Eating Out Archives - Strength and Sunshine

Not Your Typical Thanksgiving: Full Of Firsts, Fun, And Love

December 1, 2014 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 107 Comments

First of all, Happy December 1st! Crazy! It is Christmas time full force! Break out the trees, lights, music, shopping, baking, peppermint, gingerbread men, and all around cheer and joy! I’ve got just two more weeks of school and then I am home! That is the only Christmas present I really want right now. But before I get carried away, let me tell you about our last holiday…Thanksgiving!

Everything on campus closed down Tuesday night (i.e. no dining halls, gyms, classes, no people really) until today, Monday. Not very good for us kids who stayed (seriously, what about the international kids who don’t even care about Thanksgiving?). Luckily,my dad arrived down in DC Wednesday night. All we did that night was drive over to his hotel for him to check-in and then…we went to Trader Joe’s!

This happened. Tea is my life…besides coffee. Side note, the Tahitian Vanilla is “spicy”. It has black pepper in it. Not very good 🙁Read More

Power Monday #45 8 Steps to Success When Eating Out Gluten-Free

May 19, 2014 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 34 Comments

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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Some Great Eats In DC

April 30, 2014 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 25 Comments

First off, I think I should receive a reward for eating out so much over the last two weeks. Starting in South Carolina, all the way through my DC trip. I ~~have~~ had an extreme fear of eating out. Due to my multiple food allergies, dietary specifications, cross contamination fears, and food safety (i.e. salmonella, germs etc.), eating out gave me huge anxiety. Luckily my family rarely ever eats out anyway, but if we did have to go somewhere, I would just eat beforehand, or bring my own food. But that has to change now that I won’t be living at home with access to any food I want and space to cook. I love cooking and am perfectly content with making everything I eat, I love to do it, so it is not a burden. (That is going to be one of the hardest things next year! How will I be able to develop new recipes! O the humanity!). Anyway, I sucked it up over these past few weeks and I am glad to say that I have survived! I still don’t like to eat out and I have to do major research before going somewhere, but at least I know I can do it when need be.

Anyway, on to the goods! For breakfast each of the days I had just packed some creamy buckwheat cereal and quinoa flakes to heat up in the morning. However…the one down side to out hotel is you have to request a fridge. We did that but didn’t receive it until late on Tuesday. What we also didn’t realize was that they don’t provide microwaves to the rooms either and you can’t request one. I was screwed. But…the happy people down at the hotel restaurant allowed me to use their staff cafeteria microwave to make my breakfast each morning! How nice of them! I used my trusty big red ceramic bowl that I bought down in South Carolina for just this purpose (however in that hotel, we had a microwave). It all worked out though, happy day! I also drank copious amounts of unsweetened iced green tea from Starbucks the whole trip. It is so damn good, especially when I couldn’t have my normal hot mugs of tea since there was no way to get hot water in the hotel room, haha!

Our first meal in DC was of course Sweetgreen! I had been dreaming about those salads all year. There is something so magical about their greens and local ingredients! You can tell by the line we had to wait in, but o it was worth it!Read More

Power Monday #21 Food Allergy Safety During the Holidays

November 25, 2013 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 12 Comments

Happy Power Monday! Have you been gearing up for T-Day? We are t-minus 3 days till! I got all my cooking done and in the freezer on Sunday except for my stuffed mushrooms which I will be making on Wednesday since I am taking the day totally off from school! (It is a half-day anyway, so why not!) Besides my cooking marathon on Sunday, Saturday was more of a chill out day. I made some pumpkin peanut french toast for breakfast! Totally first time experiment success!

(Haha yes!)

I went to the grocery early in the morning, sent out college stuff, walked last weeks episode of The Walking Dead, tried to make sushi which was a total fail so I changed up the presentation and put it in a bowl! Still delicious! Man, I have so many recipes to share with you guys over the next few weeks. The recipe and cooking inspiration just keeps coming and you can’t keep me out of the kitchen! I am loving it. Check out the delicious blueberry green cookies n’ creme smoothie I made Saturday! I also had my first ever Persimmon on Sunday! It was delicious, I have been missing out. But I did get a weird grainy type texture in my mouth afterwords…hmm?

