Happy Power Monday! How was your weekend? I have a pretty fulfilling and productive one myself! It feels good to get things done right? Plus, it is day one of the Gluten-Free Challenge! I hope you are all starting your day with a nourishing g-free breakfast! I am so excited to get to read all of your thoughts and experiences at the end.Remember the link-up will be up on the next Power Monday and you can also email your experience at strengthandsunshine(at)gmail(dot)com if you don’t have a blog. Use the hashtag #GFC14 and post all your amazing g-free meals to instagram or twitter too! Lets make awareness!
Now one thing I have yet to address is eating out while having Celiac disease. When you have any food allergy or disease, eating out can be the scariest most daunting task. I know it was and still is for me, but I am making some progress and allaying my fears and taking a few leaps of faith when necessary. Through my few most recent dining out experiences, I have learned and implemented just a few easy steps to make sure I stay safe and happy. I don’t know if I will ever feel “OK” with eating out, but if I really must, at least I know it can be done safely and healthfully.
Step 1: Search. This is the first step and most “time” consuming, but also one of the most essential. Where ever you are going, may that be a local place or you need to find someone on your vacation destination, you need to look up your options. I like to create a folder in my bookmarks tab on my laptop with the name of the destination I will be at. Then I start simply searching Google for gluten-free/allergy-friendly restaurants. I like to start with a general search, but then move on to sites like Gluten Free Registry, Yelp, and Find Me Gluten Free. Also don’t be scared to ask on Twitter or in Facebook groups for recommendations. I have also found success with asking fellow food bloggers what they might suggest! Reach out!
Step 2: Narrow it down. Once you have a huge compilation of possible places, it is time to narrow down your results. Start by reading reviews. Of course I never go fully on a review as some people are simply very biased or opinionated on the internet, but they can give you a general idea of how the restaurant is. Next I always scour the menus for hours! Look and see exactly what you might want to try, see if they have anything at all. By doing this, you can get a feel and head start on what you will be ordering when it comes to go time. This will give you a better opportunity to prepare your host (see the next step for more). If you find that the menu is mostly pasta, pizza, and burgers (with no gluten-free options) it may be a good one to delete form your list. Look for special gluten-free menus and even distinguishing marks like asterisks that denote gluten-free. This is always a good indicator that the restaurant is cognizant of safe food practices.
Step 3: Call ahead. (Or email). Once you have the possible places you feel you may be safe eating at, make sure you call or email the restaurant. Ask about food safety/cross-contamination practices, all their gluten-free menu options, and other information you need to feel safe. You can tell by speaking to them just how educated they are on food allergies, so pay attention to how they respond. If you feel like the place you called is a good match, make reservations! By doing this you can tell them to prepare for your arrival and they can plan ahead with the chef if necessary. You also get seated quickly and it just makes the experience better 😉
Step 4: Arrive on time. This may seem silly, but make sure you are courteous and arrive on time for your reservation. Ask for a gluten-free menu if applicable, and have a smile on your face. By sending out positive vibes, your hosts will be a lot happier to accommodate you! This is also a good time to ask to meet with the chef. Some restaurants will gladly bring out the chef and he can talk to you about practices and options he recommends. (This is really common when visiting small family owned restaurants!)
Step 5: Place that order. Hopefully you already have the dish you want in mind since you did all that menu research! When the server comes to take everyone’s order, inform them one more time about your allergy and restrictions. Make everything clear and defined (this is life threatening!). Also this is the time to ask for substitutions and swaps. I never order a menu item to the T. You can usually change up sides really easy, add or subtract elements, etc. I don’t eat dairy or eggs so I have to do this often even if the dish is gluten-free. Restaurants now are even carrying g-free pasta which you can just swap for normal pasta in a normal menu dish. Just ask!
*If you are eating out in a foreign county, there are special restaurant cards in every possible language you can give to your server and the chef so ensure what you need is able to be accommodated and met safely.
Step 6: Inspect your dish. Before you dig in, inspect each element on the plate. Make sure there are not accidental hidden croutons under that lettuce or a sauce you did not request put on you chicken. If everything looks safe, then you are good to go. If not, do not be afraid to get your dish corrected. Ask for a whole new plate (you must), and don’t settle for anything less.
Step 7: Enjoy you meal, family, and laughter. Now you should just enjoy your meal and those you are with. You have taken every step and precaution possible. Just relax and enjoy, you can’t do anything now! 80% of the time you will come out fine, but there will always be risk, always.
Step 8: Thank your server, chef, and host. If you have a great experience, make sure you leave a good tip and thank all those who helped accommodate you. Ask to speak to the chef and even thank him personally! Next time you come back, they will remember you and your experience will only become safer and happier for everyone!
Follow these 8 simple steps are you can eat out with a bit more piece of mind! Just because you have Celiac or other food allergy does not mean you HAVE TO bring you own food everywhere you go (like I always did and still do most times). But you can eat out safely and enjoy the same experience as you family and friends. (Always have a back-up plan just in case, or make sure to always have snacks with you if things don’t go according to plan!)
