Eating Out With Kids...gluten Foods At The Same Table

[stolly]

For non-celiac parents of celiac kids, how do you avoid CC from your own food when eating out? For example, if you're eating a hamburger or a roll or something, and your toddler needs help with his/her food or needs hands wiped? At home it's easy, we just get up and wash our hands several times during the meal if/when we eat things with gluten at the same table as our daughter. (2.5 yrs old). I figure it's trickier when eating out...are wipes enough to clean the gluten off our hands? Any tips/suggestions for keeping her safe when we eat out? Thanks!

[gfgypsyqueen]

I guess my family handles thigns differently than some. I have Celiacs. My spouse does not. One kid has severe food allergy. Other kid (3 yr old) has Celiac, dairy allergy, and other allergies being tested.

We go through tons of silverware, cutting boards, and plates in the day. When we go out to eat, each person has their own silverware and ONLY that silverware is used on that plate and the food on that plate. I mean most of the meals the Celiac child eats do not involve her picking them up like a sandwich. If needed, get an extra fork and knife that you can touch with wiped (gluteny) hands and cut the food more etc. I have not purposefully touched wheat in years. But my husband eats gluteny stuff when we eat out. We just wipe our hands off (wipes) well if we are touching somethign the kids can't have to eat.

We get extra napkins when eating out. The kids tend to drop theirs or crumble it up into a ball that is unusable....When they need cleaned up, it is their napkin or a new napkin. Or wipes if it is a really big mess.

There is no touching of plates or sharing of glasses especially between the kids. At home, the kids generally sit in the same spot at the table. And they are only allowed to eat at the table (keep those crumbs in one place )

I guess they have gotten used to the rules because it is second nature now. Sounds a bit crazy, but it works for us.

[HAK1031]

You could cut everything up, etc. for your kids before you start eating. The wipes are also a good idea. I am the celiac in my family, but if I had a kid with celiac, I don't think I would purposefully order gluteny foods in restaurants with the kids. I mean, I might not check on the sauce and I wouldn't give the waiter the whole run-down on CC, but I wouldn't order spaghetti or a sandwich or something that could make crumbs or get everywhere. If I wanted to get gluteny foods I would do it on a night when the kids weren't with me.

[dandelionmom]

Since I have celiac disease too, I just take charge of that daughter's plate. But when I eat out alone with my girls and I have to help with one of the gluten plates, I just try to prep it as well as possible, then wipe my hands really really really well on a few baby wipes.

It helps to try to order something they won't need much help with and something that I don't have to touch much.

[JennyC]

When I eat out with my son I try to order gluten free food as well, so I don't have to worry about it. It just seems much easier.

[Owen'sMom]

I also order gluten free foods when I'm out with my son. Especially since he doesn't eat that much yet anyways and it wouldn't be worth ordering a meal for him, so I just share with him. But I will later also still order gluten free just so I don't have to worry about anything gluteny touching his plate/food.

[Juliebove]

My daughter is 9 so she needs less help from me than she used to.

If she needs to have her food cut up, I cut it up first. Actually now that I think about it, my food tends to be gluten free as well. I am allergic to eggs and dairy and that pretty much lets out most bread products. There is one place that makes its bread from scatch and it is safe for me to eat. When I eat this, I eat it with hummus. My daughter loves hummus so I just order a plate of it for her with cucumber slices on it rather than bread.

One place that is a concern is the Old Spaghetti Factory. Although it is nice that they have a gluten-free menu, they also have regular bread and there are crumbs and chunks of it everywhere! I'm a little surprised the health dept. has not taken a good look at their booths! Also they tend to slap that loaf of bread on the table before you can say, "No bread!" I once got a flying crumb of it in my mouth as my dad was cutting it. Grrr...

We also have problems when my husband dines with us because he doesn't understand our food allergies (daughter is allergic to wheat and gluten, rather than celiac), and often tries to force her to eat food from his plate. He has also grabbed food from her plate while he has her allergens on his hands. When he does this, she just pushes her plate to him and says, "It's yours now!"

Tonight we will be going for Mexican food and I can bet you dollars to donuts he will proudly order flour tortillas. I don't think he even likes the flour ones better but he thinks it's a great thing that he has no food allergies and it's sort of like he is boasting. "Look at me! I can eat this and YOU can't!" Luckily the place we are going to knows what my daughter and I order. If we get a certain couple of wait people they just say, "You want what you always have?" They fix the food special for us. My husband does not normally dine with us if we can help it. Hehehehe. Just a lot easier that way. We have had problems at other Mexican places though when they combine the flour and corn tortillas in the same server. Then we either ask for more corn ones in a separate server or just do without.

