Can You Go Out To Eat?

[clnewberry1]

I was just wondering if I will be able to enjoy going out to dinner again? Every sauce seems to have hidden wheat.

It seems that dinner at friends home would be hard too.

Thanks,

Crystal

[home-based-mom]

I was just wondering if I will be able to enjoy going out to dinner again? Every sauce seems to have hidden wheat.

It seems that dinner at friends home would be hard too.

Thanks,

Crystal

Both situations can be landmines, but of the two, friends is probably worse. They may very well never "get it."

More and more restaurants have gluten free menus and the employees get at least some training. You have to judge each one individually. I have had good experiences at Outback, but not everyone has. Most restaurants with gluten free menus will tell you that you can order this or that item but without the sauce.

[Juliebove]

We don't eat sauce, unless it's Marinara or meat sauce on gluten free pasta at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

Actually when we do go out, we only go to specific places. There are some Mexican places around here that are good with food allergies. We are limited as to what we can order though.

P.F. Chang's, Chili's and Outback have a gluten-free menu but with our additional food allergies, we haven't tried them.

Mostly we eat at places that cook from scratch and can make special meals for us. But usually we find that a hamburger patty and a plain baked potato and sometimes French fries are a safe bet.

[curlyfries]

I rarely even bother going out to eat, but you can try these sites

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

You must keep in mind that there is always a risk. It is a good idea to contact the restaurant ahead of time, and talk to the manager or chef when you get there. Many servers don't have a clue. Make sure they know to cook your food on a clean grill or a separate, clean pan.

[ang1e0251]

I went to Applebee's Friday night and had a good experience. I ate the house steak and added grilled mushrooms. Came with a baked potato and vegetables. It was all good and no reaction.

[Lisa16]

Last time i went to Aplebees I got well and truly sick, so there you go. it just depends on what you order and how careful they are.

I do not eat out at all if i can avoid it. Every time i have eaten out I have gotten sick.

And I got sick from T-day dinner at mom and dad's from cc. That one really hurts. Next year I will bring my own food.

Lisa

[clnewberry1]

Last time i went to Aplebees I got well and truly sick, so there you go. it just depends on what you order and how careful they are.

I do not eat out at all if i can avoid it. Every time i have eaten out I have gotten sick.

And I got sick from T-day dinner at mom and dad's from cc. That one really hurts. Next year I will bring my own food.

Lisa

I am just wondering if family and friends just don't read the lables and hidden wheat sneaks in? I would have thought Mom/Dad would make sure it was all wheat free but I don't know. I am still so new to this. When you get sick - if you don't mind - what are your symptoms? I tested negative for Celiac Antibodies, but positive for wheat sensativity. I did an elmination diet and added wheat back in but I didn't feel anything digestive anyway. I get terrible panic attacks and anxiety which causes digestive upset. I am wondering if the anxiety is the symptom but I don't know. I have terrible PMS. Anway thanks for the replys.

Crystal

[Lisa16]

Oh, it is the big D withing about 35-40 minutes of eating the gluten. It is fast. And then I am sick 8-10 times within the first hour or so. It tapers off from there and last 4 days minimum. If I am super lucky (ironic) I will develop DH blisters too. It is painful.

With mom and dad, it was more things like cookie sheets and toast crumbs on the table cloth and prep surfaces. Also there may have been hidden gluten in the basting sauce from the butterball turkey (we called, but they only disclose wheat.)

My mom is what you call "gluten light," but my dad and brother still eat it. I made the pies and lots of the dishes, but you can't control everything when it is not your own house. I worry about utensils and dishes and even pots and pans. And how can you ask them to get all new everything just for me? Nope-- it is just too hard. So next year I will go with tupperware up the wazoo. That's okay. This was the first time out of the blocks for T-day.

You will figure it out too. It just takes a bit and there are lots of mistakes along the way.

[MyMississippi]

I RARELY eat out--- and when I do, I don't enjoy it---- I'm not a big fan of plain meat and vegetables.

[ang1e0251]

Many posters report panic attacks and anxiety with gluten. I feel sad (depressed), moody and anger on a short fuse as well as mind fog. Some folks do not have the digestive upset but do get the emotional upset. Keep track of your food and reactions for awhile and see if you can't see a pattern between your food and emotional well being. That will tell you your answers, don't rely on a dr or test to answer your questions.

Hope you are feeling in control soon.

[lovegrov]

I eat out on occasion with full knowledge that it's risky, although I also don't have the extreme reactions some here have. Am I doing damage anyway? All I know is my tests are normal.

That said, your best bet is to find local restaurant with a REAL chef that gets it. Somebody mentioned Applebee's. No offense to Applebee's employees, but very few have any idea what's in the food. As for sauces, there are many delicious sauces made from reductions that do not and should not contain gluten. Once again, a real chef will know.

As for a friend cooking for you, it depends on the friend and how much she or he are willing to learn. We have friends who both good cooks. We've been having Christmas Eve dinner with them for many years now and we have continued it with success after my diagnosis. In fact, I think they're more careful now than my wife and son, who have gotten somewhat complacent. They have yet to ruin my Christmas day.

richard

[lovegrov]

"Both situations can be landmines, but of the two, friends is probably worse. They may very well never "get it."

But then again they might. I have several friends who have gotten it.

richard

[pickle]

I was just wondering if I will be able to enjoy going out to dinner again? Every sauce seems to have hidden wheat.

It seems that dinner at friends home would be hard too.

Thanks,

Crystal

I hope this is ok to mention, but I'm an admin of a site that has the goal of aiding the gluten free traveler find places/products to eat. We are gathering international and national locations, and have places for reviews so even if Joe Blow had a great time, if you got sick you could mention for other diners to beware. We're trying to figure out some sort of rating system to distinguish the places that say order without bun (duh) which might not cut it, from those that say order without sauce (bland, but better informed at least), to those that provide good subs or even a separate menu with decent choices.

As far as family and friends, I have my own set of cutlery, dishes, utensils, etc set aside for the reasons mentioned above. People who don't have allergies just don't understand how serious it is. Just a little bit couldn't hurt? What does it matter what touched the knife? But how else can you eat/make xyz? Yes, it matters, I don't eat it or I eat it this other way. gah! When I go out to friends/family I always bring something we can eat, and i bring enough to share, but if I see that there aren't too many other options for us I am assertive in "hogging" what we brought to make sure we get to eat something.

Good luck, it gets easier as you learn what to expect and what to ask!