So tell me:
+ What safety measure do you take when going to eat out with food allergies?
+ Any horror stories to share? The worst is when you tell your server you can’t have gluten and they say, “Don’t worry, this dish does not have eggs!” Yea, that is when you get up and leave 😉
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Becca
Thanks for sharing your gluten free eating out tips at the Healthy Tuesday Hop!
Strength and Sunshine
🙂
Vanessa @ Crumbs
Hi, I’m Vanessa over at Crumbs. I think it is pretty ironic and cool that we have the same layout! Secondly, I think you did a great job educating us about how to be gluten-free. I know a few people that are gluten-free so this is a helpful reference to me. I also feel that some of the tips can be helpful for those of us with dietary restrictions in general too.
Vanessa @ Crumbs
about how to confidently dine out while gluten-free, rather.
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks for stopping by Vanessa!
Yes I have other dietary restrictions and these can go for any food allergy or the like! I’m glad you found it helpful 🙂 Stay in touch!
mysocalledchaos
Great tips!
Strength and Sunshine
Thank you 🙂
GiGi Eats Celebrities
I am very good at making everything on the menu gluten-free. I have been doing it for 12 years so I should be at this point, LOL! I just specify what I want and that’s that, I mean… I am a paying customer, they have to give me what I want. Plus, I am a HARD CORE yelper!!! Ha Ha, it’s a very powerful thing 😉
Strength and Sunshine
Yes, but even though you say you need something to be gluten-free, sometimes you get the deer in the headlights look! No good!
GiGi Eats Celebrities
Luckily, in Los Angeles….. They know what it means! 😉
MissLaughsLot (@LDYPrefers2Save)
Hello, I’m stopping by from the SITS Facebook group, where I saw your blog listing! I have a weekly series on healthier lifestyles, and since I am newly diagnosed with celiacs, gluten-free has been a huge adjustment for me as well!
Strength and Sunshine
Well thanks for stopping by! If you need any help adjusting, let me know!
Aimee @ Irresistible Pets
These are great tips! Thanks for sharing!
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks friend! 🙂
Probably Rachel
I feel very lucky that my food allergies are limited seafood, but two of my family members have celiac and allergies on top of it so when we eat out together we are very careful and follow many of your steps above. Over the weekend we had a wonderful server who was extremely cautious to fit the needs of our party and we thanked her profusely. She said that she appreciated how nice we were about the special needs which made her all the more motivated to take care of us.
Strength and Sunshine
My mom has a severe seafood allergy too! So we we go out we basically have to cover all the allergy bases!
And i agree, when you are nice and courteous, your serves will be nice and courteous back and so much more helpful!
Kelsey Eaton (@storiesofkel)
great suggestions! that would definitely not be super easy!
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Kelsey! Food disorders can be tricky even after years of practice!
Crystal Duncan (@FindingCrystal)
Those are great tips. I have to share these with my sis in law. She is constantly having problems eating out with having celiac disease. She’s not a blogger but I share stuff when I come along something I think she will like.
Strength and Sunshine
Thank you Crystal! I hope these can help her! Tell her to contact me if she needs any support 🙂
Sarah @ Sweet Miles
Those are great tips! I will for sure be sharing this with my friends who are extra sensitive to Gluten!
Strength and Sunshine
Thank you Sarah! Hope it can help 🙂
Jaclyn @ Bumpsweat
I love what you said about enjoying the meal with family and friends. Sometimes, when you’re so stressed about food and having a potentially-terrible reaction, it can be so difficult to enjoy yourself and, therefore, for others to enjoy the experience. I don’t have celiac but have a very strong insensitivity to zucchini. Even though it’s not diagnosed, I emphasize the ‘allergy’ word, to make sure people know it’s not simply that I don’t like the food.
Strength and Sunshine
Yes, people take it more seriously if you clearly state that it is an allergy and can be life threatening in certain cases!
cottercrunch
great tips friend! i think it’s important to call ahead and to also explain to your server your allergies. Even though it feels uncool! haha
Strength and Sunshine
Haha I never worry about looking weird! Like I’ve said, I’ve brought full dinners to places in the past! 😉
Debbie Rodrigues (@DebbieInShape)
I am always so afraid that I simply never eat out. I do not live 100% gluten free, but I try to avoid it as much as I can since the improvement in my health is remarkable.
Thanks for the suggestions. I will have them in mind for next time!
Strength and Sunshine
I’m still deathly afraid too! But I know that I can be safe if I have to!
amyc08
I have found Yelp to be very helpful. Have to check out the other two.
Strength and Sunshine
I like Yelp the best as some of the other searches can have more limited directories!
jessielovestorun
Wow! I never knew special cards existed for when your traveling to a foreign country. I know first hand living in Kuwait that GF menus are quite uncommon and always wondered how people ho suffer w/ gluten sensitivity managed. Thanks for teaching me something new 😀
Strength and Sunshine
I hope one day I get to actually use one, haha! But yea, it is pretty cool, and a great way to make yourself as safe as possible!