want to comment on the flip side. We don't have to take a pill, we don't have to take chemo, we don't have to be on dialysis..................it's just about food.

As frustrating and consumming as it may seem, I would choose this.

Happy travels and please fill us in on your experiences. Many of us can't do this, so be our arm chair-world traveler.

Lisa

[Mango04]

.

[pinkpei77]

im not exactly sure what was posted but if this is what youre talking about it.. i hate it.

i go to this italian resturant and my favorite dish was roasted garlic, spinach and mushrooms with marinara and pasta. its $14.95 and comes with bread.

well.. now i cant eat the pasta or bread.... so now i just order the veggies and they still charge me $14.95.

doesnt make sense.

[Lisa]

If I upset you in some manner, I appologize. But, yet I don't understand.

[daffadilly]

I can relate to paying for food that you cannot eat, it just somehow seems not right.

Yes, even on vacation it is terrible to pay for a lunch you cannot eat, but they have a mindset...

Now if you vacation in Belize, on any of the day trips inland or out to sea, you can just request a fresh lobster be packed for your lunch, that is what I used to do. lobster for lunch & dinner & I tried to get one for breakfast but never got that worked out. actually in Australia, you should be able to request a gluten-free lunch as it is quite common there, I beleive.

What no one really tells you is that in the restaurant business the food basically costs nothing, compared to the insurance, taxes, employees, etc, in other words it is the overhead, that is one of the reason restaurants serve huge portions, it does not cost them anything much & they just want you to come back and spend x amount of dollars again. So, they never really think of it as how many items you are eating etc. Most all restaurants, I bet if you asked to be substituted something else for the bread and pasta would be happy to oblige, they just want you to be a full and happy customer that returns.

[Mango04]

If I upset you in some manner, I appologize. But, yet I don't understand.

No you didn't upset me I just didn't like my post and was worried it might upset other people.

[Lisa]

Upset people here, oh noooooooo that's never happened.

The internet is sooo querky and you don't know inflections here. It is truely hard to let someone or others know how you "feel", as feelings do not convey with typed words.

Mango, my husband and I are trying to plan a road trip. Packing clothes is the least of my worries. I have to pack breakfast at inns or hotels, snacks, drinks, meds...and the list continues. It takes alot more time to plan than it used to.

Please let us view your travels. Tiffany crawled into the bowels of Mt. St. Helens and took us with her on her venture.

[Mango04]

Upset people here, oh noooooooo that's never happened.

The internet is sooo querky and you don't know inflections here. It is truely hard to let someone or others know how you "feel", as feelings do not convey with typed words.

Mango, my husband and I are trying to plan a road trip. Packing clothes is the least of my worries. I have to pack breakfast at inns or hotels, snacks, drinks, meds...and the list continues. It takes alot more time to plan than it used to.

Please let us view your travels. Tiffany crawled into the bowels of Mt. St. Helens and took us with her on her venture.

LOL sorry maybe I was just being paranoid. It's starting to seem like every time I post about travelling I get a response along the lines of "well you can travel and we can't so don't complain" so maybe I'm just being overly sensitive, although I do sympathize with that viewpoint. I actually didn't think my issue here was specific to travelling, but your post was kind so I really chose to react in the wrong thread (sorry Anyway, good luck with your packing. I'm currently carrying around a stainless steel frying pan, cooking utensils, organic olive oil, sea salt and a whole bunch of food, so needless to say I wear the same outfit just about everyday . So far it's worked out, but I really miss my kitchen back home (The one I'm using at the moment is INVESTED with gluten...seeing all the gluten crumbs is like watching cockroaches crawl around my kitchen...I'm that freaked out by it....yuck...ok sorry that's a whole different issue.... )

I guess I just hijacked my own thread. Everyone feel free to discuss the issue of paying for food you don't get to eat...

[mouse]

I no longer can travel, but I love to read about others exciting trips. BTW, I did travel a lot before I got sick, so I have no complaints. As far as paying for the food I don't eat. I don't go out on a daily basis like you do when you travel and that makes a difference in perspectives. I really don't mind paying for things I don't eat as long as I can eat safely and enjoy meeting friends for lunch or dinner. But, like I said I only go out a few times a month and that certainly makes a difference.

[Kaycee]

I agree it is annoying to buy into package deals when you cannot eat anything that is on offer. There should be an out, where you can just go for the trip, instead of paying for a meal that is not appropriate. It seems everybody is culturally sensitive to people of different races, which is wonderful, but there does not seem to be the sensitivity for people with different dietary needs. There needs to be, as it does hurt to be not be able to eat and enjoy food like everybody else seems to be. But I must add, some of those people without special dietary needs should not be enjoying it as much and as often as they do. That is one thing I notice more and more now, just how unhealthily the general public eats.

