Told I may be gluten intolerant, any tips for eating out?!
Told I may be gluten intolerant, any tips for eating out?
I am a vegetarian and have recently been told I may be gluten intolerant. I'm worried that when I go out to eat there are "tricky" things that may have gluten in them that I've never thought of. Do you know of any tricky items that may have gluten in them? I know occasionally restaurants may put flour in with beans to thicken up the sauce...So anything like that would be extremely helpful! Thank you!
Answers:
You either are or you are not gluten intolerant. Only your doctor can tell you. All it takes is a simple blood test.
www.celiac.com has lists of safe and forbidden foods if you do test intolerant. Both lists are pages long. If you are intolerant, just assume the worst at any restaurant where you eat out and order accordingly.
BTW, some restaurants, and the list is growing, can tell you what menu items are gluten free. It is a very few right now, but it is growing.
Any form of oats, and believe it or not, most soy sauces (they have wheat in them). I found La Choy soy sauce to be one of the few without wheat or any gluten in it.
If you have a whole foods market near you, they may have papers printed out which list foods with gluten and foods without gluten. Helpful to have with you when you are shopping.
By the way, sometimes gluten intolerance can go hand in hand with lactose intolerance.
Hello! To answer your question, if you are diagnosed wtih Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance, you are ok!! The testing is simple, blood work OR/AND an endoscoyp with biopsy. HOWEVER you MUST be eating gluten at the time of testing for a significant amount of time prior to testing (to be set up by your doc).
If you are indeed diagnosed wtih CD and GI (there is a difference.) You CAN still eat out! Outback, PF Changs have Gluten Free (GF) menus in their restaurant. Chilis, O'Charleys and many otehrs have them online. Just visit the sites website. If they DONT have one--email and complain!! We are working our way out there!!
There are even GF restaruatns in some areas! Denver has one I am eagerly awaiting a visit to in the fall! :)
Get the magazine Gluten Free Living (www.glutenfreeliving.com I thikn) it has great info.
Join the Celiac Sprue Association, or just look up local support under www.csaceliacs.org, local support,t hen click your state and area. They publish a magazine several times a year also. They also publish several books INCLUDING a restaruatn guide! They also publish a huge book on Gluten fre e products in your stores.
Here are some major things tod o when eating out: (see the sites I list for WAY more info!)
Ask for food naked--that means no sauces, seasonings. It may be not as tasty but u can bring your own little seasonings and do it yourself i you want when uf ind GF ones u like!
No sauces.
Always check updated lists and menus, things change--one thing i make uf eel better the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under at Outback is GF!!! YES IT IS!! A brownie!! Dead serious. I get it ALL the time. THey have the best gf menu I've found. very clear and usually helpful.
They make dining cards u can give to the server for the chef also, Triumph has some. I think u can find them at the CSA website.
Soy sauce is NOT gluten free whichi s why PFChangs has their own gf menu so most chiniese is not safe.
Mexican is often safe, avoid sauces such as red sauce, the enchilada sauce can have flour in it. Obviously corn tortillas only.
Italian is virtually impossible! U may find a place that will cook your gf pasta sepearate but you have to be very clear about they ahve to drain it in a clean colander and everything. Too risky in my opinon.
Anyway, I hope that helps! Ther eis WAY more online and in books. Heres my two fave books:
Celiac Disease A Hidden Epidemic by Dr Peter Green
Living Wheat and Gluten Free for Dummies by Danna Korn.
Best of luck! Feel free to email me for more info!!
Amy
Chairperson Louisiana North Shore Celiac Sprue Association