I always look for sandwiches and ask for plain old mustard and any sauces on the side. I pick off the veggies I can't tolerate.
Grilled fish and chicken are always safe options, too. I always make sure the waiter knows "no dairy" and tell them to use light oil. With today's low carb/low fat diets, no one bats an eye when you specify light oil.
Best and safest bets are Asian cuisine where you can get plenty of rice and fresh veggies and fish and tofu. Watch out for oils, fried dishes and hidden dairy in the sauces though!
Italian is hard for me. Tomatoes give me gas But spaghetti with marinara (no meat) is pretty tolerable. Mexican can be really hard unless the restaurant has a fresh menu. Fresh fish tacos on flour or corn tortillas, no cheese are good. Don't load up on chips as they tend to be fried and watch out for flour tortillas as they can be made with lots of lard.
I like experimenting, too. I found a great Ethiopian place that does lots of vegetarian dishes and is totally amenable to modifying dishes for my diet. I also love Indian cuisine, just make sure no cream and light oil is used.
The trick is to talk to the waiters/waitresses and express your fussiness. I always lead into it with "I have some food sensitivities, so bear with me, but I'm as fussy as Sally from When Harry Met Sally!" It usually makes the server laugh and makes me feel better about being picky
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Re: Eating Out
But spaghetti with marinara (no meat) is pretty tolerable. Mexican can be really hard unless the restaurant has a fresh menu. Fresh fish tacos on flour or corn tortillas, no cheese are good. Don't load up on chips as they tend to be fried and watch out for flour tortillas as they can be made with lots of lard.
