*Minor* (yet MAJOR) problem!
#32011 - 12/15/03 05:28 PM
|
|
|
|
peaches
Reged: 09/28/03
Posts: 1183
Loc: Fort Wayne, Indiana
|
|
|
Ok my Christmas Dance is this Saturday, and the group I'm going with wants to go out to eat at Olive Garden first. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can eat there?? I suggested Red Lobster maybe so I could have crab legs or sumthin but they don't want to go there soooooooooooooo I'm stuck!! Any advice on Italian foods would be extremely helpful!! 
--------------------
It comes down to the art of living on [color/red]
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I find Italian places are pretty good for me. I order pasta with a napoli (tomato) vegetarian or seafood sauce and ask them (usually about 3 times!) to make sure they don't add any dairy products to it. If you're ok with tomatoes, this should be a good way to start off!
Not sure if you're a C or D person, but either way, wouldn't hurt to have your soluble fibre supplement before you head out.
Have a great dance!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
MAJOR Problem!
#32014 - 12/15/03 05:44 PM
|
|
|
|
Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
|
|
|
WOW! Tough one. I wonder if they don't have fish on the menu; you could ask them to steam it for you. OR what about roast chicken? You could specify to the waiter that you didn't want any sauce on it -- but if it came with a sauce, you could just scrape it all off and then eat the white rice first. I'm really a wuus at this kind of problem; I'm afraid I'd "chicken out"  and, instead of having to explain anything to anyone, I'd just order the cheapest thing on the menu, fill up on bread (no butter) and drink a LOT of water, and, if anyone said anything about the fact that I wasn't eating my main meal, just say I got filled up on bread. If I didn't think that would work with the group of people I was with, I'd suddenly come down with the flu. I told ya I'm a wuus.  Bev
--------------------
<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I agree. Take a supplement before you go. I would even go so far as to have a few slices of white bread or a bowl of rice right before you leave. Ask for a vegetarian sauce with pasta. Ask for the sauce to come on the side, that way you can control how much you put on your noodles. Make sure there is no cheese added. You'll have to avoid the breadsticks and salad - both have cheese on them (parmesan) and too much oil.
Take a bag of tea with you and ask for hot water. Peppermint tea would be my recommendation.
If anyone asks, say that you had a big lunch and aren't really hungry.
Take an "emergency" meal with you in case all goes to pot. IE some buns, or something to fill your stomach in between the dinner and the dance.
--------------------
Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Ok you guys, false alarm lol how about T.G.I. Friday's? Does anyone have one of these by them that they've eaten at? Olive Garden was too expensive so this is where we're going instead. But your suggestions will come in handy the next time I go out to eat at an Italian restuarant. Thank you guys!
--------------------
It comes down to the art of living on [color/red]
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Ooooh!! The dance!! The dance!! I've been waiting to hear about this! 
Anyway, I agree with HanSolo. Take a supplement before you leave, and even have something to safe to eat like the rice. That way you've got extra cushion! 
I haven't been to Olive Garden in forever, so I can't remember what they'd have that is safe. OK - I just checked www.olivegarden.com and you can look at the menu. The weird part was you had to select which one you were going to to see the menu first. I don't know if this means different locations serve different items?
Anyway, I found Linguine alla Marinara - Pasta with a zesty blend of ripe tomatoes, onions and herbs. How do you do with tomatoes? Or I saw Salmon Piccata - Grilled salmon in a white wine lemon sauce. Served with freshly roasted vegetables.
Try looking at the menu, and call ahead of time to see what ingredients they have in each dish. That way you don't have to ask a bunch of questions when you get there, then you can just pretend to be browsing the menu when you really know exactly what you're going to order! Being so prepared will probably put you more at ease and more likely you'll be fine!
So, anyway did Andrea talk to Mark? Is he going with that other girl? Do we still even like Mark, or have we moved on? LOL
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Peaches:
I haven't eaten recently at TGI Fridays, but I can tell you from personal experience the safest restaurant meal is no restaurant meal!
Most chain/franchise restaurants like TGI Fridays and Red Lobster use a lot of additives, etc. in their food. One really has no idea what is in the food and I doubt the chef could even tell you. Even things that you would think should be safe like plain grilled chicken breast can be problematic because a lot of restaurants use chicken from suppliers who inject the chicken with milk and additives before it's delivered to the restaurant.
I don't think rice is a safe choice at a chain restaurant like TGI Fridays because there can be additives and milk products in it as well. And goodness knows what is in the bread (skim milk powder and additives are two possibilities).
Another problem is that chain restaurants use conventional food, not organic, which would be an issue for those IBS people who are particularly sensitive.
If you want to be absolutely sure you'll survive the meal, bring your own food!
I used to get exhausted trying to find something on a restaurant menu that I could eat. It was also embarrassing and stressful in front of my friends to have to interrogate the waiter/waitress about the ingredients in every single item I planned to order, and, on top of this, I would have to special order everything. Adding insult to injury, with my luck, the waiter often forgot (or ignored) my special requests and brought the food prepared in the "normal" way. Then I would have to send it back and invariably my food would arrive just as my friends finished their meal. I came to dread the whole dining out experience. It was all too humiliating and I was always the undesired centre of attention for having all these seemingly wierd requests for my food.
Nowadays I am spared all that humiliation and stress because I bring my own food to restaurants -- usually turkey or tuna sandwiches. I hate to do it, but if it means I can enjoy the company of my friends without being stressed and humiliated and without fearing I will be leaving early due to an IBS attack, then it's worth it.
Having IBS deprives many of us of too many things -- but why should it deprive us of one of the most common and most pleasant forms of socialization -- dining out? It's just we need to learn to work around the situation to find what works best for ourselves. In my case, bringing my own food works the best for me. Hopefully you will find what works best for you.
By the way, I can eat out at authentic Japanese restaurants. It seems that authentic Japanese restaurants don't use any additives in their plain grilled chicken and steamed rice. Plain grilled fish is also a safe choice for me at Japanese restaurants.
Belinda
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Wow --  I've never thought of bringing my own food; I'm such a wuus, though, I don't know how I would feel about pulling a tuna sandwich out of my purse -- but I am so tired of having to make excuses why I can't attend social events that I might give this idea a try. Last time I was talked into being taken out to dinner to celebrate my birthday (how do you say no to that?), I tried to order the most "reasonable" item on the menu, tried picking at my food, but had to run to the bathroom every 10 minutes (can you believe no one noticed?!?), only to return from the bathroom to find they had delivered a creme brule to my plate ONLY!?! OHMYGOD! I wanted to be gracious, but I was miserable. I ate a little bite, then passed it around to share with everyone else. That night, when I went to bed, I had the worst attack EVER that lasted all thru the night and the next day. It is SOOO not worth it! And these people who so kindly took me out for my birthday are some of the "friends" who are offended by my lack of attending social events with them. It's truly a real problem for us IBS-ers. Bev
--------------------
<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
TGI Fridays has a great turkey burger! I usually get that and ask for it with a baked potato instead of fries. Works like a charm for me. Enjoy your dinner!
--------------------
"Anyone can exercise, but this kind of lethargy takes real discipline." -Garfield
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Thank you, Kree!! I'll be sure to try it out! Well Mags, as I suspected, Andre ahans't been able to talk to him, therefor I have no date to the dance (  ) but I'm fine going by myself! I still really liek him and have gone to every single game this season!! lol Yet alas, no luck. He's incredibly shy (he barely even talks!!) so I know that I probably have no luck with him making the first move, so ya know.......lol I'm all confused now!! Anyways, I'll definitley tell you guys how it went!
--------------------
It comes down to the art of living on [color/red]
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Posts
