Do You Still Enjoy Eating?

[gluten15]

On the Applebees thread. I also had a dissapointing meal there. I didn't want steak and plain potato so opted for the only other available menu option, grilled shrimp and salad. I told the waiter about the gluten-free, CF, soy free diet, handed a note (from the Celiac Soc website) about diet and was reassured that he knew all about being vegan! I knew from that point on that it might be difficult. They also broought the slip of paper back saying it was fine but they still brought me the salad with cheese all over it and croutons!

I was never a fan of Applebees before going gluten-free and am even less so now. However, when your out all day it's nice to know a restaurant you can go to and know what you can have in advance without too much anxiety. I've eaten at Red Robin 3 times and not had a problem, each time I spoke with the server they made sure the chef came to explain menu options and were careful to serve my food separate from everyone elses with a lovely "allergy allert" printed all over the receipt. At least it shows they were paying attention and they do great gluten-free fries to order.

Very nice to know about Red Robin. One of my favorite restaurants. While I won't be able to order what I used too..nice to know. We don't really eat out much..never have..but nice to know if I ever do. Nice to see their consistancy all over the us. We used to travel a lot and used to eat at Red Robin all over the US and always great service everytime.

Funny seeing Red Robin listed because the other night I was wondering what I would now order if we ever ate out again and went there.

Used to eat at Applebees all the time too years ago before my diet change. We actually found them on a vacation years ago then they came to our town. Used to love thier chicken strips, fries, and slaw. Problem is that it's depends which one you go to and where as far as what service you get and how the food will be.

Not so with Red Robin. While I won't be able to order what I used to..they have such a great menu that I could see being able to make something good.

As far as McDonald's fries go. Never at that way anyway. I went their a few times with a friend and they had me try a fry and I didn't get what the big deal was.

I try not to consume hydrogentated oils now anyway.

I think the safest bets with these different food problems is to eat as fresh stuff as possible that has been processed very little and things that don't contain very many ingredients.

Also when I don't consume things that have a lot of things in them..it's getting easier for me to tell what bothers me and what doesn't.

Oh yeah..great site and people here!

[gluten15]

You may just find that your lactose intolerance goes away once your gut heals. We make lactose in the tips of the villi. So when we damage these with gluten we also stop producing lactase.

It is weird. I can eat tofu, eat edamame, I'm fine with soy sauce but I react to soy milk, rice milk and almond milk. I can't figure that one out at all. I wonder if their is some kind of preservative that is used in all three that my body can't tolerate. We are a facinating study.

Again..thanks for the info on the villa and lactase thing. I had never really heard about that in this way until coming here.

So many things are making more and more sense.

As far as the soy, rice and almond milk..and I don't mean to keep bringing up the carrageenan thing..but one part of me is doing much better since I cut out everything that had that in them.

There are som rice milks in the grocery isle that do not have it in them.

Not sure if your soy, rice or almond milk had carrageenan in them..but most likely they did.

I would be interested to see you try one of them that doesn't contain carrageenan and see how you do.

Although I don't know what your symptoms are from the 'milk' products. With carrageenan it can affect some peoples digestive symptoms.

I just learned about this rescently so it's something I am also eliminating to try and see so I just wanted to bring it up again in case it can help someone. So many healthy things contain carrageenan.

[dbmamaz]

I will actually keep red robin in mind, too - there's one near me and there was always a big line and i always wondered what the big deal was. I've never liked Applebees, so having a good excuse to stay away from there would make me happy!

I have to say i'm not having too much trouble staying on my current, very restrictive diet (I introduced cukes 2 days ago and didnt like the reaction, so i'm doing lemon today, and i'll try cukes again in case it was a fluke). But the depression about other foods is sinking in. We ordered papa johns a few days ago (since i'm not even trying to eat the same food they are any more) and there was one small slice of cheese pizza that I wanted so badly! I see people carefully choosing which sweet item in the bakery area they will buy - i never even bought that stuff, i'd make it, and not often . . but thinking that I cant just splurge and buy a caramel brownie or a big chewy cookie . .. grr.

I just hope that I eventually get enuf foods back in my diet that I can bake something. Right now my only treat is marshmallows lol.

[Gwen B]

"Chain family restaraunts are really not much different than fast food, in that the food is all created on an assembly line somewhere else so that basically unskilled workers can quickly put it together in to an appealing meal. These arent chef's working there - i cooked at Denny's for 8 months and was told I would be able to get a job anywhere in the country, that that was a huge amount of experience for a cook at that kind of restaraunt.

So - expecting them to be able to find some veggies to steam, or make you plain rice, isnt realistic, not at most of these kinds of restaraunts."

Thanks dbmamaz, for the info. Nice to have a better idea what goes on in the kitchen. I would still have to wonder though, if you can steam broccoli, why couldn't you steam any other veggies available and for that matter, how hard would it be to steam rice? At least when you order at Burger King you get to ask for it 'your way'. May not always get what you asked for and we all know that that resto is not really a viable option for most of us, but I guess by biggest problem was with the way the waitress reacted to my questions.

"I've eaten at Red Robin 3 times and not had a problem, each time I spoke with the server they made sure the chef came to explain menu options and were careful to serve my food separate from everyone elses with a lovely "allergy allert" printed all over the receipt. At least it shows they were paying attention and they do great gluten-free fries to order. "

GwenB, this is good news. We have a Red Robins and I would kill for fries made to order. Well, not kill maybe, but slightly maim. What else did you order that was good. I am only familiar with the burger fare. Do they have seafood, steaks???

