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How Do You Deal With Eating Out?

Mommy2Ellie

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Mommy2Ellie Rookie
Mommy2Ellie
Posted

Just curious how to deal with this? We eat out about twice a month, or whenever we go to the nearest city, which is about two hours away. I don't know how to order food for Ellie! All of their baby plates or kids meals have gluten. Any advice is GREATLY appreciated!!!

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Mtndog Collaborator
Mtndog
Posted

Wanted to say welcome first!

Many big chain restaurants like Bone Fish, Legal Seafoods, Not Your Average Joe's, The Outback have gluten free menus. If you call ahead, you can ask if they've dealt with gluten-free before.

I usually write down what I can't have and then ask them what they recommend. Another option is to get the Triumph Dining Cards or make your own. I list most common things like flour, bread, pasta, breadcrumbs, malt vinegar, etc.

The good news is that in the last 3 years- places have become MUCH more aware!

Rondar2001 Apprentice
Rondar2001
Posted

We eat out a couple of times a month and so far have been very lucky. Before we go, I try to research a possible restaraunt and check their website to see if they have any allergy information. I also check with our local celiac chapter's website for suggestions of gluten free friendly places. We also discuss the importance of gluten free with the server when we order and have found most places to be pretty knowledgable.

My biggest complaint is that the gluten free options tend to be in adult portions instead of kids meals. If they can't accomodate the smaller portion, she just brings home a doggy bag (although this tends to up the cost quite a bit).

ShayFL Enthusiast
ShayFL
Posted

I have found calling ahead to be invaluable. Try to talk to the head manager or the head chef. Tell them it will be 2 adults and one child eating and the child needs gluten-free food. Could they prepare something just for her so that your family can enjoy and frequent their restaurant. The economy isnt great right now and restaurants need our business. You might find that they are more than willing to accommodate you.

missy'smom Collaborator
missy'smom
Posted
We eat out a couple of times a month and so far have been very lucky. Before we go, I try to research a possible restaraunt and check their website to see if they have any allergy information. I also check with our local celiac chapter's website for suggestions of gluten free friendly places. We also discuss the importance of gluten free with the server when we order and have found most places to be pretty knowledgable.

Good advice. I do the same when we go out of town. I'll add that I have checked to see if the place I'm traveling to has a Celiac Support Group and contacted them for info on local options. I have also mapquested a town and clicked on restaurants for a list and through a process of elimination picked a couple that had webites with menus(they happened to not be large chains but local family owned and small chain) and e-mailed them for info concerning a few dishes that I thought might work. I also print out gluten-free menus and allergy info pages from the large chain websites and put them in a presentation pholio with clear verticle pocket pages and carry it in the car with me. Don't be afraid to make up and order your own dishes that are not on the menu, as long as they are simple and use the ingedients that that restauraunt is likely to have, they will usually accomodate. I order one meal at a restaurant that used to be on the menu but is no longer, however they still use the ingredients, so will make it that way. Another place I've ordered something that is not on the menu but I make up from the list of ingredients that is on the website's extensive allergy info page.

wsieving Contributor
wsieving
Posted

I am so glad you asked that question!! I have been wondering this myself, and you all have great suggestions!!

Tristan's Mama Newbie
Tristan's Mama
Posted

My girlfriend who is a member here, who's son has Celiac Disease, actually answered this question for me today! She said there are restaurants who do offer Gluten free items, and for the ones that don't she brings a separate meal for her son. She said there was a place online, and some stores, where you can purchase gluten-free ready to go meals. She just brings them and a microwave container, and has them heat up her son's meal. She has yet to have any difficulties doing this. She also advised me of the fact that McDonald's french fries contain gluten, but that Burger King does not. I called both in our area to confirm this today, and they informed me of the same. Which for us is a God send...as Tristan is obsessed with french fries!

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NewGFMom Contributor
NewGFMom
Posted

We tend to go to Thai and Japanese restaurants where we can get Mr. Picky-ness a bowl of rice pasta. He likes to squeeze lemon juice on it.

At a lot of places, hot dogs and french fries are a pretty safe bet, if you call first and make sure they understand about cross contamination.

