OT: family & restaurants | Arthritis Information

There are a couple and i mean 2 restaurants in town with a couple gluten and dairy free dishes, but that is all.

We have relatives who eat. When they get together, it is always at a restaurant and one that i can't find anything to eat because it's like olive garden where everything is noodles or gluten in a sauce or dairy sauce and it makes it hard when they don't like the places i can go.

I feel bad telling them i can't go and my husband refuses to go without me (it's his family). He doesn't care if we don't go (really doesn't care, not the best parents in the world) but i feel bad that he doesn't see them.

I am hoping to get past this horrible food flair i got a couple days ago when i went out to eat with family, and when it does i can clean the house and try to keep it up. I hope to invite them all over when the time comes for dinner, but with all the work my husband does, it has to be a last minute thought to see if he has time to cook a big meal.

It's so frustrating trying to walk again. I want to rip my hair out.

Thanks for listening.

Bubba,
I have the same problem...my husband and both of my sons have Celiac Disease. I am gluten-free as well, although I do not have Celiac. When we have to go to a dinner where we know there is nothing to eat, we just eat before we leave and eat nothing at the restaurant. It will only take a couple of times before your husbands family will get the picture and pick restaurants where you can eat. It is hard...but we have to make choices that are good for us!
Hang in there!
Jen
It's unfortunate that they don't like the restaurants you can go to, but they're not the ones dealing with the awful after-effects of a gluten meal. Your husband is a good guy for supporting you. Maybe if he explains (again?) to the family how important it is that you go to only certain restaurants, they can see thier way clear to go there. If it was me, I'd want to have my family together, regardless of where we went. Being together is the first order of business, not the food. If they can't accomodate your very reasonable request, don't feel the least bit guilty about your husband not being able to see them. He obviously isn't worried about it and has a very good attitude about the whole thing. Hope you feel better soon.Bubba, forgive my ignorance, but the Olive Garden has several dishes that are basically grilled salmon and veggies, chicken with sauce and veggies, beef and veggies...do the sauces contain gluten? Or are you vegetarian as well? Am I missing something? Maybe your relatives aren't understanding it either. (I don't know how much you have already tried to educate them...some people simply don't understand, while others just won't understand.)

Obviously your relatives should be considerate of your diet! But if you can't get them to change, and you want to see them, unfortunately you may have to do the adjusting yourself. What about calling the restaurant in advance to see what they can do for you? Many places, with a little notice, are happy to adjust dishes or even create something different to accommodate your dietary needs.

I agree with the others about trying to educate them, maybe they don't fully understand how sick the wrong foods make you, but they still may not get it.

I think having them over is a good idea/compromise - but I don't think you have to wait until your husband can prepare a big meal! Get takeout or prepared stuff from Costco. Let them see you want family time, but you have health and diet limitations. You can put a roast in the oven, or Boston butt in the slow cooker, and buy sides to go with it, etc. Baked potatoes, bagged salad mix, those are easy, too, if your hubby wants to grill something.
There is gluten in sauces, butter and even seasonings, so it is hard to find out who has what.i'm not sure yet if i am one that can't have any type of gluten, which means people who can't also can't have anything that is cooked in a pan or on a surface that has cooked gluten, even if it were cleaned.

It is very hard for people with gluten problems to eat anywhere but at home.

See, I'm learning already! Sounds like it is very difficult to stay away from gluten. It's almost like eating Kosher....which in the season of Passover, gives me an idea! I'm pretty sure that foods that are Kosher for Passover don't contain gluten. Don't know if that helps you much, but it might widen your range of prepared foods and recipes that you can use. I'm going to make a great lemon bar recipe I found for my hubby's cousin's Seder on Saturday.

Anyway, I found this article (although it's from 2005...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9144025/) about restaurants, including chains such as PF Chang's, Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill, that are offering gluten-free menus. And also this website with a restaurant locator...http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/find.php. Maybe next time you could ask to pick the restaurant, or "invite them over" to go out to a local restaurant you choose, or bring in food from one of those places.

(edited to fix the first link)

InnerGlow2008-04-15 12:04:06Couldn't you fix a nice dinner and invite everyone to your house?honey, i think what shes' trying to say, is she's too sick to cook.

I think your family just doesn't get it,, and you'll just have to say,

which matters most, us or the food?.. or you could be a bit graphic and say i really don't want to have to spend the rest of the night in the bathroom, just to have a meal w/ you..

Lol...

or have them come over after dinner.. or before...

Its soo hard, for people to get Sickness!!! grrr