I also got tons of work done for my new Plant Fusion Ambassadorship, yay! And of course my Saturday ended with a great Vinyasa Power Yoga session and a new mastered move! The Forearm stand! I don’t have a picture, but I think holding the asana for at least a minute counts as mastering 😉 It was crazy cold and windy all weekend, we even got snow on Saturday night. The wind was howling all day Sunday and the temps stayed in the 20s…not cool! But that is why I stayed inside and had the oven on basically all weekend 😉

So for today’s Power Monday I want to focus on my gluten-free and allergy friends! With T-Day in just 3 days and all the other fun holidays coming up over the next few weeks, it is inevitable that you will be going out to parties, get-togethers, and family dinners. These may sound fun and exciting for the normal Joe, but for someone with food allergies it can be an anxiety filled time of dodging landmines and bombs. What do you do when Aunt Linda trying shoveling her famous green bean casserole on your plate. “What?” she says, “It’s only green beans!” But you know that the creamy sauce she used is full of gluten, not to mention she just used the same spoon to dish out the sweet potatoes with crumb topping. Well have no fear! because I have some tips that will help you navigate these treacherous holiday times! No one wants to feel sick or needs the added stress of dealing with allergies during these times of joy and love. And they do not have to!

1. Don’t be afraid to inform your host: Call ahead of time and let them know about your allergies. Most likely they will want to help and will even offer to cooking foods to you needs. This can be where it gets tricky as you may not have enough trust in their preparation and knowledge of your allergy. There also could be mass cross-contamination. So to be safe, just let them know not to go out of their way to much. But if you show up and refuse all their food, they will feel so bad so it is best to just let them know…which leans me to…

2. BYOF: Bring-Your-Own-Food (or dish). This way you know you will be able to eat something and you know it is safe. Make some more and you can share it with everyone. Letting others try your dishes can spark conversation and education about your allergy. Just make sure when serving cross-contamination does not occur. The dish should have its own serving utensil, etc. Better yet, get you food first and let others try it after you have already got your portion on your plate!

3. Pack safe snacks: If you are going to more of a cocktail party (say New Year’s Eve) just bring a large purse and keep essential snacks with you just in case. You can bring some food bars, nuts, veggies and fruit (maybe your own bottle of G-Free beer if you are of age ;). You can also plan to eat a light dinner before, this way you won’t have to worry about getting to hungry during the party.

4. It is okay to say no…thank you: When you do encounter a situation like Aunt Linda presented, don’t be afraid to stick up for your health and say no. If they just don’t understand you allergy, politely say you are so full and really couldn’t eat more or be a tricky fox and accept their gluten-filled cupcake with thanks. Then walk away and pass it off to you gluten-eating partner in crime. They can take that treat right off your hands. If you are sitting down at a table and the serving bowls are going around, sit next to your gluten-eating partner and have them grab the bowl going around. This way it skips right over you and no one needs to say a word.

5. Swaps: Don’t forget that being gluten-free or allergy-free does not mean you have to pass up on traditional dishes. Swaps are so easy! Take the stuffing. Just use your favorite gluten-free bread (I will have an awesome recipe you can use tomorrow if you need a new one!). To thicken sauces use cornstarch instead of wheat flour. For that nut crumble topping on the sweet potatoes, just use oats and lovely cinnamon!

6. Sneaky ingredients: Watch out when you reach for that turkey or ham. Seek out the ingredients to any marinades or seasoning used. These can be huge landmines waiting to explode you night…and your stomach!

7. Start new traditions: So maybe you can’t replicate Grandma’s famous pumpkin pie down to the exact taste, but that’s okay! Try a new recipe, something non-traditional like apple cinnamon cake bars or raw gingerbread men. Make some Chana Masala for an ethnic flair to your American holiday! Create memories through actions as well. Holidays don’t have to always be centered around food. On T-Day, have everyone write down 10 things they are thankful for and share their list at the dinner table. Or do something fun and have before dinner dance party (maybe a Zumba DVD?). Or go for it and sign up for that Turkey-Trot 5k this year and run with the ones you love! Or walk, we can all handle that 😉

8. Be the Host: I wish we could host holidays at my house, but we never have…ever. I would love to cook mass quantities of my favorite allergy free and vegan dishes and share them around the table with the ones I love. If you are able to host at your house, I say go for it! This way all the food you cook will be safe and you know it! Have family or friends bring any other non-safe dish must haves for everyone and keep them separate in the house and on the table.

9. Enjoy the love: The holidays are about love and happiness. You deserve to be healthy and happy during this time, remember that! Don’t compromise your health just to please another. Focus on the positives and enjoy the time with family. Don’t let food rule you, just keep it safe and be aware.

We will be having a small gathering at my grandparents house. If will just be my grandparents, mom, brother, and aunt and uncle. A nice calm day to enjoy each other. My grandma will be cooking all the traditional foods, so I will be bringing my own gluten-free vegan stuffing (for my mom and I), my stuffed mushrooms in a smaller more appetizer form, and my gluten-free vegan crustless pumpkin pie for my dessert! I am hoping to make Thursday enjoyable and free of anxiety. I will let you know how it goes of course 🙂

So tell me:

How do you feel about holidays and allergies?

Are you family members/friends understanding or just never seem to understand?

Anymore tip to add to this quick list?