Need Some Input - Going Out To Dinner Tomorrow Night....

[ErinD]

Some women that i am friendly with in the office invited me to dinner with them after work tomorrow night and i am looking forward to going. However, i don't know what to order! This is the first time since my true diagnosis of attempting to eat out. Lately during this flare, eating out has been a disaster. I know i can't have dairy and i am waiting on my tests from Enterolab on the Gluten Sentinsitivities. Of course the place they are going to is just a local restaurant/bar with the usual salads, sandwiches and fried foods....am i doomed or is there anything somewhat 'safe' i can order and not be worried about suffering the consequences on my hour ride home afterwards? I am currently taking Entocort which has been stabilizing my flare for me just recently so i am a bit nervous about this, but i don't want to cancel just out of fear...any suggestions?

[tex]

Hi Erin,

Eating out is so fraught with peril that I rarely do it anymore. There are a few chain restaurants with separate GF menus, that make the chore fairly simple, but for everywhere else, you're pretty much on your own.

Anything fried at most restaurants, (unless they use dedicated fryers), is likely to be cross contaminated with gluten, from previously fried onion rings, hush puppies, breaded meats, etc.. There's a possibility that the Entocort might cover you on that risk, but that's difficult to predict, since we all react differently to meds. Virtually all gravies, sauces, dressings, etc., are suspect, since many/most of them are made with soy sauce that contains gluten. Virtually all deep-fried meats will have a gluten-based breading. Most commercial French fries are pre-soaked in an "enriching" solution, before they are delivered to the restaurant, and the solution normally contains gluten. Sandwiches will obviously contain gluten in the bread.

Basically, salads are okay, from a gluten/casein standpoint, (as long as you leave off all cheese, butter, croutons, bread crumbs, etc.), and don't use any dressing unless you know it to be gluten and dairy free. However, be aware that most of us react to salads, (especially lettuce), until our gut heals. It's not that we're intolerant of it, per se, it's just that the texture is apparently abrasive to our super-sensitive guts, while they are still in an inflamed state. Some individuals, however, can tolerate lettuce just fine. I suspect this issue may depend on how much damage gluten has done to your small intestine, as some of us do not have any significant small intestinal damage, while others have a lot. You probably already know by now, if you can tolerate lettuce and most other salad ingredients.

A baked potato is safe, so long as you can get it without any butter or cheese. If it comes with any of that already on it, removing it will not make it safe for you - you will almost surely react anyway. Grilled meat is okay, if the chef is willing to scrape the grill where your meat will be cooked, before putting it on the grill, so that it doesn't come into contact with crumbs from buns, or breading, and of course, it must be cooked without any butter, sauces, marinades, or anything else, other than simple seasonings. Salt, pepper, garlic salt, etc. are obviously okay, but seasoning premixes should be viewed with suspicion. Eggs, (boiled, fried, poached, or whatever), are fine, (unless you are intolerant of eggs, of course).

Virtually all deserts that are likely to be available will contain gluten, and/or dairy products, (including milk chocolate candy bars), but the mints should be safe. Beer, of course, contains gluten, but most wines, whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, tequila, etc, are gluten free. Beware of blended alcoholic beverages, since they may be blended with malt, and, of course, any malted beverages are to be avoided.

Hopefully someone with more dining out experience can offer some better suggestions.

Despite all this, please try to enjoy yourself without worrying excessively about it. As I already mentioned, hopefully, any slight slip ups will be covered by the Entocort.

Tex

[MaggieRedwings]

Hi Erin,

I must say Tex covered this one from beginning to end. Until about a year ago, I was strictly a GF vegan but I had to add some protein since I am also soy intolerant. My standby for any meal out with people is a baked potato (since I am known as the Potato Queen) and just some veggies without anything on them. Lately, I have been brave enough to ask for a piece of salmon cooked on the grill after it has been scraped. I usually have a bit of EVOO and a bit of balsamic.

Never touch salad, desserts, condiments, etc.

You will be surprised how much fun it can be to go out and enjoy the company even though it may just be a baked potato. The bill can kill you though.

I am with Tex though, I rarely eat out but it is mostly a holdover from my vegan years - all 38 of them.

Have Fun, Maggie

[CAMary]

Erin-

I eat out, and have very rarely had a reaction to my meals...We do frequent certain local places, so I feel *safer* knowing I have a successful history of eating somewhere...

I usually have a salad, specifying "grilled" chicken on top, no croutons. Oil and vinegar is usually a safe bet (some people question vinegar - but I only avoid straight distilled white vinegar, which is not normally used for salads anyways!), or salsa makes an adequate dressing....I don't have to avoid dairy, which seems to be easier. I'll often order a burger w/o a bun, or fajitas with a side of corn tortilla chips (instead of flour tortillas - if corn tortillas are not available)....

I know several people here are avoiding several landmines, which makes it more difficult (corn, dairy, soy etc...) *just* gluten isn't that hard, in comparison! Steak and a plain baked potato seem to work pretty well, also!

Good luck!

Mary

[Gloria]

I've eaten out quite a bit since my Dx. Like Mary, I've found that the safest bet is to order a salad with grilled chicken and no dressing. I bring my own GF dressing because a lot of dressings are made with soybean oil. I can't eat eggs or dairy, so I make sure the salad has neither of those foods. Fruit and nuts are OK.

Meat and baked potatoes are not safe bets because the restaurants sometimes brush them with soybean oil, butter or other seasonings and I've had my problems afterwards.

I'm going out with the ladies at work next week and have begun pondering this already. The last time we went out, they chose a restaurant they thought would be OK for my diet. Our tradition has been to go to an Italian restaurant and they've been avoiding it for my sake. I told them we could go there this time. I'm planning on ordering chicken and am hoping I can substitute potatoes for the pasta. If not, I'm considering bringing my own rice pasta. I'll be taking my chances eating there. If I react, it will probably be the last time I'll go there.

I've had success ordering an Italian beef (very popular in the Chicago area) as long as I bring my own rice hot dog bun made by EnerG foods. Amazingly I haven't reacted to it from this one little shop. They must not put soy in the au jaus sauce.

I've also been able to eat at a Mexican restaurant as long as I order wraps made out of corn. The seasoned rice hasn't bothered me, so it must not have flour in it.

Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes!

[kate_ce1995]

Well, I'm glad I seem to be eating the right things when I go out!

The others have covered it well, but baked potato, burgers without the bun, steak, fajitas...I just eat the fixings and ignor the wraps. I've never reacted to French Fries, but I know others have. Might be my local places are using safe fries.

Well, gotta run to work.
Katy

[Pat]

ErinD,

Here is an article about dining out. It refers to Los Angeles but other places have these restaurants too.

http://www.celiac.org/lifestyle/dining-out.php

Pat

[ErinD]

Thank you for your ideas, i had my heart all set for a nice baked potato and some veggies when the plans for this evenings dinner fell through

The good thing though is my husband and i decided to go to dinner ourselves instead and there is an Outback SteakHouse just down the street from our work (we work together) that he is going to take me to instead...nice and GF!

I'll definitely keep the other suggestions in mind as i am sure we will be rescheduling the girls night out soon!

[Peggy]

Are you a meat eater? I'm with Mary on the steak and potato. I shy away from broccoli and cauliflower, and any kind of beans, but anything else is fair game (especially the meat!)

Peg