Actually, I have not ventured past the burger fare and just had the bapless,cheesless burger with guacamole and bacon, salad and fries. I'm just grateful to be able to eat out safely once in a while. I did see seafood on the menu but I cannot recall whether it was not gluten-free or whether I didn't choose it beacuse dairy or soy was involved. Teryaki is endemic in restaurants these days!

[Wonka]

As far as the soy, rice and almond milk..and I don't mean to keep bringing up the carrageenan thing..but one part of me is doing much better since I cut out everything that had that in them

I just checked the soymilk and almond milk in the fridge (read back porch) and they both have carrageenan in them. I bet that is the culprit that I'm reacting to.

[darlindeb25]

Ok, yes, my point was: This person running his hands through the flour with no glove on was disgusting. We don't know where that hand was, he had no business putting his hand in that flour without a glove on, be it wheat flour, or a gluten free flour. We have no idea what has been in any of the food we buy before we buy it and we probably do not want to know! It wasn't the fact that it was wheat flour that made it disgusting to me, it was the man using his bare hands that was wrong.

I have stated this before, and I stand behind my statement: McDonalds is as safe as any other place. My son was a manager in a McDonalds and they do have standards that they must work by. The fries are done separately in their own oil and it is always done that way, in all restuarants. There are just as many people who say they do not get sick as there are that say they do, if not more so, which leads me to believe, probably they are reacting to something else and not gluten. I, myself cannot have potatoes or corn/soy oil, which would rule out the fries altogether! There could be many factors as to why someone would react. Before I could no longer have potatoes, McDonald fries never bothered me and my sister still eats them, I agree they are fine for a celiac to eat. I would still eat them if I could.

There are so many things I wish I could still eat, none of them being gluten. I wish I could bite into a ripe, red tomato or eat morel mushrooms from the woods like I did as a child. Fresh corn from the garden, homemade cabbage soup, homemade chili--I miss so much now. No, I do not enjoy food any longer, but I am alive. Food isn't everything!

[Glutina]

Hi!

I personally have foudn that going gluten free has forced me to pay closer attention to a very obvious fact: I need to learn how to cook!! I was eating out so often before (still pretty healthy stuff though) and making "quick" food...and now, I am starting to enjoy building a repetoire of meal ideas and learning how to make my own meals. I find it almost.....fun!

Also, I ate fairly healthy before I went gluten-free, so many things have not changed....but cutting out bread entirely (I don't care for rice bread) has been a big one.

Mostly, I miss the convenience of being able to go out and enjoy a meal in a restaurant worry-free. I especially get annoyed when my friends want to go somewhere and I have to make sure they have somehting for me at whever it is...BUT, I feel that this inconvenience is worth my newfound and growing state of health.

-Glutina

[silk]

I recently read Gluten-Free Girl, by Shauna James Ahern, and it made me "fall in love" with food again!

I love to eat. I hate being restricted. I dislike cooking... but only because I have a tiny kitchen, not any other reason. But, I really do love food. So, I try to find a way to manage. =)

Just started reading this on my lunch hour today. OMG! I wanted to lick the words off of the pages. She writes about food so beautifully that I want to leave work now so I can go home and cook and I'm only into the first or second chapter! Thanks for the info. Looking forward to the rest of the book!

[Wonka]

Just started reading this on my lunch hour today. OMG! I wanted to lick the words off of the pages. She writes about food so beautifully that I want to leave work now so I can go home and cook and I'm only into the first or second chapter! Thanks for the info. Looking forward to the rest of the book!

I've been reading it for a few days (found it on sunday). It's so nice to read her take on food. So much like my own. I love food. I do not eat to live but live to eat and eat well. Because of my love of good food I had to learn to cook it myself (I couldn't afford to eat out that way all the time lol). I worked with some fabulous cooks and took many cooking courses (still do) and now I adapt some of my favourites.

I get alot of my recipes from the great group of people that hang out at the fine cooking forum and from their excellent recipes on the web site. Some I will never be able to adapt but surprisingly many are easily adapted.

I've always loved to cook from scratch. My freezer is filled with beef and chicken stock waiting to become soups, stews or braises. Lots of fresh frozen fruit from the summer. Halibut straight from the boat, frozen on board and processed frozen. I am a farmers market junky. Luckily we have a winter market here (every second saturday) in Vancouver, BC.

I am a rampaging gardener. Lots of flowers, herbs, vegies and a large patch with raspberries and blueberries. I love to home can. Fruit syrups, jams/jellies, pickled beans, pickled beets, canned cherries (boozy for on icecream - homemade as I can't tolerate commercial due to the carregeenan). I'm looking forward to this summer because now my energy has increased it will much easier to do.

Well I'm off to cook. I'm having a potluck and I'm making Greek Briami (potatoes, zucchini, onion, tomato, greek cheese, oregano, olive oil etc..) and a gluten free chocolate cake. I'm am making a sign, double sided, asking that all serving spoons stay in their dish, if you can't find one ASK do not borrow another dishes spoon. I'm not the only celiac that will be at this party and my close friends have said that they will help police this.