I figured I probably have enough items to finish 30 days of things I can eat now. So I'm jumping back into that as well.
Today's food is celery. Celery is nice to chew because it feels like I'm accomplishing the act of eating without too many allergies or calories. Right now I am munching short celery sticks that I cut up last night. Great snack!
I've heard that celery is a "negative calorie food." E.g., the act of eating celery burns more calories than you take in from the celery. I wonder if I can find a place to corroborate that.
[PAUSE]
WOW! It's true! According to a number of resources I trust, especially www.snopes.com, celery is a negative calorie food. Check it out! The act of chewing isn't what burns the caolries, though; it's the energy required for digestion. Nifty!
I use celery to bulk up salads when I'm stuck at a buffet where I can't trust most food. I cannot have too many leafy greens, because my body cannot digest them very well. So here is the "recipe" I use for buffets when I have to make a meal out of little or nothing.
ULTIMATE BUFFET SALAD
- Red cabbage, shredded
- Carrots, slivered
- Celery chunks
- Cucumber slices
- Mung beans (they are mostly water, but add some variety)
- Broccoli or cauliflower, if I'm feeling adventurous
- Sunflower seeds (or sesame seeds, if they have them)
- Red kidney beans (ok, so I don't add them right now since I'm avoiding hardcore legumes, but they were very yummy when I could add them)
- Plain chicken, if it's actually plain, which it rarely is, on top.
Grab a piece of fruit for dessert and you've survived eating out with your coworkers!
Showing posts with label eating out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eating out. Show all posts
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
GF MENU: Maggiano's
You wouldn't know it from their website, but Maggiano's *Little Italy* is quite gluten-free friendly.
In searching out somewhere to eat a nice Christmas Eve meal in St. Louis with SW's family, someone brought up Maggiano's. I scoffed at them. A national chain of Italian restaurants? Are you kidding me?! Places like that would kill me on sight!
But some basic research pulled together a much different picture. The scuttlebutt was that Maggiano's was very GF friendly. Not only do they stock gluten-free pasta, but they have bread products as well as a gluten-free dessert brownie.
Still I remained unconvinced. So I called the location in St. Louis where we would be eating. Sure enough, it was all true. The woman who answered the phone emphasized that when we made our reservation, we should indicate the gluten allergy. Then the chef would come out and talk to me. Wow! I gave my "approval" to make the reservation.
Christmas eve came and Maggiano's was packed. But the chef still came out and talked to me. Unfortunately, they had run out of GF bread. Never underestimate the volumes of folks with Celiacs! Probably best for me, because I shouldn't have yeast, but I was sad that I didn't get a dinner roll.
What I did get was the chicken pesto pasta. It was wonderful! And the brownie was heavenly. It made it feel like a real meal, like I was somehow vastly different than anyone else ordering at the table. A lovely Xmas gift!
OH! Maggiano's also has gluten-free beer. I avoided the GF beer because of the fermenting process (the yeasties in my body would LOVE it), but I am very happy to say that Maggiano's stocks it. So if you drank beer prior to your diagnosis, Maggiano's has got your back.
It was a great evening. I joined their emailing list and got a $10 off coupon. I guess we'll just have to go back to eat there in the next month. Oh darn. [please note the sarcasm!] You can get a coupon, too, if you join the list; click here.
In searching out somewhere to eat a nice Christmas Eve meal in St. Louis with SW's family, someone brought up Maggiano's. I scoffed at them. A national chain of Italian restaurants? Are you kidding me?! Places like that would kill me on sight!
But some basic research pulled together a much different picture. The scuttlebutt was that Maggiano's was very GF friendly. Not only do they stock gluten-free pasta, but they have bread products as well as a gluten-free dessert brownie.
Still I remained unconvinced. So I called the location in St. Louis where we would be eating. Sure enough, it was all true. The woman who answered the phone emphasized that when we made our reservation, we should indicate the gluten allergy. Then the chef would come out and talk to me. Wow! I gave my "approval" to make the reservation.
Christmas eve came and Maggiano's was packed. But the chef still came out and talked to me. Unfortunately, they had run out of GF bread. Never underestimate the volumes of folks with Celiacs! Probably best for me, because I shouldn't have yeast, but I was sad that I didn't get a dinner roll.
