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JessicaK72
Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Posts: 43
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 Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:13 pm Post subject: We have to eat out for two days. Yikes. |
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My husband's side of the family is getting together for an overnight in two weeks at a local water park and hotel. We will be staying one night, so we will be away from home for 4-5 meals. Our daughter has been GF for just two weeks and we are being extremely cautious with her food. I am feeling a little overwhelmed at this prospect. There are a couple of restaurants at this hotel, and one of them looks more upscale. Is that probably going to be our best bet for compliance with the diet?
There is a little food stand in the water park with many foods that are surely off limits (hot dogs, pizza, etc.) so I will want to pack a lot of snacks for Bella that travel well because I'm guessing that the food stand will be lunch for everyone else. Do you have ideas for food that will travel well and be low maintenance?
I am very nervous about this trip.
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Jessie
www.getouttaheregluten.blogspot.com |
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cruelshoes
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 2545
Location: Washington State
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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If you call ahead to the hotel, they may be able to provide you with a small refrigerator and/or microwave. That way you can either bring perishable food from home or buy it at a grocery store close to the hotel. Whenever we go to a lunch thing like that, I always bring the bulk of my son's lunch and then buy him something pre-packaged like GF chips from the snack stand. That way he gets to feel normal like the other kids and still gets a safe meal.
The only way you will know if it will be possible for your daughter to get a safe meal at the restaurants is to call and talk with the chef. You can get a feel for how willing they are to work with you. If you call at an off-peak time you might be able to get some more time with them than if you call during a lunch rush. If it were me, I would ask the restaurant if they will allow outside food and bring the bulk of her meal with me rather than trying to order it there. Then maybe you could order a fruit plate or something to round out the meal. Keep in mind that CC is always a risk.
She has only been on the diet a short time and any gluten exposure increases her healing time. THe more food you can provide for her rather than eating out the better.
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-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
10-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters (12 and 2) have neg. bloodwork
A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt |
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Amooliakin
Joined: 09 Oct 2006
Posts: 368
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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Yes - it is indeed nerve wracking. But you can do it....
While you are away you can buy fresh fruit for snacks, and you can bring dried fruits for a snack as well. Also, as a treat my daughter loves marshmallows. The Jet Puffed are GF. We found that the GF bread was not good to travel with because you have to toast it to make it bearable and it is hard to find a toaster, much less a clean one. If you bring a cold pack and a insulated bag, you can bring cheese and yogurt that will last the first day or even two. Likewise baked good will last a few days. Protein is harder. My daughter does not like dairy products.
I'm going to keep thinking about this for you.
Let us know how old your daughter is and what foods she likes.
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Amy - Mom to two kids, one with Celiac, and assorted pets... |
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JessicaK72
Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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Bella is 8.5. She eats a lot of fruit, so that will be easy to do. We'll be good with yogurt and string cheese, but it's really the main course that I'm having trouble with. Maybe I'll pack some GF deli meat in a cooler--she can wrap that up with the string cheese for lunch. If they have a microwave, that will help. She loves pasta--I make a mean GF pad thai that she loves--so I could make some of that and bring it if we can microwave it.
I think what is the most difficult here is that this will be her first experience of eating in public and I hate to think of all the other kids getting lunch from the restaurant and she has to eat out of a cooler. But it is what it is.
Any further ideas would be lovely!
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Jessie
www.getouttaheregluten.blogspot.com |
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Amooliakin
Joined: 09 Oct 2006
Posts: 368
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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My daughter is 8.5 as well! I hope Bella is feeling OK about the transition she is making. We found the book called The Gluten Free Kid to be extremely helpful and supportive. When Rebecca was diagnosed about 5 months ago we read it over and over.
I do think there are some safe foods you can get her at a restaurant. If you bring your GF pasta and ask them to boil it in a clean pot, then you can bring some sauce for it and they can serve it to her at the table. If they use a separate fryer (not mixed with breaded stuff) she can have french fries. If she likes hamburgers or other meat or fish, they can cook it plain and be sure it is not on a bun or cooked where bread was toasted.
Plain rice is OK with butter or salt. A baked potato is fine with stuff on it.
Again, I'm not sure what Bella likes to eat. She sounds a lot less picky than Rebecca so you may be OK.
Good Luck.. I'll keep my thinking cap on....
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Amy - Mom to two kids, one with Celiac, and assorted pets... |
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aklap
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 8603
Location: WI, USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Amooliakin wrote: | | I do think there are some safe foods you can get her at a restaurant. If you bring your GF pasta and ask them to boil it in a clean pot, then you can bring some sauce for it and they can serve it to her at the table. |
Using fresh water - not existing pasta water.
| Amooliakin wrote: | | If they use a separate fryer (not mixed with breaded stuff) she can have french fries. |
You'll have to check to make sure the fries themselves don't have any seasonings or coatings. Sometimes they do...
| Amooliakin wrote: | | If she likes hamburgers or other meat or fish, they can cook it plain and be sure it is not on a bun or cooked where bread was toasted. |
Ask about marinades, seasonings - those can be source of gluten too.
| Amooliakin wrote: | | Plain rice is OK with butter or salt. A baked potato is fine with stuff on it. |
Yup - plain white rice. Be careful of rice pilaf it's not always GF as one would think
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For baked potatoes, have to be careful about sour cream [there can be natural flavors in some of that]. Also watch out for bacon bits - many times they are not real bacon bits, but processed ones and often are not GF. HORMEL® Bacon Bits and Pieces are GF.
