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Restricted Diets: Advice For Dining Out
This next post in my ongoing Restricted Diet series with the Free People blog BLDG25, covers a topic that people write me requesting help with and advice on, all of the time. Besides eating at parties or events where the menu is out of your control (which I talk about here), dining out is one of THE most challenging situations when you have dietary restrictions. As with most situations, the best thing you can do is plan ahead and do your research.
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A Quick Guide to Gluten-Free Eating
I am sure many of my regular readers here are old pros at eating gluten-free, but maybe some of you are new to a strictly gluten-free diet (due to Celiac disease, a gluten intolerance or another medical/health reason), or perhaps you are looking to simply cut back or eliminate some gluten from your diet. Maybe you are being a really good pal, looking to learn more and find options for a friend or family member that is gluten-free. No matter what the reason, my simple overview of a gluten-free diet is meant to be used as a safe and quick tool while you are doing your own research on specific products and what you can and cannot tolerate (even within these “allowed” foods).
I hope you enjoy this list and find it to be a good resource if you are just starting out, or to share with family and friends that want to learn more about your restrictions.
A Quick Guide to Gluten-Free Eating
ALWAYS AVOID ON A GLUTEN-FREE DIET:
- Wheat (einkorn, durum, farro, graham, kamut, semolina, spelt)
- Rye
- Barley (malt, malt flavoring and malt vinegar are usually made from barley)
- Triticale (a cross between wheat and rye)
- Commercial oats contain gluten due to cross contamination in processing, only eat certified GF oats
Wheat goes by many names – other wheat products to avoid:
- Bulgur
- Durum flour
- Farina
- Graham flour
- Kamut
- Semolina
- Spelt
SAFE FOODS ON A GLUTEN-FREE DIET:
Alternative flours, grains, starches and thickeners that are inherently safe for celiac, gluten intolerance and wheat allergies include:
- Rice (white, brown, basmatic, jasmine, wild, risotto, sticky rice, rice cereal)
- Corn (maize) (grits, polenta, cornmeal)
- Potato, potato starch, potato flour
- Tapioca and tapioca starch
- Bean flours (chickpea, garbanzo, soy, fava, garfava)
- Sorghum
- Quinoa, quinoa flour and cereal flakes
- Millet and millet flour
- Rice flour
- Buckwheat
- Arrowroot starch
- Amaranth
- Certified gluten-free oats and oatmeal*
- Teff
- Montina
- Cornstarch (corn flour)
- Flax
- Nut flours (almond, chestnut, pecan, cashew, macadamia)
- Coconut flour
*Oats are naturally gluten-free and might be OK but please note when purchasing your oats, please make sure to choose packages that say “gluten-free”, as most commercial oats are contaminated with wheat when they are grown in the fields or from cross contamination in the processing plant. Some folks that are gluten-free don’t eat any oats, as they cannot tolerate them. Research indicates that pure, uncontaminated oats consumed in moderation (up to 1/2 cup dry oats daily) are tolerated by most celiacs. Everyone is different so please only eat them if you know you can tolerate then and consult with your physician or specialist before including in your regular diet.
Labels that clearly declare a complete list of ingredients are usually safest. You must read labels each and every time foods are purchased, as manufacturers can change ingredients at any time. As of 2006, wheat used in products will be identified on the label. Additionally, you may verify ingredients by calling or writing a food manufacturer and specifying the ingredients and the lot number of the food in question. State your needs clearly – be patient, persistent and polite.
WHAT ABOUT ALCOHOL?
Distilled alcoholic beverages and vinegars are gluten-free. Distilled products do not contain any harmful gluten peptides. Research indicates that the gluten peptide is too large to carry over in the distillation process. This process leaves the resultant liquid gluten-free. Wines and hard liquor/distilled beverages are gluten-free. Beers, ales, lagers and malt vinegars that are made from gluten-containing grains are not distilled and, therefore, are not gluten-free. There are many great gluten-free beers available.
FOODS THAT ARE NATURALLY GLUTEN-FREE:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Beans, seeds, nuts in their natural, unprocessed form
- Fresh eggs
- Fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, batter-coated or marinated)
- Most dairy products
GLUTEN LIKES TO HIDE: Always Read Labels. Don’t be afraid to call the manufacturer if you are unsure.