When I was doing jury service earlier this year, not that I paid for the meal, but on the last day, while we were deliberating, a lunch was bought in for us, and there was nothing there I could eat. I must admit, there was a diabetic on the jury as well, and he could not eat anything either, but it would have been good with a bit of consultation. It is like being part of the flock, and if you don't fit in with the norm, your wishes aren't even considered. Maybe I should have refused to do jury duty for health reasons! But I don't feel like using coeliac as an excuse.

Good on you Mango for taking off and seeing the world. I would join you in Sydney too, and bring over a tiki for you, but that is my holiday next year. I am a bit apprehensive about going, as I will be out of my comfort zones, but I am not going to let a little disease called coeliac dictate to me, on top of that my sons will never forgive me for not getting back over there. Life is for living, and we don't get too many oportunities to travel far and wide, so when they happen, we should take them.

Catherine

[Guest dreams25]

Hi Mango, i live in Australia, and we are very lucky in this country to have a lot of restaurants and shopping areas coffee shops, that cater gluten free..

I think sometimes like you are saying when you have to pay for something your not getting, you feel even worse than normal with desease..

I recently have been diagnosed and my first outing to a river festival recently was not fun for eating out, as only thing i could eat was cob of corn or a mediteranian salad which i asked for with no vinegar dressing as they weren't sure what sort of vinegar it was..

Along it came with gherkins which also were in vinegar, so a lot of people still dont realise ... whats involved ..

But here in Aus we have a marvelous lot of restaurants you can download off the net that will give you a gluten free menu when you ask for it.

Just have to know where to go.

Its all a learning curve.. but i guess it just takes time, more people with it more people realise whats its all about.

[Saz]

I agree that it can be anoying to pay for things that you can't eat, but I guess the line has to be drawn, if they do it for one then they have to do it for all.

[eKatherine]

I agree that it can be anoying to pay for things that you can't eat, but I guess the line has to be drawn, if they do it for one then they have to do it for all.

Well why not give a 10% discount to everybody who gets their meal without bread and other wheatstuffs, especially when it's mostly a matter of just leaving it off the plate? Do they charge vegetarians for shrimp when they order the stir-fry without it? I'm sure that they do not.

[JennFog]

im not exactly sure what was posted but if this is what youre talking about it.. i hate it.

i go to this italian resturant and my favorite dish was roasted garlic, spinach and mushrooms with marinara and pasta. its $14.95 and comes with bread.

well.. now i cant eat the pasta or bread.... so now i just order the veggies and they still charge me $14.95.

doesnt make sense.

I ask my italian restraurant to put it over rice for me, they usually do - just make sure it is plain rice and not pilaf.

Traveling and eating in restraurants are difficult. If I have to travel I try to avoid restraurants and will go to the nearest grocery store. Get some fresh fruit and veggies, some cottage cheese and sometimes one of the chicken roasters after I ask what they put on it or gluten-free lunch meat. I know it is not a hot meal but it's gluten-free food. I like the thai rice soup bowls that are gluten-free too. That's hot and hits the spot or a can of chili there are a lot that are gluten-free. Most hotels have a microwave somewhere and usually if you ask they will let you use it. Unless your room already has one.

If I have to eat out, I stick with steakhouses or grill places, I try to order everything plain or call ahead to see what they might have that is gluten free. Talk to the head chef about option, just don't call during busy times.

Also, see if the restraurant, has half orders, order the full size w/o the bread and pastas etc and see if they would be willing to charges you the half order price. This doesn't always work but it has a few times.

[Kaycee]

I agree that it can be anoying to pay for things that you can't eat, but I guess the line has to be drawn, if they do it for one then they have to do it for all.

Why does the line have to be drawn? Why don't people have a bit of consideration for us with food intolerances? It is not going to cost any extra for their running costs if they don't have to feed us? A tick in the appropriate box should fix that.

Sorry Saz, I'm not having a go at you, but it just annoys me that we are brushed under the carpet, and if we keep accepting that, the same thing will keep on happening. Why can't we opt to not pay for something we will not eat. Where is the fair go in that? Surely in most places it is user pays, if you don't use, you don't pay.

Catherine

[Saz]

Why does the line have to be drawn? Why don't people have a bit of consideration for us with food intolerances? It is not going to cost any extra for their running costs if they don't have to feed us? A tick in the appropriate box should fix that.

