Maybe you’re new to the Gluten Free (GF) and/or Dairy Free (DF) club or maybe you have been a member for a while. Whatever the case, eating out can be a challenge! What do you do when friends ask if you want to grab a bite to eat or a coach asks for your order during a travel meet? You’re starving, but you’re not sure if you can eat at a certain restaurant. Usually, it involves a bit of menu research online, but occasionally it involves a phone call to ask more questions, especially if it is not a national chain. Some restaurants just won’t work for you. But I don’t want you to miss out just because you have dietary restrictions. That’s why I’m going to familiarize you with some safe options and how to order in a place that is unfamiliar.
Find Me Gluten Free
For those with gluten restrictions, one of your biggest friends will be the Find Me Gluten Free app. I encourage you to download it now. I can’t say enough good things about it. When you allow it to access your location, it searches for all the restaurants with GF options within a certain radius. It is super nice to have when you are traveling because you might not know what is available in a new area. For example, they may not have a Chipotle but instead a Qdoba. Now you’ll know. You can now even refine your search to include DF. The app also has a database to look up popular chains and read reviews to see if people struggled with cross-contamination (more on that later) or if the food tasted good.
The GF community on this app is super helpful. They provide tips of things to watch, like Chick-fil-A has a dedicated fryer, so their fries are safe, but avoid their sriracha sauce because it contains wheat. Of course, the closer you are to bigger cities the more selection you’ll have. If you’re planning on traveling through smaller communities, plan ahead and type in the location to see what’s available. You may have to pack your own food to supplement, but at least you’ll be prepared. Other features include airport and stadium food options, and GF store product reviews.
I have benefited from this app SO MANY TIMES. It has been a big help to my family too, because we find restaurants where we can all eat. People usually don’t mind taking a second to see where you can eat. Most of the time they are relieved they don’t have to figure it out and that you can enjoy too. Depending on your location, the app may have a long list to choose from, so you can give your fellow diners a few choices to pick from. One last thing. If a place has not had a recent review, it will tell you to use extra caution. This is a nice feature as cooking standards can change over time.
Cross-Contamination
Remember when I mentioned cross-contamination? You especially want to be watching for this when you eat out. Cross-contamination occurs when gluten unintentionally comes into contact with gluten-free food. Hopefully not yours. While you can’t go into the kitchen and watch the chef prepare the food, there are some questions you can ask to help minimize the risk. One important question to ask is if they have a dedicated fryer when ordering anything fried. While the menu item may technically be GF, if it is fried in the same oil as the gluten products then cross-contamination may occur. Depending on your sensitivity level, this could be a deal-breaker.
Also, be careful because some restaurants have breaded fries. While fries may be GF in some places, they are not GF in all places. Breaded fries may taste amazing, but they can make you sick or as some call it, you get “glutened.”
In a growing number of fast-food places there are protocols that employees should follow before preparing your food. These extra steps include changing gloves before preparing your food, wiping down prep surfaces and machines (i.e. pizza press or deli meat slicer), using dedicated containers, and possibly even packaging your food separately from the rest of the group’s order. I used to feel bad asking people to do this. I mean, I hate to be that person, but I do get really sick if I eat gluten. It takes about three days to recover. So, I have a choice. Either I never eat out or learn to ask nicely. Many places already have the routine down and when I thank them for taking the extra steps, they are super appreciative. Some places you walk out just hoping you’ll be ok and take an allergy tablet to try and minimize a few symptoms. You will learn that some places won’t be a good option. It takes time, but it will become easier as you go.
How to Order
Ordering can take some practice and that’s ok. Not only do you have to decide which items you are allowed to eat, you then must effectively communicate that. I usually begin by saying I have a gluten and dairy allergy. I gauge their body language as to how I proceed. If they don’t seem rattled, I give basic information and sit back and relax. However, if they panic or ask what gluten is, you have a completely different scenario on your hands. Some people may not be familiar with food allergies and they may think eggs are considered dairy or gluten is just found in bread. That’s where you come in and help them out. It can be frustrating at times, but your health matters enough to persevere through it.
