On Vacation Last Week

[MollyBeth]

So last week I was on vacation. I went home to see my family and it was great because I live far away and don't get to see them very often. I'm also not going home for the Holidays this year so it was a special trip.

Now, my family is very supportive. They weren't at first but have done some research and now realize how big of a change this is for me. We had a big meal on Sunday. G-ma made ham and potato salad and other various delicious foods. Everything in her house is made from scratch so I knew I could trust it because I could see all the ingrediants. All I had to do was stay away from the dinner rolls. But every where else I went I was scared...and I felt so overwhelmed. I'm just starting my forth week with this diet and so far all I'm eating is fresh veggies and meat at home with a little dairy. I haven't quite ventured out fully into the world of buying gluten free products and figuring out what "mainstream" products are safe. I was at a tailgate on Saturday and I really wanted to eat this taco dip my aunt made but I didn't because I didn't know what kind of taco seasoning she used and I know some of them have wheat flour in them...like the taco bell brand. She couldn't remember what kind she used. So I didn't eat it. Then we went to a mexican resturant... I don't know if I got glutened or not because I am so new to the diet and my symptoms still come and go when I know I've ben safe, but I was definitely in the bathroom with bad cramps around 3 in the morning...I'm sure you can figure the rest out.

Anyway...my question is...How do I keep it all straight? I'm good on my own. I love to cook and I'm good at it. I'm just learning to use new ingredients now. What do you guys do to help remember what's ok and what's toxic and how do you find a way to trust the people around you who are trying to accomodate you?

[ShayFL]

First of all, the people that are trying to accommodate you mean well and would never intentionally CC you. But YOU and only YOU are responsible for your health and well being.

Im like a Boyscout now....ALWAYS PREPARED!

I recently visited my family for a family reunion. I took a large cooler full of enough food for me to eat the whole time I was there. My Mom made a roasted turkey and some turnip greens for me. She showed me all of the seasonings she used and the package for the turkey. I ate it safely with no problems. But I had my stash in my cooler for snacks and other meals. Eating out...call ahead and ask the manager what you can eat at the restaurant. Your family is trying to accommodate you, so they wont mind if you spend 10 minutes on the phone before you go. Or you can do it when they arent looking. Show up at the restaurant and order what you know is safe.

[loco-ladi]

Also at the begining it is almost easier to remember the companies that are good about marking their gluten-free products..... hormel and mission come to mind first for me....

Take emergency rations with you, cooler works great but if your only going for a day or two, I take a dinty moore (hormel brand) beef stew.... the microwave ones.... easy as pie and the aren't too bad for taste either...

For restraunts I normally ask for the gluten-free menu, then determine the waitress's smarts by her reaction.... is she gets that dumb blank look, she has no clue.... if she quickly replies "I'm sorry ma'am but we dont have one, but I am sure the chef will be able to accomadate you" I get nervous..... if she replies " oh you must have celiac disease do you have any other issues besides gluten" I know I have a professional! Salads off the reg menu "edited" to remove all the good stuff for the dumb one.... "may I speak with the chef" for the she may not know what she is talking about one........ the former and yes I have gotten a few like this I ask for her/his recomendations on what to have, once I had the absolute best chicken ever on my waiters recomendation, seems HE had celiac disease also and he taught the chef how to make it, and the chef knew all the rules, best night out I had in 3 years cause the waiter looked out for me! (well, I made sure he knew his stuff first, lol)

Start out small, baby steps, yes you will trip and fall a few times but we all did at some point ourselves! Its not easy but OH SO WORTH IT!!!!!

[DarkIvy]

It's awesome that your family is being so supportive. You're very lucky to have that!

Eating out is always kind of a challenge, and for me I've learned that every restaurant is different and needs a different approach. I'm picky. When in doubt I ask for the chef or the manager. Just because there is a gluten free menu at a place doesn't mean I necessarily feel safer. For example, Chili's has a gluten-free menu, but I get sick every time I go. I get sick at Outback, too. They may have a "menu", but because the kitchen and wait staff in these restaurants aren't typically well trained to deal with food sensitivities, and CC is such a huge issue... well it just doesn't matter.

It really does take time to figure out exactly what to say to get what you need. My first line of defense is to ask about a bazillion questions. Sometimes you have to think about what the dish in question goes through to be prepared. Fajitas are grilled on a grill... but so are other things. And of the typical marinade or seasoning mix is not gluten-free (another thing to ask about if you are unsure), this could be problematic. I just tell them to cook them in a clean pan, without seasoning or sauce if necessary, or I substitute for a sauce that IS gluten-free. Another example is sushi. An lot of sushi is gluten-free, but some of the sauces aren't. So, I have the chef clean the work space and wash his hands before he makes mine.

In the chains with gluten-free menus, I tend to emphasize the importance of the person cooking my food in a pan (no grilling) and other relevant CC issues. In non chains with gluten-free menus, I might still do the same. At Mexican restaurants, I generally just ask "what has flour" in it. Some of these places hardly use it in anything, but other places put it in everything. Once we've established what has "flour", I can either figure something to eat or just leave. I've found that Mexican places, at least in my area, are VERY hit or miss. Either flour is rarely used and the staff is friendly and it's easy to get straight answers about ingredients, or there is flour in just about everything and they just don't care or won't give you a real answer. In the past, I've decided not to order anything (if with a large group) or have just apologized to the server and gotten up and left (if its just me and my bf). The other thing about Mexican restaurants is to ask about the chips! Some places just buy corn chips... usually these are fine. Other places make them from scratch. The kind from scratch are typically fried in a shared fryer with things like chimichangas, flour tortillas, sopapillas, and other gluteny foods. I always, always ask. If they say they are made fresh, I immediately ask whether they are fried in a shared frier. If they are unsure, I have them ask the chef what is also put in the frier. Anymore I don't even bother with that.... if they are "from scratch", I just don't eat them. Sometimes I bring my own chips and ask for my own thing of salsa, haha.

The main thing, in any case, is that every single restaurant is different. The best are the kind with both knowledgeable and HELPFUL staffs. The kind that have some understanding of what gluten is and what needs to be done to avoid it. Even at the best places, still remind them to use clean pans, wash hands, etc. This is a complicated diet, and as helpful as they may try to be, they may just not realize that there *might* be barley in the green tea, or something similar. You can make do with a staff that "doesn't get it" but is helpful but ordering something like plain meat (no seasonings, if you are unsure) in a clean pan, clean hands, etc. I just don't eat at restaurants where the staff neither gets it or cares to help. If I'm going somewhere I've never been before with a big group of people, I bring snacks or eat beforehand. I once went to CPK with some friends and cried because they told me I could eat two different salads, no meat, no dressing. Great, who wants to pay $12 for lettuce?

It'll take time to get the hang of it. The best thing I can suggest is to get a basic idea of what goes into the type of food you are going to eat. Do research. Look at recipes. Just get a fundamental idea of what goes into each kind of food and how it is made, and apply it to any restaurants that you go to. If you know that enchilada sauce has wheat flour sometimes, you'll absolutely know to ask about it when you think you might want to order it down the line. It WILL take time, but don't stress about it. We all make mistakes, and that's okay. In my experience, some of this has really been a "live and learn" type of deal. Basically though, the more you know about food in general, and the more experience you get with a given kind of restaurant, the easier it will be for you to figure out what kinds of questions to ask and what kinds of things you can order safely and what kinds of instructions to give.

It's worth it to be able to go out, though... at least to me.