Does she like salads? Salads are fairly easy. Ask how they make their salads - many times they will mix a salad in a large mixing bowl - if there are crouton crumbs in that mixing bowl, it's no good. If so, ask for a clean mixing bowl. I suggest bringing your own GF dressing.
I'm with Colleen, try to bring as much food as possible. What are her favorite meals? If possible, make some meals ahead, freeze them and bring them in a cooler with ice. It's kinda like camping 
Hmmm...still thinking...
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Al
“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa |
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The Edifying Conscience
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 2438
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Aklap wrote: | | Amooliakin wrote: | | If she likes hamburgers or other meat or fish, they can cook it plain and be sure it is not on a bun or cooked where bread was toasted. |
Ask about marinades, seasonings - those can be source of gluten too. |
Be careful with hamburgers. A broker was showing my dad some new products available at his company. Their 'best selling' burgers included breadcrumbs in the ingredients.
Traveling...I was recently away for the weekend and packed all of the food I thought I might need plus napkins, silverware, plates, etc. Thankfully, my mom drove her terrible for the environment, big gas guzzling SUV so we had room for a microwave.
Anyway, I took some frozen pulled pork, a tupperware container of chili, cold pepperoni pizza, jambalaya, lettuce and dressing, a loaf of homemade Italian bread, some dried cranberries, apricots, nuts, chocolate, yogurt, cheese, GF crackers (that I broke into a million pieces), a few of those Taste of Thai meals, several Lara bars, 15 Minute Chocolate Fudge and Mega Size M&Ms. We left on Friday AM and got home Monday evening. By Sunday night I was tired of everything I brought but I had more than enough food. It did help that our hotel room had a refrigerator. Although with the temps in the high 30s the food would have been fine in the car.
I would suggest you take things that you know your daughter can eat over and over and over again without getting tired of. Don't forget to pack a few treats when nothing else will hit the spot despite her hunger. |
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aklap
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 8603
Location: WI, USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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Yup - good catch on the burgers - make sure they're 100% beef. I think I got glutened in Mexico by them. It was my own fault, I was eating in a place where I didn't have and "supervision" telling me what was safe.
Once I stopped eating the "burger patties" I felt OK again...
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Al
“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa |
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JessicaK72
Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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She won't eat burgers or hot dogs without the bun anyway, so that is not a worry. I really like the idea of bringing our own food and asking the restaurant to heat it and serve it.
I'm going to call the chef tomorrow. Hopefully they will be exceptionally knowledgeable and accomodating! If not, we'll just have to bring her food and deal with it.
I have a tiny crock pot. I might bring that and I could probably heat up mac and cheese or whatever in there.
There are these GF chicken nuggets that she loves. Not exactly health food, but that would be pretty simple for the restaurant to heat (on a clean baking sheet of course). I could even bring some "fries" for them to bake along with the chicken. That and a banana would make her happy.
While keeping her safe is obviously most important, I am hoping this is not socially or emotionally difficult for her. I hope it is safe for her to eat with everyone else so she doesn't feel left out.
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Jessie
www.getouttaheregluten.blogspot.com
Last edited by JessicaK72 on Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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aklap
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 8603
Location: WI, USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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Jessie,
They may not let you bring outside food in. It's a legal issue. We ran into that with a caterer. She explained they are on the hook for ANY food that is served - regardless of where it comes from. If that follows for restaurants, I'm not sure.
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Al
“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa
Last edited by aklap on Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:38 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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JessicaK72
Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| aklap wrote: | Jessie,
They may not let you bring outside food in. It's a legal issue. |
Rats. I didn't think about that. At least we are staying in a hotel and the restaurant is connected. I guess if all goes poorly at least we have the refuge of outside food in the hotel. (or the ho-n-tell, as my kids say  )
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Jessie
www.getouttaheregluten.blogspot.com |
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aklap
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 8603
Location: WI, USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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Give it a shot...all they can do is say no...
I still bring in salad dressing and no one has ever said anything...but I'm not overt about it either.
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Al
“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa
Last edited by aklap on Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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aklap
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 8603
Location: WI, USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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I have found that Chefs at higher end places are familiar with it and many times have had training.
You'll be able to tell by talking to them
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Al
“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa |
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cruelshoes
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 2545
Location: Washington State
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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| JessicaK72 wrote: |
but that would be pretty simple for the restaurant to heat (on a clean baking sheet of course). I could even bring some "fries" for them to bake along with the chicken. |
I would be very hesitant to have the restaurant heat up anything I brought in. After it left your hands it could instantly become cross contaminated. They may let you bring food in for DD, but I think they would be very unlikely to heat anything you brought.
_________________
-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
10-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters (12 and 2) have neg. bloodwork
A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt |
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aklap
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 8603
Location: WI, USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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Some places do allow you to bring stuff in. I've spent a little bit of time out on cheftalk.com [a discussion board for chefs, etc]. There were some chefs out there that were b*tching about the GF people bringing in their god awful GF pasta for him to cook.
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Al
“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa |
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