Do You Ever Eat Out Or Eat At Home The Best You Can?

[mommyto2kids]

I was sick for a month the only time I did. Not sure if I should brave it again or just realize that things could be worse than no eating out. We have an outback in our area. That is the only one that has gluten-free menu in our area. What is your favorite restaurant checking gluten-free site on line?

[ravenwoodglass]

I had pretty good luck putting the words gluten free restaurant and my zip code in a search engine. Quite a few places showed up within 50 miles or so. I was really surprised. Maybe give that a try.

[love2travel]

There are no safe restaurants within three hours' drive from here so we rarely eat out. I would personally never eat at fast food restaurants but I am super diligent. When we do take the longish three hour+ trek I call and speak to the chef in advance. If not satisfied with the answers I absolutely will not eat there. But I love to cook!

[Marilyn R]

I was sick for a month the only time I did. Not sure if I should brave it again or just realize that things could be worse than no eating out. We have an outback in our area. That is the only one that has gluten-free menu in our area. What is your favorite restaurant checking gluten-free site on line?

I tried the gluten-free menu at a chain restaurant shortly after going gluten-free and got sick as as dog for a several days, and my lunch cost $15 even though I drank water and didn't have a dessert. That really upset me, and I vowed not to go out again.

Conversely, I had a family emergency and went to a very small town. I ordered safe foods like uncut potatoes and salad with no croutons and no dressing, and didn't have a mishap, even though I was there for several days.

I don't eat out at all, but I splurge on nice things to eat in lieu of eating out, and have taken a greater interest in cooking. All in all, I feel we're eating better, having a better time together, and saving a bucketload of money.

Luckily, my partner would prefer to save money vs. going out, and he helps with the cooking.

[JoshB]

I've been trying to eat with friends and family, eating off the gluten free menu if available and and if not trying to carefuly choose things like a simple salad without croutons. At this very moment I'm paying for it. Went to a Mexican place for lunch and got a tostada. It had a hidden layer of salsa that I noticed after one bite. I thought "Gee that looks awfully thick". Went and asked the cook and "Yep" thickened with flour. Very sick right now.

If that's the price, though, I'm willing to pay it. But I'm not willing to pay up with cancer, diabetes or additional nerve damage, so I've just done new blood work to try to see if my antibodies are falling. I guess I'll know if playing loose and fast was a good idea pretty soon.

[Reba32]

I go out to eat now and again, but I always call or email the restaurant ahead of time to find out if they can accomodate my needs. If not, I don't go there, I find somewhere else.

Family is usually more difficult than restaurants. If someone invites me over I remind them of what I can and can't eat, they assure me there's no problem, and then I get there and they slap themself on the forehead and say "crap, I don't have anything you can eat!" and I say "good thing I brought my own then eh?"

[allergyprone]

i'm from a small town in illinois so there are not any big resturants near by although i have gone to a couple family owned resturants and they have been able to accomadate me usually i just talk with the manager or owner by phone before i go and if they don't have something i'm not afraid to leave. also i went to visit my sister in Michigan and there is a pizza place there that is certified gluten free it is a little more costly i think it is like 20 something dollars for a pizza and some drinks but it has amazing pizza its called Guido's another pizza place is GodFather's pizza they do a gluten-free pizza and outback steak house like you said does good. but i recomend if you don't know if you eat there then just call the place and ask for the manager, owner, or even the cook, someone ought to know if they have something and how bad their cross contamination is or may be

good luck

[T.H.]

What is your favorite restaurant checking gluten-free site on line?

In my area, the local celiac group was the best. Many will have a list of local restaurants, or at least an email group that you could join to see what restaurants they recommend. :-)

[mommyto2kids]

We have no celiac group that I've found and only outback with a gluten-free menue. So thanks for your ideas. Josh, hope you feel better. I called the time I got sick and they said they could accomodate me but no luck. I think about 3 hours away there are quite a bit of choices. So many of you only eat out if you have to, not for fun?

