So Frustrated!

[Marie1976]

I usually cook because I'm vegan (as are hubby and kids) so it's easier to make meals at home. We do eat out occasionally; there are a couple local restaurants that are vegan friendly -- our favorite is a Thai restaurant.

I now feel like I can never eat out again. I went to a restaurant with my sister last weekend and was pleasantly surprised that they had gluten free penne pasta. But halfway through the meal I found a couple of (regular, not gluten-free) spaghetti noodles in my food. As if that is not bad enough, I even found a small piece of chicken in my pasta. So much for vegan and gluten free. (I should have complained but I didn't.)

What this tells me is that even the places that offer gluten-free food may not actually serve you gluten-free food. We are planning a trip to San Diego, where I always enjoy eating out because of the abundance of vegan restaurants but now I feel like canceling the trip because I don't want to deal with the stress of finding vegan, gluten free food.

What can I eat now when I go out? Salad? Is that my only option? I knew this diagnosis was going to be an inconvenience but this is even worse than I anticipated. Anyone have any vacation and/or restaurant survival tips for a gluten free vegan?

[Mahee]

I usually cook because I'm vegan (as are hubby and kids) so it's easier to make meals at home. We do eat out occasionally; there are a couple local restaurants that are vegan friendly -- our favorite is a Thai restaurant.

I now feel like I can never eat out again. I went to a restaurant with my sister last weekend and was pleasantly surprised that they had gluten free penne pasta. But halfway through the meal I found a couple of (regular, not gluten-free) spaghetti noodles in my food. As if that is not bad enough, I even found a small piece of chicken in my pasta. So much for vegan and gluten free. (I should have complained but I didn't.)

What this tells me is that even the places that offer gluten-free food may not actually serve you gluten-free food. We are planning a trip to San Diego, where I always enjoy eating out because of the abundance of vegan restaurants but now I feel like canceling the trip because I don't want to deal with the stress of finding vegan, gluten free food.

What can I eat now when I go out? Salad? Is that my only option? I knew this diagnosis was going to be an inconvenience but this is even worse than I anticipated. Anyone have any vacation and/or restaurant survival tips for a gluten free vegan?

Hi, I know this is a bit late, but I thought I would respond to this anyway.

I'm a vegan, and also recently gluten-free (3 months), and I know how hard it can be to eat out at restaurants. One suggestion I have would be to try to stick to vegan or vegetarian restaurants. I don't know what it's like in San Deigo, but I find in my city that restaurants that deal in dietary restrictions on a regular basis (such as veganism) also are more aware of other dietary issues, such as gluten-free diets. Another option is to scout out restaurants online, and email or call the restaurants that look promising and ask them what steps they take to ensure that their food is not contaminated. This will give you a good idea on whether or not they truly understand how to make safe gluten-free meals.

And it would also be best to pack some foods that can fit in a car, purse or back pack that you can carry with you such as granola bars, rice crackers or fruit. This might help you feel a little less stressed out and frustrated when you can't find something to eat in a restaurant.

And if it's summer when you go (or at least warm) you can always grab some veggies, hummus, etc. and have a picnic in a park while touring the city as an alternative to eating at a restaurant!

[Juliebove]

I find that salad is one of the riskier things to order. They might still put the croutons on it even when you ask for them to be left off. Or they might put them on and then pick them off.

[tarnalberry]

Look for places that specialize in raw foods.

Take a look at Happy Cow and check out places that also do gluten free (it's sometimes listed).