I went out to dinner with a friend tonight. I love going out to eat with friends, as I am sure everyone else does. However, restaurant dining with IC can be a serious pain in the ass. Here is how I deal. I eat at diners. Almost exclusively. American food may not be fascinating, but its safe. I miss Chinese, Mexican, and Japanese food, but its not worth the risk and the possible pain. If anyone out there has ideas on how to eat at "ethnic" restaurants safely with IC, then please post a comment and share.
So tonight I went to dinner with my best friend of 20 years, "K". She ordered the chili topped with onions. It looked good and smelled amazing. I ordered the salmon, cooked in butter, with plain baked potato and steamed veggies. When I order in restaurants I make sure to tell my server that I am on a medical diet. I ask about how everything is cooked, are the vegetables steamed in chicken broth (an IC no-no, because of the onion in broth). I usually remember to tell the server that I can't have any citrus, acids, or peppers. However, tonight I forgot about that last part and my salmon turned up with a big lemon wedge next to it. I was lucky though the lemon was just garnish and it had not actually touched my buttery little fish. But it was a reminder to be more careful when I order.
I am wondering my sisters (and brothers?) how do you make the IC diet work for you in restaurants?
Yours,
The Goose Girl
Chinese is possible, as are some other Asian restaurants! They almost always have a low fat section on the menu. That is the best place to start. Usually a dish like steamed broccoli and chicken over rice. You can say- boiled or steamed with no oils, sauces etc... When served you can add salt or maybe have the dish prepared with garlic. Served with abundant white rice there is always something for me to eat :)
ReplyDeleteFor Italian, if I don't see a particular dish on the menu I ask for pasta with a pesto sauce. Many ICers can handle pesto. If you can't just ask for "plain" pasta and maybe a little sprinkle of Parmesan, garlic oil, olive oil or ricotta. I usually top it with 'steamed/boiled' spinach. I love Italian and there is no reason we can't have it.
Many of us have trouble with Mexican. I love to get flour tacos. I get bean or beef (plainly cooked in a new pan) and top with avocado, and lettuce. You could also ask for a bean burrito made the same way.
Many times it helps to mention the medical diet as you have stated. I wear a medical ID bracelet so they are almost always understanding. Remember that most places have a starch that can be made plain- Potato, rice, pasta. Many have beans, spinach or lettuce too. Meat is a little more of a challenge to find and prepare plain. But at least you have a few things you may order.
While I am no longer a vegan or vegetarian you might benefit from looking up some of those recipes to see what veggie foods are safe for you. I usually have beef or veggie options as those are the easiest to prepare. Chicken, pork,seafood etc have more complex menu items usually.
Thanks for the ideas about chinese, Italian, and Mexican food. I will definitely look into these options. I can't eat beans, but maybe I can get plain cheese quesadillas with avocado in my next mexican restuarant. At least I would be able to help my friends have more dining options with me and that's always a nice feeling. I really appreciate you sharing your ideas with me. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteEvery so often while out, I have something acidic or spicy that isn't on the IC list and religiously swallow a couple of Prelief with it. But on the whole, I tend to stay bland to be on the safe side.
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