What I did get was the chicken pesto pasta. It was wonderful! And the brownie was heavenly. It made it feel like a real meal, like I was somehow vastly different than anyone else ordering at the table. A lovely Xmas gift!
OH! Maggiano's also has gluten-free beer. I avoided the GF beer because of the fermenting process (the yeasties in my body would LOVE it), but I am very happy to say that Maggiano's stocks it. So if you drank beer prior to your diagnosis, Maggiano's has got your back.
It was a great evening. I joined their emailing list and got a $10 off coupon. I guess we'll just have to go back to eat there in the next month. Oh darn. [please note the sarcasm!] You can get a coupon, too, if you join the list; click here.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Fast (?!?!) Food
It's very hard to find quick, allergy-friendly meals on the go. I've slowly learned which fast food restaurants have work-around options. I've been very busy recently and have, sadly, had to revisit some of these options. They may not be "kosher" for everyone of my allergies, but they avoid my major triggers.
McDonald: Apple dippers
Thank goodness for some place finally having developed a "fast food" fruit. I don't use the sauce, but it's nice to get something sweet while on the go. Warning: DON'T get the fruit & walnut salad! The walnuts and, I think, the sauce are not gluten-free.
Subway: Grilled chicken
Funny thing about Subway - I actually had employee leave his station to go ask his manager to approve giving me a sandwich with no bread. Sigh. You can order a salad with the grilled chicken on top (I like using spinach leaves instead of iceberg lettuce), but it costs significantly more for less chicken than a 12" sub.
But what about the common language barrier? I have resorted to this more than once: I asked for a 12" sub on whatever bread I feel like, catch them before they put the chicken down, and have them microwave just the meat. Then while it's heating up, I have them put on LOTS of lettuce and LOTS of cucumbers. Once the meat is ready it goes safely against the greens. Then I only eat the interior items that have not been gluten-ified.
This really only works if you need a hefty dose of gluten to set you off. If you have problems breathing near flour, do not try this approach!
Baja Fresh: Original Baja Taco Chicken with no salsa, onions, or cilantro
...which means it's just the corn tortilla and the chicken. I actually strongly suspect there's a hint of garlic on the chicken since it's so yummy and flavorful on its own, but it's not enough to cause a reaction if I have one or two.
The big thing that varies from store to store is the amount of cross-contamination on the grill. I've learned which stores are better than others (around the DC area) within the chain and try to frequent those most. If I have to eat at a Baja Fresh that I haven't patronized before, I try to do it when I'll be home in a few hours (when my reactions tend to hit), just in case.
McDonald: Apple dippers
Thank goodness for some place finally having developed a "fast food" fruit. I don't use the sauce, but it's nice to get something sweet while on the go. Warning: DON'T get the fruit & walnut salad! The walnuts and, I think, the sauce are not gluten-free.
Subway: Grilled chicken
Funny thing about Subway - I actually had employee leave his station to go ask his manager to approve giving me a sandwich with no bread. Sigh. You can order a salad with the grilled chicken on top (I like using spinach leaves instead of iceberg lettuce), but it costs significantly more for less chicken than a 12" sub.
But what about the common language barrier? I have resorted to this more than once: I asked for a 12" sub on whatever bread I feel like, catch them before they put the chicken down, and have them microwave just the meat. Then while it's heating up, I have them put on LOTS of lettuce and LOTS of cucumbers. Once the meat is ready it goes safely against the greens. Then I only eat the interior items that have not been gluten-ified.
This really only works if you need a hefty dose of gluten to set you off. If you have problems breathing near flour, do not try this approach!
Baja Fresh: Original Baja Taco Chicken with no salsa, onions, or cilantro
...which means it's just the corn tortilla and the chicken. I actually strongly suspect there's a hint of garlic on the chicken since it's so yummy and flavorful on its own, but it's not enough to cause a reaction if I have one or two.
The big thing that varies from store to store is the amount of cross-contamination on the grill. I've learned which stores are better than others (around the DC area) within the chain and try to frequent those most. If I have to eat at a Baja Fresh that I haven't patronized before, I try to do it when I'll be home in a few hours (when my reactions tend to hit), just in case.
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