Restaurant eating
bethanylaugh
Posts: 237
continued from intro chat!
I am with Shar, I stick to meat and veggies UNLESS the restaurant has an allergen menu that I can view from the table (online or printed out). Having worked in restaurants I don't have any fear of asking really specific questions about the oils they use, etc. Sometimes it results in the waitress running back and forth to the kitchen, but I always "apologize" ahead of time and pre-emptively thank them for being patient with me (with a giant smile) and they're usually really nice about it. I had been dealing with some restrictions for other medical reasons for the last 10 years anyways, so I have gotten used to asking questions they don't usually have the answers to!
Some restaurants that are really good about gluten & soy (and sugar!) food specifications:
- Melting pot (some additives though, like preservatives in broth)
- Jack Astor's (Canadian chain, one in Buffalo)
- Red Robin
- Mom n' pop places that use real butter and unpreserved stuff anyways (diners!)
...and then avoid anything fried as it will almost always be fried in veggie oil.
Most other chain restaurants may be good about gluten and soy, but the food is all pre-fab and full of preservatives so I avoid them whenever possible. If I can't, I do what Shar does - salad, with dressing on the side. The protein on their salads is usually/probably full of sodium phosphate and other additives though
THEN, there's apps and websites that can help! If you're at a specific restaurant always google for their menu, or:
http://allergenmenu.com/restaurants/browse (iphone app as well)
http://www.allergyeats.com/dining_tips.php
Fooducate (app & website)
HelathyOut (app)
Primal Paleo (android app, not sure about iphone)
Hi, my name is Francois I'm from Montreal. I enjoyed reading PHD but I have to eat at restaurants a lot and I'm very curious to hear other people's experiences following this diet while eating out.
I am with Shar, I stick to meat and veggies UNLESS the restaurant has an allergen menu that I can view from the table (online or printed out). Having worked in restaurants I don't have any fear of asking really specific questions about the oils they use, etc. Sometimes it results in the waitress running back and forth to the kitchen, but I always "apologize" ahead of time and pre-emptively thank them for being patient with me (with a giant smile) and they're usually really nice about it. I had been dealing with some restrictions for other medical reasons for the last 10 years anyways, so I have gotten used to asking questions they don't usually have the answers to!
Some restaurants that are really good about gluten & soy (and sugar!) food specifications:
- Melting pot (some additives though, like preservatives in broth)
- Jack Astor's (Canadian chain, one in Buffalo)
- Red Robin
- Mom n' pop places that use real butter and unpreserved stuff anyways (diners!)
...and then avoid anything fried as it will almost always be fried in veggie oil.
Most other chain restaurants may be good about gluten and soy, but the food is all pre-fab and full of preservatives so I avoid them whenever possible. If I can't, I do what Shar does - salad, with dressing on the side. The protein on their salads is usually/probably full of sodium phosphate and other additives though
THEN, there's apps and websites that can help! If you're at a specific restaurant always google for their menu, or:
http://allergenmenu.com/restaurants/browse (iphone app as well)
http://www.allergyeats.com/dining_tips.php
Fooducate (app & website)
HelathyOut (app)
Primal Paleo (android app, not sure about iphone)
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I try to look at menus ahead as much as possible, and try to always remember to say No croutons on my salad. I frequently forget! Also, if there is a salad with chicken but it's fried/battered/whatever, I can usually ask for grilled chicken instead if it's not listed.
I don't dine out often (maybe once a week), so I don't worry too much about if it's cooked in a veg oil - I don't order fried stuff. I really should start ordering any veggies steamed/boiled though, as I'm sure they're drowning in margarine (Yuck!).
Knowing how foods are prepared helps me a lot (mostly from cooking myself for so many years) - any sauces will probably be thickened with flour, same with soups, so I tend to avoid those when possible. Order any sauces on the side or not at all. If they have bbq ribs/chicken/whatever, I just ask for the sauce on the side and usually don't even eat it (it beats when I get funny looks for asking for no sauce, haha).
Be VERY VERY careful with omlettes in restaurants - I got glutened once (I'm intolerant/sensitive) from one, as I didn't know that some places add pancake batter to make it fluffier. Ugh, I had a headache all day from that one, besides the other side effects! Lesson learned, eggs to order for me.
Another tip I found, Buffalo Wiild Wings (BW3 for those of us in the midwest
ranch dressing contains MSG, but not the blue cheese. That I found on their website allergen listings. 0 -
Agreed with the omelettes they're too processed to be trusted. I just ask for eggs, there's a place near work that sells them hard boiled and I get it with fruit most days.0
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lol in Buffalo we essentially refer to BWW as "the place with bad wings"
I was so disappointed to learn that the "grilled" chicken there is processed meat! It took several emails back and forth with someone in their corporate offices to finally have them admit it, too. For some reason sodium phosphate is allowed to be called a "natural ingredient" ... if it isn't in there naturally, don't call it "all natural"!!!!!
Sorry for the mini rant.
Good advice on the omelettes, I would NEVER think they would do that! How sad.
Btw, if you want to make your eggs fluffy at home, just add a dollop of sour cream when whisking, works like a charm
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