How do you eat out?

[pamptracy]

What can you safely eat or drink at a restaurant or even at a friend's house. Social things always involve food and I'm really struggling! Help!

Tracy

[glowstrz]

Hi Tracy...

This is going to sound silly, I know. But I stick with water. Restaurants always have it =) And now'adays even at social gaterings where alochol and soda are prevelent, there is usually bottled water. I find it best and colorie free! I know...lame. I can handle soda once in a while, but I usually stick with water.

--erica

[pamptracy]

tap water bothers me and so do some bottled waters. I'm working on figuring out which ones. My tap water is acidic so I think that may be why.

Tracy

[vivig14]

there's no way around it, the IC (and IBS diet) is socially awkward. People look at you strange when you order --"without the tomatos, tomato sauce, or the vinegar, please." I just tell them I have "digestive issues" rather than get into the whole Ic/bladder/bowel connection. I take PhControl by PH Sciences which supposedly lessens the acidity in foods and ultimately in your bladder. Check it out. It's just calcium and magnesium mix of some sort i think, very much like Prelief, which did not work for me personally.

Also, there's frequently a veggie tray. I take some carrots, celery, radish, olives, and go to town. If I'm doing overall o.k. I'll take some of the ranch dressing and dip on the side. I take a Lactaid plus the PH Control in that situation. I pop it when nobody is looking. Also I frequently bring a bottled h20 in my satchel purse, so when asked if they can get me something to drink, i say thanks got some water for now...different brands of h20 have different PH levels. I think Evamor markets itself as higher PH. I found in healthy section of grocery store. of course more costly:) take care.

[glowstrz]

Oh, that is rough. For me, the water helps with my symptoms, I know thats strange, but I guess everyone is different. Maybe before you try things out at a social gathering, find things you can have at home and that will help translate into what you know you can and can't have at a social time.

Good luck!

[Pernie]

I would suggest white rice, veggies, baked potatoe, eggs, toast, bagel, steak with no seasoning. Friday I ordered something else, breaded steak and that was a bad idea.

[ICNDonna]

If we go to a restaurant where they serve breakfast all day, I sometimes order my favorite breakfast --- hash browns with over easy eggs and English muffin with honey. Otherwise, I look for something like plain grilled or broiled chicken or steak. I ask for it with no spices added --- and a baked potato with the toppings on the side. For something to drink, my choice is usually milk.

Donna

[Julie B]

I like to do breakfast also, Donna, the eggs seem to be very soothing to me. Other options are to eat a safe meal before you go to the event, then only drink the water. Sometimes I grab my own water to take. These days everyone walks around with a water bottle and I don't think many people think twice about it. I got caught recently in a place that only served Dasani. Needless to say, I got very thirsty and ran to a corner store immediatly after the meeting to grab an Aquafine......which I can drink.

[kdfurgi]

hey tracy,
I have also found that when I go out to eat with friends I can order the food without spices and stuff. When I am out with family I will tell the waitress that I have diet that I can't get off of and can they make my food only on those guidelines, if not I order a salad minus the stuff I can't have and no dressing. Recently my husband took me to The Outback and I pulled out my little pocket list that I recieved in the Elmiron pack when I was diagnosed (keep it in my purse always) and she went to get the manager and he helped me pick out a steak and had the chef put on new gloves and use utensils that had not been used since they were washed (spatula, fork, spoon....) and then he made sure that I was ok with it when it arrived. Later he even gave me a peice of homemade New York Style Cheesecake (hubby makes for me at home, so I knew I could tolerate it) and told me that was his "toast" to finding a cure!! I found out later (when I ran into him with his wife at my drs office) that he knew what IC was and knew what I could and couldn't have when it came to spices because his wife is a fellow ICer. Don't be afraid to speak up, tell them what you can and can't have, after all isn't it the restaurants job to feed its customers?

ps: when I was first diagnosed, if I went out with friends I would excuse myself to the "lady's room" after we ordered and would follow the waitress/waiter and get tell them what spices and such I didn't want on my food so that I didn't feel awkward in front of everybody. Hope this helped.

[mela414]

I bring my own bottled water when I go out just in case the restaraunt does not have a bottled water that I can tolerate. Dasani would destroy me as would any other that has added minerals to enhance flavor. I learned the hard way. Aquafina is great and I am finding more and more restaraunts that have it. Fiji is also great. I put a water filtering system in my kitchen so that I can always fill a water bottle and gooooooooo! I just came back from the movies and I made sure I had my own bottle of water in my purse which I was able to sip on during the movie. As for food, I eat very cautiously and even then sometimes something will get me. It's not easy but I am getting better at it and more accepting of the fact that I can't have what others have.

[windwalker]

Going out to eat, I try for fettuccine alfredo, plain burgers, I can handle things like chicken strips and honey for dipping, my side salads are pretty much lettuce lol. I eat fish (cod, talapia) with just butter and garlic salt. A quick sort of lunch, grilled cheese is ok w/me. Breakfast foods like eggs, pancakes and waffles, just watch the syrup I found most have citric or ascorbic acid (cant remember which it was since I dont have it in the house lol). And I, like most, stick w/water to drink. I can handle peppermint tea and have have actually just ordered hot water and used my own tea bag, explained to the waitress and there was no problem. Hope you find some ideas.

[pamptracy]

The diet seems to be helping so far. We're going to Disney in June so it's going to be tough. Hopefully I'll figure out more things that I can eat by then! Today I actually had lunchmeat...organic with no additives of course. Hasn't bothered me yet! I'm hoping this isn't a coincidence!! Thanks for all the suggestions! I know they'll come in handy!

Tracy

[windwalker]

I went to Universal Studios in FL just last week, I did fine, lol actually all I had was a frosted sugar cookie and a large vanilla shake. Well it was vacation, I cant eat "good" all the time hehehehee. Maybe try some fries or ask them if they season the burgers, if u can get one plain that may work. OR some people pack backpacks of sandwiches and frozen water bottles, maybe something to try?

[Michelle B]

I essentially don't eat out any more since it's so hard to know what's in the food. I've done best when I find restaurants where the wait staff and kitchen are cooperative (and not so busy they're frantic) and will help me find menu items that are safe for me. I stay away from places where the food tends to be preprocessed or preseasoned before it gets to the restaurant. The staff may not be aware of what all of the ingredients are, especially if there are 'secret recipes'. I've found it best to stay with the plain stuff, and ask that the meal be prepared in separate pots and pans from other patron's food. Still, I've had a bunch of bad experiences and feel more comfortable preparing my own meals or eating at the homes of people who know what my sensitivities are. Silver lining: I don't worry much about food poisoning anymore.

[kdfurgi]

just wanted to let everyone know that i found out today that "Sonic"s water is pure water, nothing added!! (hubby asked for one figuring if i couldnt he would, lol) also, the reason i used "The Outback" for an example is because they make all their stuff from scratch, you do have to ask for them not to put the seasonings and stuff on it but at our local one the chef is very helpful and puts on new gloves, uses new pots and pans, and cleaned utensils before fixing my food if i ask. i do agree that it is better to go when it is not busy, makes it harder on the staff and they can become grumpy with all our special requests. just let who ever you go with know that sometimes the chef gets confused with the order and they might not get all the spices either, lol. (happened to hubby a couple of times)