Crohn's, Diets, and Eating Out
Ever since I've been out of the hospital, I have found that it's hard to eat out with friends because I am gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, and inflammatory preservatives-free. My diet in combination with my workout routine has really helped my body feel its best, but it can be difficult, especially because I am still managing symptoms of both Crohn's and HSP with my new lifestyle. While I do try to eat at home a good amount of the time, I do eat out sometimes with friends and family. This week, I want to share 5 restaurants I can eat at, so if you have a similar diet, you can have some places to try. Some of these will be local to me, but can still serve as a starting point.
Joi Cafe is vegan, and many items can be made gluten-free. I've had pizza and cookie dough, which have both been amazing. They also have smoothies, coffee drinks, veggie burgers, and other vegan items. I order the same thing because I am a creature of habit: the mushroom cheese pizza with vegan cheese. However, they have other pizzas that I'm sure are amazing. All of the pizza can be made with gluten-free bread, which is super exciting. The one thing I don't know is how they do with celiac, as that is not why I am gluten-free.
When I come here, I order shrimp with olive oil, white rice, and fries. I have to be careful with raw vegetables, so I sometimes worry my food looks like a 12-year-old ordered it, but it is because I need to be mindful of fiber intake. However, the food here is clean, fresh, and good! It also isn't too expensive, so I don't have to worry about paying too much money for "health food" like some of the other places I eat at. Unfortunately, it is more expensive to eat healthy, so it is nice to have places to go to that are semi-affordable.
MB Grill is great because there are multiple meat options, so it is easy to customize my meal. I don't eat red meat, but I can eat shrimp, fish, and chicken. I haven't found cooked fish I love yet. I texted my mom the other day saying I tried salmon and felt like a cat eating cat food, but it could be worse. So I stick to shrimp and chicken, but I can pick from multiple seasonings and sides. If you do eat red meat, you'll have more options. This option is better suited to celebration meals or happy-hour meetups. However, if you want a nicer option, I've had birthday meals here before.
I try to avoid fast food because of the seed oils, but every once in a while I do it anyway. If I want something besides fries, I can eat the not-fried chicken at Chick-fil-A. Again, I don't do this often, but when I do, I know I can eat here. Shockingly, finding grilled chicken at a fast-food restaurant is not easy, even at restaurants that specialize in chicken. I thought I might have luck at Raising Cane's because they only make chicken, but I did not.
This Thai food restaurant can make most things gluten-free and dairy-free, which allows me to have noodle dishes. I typically get pad see you and don't eat the broccoli because of the fiber. However, they also have a lot of rice dishes, so I have lots of options. I've been here with friends and family, and everyone has been able to find something they can eat as long as they can have soy.
Thank you for reading about some of the restaurants I have found I can eat out at! If you have any questions or comments, please comment on the blog, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook, or email me at Anniekrollblog@gmail.com. I hope to see you next week!
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