Going to Restaurants

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Having a small difference of opinion with my folks and wanted some input. My daughter is allergic to corn and her doctor wants her to avoid all corn products. This makes it almost impossible for us to eat out. This is fine with my wife and I. My parents, however, want us to bring a sack lunch for my daughter so that we can still go. Personally, I think its insensitive to purposely bring her somewhere that she can't eat anything.

Is there anyway you can tell if she can eat anything on the menu???

That is pretty ridiculous.

But try a health food restaurant. I'm sure there are places that don't use corn at all, at least for some of their items.

I would think corn would be one of those things like peanuts that shows up in all sorts of wierd places . . .

I'm a strict vegetarian and what I do sometimes is bring my main dish with me and then order something like fries or something like that that I can eat at the resturant . . . but corn would be so hard - there is probably corn oil in vegetable oil and then corn syrup is what everything is sweetened with . . .
You might also try to explain the situation to your server at the restuarnt - sometimes they look at you like you are crazy, but occassionally you will get one who will work with you . . .

I know the Outback Steakhouse is pretty good about food allergies. They make all of their food fresh, so they can obviously tell you if something is in a type of food, and take extra precautions in preparing it should they need to avoid a certain food. Just let the server know.

We've got a few places that have been very cooperative and we can find something there (California Pizza Kitchen, Panera Bread). We have the added issue of my wife and daughter having asthma, so smoking becomes a factor. Mostly, we just don't eat out much. The big problem I think is that my parents are "above" CPK and Panera type places. They want to go to Ruth's Chris, PF Chang or some of the other dizzying array of trendy restaurants around here. That's pretty much what people do for recreation in Birmingham is go out to eat. I'm mostly wondering if anyone else thinks I'm being ridiculous by insisting that if my daughter is to be included we go somewhere that she can eat something from the menu (my wife and I do occaisionally get a sitter and go out, then the only requirement is that it be non-smoking which also irritates my folks).

I don't think it's ridiculous at all! I know from personal experience that I hate being excluded in any way for being different. I also know that sometimes it can be difficult to find nutritional information from restaurants.



You are right. Once I bought chocolate-covered doughnuts from the store and the label went on about how traces of peanuts could be found in the doughnuts. These doughnuts didn't have any nut toppings or anything, and you wouldn't have known about it unless you looked at the label. I also used to go to school with someone allergic to peanuts. She had to avoid certain foods, and I remember thinking "why? Those don't have nuts in them."

Not ridiculous at all. Kids matter. They can have just as miserable a time as adults.

Good parent. *pats 06xrs on the head*

I cannot eat out because of my intense dislike of many foods, however my parents still take me out - I just eat before we go out. It is really stupid, and many people find it offensive if you don't eat anything when you go out (a friends mum did today when I declined something and later gave me a lecture on how rude it was to reject food that is offered to you..) but if she wants to still go out then you could do that. Otherwise you could have everyone eat at home and then go out for dessert or something. There would probably be more chance of her having something for dessert or even a drink.

If you contacted the restaurant before-hand (when you book the table maybe), they may be able to identify certain products on the menu which would be safe for your daughter to eat. If all else fails, they might be able to serve up the food you bring on a plate and bring it with your meals, so she'd still feel like she was getting the same treatment.

i like fast food none of that sit down stuff though. no way

I have celiac disease and cannot eat anything with wheat, rye, oats, barley or malt. I rarely go to restaurants but when I do I usually either call ahead or have a discussion with the chef about what is prepared and how. I have a set of foods that is my standard to order when I go out and I bring all my own condiments. Did you know that flour is sometimes used as a spice extender and filler?

I think it is a good idea to have a balance - a bag lunch is embarrasing when everyone else is ordering, but feels better if there is at least something I can order to go with what I brought.