Most of the time I try to order the same thing that my daughter is ordering, even though my allergies are not as extensive as hers. Somehow I think it makes her feel better to know we are eating the same thing. I let her order the adult meal if that is what she wants because her choices are often limited to non-existant on the kid's menu. Or we order all side dishes.

[Tori's Dad]

For the most part we simply don't eat out. The anxiety is not worth the not having to wash dishes. On the 5-6 occasions we do eat out, my wife is also Celiac so she and my daughter sit on one side of the booth and my son and I sit on the other.

[QuiteaPair]

My daughter is 9 so she needs less help from me than she used to.

If she needs to have her food cut up, I cut it up first. Actually now that I think about it, my food tends to be gluten free as well. I am allergic to eggs and dairy and that pretty much lets out most bread products. There is one place that makes its bread from scatch and it is safe for me to eat. When I eat this, I eat it with hummus. My daughter loves hummus so I just order a plate of it for her with cucumber slices on it rather than bread.

One place that is a concern is the Old Spaghetti Factory. Although it is nice that they have a gluten-free menu, they also have regular bread and there are crumbs and chunks of it everywhere! I'm a little surprised the health dept. has not taken a good look at their booths! Also they tend to slap that loaf of bread on the table before you can say, "No bread!" I once got a flying crumb of it in my mouth as my dad was cutting it. Grrr...

We also have problems when my husband dines with us because he doesn't understand our food allergies (daughter is allergic to wheat and gluten, rather than celiac), and often tries to force her to eat food from his plate. He has also grabbed food from her plate while he has her allergens on his hands. When he does this, she just pushes her plate to him and says, "It's yours now!"

Tonight we will be going for Mexican food and I can bet you dollars to donuts he will proudly order flour tortillas. I don't think he even likes the flour ones better but he thinks it's a great thing that he has no food allergies and it's sort of like he is boasting. "Look at me! I can eat this and YOU can't!" Luckily the place we are going to knows what my daughter and I order. If we get a certain couple of wait people they just say, "You want what you always have?" They fix the food special for us. My husband does not normally dine with us if we can help it. Hehehehe. Just a lot easier that way. We have had problems at other Mexican places though when they combine the flour and corn tortillas in the same server. Then we either ask for more corn ones in a separate server or just do without.

Most of the time I try to order the same thing that my daughter is ordering, even though my allergies are not as extensive as hers. Somehow I think it makes her feel better to know we are eating the same thing. I let her order the adult meal if that is what she wants because her choices are often limited to non-existant on the kid's menu. Or we order all side dishes.

[QuiteaPair]

I have three children, 5-7 & 9 year the 9 year old boy has celiacs as do I, but no-one else in my family does. We went all didn't go Gluten free at first, but one incidence at a restaurant when my son just broke down as his Dad and sisters enjoyed freshly baked cinnamon rolls. That was it for the rest of the family. My husband now understands how important we all stand up for eachother. My son is still having reactions, loose stools, but we aren't sure where he is getting the reaction from? All gluten-free food, however, we haven't replaced cookware. Does anyone know if the gluten stays on after washing everything?

I hope you and your daughter win the battle with your husband. It is paramount for her recovery and your sanity that he makes more of an effort to support her gluten-free life. Good luck.

[cyberprof]

My son is still having reactions, loose stools, but we aren't sure where he is getting the reaction from? All gluten-free food, however, we haven't replaced cookware. Does anyone know if the gluten stays on after washing everything?

Good luck.

I'm sure others will answer, but yes you should replace any cookware (which previously was used with gluten) that is not 1) stainless steel with no cracks, ridges or hard to clean areas or 2) glass, china or uncracked bakeware.

This means replace wooden spoons and cutting boards, plastic cutting boards, spatulas, colanders and strainers (I got glutened from gluten-free pasta drained in an old colander), tupperware and serving dishes that are plastic or wood, non-stick cookware, waffle irons, toasters, etc. All of this stuff harbors gluten and to my understanding cannot be removed by washing, sanitizing etc. It's best to start fresh and not worry about taking any chance. Donate the stuff to Goodwill or your neighbor or the chuch kitchen.

~Laura