It isn’t always easy to eat gluten-free when you are at a restaurant or buffet. Fast food places are extra challenging, at least for me. Very few places are prepared to accommodate the needs of people who have an allergy to gluten, (or to other foods, for that matter). Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make your lunch or dinner a bit safer.
When I first discovered that I had a gluten allergy, it made me very aware of how many gluten filled foods can be found in a typical restaurant setting. It doesn’t seem to matter which type of food the place specializes in, either. Italian restaurants feature pasta, and breadsticks. Chinese buffets have noodles. Most buffets have quite a few items that have been coated in bread, and then deep fried. Mexican restaurants have flour tortillas. The list goes on.
There are some ways to avoid eating gluten when you dine out, however. If you tell your waitress that you have a gluten allergy, and that you would like your hamburger or cheeseburger served without the bun, they will do that. I found this out when I was at an IHOP. One would think that a place known for its delicious pancakes would be the last place that a person with a gluten-allergy would be dining at. Its nice to know that they will serve your burger wrapped in lettuce, if you ask for it that way.
Buffets provide other challenges. If you end up at a buffet like Hometown Buffet, or Old Country Buffet, there will be a lot of foods that you need to avoid. You may want to start with the salad bar, because things will be a little easier there.
Vegetables are gluten free. You can safely have a salad with whatever kind of lettuce they offer, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, green peppers, peas, or any other veggies that are available. Pick a dressing that you know doesn’t affect your allergies, and skip the croutons.
If you go during breakfast, then you can eat eggs, bacon, and perhaps sausage as well. Dinner has the best options for people who need to eat gluten-free. Their carving station will have plenty of roasted meats, and they usually have baked chicken as well. To my great disappointment, it seems like all their shrimp options are coated in bread.
Fast food places are tricky. If I’m in the mood for a hamburger from Carl’s Jr., (or anywhere else), I order it “to go”. There are many reasons why this makes it easier for me to eat. The first time I sat down in the fast food restaurant, and removed the bun from my burger, I got a lot of strange looks from the other customers. It made me uncomfortable.
I also learned that day that most fast food places don’t have plastic knives and forks that are available for customers to use. If you order a salad, it will come with plasticware, but otherwise, this isn’t something they have sitting out somewhere. It gives you little choice except to eat the burger by picking it up with your hands. This is easier said than done when it is “bunless”! Taking it home means I can put it on a plate, eat it with a knife and fork, and no one will care.
Image by Joshua Bousel on Flickr