Some places have a separate GF menu or have entrees designated with a GF symbol. This is always a good sign. You can also ask to see the label if there is a question, and some places have allergy binders. Sometimes they go back and ask the chef a few questions and come back with options. There is usually a way to modify, and you can always suggest an alternative based on your previous experiences that have worked. This past weekend we went out to a steakhouse, and I ordered a steak (use olive oil instead of butter), asparagus (again olive oil instead of butter) and salad (no cheese or croutons with a vinaigrette dressing). The funny part is I was so focused on ordering to eliminate the gluten and dairy I forgot to say, “no olives!” Olives don’t have gluten or dairy; I just don’t like them. But they were easy to pick off and the meal was a success.
You probably know how to avoid common GF items such as bread, rolls (even at Texas Roadhouse sadly), croutons, pretzels, and flour tortillas, but it is important to also avoid some sauces, marinades, and meat fillers. These sources can seem less important but can still make you very sick depending on your sensitivity. This of course is not an exhaustive list, but hopefully will be enough to give you a head start for the next time you eat out.
Dairy can be a little easier to cut out. You can order a burger without cheese, add avocado; a taco without sour cream add guacamole; a latte with non-dairy milk (oat, almond, coconut, or soy); or a salad with a vinaigrette instead of creamy ranch. Be careful to watch for dairy in some flavors of chips, salad dressing, broths, sauces including alfredo, instant potatoes, whey protein (read the label of your protein powder!), and casein.
The bottom line is, when possible, do your menu research ahead of time, read labels, ask questions and grow in grace knowing you’re not going to get it perfect 100% of the time, but your knowledge will expand, and favorites will rise to the top of your list.
Swim Meet Travel
Try not to order something completely brand new during a travel meet. Stick to familiar foods because you know how they react in your body. Nobody wants to feel bloated or sluggish during finals. See if it’s possible to find out where the team will be ordering ahead of time and do research on your new app (Find Me Gluten Free). If traveling with family, see if you can make some of your own food and eat out sparingly.
If you are traveling with a team and don’t know where you’ll be eating, I would pack plenty of back up choices to supplement. For example, maybe you can order an Unwich (lettuce wrap) from Jimmy John’s but need to include more carbs with your meal. Pack some GF crackers (Simple Mills), pretzels (Glutino) or bread (Schar). Say you order the turkey chili from Panera but need some extra carbs. Repeat. You can specialize your packing according to your needs and preferences, but extra carbs will likely be on the list. Many of the hotels will have peanut butter and jelly on hand or you can bring a package of rice cakes that can be topped with almond butter and bananas. Applesauce packs and fresh fruit are another great source of carbs. Again, you can customize what works for you, but the good news is that it’s possible to stay fueled for a meet despite being GF and DF. Maybe you can even celebrate the end of the meet with some DF ice cream. So Delicious or Ben & Jerry’s have almond and coconut milk options, but watch out because some flavors have gluten. Another option besides ice cream is sorbet, but be careful not to confuse with sherbet which contains dairy.
You CAN Do It
I know it can be a lot of information to sift through, especially when you first begin, but use these tips to get started and don’t get overwhelmed. Download the Find Me Gluten Free app and explore. You can press the CHAIN tab and explore different reviews on your favorite places, and it has a link to the menu and website to make research easier. There are a growing number of restaurants who are changing their menus and increasing their knowledge to accommodate GF and DF.
It is fun to try different places and maybe even find a new favorite. It brings a special kind of joy to not only find a place you can eat, but that also tastes good! I’m excited for you and want to encourage you in your health journey. You’re doing great and soon YOU will be the one helping others and giving out YOUR recommendations.
Mary Keen is a Purdue graduate and experienced pharmacist. While homeschooling her four children, she has supported their competitive swimming careers from age group through high school and now at the collegiate level. Mary has personally navigated the gluten free/dairy free life and has a passion to help others reach their full potential in and out of the water.