If you are on my email list, then you know that I have spent the past five days traveling to and from Kansas to visit my oldest granddaughter, for her dance recital. Normally, we would eat at my daughter-in-law’s house, but this was totally not a normal weekend. It was a busy weekend of many activities. So we did a lot of eating out this time around.

I really don’t like to eat out much, especially when traveling, due to the fear of being glutened and being really sick for the entire trip. But this time I didn’t have a choice, and guess what? By asking questions and grilling the wait staff, I was able to eat out and enjoy a great trip.

Here’s some of the places we ate and the food that I had:

Thursday evening, my husband and I ate at Outback Steakhouse in Terre Haute, Indiana. I knew that they offered a gluten-free menu, so when our waitress brought the regular menus, I asked for a gluten-free menu. I had the “Perfectly Grilled Salmon”. It came with fresh veggies, which were zucchini and yellow squash and carrots, and I ordered a baked potato. The food was really good.

Friday, we had a late, late lunch and it had to be fast. My hubby wanted a burger, so although we don’t usually eat like this, we went to Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I had heard that their French fries were fried in a dedicated fryer, so they are gluten-free, but I wanted to make sure before I ordered, so I asked the girl at the counter.

I told her that I had celiac disease, she said everything was made on separate griddles. Burgers, fries and buns, so everything could be made gluten-free. She shouted to them that there was an allergy order coming up…gluten! I watched as every one of the cooks, changed gloves. I was so impressed. Everything was delicious.

Saturday night’s dinner was at a pizza place called AJ’s. They offer a gluten-free pizza crust, which would be fine, I guess, for someone who just has an intolerance,  but I was concerned that with all that glutenous flour flying around, there was a very real chance of cross-contamination. So I opted instead for a salad. I told them that I was celiac, and they were very careful with my salad. I was concerned when I saw them placing dinner rolls onto the salad plates, but he changed gloves and didn’t put a roll on my plate.

Sunday evening’s dinner was on the road again. This time, the Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Terre Haute, Indiana. Again the food was good, although their fries weren’t done as crispy as the Five Guys in Kansas, but they weren’t loaded with salt either like the ones in Kansas.

Breakfast was Denny’s in Terre Haute, Indiana. I had two slices of bacon, a slice of ham and a fresh fruit cup.

All in all, I had delicious meals and didn’t get sick. And before I get raked over the coals for being a health coach and eating burgers and fries, let me just say that I do not eat like this all the time. But, like I tell my clients, you can have everything in moderation. As long as I eat “clean” 90% of the time, I really do not feel bad treating myself to burgers and fries or whatever the indulgence may be. That way, I don’t feel deprived or live a dietary lifestyle that is not sustainable.

However, now that we are home, I’m looking forward to getting back to my healthier fare of lean proteins and lots of vegetables.

Have you had a good experience eating out at a restaurant? Or maybe a really bad experience. Share about it in the comments below.