Products to be careful of where gluten can be hiding: broth, bouillon, beers, ales, lager, breading & coating mixes, energy bars, syrups, communion wafers, french fries, croutons, dressings, drugs & over-the-counter medications, modified food starch, ice cream and frozen desserts, flour & cereal products, herbal supplements, imitation bacon (and other fake meats), veggie burgers, imitation seafood, marinades, nutritional supplements & vitamins, pastas, flavored vinegars, chocolate, candy, processed deli meats, sauces & gravies, hot dogs and vegan hot dogs, spice blends, self-basting poultry, soy sauce or soy sauce marinades, soups and soup bases, stuffings, thickeners (Roux), confectioner’s and brown sugar, herbal teas (watch for barley), jerky.
*Please remember that even the words “gluten-free” on a label do not always insure 100% gluten-free, due to cross contamination. Be cautious and be vigilant. Call companies and manufacturers, ask for detailed information or testing.
REMEMBER WHEN IN DOUBT, GO WITHOUT! IT IS NEVER WORTH IT!
When you are unable to verify ingredients or the ingredient list for a food is unavailable – DO NOT EAT IT!! No matter the amount consumed, it is not worth affecting your immune system nor is it worth the damage that will surely be done to the small intestines as a result, every time gluten is eaten. Whether or not symptoms or signs are present, it may be happening.
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Restricted Diets: Focus On What You CAN Eat, Not What You Can’t
This post was originally shared on the Free People blog, BDLG 25.
Restricted Diets: Focus On What You CAN Eat, Not What You Can’t
Many of you know this from following my blog over the past few years, but due to health reasons I was forced to give up gluten in 2005. Since then, I have also willingly removed dairy (with the exception of goat’s milk occasionally) and processed foods from my diet and I maintain a conscientious omnivore diet, with a focus on nutrient-dense whole foods, which means TONS of veggies. I generally avoid refined sugars and processed and refined carbs (though I am not perfect, obvi). One of the number one questions I receive from people when they first meet me and hear of all of my restrictions, is “what else is left” or “so what DO you eat then?”. This question always makes me laugh for the pure fact that I feel like the possibilities are endless and the weeks are not long enough for all of the foods I love to eat to make it into a meal.
I decided a while back instead of focusing on the long list of things I cannot eat, to instead celebrate the never-ending list of those that I CAN. It has been freeing to not only discover new foods that I never even knew existed, but to also get creative with some of the old standbys that pop-up often.
Having so many restrictions, some self-inflicted and some for medical/health purposes, may seem like it leaves very little for me to eat. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Restricting my diet has actually allowed me to find more foods and ingredients than I ever even imagined existed. There was a time when I first went gluten-free that all I could do was think about what I couldn’t eat. Cookies, pizza, cake, pasta, sandwiches…the list goes on and on. I was so sad over what I could no longer eat, that I couldn’t even focus on all of the many things there still were, and many that I didn’t even know about, yet. I began eating anything that I knew was gluten-free and even just closely resembled the food I had been missing so dearly. I gained weight and I felt terrible. It was all over-processed, filled with preservatives, and lab created junk made to make you think you were eating it’s gluten-containing counterpart. It all tasted terrible, was expensive, and I was even more unhappy. That is when I decided to take control of my eating and get adventurous and explore a little.
There had to be more out there and I was ready to find it. I discovered there are so many amazing gluten-free grains that I never even knew existed until I went searching (some of my favorites are pictured at the top of this post). Amaranth, millet, buckwheat, so many various rices – just to name a few. I also decided to start focusing more on fresh and whole fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. After I decided to go dairy-free, processed and packaged food-free and eating very little meat, I really had to get creative with what I was eating. I have discovered so many fun things – for example:
– Using nutritional yeast in a recipe can give a cheesy flavor to vegan pasta sauces.
– Use ground flax seeds with hot water to replace eggs in many recipes to make them vegan.
– Psyllium husks give a great texture to gluten-free breads and baked goods that I had never found before.
– Make absolutely delicious baked goods totally grain-free by using almond flour – you would never know there isn’t a single grain in there.
– Make a delicious flatbread with literally just chickpea flour, water and oil.
The list of my discoveries just goes on and on! Instead of looking around and seeing all of the things that everyone else can have and I cannot, I now think about all of the creative ways to play with all of the amazing ingredients I have discovered. One of my favorite things to do is to go to the farmers market each week and with each trip I challenge myself to find and buy a food I have never heard of before or have never cooked with and get creative with it. It is so exciting and it keeps me on my toes.
This same philosophy can work for you, whether you are gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, paleo, corn-free, sugar-free, nut-free, soy-free, grain-free, etc. Get out explore the rows of food at your farmers market and your local grocery store. Buy something you normally wouldn’t (as long as it is safe for you) and play. You might actually surprise yourself and learn to love a food you never even knew existed. Focus on the long list of amazing fresh and healthy foods that you can eat, instead of dwelling on the list of things you cannot. It is so freeing and inspiring!