[love2travel]

We have no celiac group that I've found and only outback with a gluten-free menue. So thanks for your ideas. Josh, hope you feel better. I called the time I got sick and they said they could accomodate me but no luck. I think about 3 hours away there are quite a bit of choices. So many of you only eat out if you have to, not for fun?

Oh, I eat out for fun alright! Just very rarely for a treat. I find that fine dining restaurants cater to those with dietary restrictions far better than casual spots as sauces, etc. are prepared without flours anyway and things like duck, lamb, pheasant, wild boar are naturally gluten-free anyway (which is wonderful as I am a gourmet foodie type). We just have to drive so far to get to the city but have found some remarkable places with incredibly knowledgable staff. Still have not seen any gluten-free bakeries or gluten-free menus. Some day...

[shadowicewolf]

i go out to a local steak house. It does not have a gluten-free menu however the staff is very knowledgable. It also helps that i go right when they open at 4pm, when their brigh eyed and busheytailed.

[luvs2eat]

We go out to eat very rarely. We live so rurally that there's only a Chilis and, of course, all the fast food places. Even tho I know I can have some of their french fries and some stuff at Wendy's... I never do. The only thing I'll ALWAYS stop for is Chik Fil A fries... yum!

We like to cook and don't miss eating out much. I feel fairly confident going out for breakfast, which we also don't often do, but not for much else.

[mommyto2kids]

Anyone eaten at PF Changs? They advertise a gluten-free menue? How did it Go? There is one 5 hrs away near my mom's.

[Marilyn R]

We have a few options for restaurants reasonably close to us, but they're all chain restaurants and service/results can be spotty based on how well trained the kitchen and service staff is. I react fairly severely, so for me it isn't worth the risk, but I may be older and cranky! (I've ordered off the gluten-free menu and had bread delivered with my meal, even with a heads up to the wait staff.)

There's an Indian restaurant about 30 miles away that has really delicious food and I've never had a problem eating there, even off a buffet.

We don't go there often, but if we have to go out to entertain I ask if they've been to the Indian restaurant and if they'd like to go there. (I've lost a few fair weather friends, but that is ok.)

I honestly don't miss eating out, but it took awhile to get used to it, just like it takes awhile to adjust to going gluten-free. Sometimes when I'm prepping things to cook and getting annoyed at the hassle, I try to remember when we were waiting to get into the restaurant or spending money at the bar waiting for our table.

It's a pain to have every meal at home, or ready to pack and go. But that's what works best for us. (My partner doesn't have celiac disease, but when I get glutened he suffers too.

[JoshB]

Anyone eaten at PF Changs? They advertise a gluten-free menue? How did it Go? There is one 5 hrs away near my mom's.

I've been fine at PF Chang's a couple times. The founder's wife has celiac disease, if I remember, so they are pretty good about it. There are still only four or five "safe" items on the menu, but they are very tasty.

[TennesseeEmily]

I found that most wait staff, even in 'good' restaurants, don't have a clue what 'gluten' is or where it's found. Telling the wait staff that one is 'allergic to gluten' or 'gluten intolerant' is a waste of time.

I've had extremely good success with eating out and remaining 'gluten free' since I created small printed personalized 'messages' to give to the wait staff and the chefs.

My message says: I'm allergic to wheat, corn, barley, oats, and rye. Please don't add these ingredients to my meal. Thank you so much!

I made these notes on the computer, they are credit card sized, then printed out, and cut apart. I decorated them with rubber stampings of vegetables (I'm a rubber stamper so it was easy for me, but you don't have to decorate them if you don't want to.)

Since almost everyone understands the word 'allergic', I've had no problem getting my message across to un-aware wait staff or chefs. I carry these messages with me in a small plastic box in my purse, so they're readily available, even when I eat out unexpectedly.

Now, I'll have to say that the meal that comes is sometimes not as good tasting, it seems to me, as meals were before when I ate out as a person who could eat anything. But I've never had a wait person to be uncooperative since I started using the 'messages' and most wait staff go out of their way to make sure my meal is 'gluten free'. So, I always leave an extra good tip - after all, they've helped keep me healthy!