Otherwise, we pack a meal for him and order him a fancy drink or something. If the city near you is medium sized, you may be surprised by the options. We found a ton of gluten free food in Bemidji, Minnesota and all over rural New Hampshire when we specifically looked for it.

Good luck!

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

These cards may help: Open Original Shared Link

Always speak with a manager or chef - don't rely on the waitress.

Make sure you cover 1. the ingredients in the food and 2. the preparation of the food (clean utensils, pan, etc).

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    • captaincrab55
      Finding gluten free ingredients

      By captaincrab55 · Posted

      Imemsm, Most of us have experienced discontinued, not currently available or products that suddenly become seasonal.   My biggest fear about relocating from Maryland to Florida 5 years ago, was being able to find gluten-free foods that fit my restricted diet.  I soon found out that the Win Dixie and Publix supper markets actually has 99% of their gluten-free foods tagged, next to the price.  The gluten-free tags opened up a  lot of foods that aren't actually marked gluten-free by the manufacture.  Now I only need to check for my other dietary restrictions.  Where my son lives in New Hartford, New York there's a Hannaford Supermarket that also has a gluten-free tag next to the price tag.  Hopefully you can locate a Supermarket within a reasonable travel distance that you can learn what foods to check out at a Supermarket close to you.  I have dermatitis herpetiformis too and I'm very sensitive to gluten and the three stores I named were very gluten-free friendly.  Good Luck 
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      Okay well the info about TTG-A actually makes a lot of sense and I wish the PA had explained that to me. But yes, I would assume I would have intestinal damage from eating a lot of gluten for 32 years while having all these symptoms. As far as avoiding gluten foods - I was definitely not doing that. Bread, pasta, quesadillas (with flour tortillas) and crackers are my 4 favorite foods and I ate at least one of those things multiple times a day e.g. breakfast with eggs and toast, a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and crackers and cheese as a before bed snack. I'm not even kidding.  I'm not really big on sugar, so I don't really do sweets. I don't have any of those conditions.  I am not sure if I have the genes or not. When the geneticist did my genetic testing for EDS this year, I didn't think to ask for him to request the celiac genes so they didn't test for them, unfortunately.  I guess another expectation I had is  that if gluten was the issue, the gluten-free diet would make me feel better, and I'm 3 months in and that hasn't been the case. I am being very careful and reading every label because I didn't want to screw this up and have to do gluten-free for longer than necessary if I end up not having celiac. I'm literally checking everything, even tea and anything else prepacked like caramel dip. Honestly its making me anxious 😅
    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

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      So you're saying that you think you should have severe intestinal damage since you've had the symptoms so long?   DGP IgG antibodies are produced in response to a partial gluten molecule.  This is different than what tissue transglutaminase antibodies are  produced in response to.   TTg IgA antibodies are produced in the intestines in response to gluten.  The tTg IgA antibodies attack our own cells because a structural component in our cell membranes resembles a part of gluten.  There's a correlation between the level of intestinal damage with the level of tTg antibodies produced.  You are not producing a high number of tTg IgA antibodies, so your level of tissue damage in your intestines is not very bad.  Be thankful.   There may be reasons why you are not producing a high quantity of tTg IgA antibodies.  Consuming ten grams or more of gluten a day for two weeks to two months before blood tests are done is required to get sufficient antibody production and damage to the intestines.  Some undiagnosed people tend to subconsciously avoid lots of gluten.  Cookies and cakes do not contain as much gluten as artisan breads and thick chewy pizza crust.  Anemia, diabetes and thiamine deficiency can affect IgA antibody production as well.   Do you carry genes for Celiac?  They frequently go along with EDS.
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
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      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Food and environmental allergies involve IgE antibodies.  IgE antibodies provoke histamine release from mast cells.   Celiac disease is not always visible to the naked eye during endoscopy.  Much of the damage is microscopic and patchy or out of reach of the scope.  Did they take any biopsies of your small intestine for a pathologist to examine?  Were you given a Marsh score? Why do you say you "don't have intestinal damage to correlate with lifelong undiagnosed celiac disease"?   Just curious.  
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