Thank you for coming to my blog! I hope this post can be helpful to you as you navigate how to successfully eat out again, or is a post to give you some hope that one day, you WILL be able to eat out again!
The thought of eating out for many people who suffer with gastroparesis and Hashimoto's is incredibly daunting. It can be stressful when you're used to eating out at your favorite places but you can no longer do so. With gastroparesis you have to stick with softer foods, sometimes even straight liquids, and no nuts/seeds, raw veggies or fruit and only a little meat. For Hashimoto's it may be a struggle to eat at places because some of us have to be gluten free. Either way it's hard, and is definitely a struggle when you have both disorders!
I have had Gastroparesis for over a year and a half, and have been recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's. It has been a hard year and a half for me, but such a learning experience. I have been working on healing my body and every day gets better. Here are some tips I have discovered throughout this past year and what I have learned about eating out, along with some tips to help you:
Research ahead of time. Researching will mostly likely be number one on any "tips" post I do. You have to do the work, and do it ahead time. Research restaurants, view their menus and sides, decide what you can eat and what time you should eat it. This will help relieve any stress. If your family, partner, friend, etc., doesn't like it, than too bad! It is necessary. For Hashimoto's folks- if you're gluten free than research a LOT ahead of time to ensure the food is, in fact, gluten free and safe.
Don't be afraid to be "picky". My pet peeve is when someone messages me or makes a comment about not wanting to be the "picky one" at restaurants. Yes it may annoy the waiters, but who cares! You need to eat, you need to eat food that won't hurt you, and as long as you're nice and pay for the meal, than it doesn't matter. Be picky and take care of your health.
Bring medication/supplements, etc. with you. Sometimes I even feel a bit weird when it comes to pulling out my pill case and taking my pro and prebiotics at dinner time, or my iron pill at lunch but really.... no one cares if you take a pill at meal time. Take your pill whether discreetly or not and enjoy your meal.
Don't rush the eating out process. I didn't eat out for about 8 months after being diagnosed with gp. I was in a lot of pain which is the biggest reason for that, along with thinking there was nothing out there food wise for me to eat... which is very wrong.
Bring soothing things with you. Do you get nauseous when you eat? Bring a ginger chew or supplement with you. Going to a cafe or lunch spot? Bring your own tea, like peppermint or ginger to soothe your stomach. Even bring a heating pad if needed; tuck it in your purse/bag if you want until you are seated.
Order take-out instead. Since getting gastroparesis I have struggled with anxiety which has just recently in the past couple months gotten better. If you also suffer with anxiety thinking about going out, or if you are in pain, have nausea, etc., try ordering takeout from somewhere instead so you can eat it where you're most comfortable.
Fish is a fairly safe option. If you're allergic to seafood, you may have to stick to chicken or turkey when eating out. If you're not allergic, definitely try non-fried seafood. Thankfully living in Portland, Maine there is a large seafood scene as Portland is directly on the coast. Portland also has a very large restaurant scene, for a small city, Portland have over 300 restaurants! It is crazy and I'm still finding new places every block I walk. But with this, even if you live outside of a city, in the middle of nowhere, or if you travel, you will eventually get yourself stuck in a situation where you'll have to or want to eat out. Fish is a pretty good choice for that. I enjoy eating Salmon, Cod or Haddock at restaurants. They're usually served with rice and vegetables that you can be fairly picky with. Don't be afraid to switch the sides that come with your meal!
Take food home. If you're worried about portions, as with gp you can only eat a small amount at a time.. than eat what you can without over doing it, and ask for a to-go box, it's that easy. Disregard any judgments.
Realize that eating at home can be equally as great. Invite people over for food, research new recipes, experiment with the foods you can tolerate, try new flours, new non-dairy milks, find alternatives to the foods you previously could enjoy... and so on. Cooking food at home not only saves money, it's usually healthier. I love cooking and baking at home so please feel free to contact me through this site, or my gphealth_ loreal Instagram page, if you want additional tips on how to get started cooking more at home, or for recipe suggestions that fit your current state of diet. I will be happy to help you.
I hope this short post can give you a boost of confidence along with some pointers on how to eat out successfully, when the time comes. I also hope that if you're currently on a liquid or mushy food diet, that you will find some hope that you will one day be able to enjoy eating out, if you continue to do the work in helping to heal your body.
Stay healthy and enjoy the food you can eat,
Loreal
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