Sorry Saz, I'm not having a go at you, but it just annoys me that we are brushed under the carpet, and if we keep accepting that, the same thing will keep on happening. Why can't we opt to not pay for something we will not eat. Where is the fair go in that? Surely in most places it is user pays, if you don't use, you don't pay.

Catherine

It is annoying but at the end of the day resturants have to make money too. Also just think of all the allergies in the world, if everyone asked to not pay for things because they needed them taken out the restuaraunts would be making less money. This is prolly fine for a place like Maccas but not for smaller places. I think this one of those situations where there is no easy answer.

[Kaycee]

Still, I must be one of the nice ones. When a 5 year old girl started school a few years back and was noted to have a peanut allergy, we did our best as far as our school lunch scheme was concerned and I removed anything that could have traces of peanuts in the products that we were selling. It was not too hard, but I felt I owed it to the girl concerned, as any contact with peanuts could be fatal.

The classrooms went a step further and banned peanut sandwiches for lunches. I think this was a good education for the children who went through with the girl. Hopefully they have learnt to be considerate to people with allergies and intolerances. Even our staff room was to be peanut free. I think the staff were the worst with bringing in peanuts. But I think it was just a bit of defiance on their part, or lack of understanding.

The said girl is now in her last year at primary, and I don't think I will bring back the peanuts next year. I've found I have an intolerance to them myself, and couldn't care less if I never see another peanut again.

But then a few months back, I was nearly bawling my eyes out with the boss, because I couldn't seem to find anything to put on my crackers, and I was pleading with him to be allowed to take peanut butter to school. It sounds so juvenile now, but I was a mess then. But even though I had the go ahead, my mind was so entrenched against peanuts at school, I never brought it in.

Catherine

[lindalee]

Did you ask them for a gluten free lunch? This might be the time to explain the seriousness of the disease and that you don't want to get sick. It sure would be nice to be able to travel and know you can get something simple to eat.

I don't blame you for being frustrated. There are enough of us to make a difference in this traveling business.

Someone on one of the hotel/travel threads uses some good explanation to get the kitchen for her food needs-wish I could remember what she said-it was good.

Hope you get some good gluten-free food!!

[eKatherine]

Why does the line have to be drawn? Why don't people have a bit of consideration for us with food intolerances? It is not going to cost any extra for their running costs if they don't have to feed us? A tick in the appropriate box should fix that.

Sorry Saz, I'm not having a go at you, but it just annoys me that we are brushed under the carpet, and if we keep accepting that, the same thing will keep on happening. Why can't we opt to not pay for something we will not eat. Where is the fair go in that? Surely in most places it is user pays, if you don't use, you don't pay.

Catherine

It is annoying but at the end of the day resturants have to make money too. Also just think of all the allergies in the world, if everyone asked to not pay for things because they needed them taken out the restuaraunts would be making less money. This is prolly fine for a place like Maccas but not for smaller places. I think this one of those situations where there is no easy answer.

Actually, I do think there's an easy answer. If the food which is not served is valued at 20% of the total cost of the meal, give the customer a 10% discount. The restaurant is not losing money at all, it's just allowing someone to order less food who has no choice. People who aren't hungry order appetizers as their main course, and the restaurant makes less money. Is it reasonable to charge those people for a full portion that they didn't want - and didn't get? What's the difference?

[tarnalberry]

I understand how it's annoying, but I also understand how they're setting something up fixed, and that I'm partially paying for them to change it. So, I'm not just paying for the food, I'm paying for them to deviate from a rigid plan that they're expecting to not deviate much from. Not ideal, no, but one of those things you accept when going out to eat. A "Meh".

[Rachel--24]

Hi Mango!

I read your topic title and was all ready to reply but your original post was gone. I kinda figured out from reading the other posts that this thread doesnt have anything to do with what I thought I did.

Anyways....I'm frusterated cuz I waste money on food I cant eat ALL THE TIME!

Its not from restaraunts though...its the stuff I buy at the grocery store. Paying gobs of money for organic produce from Whole Paycheck and then I gotta throw the stuff out cuz I react to everything. Its soooo not cool! I cant even begin to tell you how much money I've wasted on food I cant eat. Its gotta be in the thousands though.

Actually Whole Foods is good about letting me return stuff and giving me store credit or even cash (if I still have the receipt). I used to bring back bags of groceries I cant eat but I dont do it anymore because frankly....I'm to the point that its embarrassing.

I totally know this has nothing to do with the thread topic but when I read the title this is what popped into my head and I came here to vent. Ok...got that all out of my system....moving along now.